It was chilly inside and out, at Bedworth RFC last night, for a Festival Fund Raiser. But all of us were warmed in turn, by the material being performed there. Particularly during an absorbing second half from Carole Palmer and Maria Barham. I was delighted to hear them perform three of my favourites from their extensive set lists: "Geordie" their own "Still Falling," and a splendidly warm version of the spine-tingling "Caledonia." I introduced these two as part of a show I hosted at Bedworth Folk Festival last November. Their singing and guitar playing is always excellent, their patter between numbers is relaxed and sprinkled with a natural good humour. They appear to be having a good time. (You can use this for your next Press Release, Maria). I love the way Maria cheerfully thrashes her scarf around,seems to select plectra (is that a word) on a colour basis only, and occasionally admits without a trace of shame to using "my cheating capo." (I though this was a Hank Williams song, but Arnold says not).
There are lots of fellow-songwriters out there in Folkland but I really respect Carole. There aren't many lyricists who make me shake my head at their skill, or smile at the the cleverness or irony of their words woven into their songs. I hope Carole won't mind me saying that she's the sort of songwriter you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of. She has an almost Adele-like skill for stringing together pictures of people who seem to have got to her. I could be imagining this-they could be entirely fictional, but they get me building pictures, and that is the art of a wordsmith-Ouch! The tunes aren't half bad, either! Maria's guitar playing and singing are by turns thoughtful and energetic. She's never still and one day she'll take someone's head off with that swinging guitar neck. She's versatile, too. We had a Bazouki and a flute solo from her last night! Delighted that they will be joining us for Shackerstone Beer Festival in June, along with a few other Beduff regulars.
Other interesting and entertaining spots first half came from "Up The Boro" Joe, Hosts Malc Gurnham and Gill Gilsenan (with David Parr), Peter Kelly, Sheila Moseley, Emma Langford, and Dave Fry. Oh, and two thirds of Black Parrot Seaside. Our other third was off somewhere hunting Messerschmitts.( He's not an ex-WW 2 RAF pilot, type, just fond of 1960's light cars). We started our own little cameo with one of (several!) versions of "What a Folking Liberty," and as always happens with a Bedduff audience, they took it completely in the spirit intended. Buoyed by that reaction (and restricted to two only) we finished with " Albert Balls," a song so appreciated by Bedduff audiences that they know the words better than we do.
Amongst Dave's numbers were a very nice Jon Harvison song which I've heard him do elsewhere, and The Strawbs "Part of The Union." Dave didn't see me using my mobile during the Jon Harvison song because generally he keeps his eyes closed when he's singing! But for the record, I wasn't distracted or being impolite-I was making a note of the song, so that I could look it up later. (Still searching- it has a lovely chorus line of "one sky one moon one love.") Similarly, Maria and Carole might also have spotted me weeping during the second half. I cannot lie:it wasn't that I was overcome by their performance-it was an incubating eye infection. I'm on antibiotics for that now, so hopefully not too much crying at the next gig unless I get my finger trapped in a music stand?
Dave also got the audience singing along to that Strawbs song. Now, I must confess that when it came out around 1973, I wasn't entirely comfortable with it. Nor was I later taken with the way Right Wing elements and the media hijacked it to use it as part of their campaigns to denigrate Trade Unionism. I'm sure The Strawbs didn't intend that. Indeed, I wrote a response song to it called "Salt Of The Earth. " We still do it occasionally-it is on our 2008 CD. I'll explain it later for those who don't "get" it.
Unbelievably, Arnold won yet another bottle of wine in interval Raffle, to add to his already groaning cellars. I won nowt,( plus ca change!). Maria was gutted to miss out on yet another glitzy bag. Other points of interest beyond the music were the odd revolving chairs (part of just too much furniture generally!), a spat between Malc and Gilly over some posters, the the clock still working but permanently stuck at five minutes to three* and the team sheets for next Saturda,y outside on the Rugby Club Noticeboard.
In May we return to this venue to share a night of madness with another chum, Bill Bates. Malc was bigging this up last night as potentially being "mayhem" with a Comedy only theme, including Floor Spots. He wasn't just referring to our false starts,memory lapses,shock endings or unrehearsed key changes either. Both Bill and ourselves are erudite and witty songwriters (he told me to write that) but we have been known to do a few serious songs, too. We shall see what eventually transpires. Should be a laugh though. May 22nd I believe.
