Fringe Activities at Monks Kirby

     Host Pete Willow last night jokingly referred to a " Shrewsbury Fringe ," at the monthly gathering of Sly Old Dogs and Friends at The Bell Inn in Monks Kirby. Numbers were down, with it being a Bank Holiday. Certainly, one or two notable faces (and beards) were  missing, but that did not detract from a broad  selection of songs and tunes on offer from the assembled Company. Nor some robust singing from an enthusiastic and "lively" (in the educational sense) audience. Oh dear me no.

      Quite apart from whole quaysides of traditional tunes, regiments of woeful soldiers and complete  encampments of travelling folk,  we had contemporary stuff too. The work of Leon Rosselson, Dougie Mclean, Bobby Womack, Pink Floyd, Sandy Denny, Graham Nash and Paul Brady were all represented. There were several "firsts," too from performers, with Pete Willow, Bob Brooker and  myself amongst those trying out new material. In my case, Black Parrot Seaside are tinkering in the workshops with (finally!) doing some 'Stones and Beatles numbers. We'd practised a pretty different arrangement of an early Stones hit-"It's All Over Now," last week and so I thought I'd give a version of it an airing last night at The Bell. I also sang "Lakes of Ponchartain," and the perennial "Black Velvet Band."

 

    Mick Barwell, an accomplished multi-instrumentalist sat next to Bob Brooker-who is another one. Between them they added depth to the triple guitars of Pete, Richard Rider and Cheryl. I've not seen or heard a lot of Mick previously. I was suitably impressed. Nice choice of songs from him, too. It was left to myself and Tony Super to do the unaccompanied stuff, although at these events once the " House Orchestra " has assimilated the key, tone,speed and pitch (in my case!) of a number, they will cheerfully plough along providing an accompaniment.

 

     During the first of three halves, a guy whose name I didn't quite catch came up and, borrowing Pete's guitar, he sang and played a very  good version of "Dirty Old Town." He got deserved applause for that. No guest appearance though last night, from Mine Host, Paco. He was most probably occupied serving up the Roast potatoes which were provided for us all as a welcome (and free!) snack during the final "half."

 

       Late on there was a highly enjoyable romp through the instrumental "The Trumpet Hornpipe," better known as The Captain Pugwash theme. A few people said afterwards how much they enjoyed hearing this tune again, and how it was a shame that no-one does it any more. I was too shy to point out that we've been doing it for about 30 years now, as the accompaniment to "The Wag Of Shop 14." This song, complete with a Lathe Shanty and the Ryton Spanner Dance included when we do it "live," is a look back at when towns and cities in the Midlands actually had a manufacturing Industry. It's probably the only version to be performed in a cowgown.

 

Getting In On The Act

Two important dates added for us now in December, as Hinckley Act (you can find a  link to their website on ours-see our address in column to the right of this post) , have asked us to host their  December Club Night. Delighted to get that particular call as:

1.   It's The Bold Parrot's nearest venue:
2.   They have some top acts on there:
3.   Nice people run it:
4.   It's my birthday!

     As we're at Bedworth Folk Festival the weekend before, and Atherstone Folk Club a couple of weeks later, (18th December) that's a busy period and NO excuses for those who keep asking where and when we'll be on next. With a cross-section of venues like that there is something for everyone.

    As this little flurry  will fall during the Festive Season (and Atherstone's Folk Club is based at Church End Brewery!!) it would be nice if we could get a BPS charabanc or mini-bus going to Hinckley or Atherstone, or both. ( Make one of them a "staff do.")  Anyone interested in that, get in touch via Facebook?

On Bedduth Bank last night

The Black Parrot Seaside Collective swung into action last night at Bedworth Folk Club's Big Summer Sing. A decent sized audience were in good voice and good humour, as a procession of guests aired various songs in the spirit of the advertised "must have a chorus" theme.

  Still missing our mandolin/banjo player, once again we were joined by our chum Malc Gurnham on acoustic bass. Malc was flushed with his success with us at Stratford Folk Club a week ago. He was also flushed with a substantial intake of Hobgoblin, on a balmy night in both meteorological and behavioural terms. As it happened we also drafted a couple more musicians in, with the result that BPS became temporarily a five piece. More of which, anon.

  

    Malc and Gill kicked proceedings off with a series of songs from their extensive repertoire. "It's going to be one of those nights!" Gill correctly observed, during an amicable exchange of good-natured heckling. Rob Oakey, host of Coventry's Sty Folk Club then followed, selecting a contemporary theme including the Donovan favourite "Mellow Yellow." The audience were well warmed up as the inimitable Joe Roberts followed. If you wanted a definition of inimitable-then Joe is your man.

