...Beautiful friend, The End"- a certain Mr. James Morrison
Odd, isn't it, how things can change if you go abroad for a week? When I left the U.K. for Crete on the 21st June 2012, I was in a band. One I'd been in, on and off, since 1975. Now,on return home, I'm not. Once again, Black Parrot Seaside have disbanded. By default. In my absence. Nice. Et Tu Brute,eh?
We had such fun (remember that?) on reforming (by request) for a one-off fund raiser at Brinklow in 2006, that we stayed back together for six years , recording an album in 2008. We had plans for all kinds of other initiatives. We almost opened a club ourselves in 2010, in what would have been a really good venue at Coventry and North Warwicks Sports Club. But increasingly, certain members of the band became more and more selective about where they would and could not play. Whilst also expanding their own performance repertoire by playing other venues, with other ensembles.
BPS thus earned themselves a bit of a reputation for being awkward. At one time we were in the envious position of having six (yes SIX!) gigs lined up. All of which for one reason or another we had declined to accept. So, I suppose, yet another split was realistically, inevitable. You cannot make a reluctance to rehearse, selectivity over material,and a rider or qualification on almost every venue requesting our appearances, the basis for a successful band.
In some circles, this announcement will be greeted with enormous pleasure. We were a Marmite band. You either got us or you didn't. Comedy Folk is not an easy genre. We did it well. Some other comedy performers didn't. This fuelled jealousy. Some of our competitors (as they see it) mightl sleep a little easier tonight, knowing that we are no longer out there on the circuit, and believing that finally, we have flapped off. We shall see.
