Hummin' at The Humber

I really enjoyed our first visit to the newly relocated "Tump Folk Club " last night, and a very nostalgic one it was,for me personally. The club is now based more centrally than it was when in Brinklow Road. It is now at The Humber pub, in Humber Road Coventry. A familiar part of the world for me, as I grew up "over the railway" in Northfield Road, and I went to All Saints Primary School just a few minutes walk away. My dad and my Uncle Bill and many neighbours once worked in the massive car plant which used to be just down the road from The Humber. Indeed "Wag of Shop 14," one of our most requested songs, is largely based about reminiscences about that series of factories.

I also had my last pint as a single man in The Humber. In 1971, I was based at Gosford Green, working for Coventry Parks Department. My mates decided they would send me on my way to the wedding in London by finishing early and getting me sloshed at lunchtime. They then dropped me off home in the back of a three wheel Lister Truck which created traffic chaos as it chugged all the way down Binley Road. With me and a 56lb bag of grass seed in the back.

A further point of interest is that the band have played several venues in this area before. The Pitts Head in Gosford Street, the Gosford Park Hotel at the top of Northfield Road,and The Biggin Hall Hotel, on Binley Road. For example.

We joined an interesting collection of singers and musicians and took a diverse trip round the world with them. We listened to songs made famous by James Taylor, Woody Guthrie,Dobie Gray, Crowded House and Billie Holiday. Nearer to home, with a mix of traditional and self-penned material, we were entertained by visiting Dalgetty, Dublin and Scapa Flow and we went busking in London's West End.

As BPS remain in a "fluid" state in personnel terms, once again it was just Arnold and I who took to the floor. This fragmented Parrot seems to be the current genre. It has its benefits in that we get to play more Blues and we don't have to tote so many instruments around. On the down side,we lose a depth of tone with reduced instrumentation, and some of our regular repertoire cannot successfully be reproduced without drastic re-arrangement. However, for the third time in a fortnight, other musicians occasionally joined in. Notably Rob Oakey adding some mean blues harp on "If I Had Possession." And we were delighted to find that here as elsewhere, audiences enjoy singing the chorus to some of our own songs.

Besides "Possession" We also did "The Odeon" "Courting is a Pleasure" " Albert Balls" "Vigilante Man" and "Over The Hills and Far Away." Only one of those six songs was on our last CD. Proving that we are no one trick pony, and that we do keep updating material!

We were made to feel very welcome, as we always are at clubs hosted by Rob and Karen. Arnold won a bottle of red wine in the raffle and had folk queuing to admire the dobro. The Humber has had a decent makeover, has a big car park and the staff seem very friendly. We'll be back!

God Save(d) The Parrot

Despite not being the most devout of monarchists,we had an absolute blast last night, doing an open air gig in a marquee on Wolvey Playing Fields. Half of the current Black Parrot Seaside to be technically accurate,as two of our number were elsewhere, otherwise engaged.

It was our first outdoor gig since Newbold RFC a couple of summers ago. And being June in England,it was cold! Whilst the sun was still flooding across the fields,not too bad. But as it went down, and a big orange moon came up,it got progressively chillier.It turned out to be a momentous evening for yours truly, being the first time I'd sung with a full band behind me, since about 1976! Oh how the poignant memories flowed!!

Fortified by a few Becks and San Miguels,we did a half hour slot, following on from Colin Squire, whom we've met up with at The Bell (Monks Kirby) on Sunday nights sometimes.Colin performed an accomplished set, bravely trying to persuade a semi-frozen crowd to sing along with a succession of chorus songs. This included "Yarmouth Town," one of my favourites from his repertoire. I appeared to be the only person belting it out with him!

It seemed to take ages for us to set up. We'd not been able to access the performance area beforehand, and Off The Cuff, (who were later going to join us), also needed to re-check their tunings. Arn and I started with "Over The Hills and Far Away",which we've been reworking recently. Without being able to use the fiddle intro, and shorn of Eddie's bridges between chorus and verse, Arn now chops in a tasteful electric intro, using the Telecaster. Bramcote Barracks was bathed in a golden glow as the sun set behind us. It added a certain irony and relavence to this old song about soldiers doing their best for King and Country, a long way from home. It got a good reception. (Applause gets the circulation going!)

We followed up with "Some Day The Sun Won't Shine." This song was popularised on an early Jethro Tull album. The cold by now was playing havoc with strings, as Arn found to his horror during this number. Keeping the Old Boy on his toes, he then had to switch to 12 string for "Courting is a Pleasure." We hit a really good tempo on this, with a few people actually dancing! The bar had been open all day, and I guess folk were just trying to keep warm. Arn then got the dobro going,to finish our solo bit with "Vigilante Man." I would add that he lap-played it for this number, but it might sound a bit rude.

Off The Cuff then joined us for three more songs. Derek, Pete,Adrian and Jon all now inducted into the honorary Parrot Hall of Fame. With Arn hanging on to the Dobro, (but standing up this time!),we pumped out a spirited rendition of Robert Johnson's "If I Had Possession" -based loosely around Clapton's version. Anker Delta White Boy Blues. This is really how it's meant to be done! All amped up, Drums and base, bottleneck guitars, and a blues harp warbling away between verses. Brilliant. The audience liked it-(dancing again!) and I was ecstatic!

Sam Cook's "Bring It On Home To Me" then followed, a version more closely allied to the Animal's cover. Again featuring all six of us. And we finished our solo bit with "Need Your Love So Bad."

I just adore this song. It's a personal favourite of mine, but I have never previously had the privilege of performing it publicly. Peter Green famously transcribed it from the Blind Wille John original. It's a song with a very special meaning for me. It was our first dance as a married couple at our wedding reception in London, oh so many years ago. Thereafter it became "Our" song. We danced alone to it again at various family parties. To be able to sing it, whilst fronting up an ace band,and looking into the eyes of the Love of My Life right in front of me as I did so, was a truly magical and memorable experience. Dunno if the audience enjoyed it quite as much as I did, but they seemed happy enough!

Off The Cuff then got everyone dancing. They played one excellent set, stopped for the beacon to be lit, and then returned for another. I cannot praise these guys highly enough. Immense gratitude to them for working patiently with us at rehearsals,and backing us "live." I have played support to The Darts and East Of Eden. I've met John Lee Hooker. I've recorded in the studio where Dire Straits put down "Sultans of Swing." Our songs have been played on Radio One. But this goes right in there along with the great Parrot music moments. Singing The Blues in a six piece is really where it all took off with BPS in the 1970's.I'd almost forgotten how cool it can be. Unless I get a call from a band looking for a vocalist over the next few months-this may never happen again!