   Joe blazed away energetically with his unique singing and playing style on a version  of "All The Monkeys Ain't In The Zoo." Which of course, had additional, poignant local meaning, given the Chimpanzees' mass  break-out at Twycross a few weeks ago. Joe was pounding the axe so violently at one point that his guitar strap came off, and there was a brief delay whilst first aid was attempted before a second song. This was I think, a Lonnie Donnegan tune, with a distinct Skiffle feel to it. Being Joe there was a little bit of Pete Townsend involved. At one point, his guitar neck was wavering dangerously towards Malc's pride and joy on its guitar stand. There was some screaming, but I think this came from the room next door where England had just gone ahead against Scotland.

 

    Still a little dazed by Joe's performance, the audience were calmed by being treated to that rare Club experience, a Bedworth Virgin. The fact that it was Bob Brooker made this event even more memorable. For as he explained, whilst introducing one song originally intended as a hymn of courtship, Bob's a man who gets around. We've seen him in all kinds of folk settings-but resplendent in a magnificent tartan two-piece outfit and displaying a hairy pair of knees, this was his debut at The Bank. Bob is a talented instrumentalist, and a performer who puts a lot of thought into his choice of songs. He pretends not to, but I know from seeing him before, that he prepares well, writes well, and chooses eclectic material. Joe got quire excited again when Bob mentioned Grimsby, as he and I  were both there this time last summer, seeing The Boro' hold the Mariners to a 0-0 draw. Bob did a nice version of the classic "Fiddlers Green." Multi-part harmonies on that evocative chorus.

 

    It was then down to The BPSC to finish the first half. We REALLY do quite a lot of traditional songs, but few which include choruses. Most of our trad. covers seem to entail very sad narratives about ladies who let their chaps down rather badly, such as Ponchartrain, Peggy Gordon, Courting is a Pleasure and Black Velvet Band. Most of own material does feature choruses, so we chose "The Odeon" "Albert Balls" "On Bedduth Bank" and "What A Folking Liberty," in the hope that an audience with many familiar faces would belt the choruses back at us. And boy! Did they!  We were joined on all four songs by Dave Parr on guitar, Malc on bass and Sue Sanders on fiddle. Sue comes to lots of gigs where we are and I've noticed she knows many of the words to our original songs. She'd also helped back me doing BPS numbers at Sly Old  Dogs sessions at Monks Kirby.

 

  I like to think we closed that first half with a little bit of good taste and decorum after all the ribaldry and reflection of the previous guests. We climaxed with "Folking" (if you see what I mean). It was particularly powerful, romping away so much at times, it sounded like Steel Eye Convention on Helium.  I think we first aired this song at this venue. It's remarkable how well it's developed  since. Definitely one for the next album, and close to this format. Bellowhead look over your shoulder. The Collective is coming.

 

    Thrupp'nny Bits started the second half. No dog with them this time, but she'd just had 11 puppies, so did not need to bring a note. Eschewing the microphone (at least I think that's what Des did with it), they embarked on a run of  three part harmony  songs in the traditional vein. Des does not look anything like his Facebook Profile picture. Probably because that's Uncle Bulgaria, who is slightly better looking and a bit younger. During one number I was astonished to see Des using his Kindle as a prompt. Class! Now that's proper Hi Tech. Some of us were shocked to hear them conclude with a song about flatulence. It was good though-I meant to ask them who wrote it.

 

 Bob Brooker returned and sang a couple more, including one of his favourites-"The Bonny Light Horseman." Or " Broken Hearted I will Wander." Or any one of several other versions of this lovely song. Then Sue got up, had a bit of a moment with tuning, but then added another talent which some of weren't aware of-she sang. Unaccompanied, too. Malc joined her for a second song which had a very rousing, gospel-style chorus.

 

   Malc and Gill finished off a most enjoyable evening. They sang pretty well every coal mining song imaginable, in a town once notable for its collieries. Bar one. "Union Miners Stand Together." Oh well.

Avon a night's fun in Stratford

        As a Warwickshire lad myself,  my visits to Billy's Town go right back to the days of The Stratford Blue Omnibus Company and Flowers Bitter. I've never been a stranger to the town. Indeed my last visit was for some shopping and a delightful lunch in the Thatched House. I've been Best Man at a wedding in Luddington, taken our kids to the Teddy Bear Museum, The Butterfly Farm and Charlecote. Our (absent-last-night) mandolin player married a Stratford girl, and worked there for many years. I've even played Casca in Julius Caesar, studied both Othello and Anthony and Cleopatra for A  Level and helped direct a theatre production of Twelfth Night for my college finals. I know the Man. I know the Place. And I've read The Dillen. (Which is excellent). 

       But until last night, Stratford On Avon  was for Black Parrot Seaside in all our myriad forms, a bit of a mystery. We'd played many Warwickshire Towns and villages, but this was one still to tick off. I'd fibbed a little by over-emphasising beforehand how excited we were to travel that far South. Many years ago we'd been to The Cherry Trees Folk Club in nearby Alcester, have played in Hitchin Hertfordshire (which is damn near near Lunnun' way) and Banbury. But Stratford remained a nut for us nuts to finally crack. We go back long enough to remember The Green Dragon and were aware of Cox's Yard. But we'd never plucked the courage up to visit the town as entertainers.

    So it was unknown territory for Arnold, myself and honorary Parrot Malc Gurnham, who  was guesting on base for the evening. So unknown, that our first error was to actually pay for the parking next door to the wonderful Embassy Club. When we could have used their car park. If Eddie was still with us, he would have wept at that.

    What a wonderful venue host Tori Rushton has established. A positive nugget. (The club that is-though I'm sure Tori is veined with pure gold, too).  A large, separate function room, having a well-stocked bar at one end, and a compact but elevated stage right at the other.  Comfortable seating with plenty of tables, a potent P.A. with a competent driver, an attentive host and a busy audience. Overall a friendly, cheerful atmosphere.  It was just like the club we got so very near to running in Coventry a few years ago. (sigh).

 

  We'd brought a little entourage with us, and so the Bedworth and Atherstone Folk Club fliers had pride of place on all the tables well before Norman Wheatley arrived with armfuls of Warwick ones.  Norman and Viv arriving meant that we had the interesting situation of having four Warwickshire Folk Clubs represented in one venue. What an opportunity for performers on a Singers Night!  The theme was "Summer" which I confess I'd forgotten and it appeared, so had most of the other guests. I got round it by introducing us with "We do songs. Summer Blues Summer Traditional and Summer not. "

 

   As regulars to this Blog will know, I'm a great fan of the eclectic Folk Club. The evening  was just brimming with eclectiveness.  (That's not a proper word. I know.  I just put it in to annoy pedants.) We had Traditional folk. We had Blues. We had comedy. We had covers of Fairport, James Brown and Simon and Garfunkel We had Blues from David Bristow. So good I spent my last fiver on one of his CD's.

 

     Just before we went on there was a woman (you can't say "lady" there, they're very modern), who sang unaccompanied, in perfect pitch, filling the room with her powerful voice. We had a stunning little cameo from a youngster who employed a collection of floor switches and a hand mike to spontaneously create multi-tracked backing on a loop. She then proceeded to play the fiddle along with it and sing in a tone and range which gave several of us a Susan Boyle moment. So much sound coming from (I hope she won't mind me saying) a slip of a girl. Her emotional rendition of "This is a Man's World," was truly memorable. The techno stuff she had was very modern. It's called a gramophone or something like that. K.T. Tunstall might use one. I dunno.

 

    We had any number of singer songwriters with a guitar and a pocketful of songs. We had some trousers, the like of I haven't seen for years. I just had humble jeans on, and felt underdressed at times. We had a duo who had lost bits of group  (we know how that feels) and so only had guitar and mandolin. But they (again) just filled the room with accomplished instrumentals. The mandolinist used a plectrum made of ivory and covered with-sharkskin, I think it was. It produced an abrasive tone from his innocuous-looking little mandolin which you could have cut metal with. We had Norman singing two typically whimsical, clever songs-and finishing with a rather wistful, mellow one. Light and shade. The evening was completed by a delightful man who announced his Pagan roots and then played a Drone flute and a Viking Lute.

 

  Not knowing the club or the audience, we went for safety and did three BPS standards, "The Odeon," "Courting is a Pleasure," and "Albert Balls."  Considering we had not rehearsed them with Malc at all, we were very pleased with how they were received. We must let Malc sing the choruses more directly next time-he knows the words better than we do. This was the first time we'd had base accompaniment since Pete Townsend and co backed us doing blues in our outdoors gig with Off The Cuff last summer. It certainly adds. Something to bear in mind for the next CD. (Cue Arnold, shuddering with exasperation?).

 

    The biggest compliment I can pay the Club is that our apprehension in making a debut there was misplaced. We'd be confident to go back and do any of our more erm, "varied" stuff, because the audience, performers and organisers seemed appreciative, comfortable and supportive with the broad cross-section of material on offer. Trust me-you don't get that in every club. My only (very minor) criticism would be that it was difficult sometimes for strangers (pardner) from out of town, to work out who was who. Audiences (and Bloggers) need proper names. "Hi I'm Dave," or " Hiya It's Ellen," is all very relaxed, but more information is useful. There was a fair amount of networking going on about the room, so I successfully established a few identities, but look. We were "discovered" by the archetypal Record Company Scout in the audience. It happens. Trust an old Hand, people. Always announce yourselves fully,  You don't know who is out there listening or talent spotting.