I'm all too familiar with the circuitous drive from the A5 valley floor, up into the Nuneaton Alps. Through leafy winding lanes more like Cornwall than Warwickshire. To Church End Brewery Tap at Ridge Lane. Winter, Summer, I've spent many happy family occasions there indoors, or outside seated at the picnic tables. Blissfully sampling their glorious produce. As it travels, just the few metres, from the brewing vats to my glass. Birthdays, Father's Days, promotion celebrations. All marked with "a Church Outing." (Think about it). I'd never ever arrived there before to find the car park completely full. Read on to see why it was so busy.
Since the opening day at CEBT we've always marvelled at the echoing high-ceilinged room known as "The Vestry" and sighed over what a great music room it would make. What an honour and a privilege then, to finally face an audience there, wearing my Church End t-shirt. With my beloved Nuneaton Boro' two pints clear at the top of the whole Non-League Football system. And introducing a song from our last CD, about the diversity of the lovely Towns of my home county of Warwickshire.
The Product
Why only last Friday night I was sampling Church End Brewery provenance . At their other outlet, The George and Dragon over the A5 at Stoke Golding. Mysteriously I somehow ended up playing dominoes, after a heavy day at Hinckley Beer Festival. Last night I was drinking (appropriately) their Boston Fat Boy Bitter. Each time the nice lady served me, we both had a laugh when she said, setting the glass down on the counter: "There you are...your Fat Boy." How right she was.
The Club
We know from our own experience that launching a new Folk Club is like getting a heavy, steam-hauled freight train moving. Easing cautiously out of the long siding where it had been planned and assembled. Onto the Main Line, to compete with other traffic. There are always teething troubles, not all of which will be resolved on the first night. Anxieties over which of those performers who had previously pledged attendance would actually turn up. Anxieties about the size of the potential audience. Anxieties about sound levels. Running times. Appropriate material.
There can be no doubt that much of the impetus behind the success of this new project has been Phil Benson. He had played a canny hand so far, in securing such a good venue-one made nationally famous by an award-winning product. He'd secured promises from an impressive collection of musicians. (And us!). He had then produced two Aces by having Carole Palmer and Maria Barham as his opening headline feature. And just for good measure, he'd recruited not one but two local Morris groups-Ansley and Anker, to literally kick events off outside.
The Artists
I've never seen so many instruments. The stage area beforehand looked like the inside of Cash Converters. Finger in The Jar (clever wordplay that-it could have been Whisky in The Ear?) performed the opening ceremonies. They featured PB himself, sitting astride a Beatbox and glancing nervously across at a Mixing desk with which he was soon going to get very intimately equated.
Dave Parker, Cyder Annie with Dave Parr, Ian Bourne, and then Matt Beeson produced some very pleasant sounds vocally and instrumentally. Future Guests Malc and Gil followed. Thrupp'nny Bits left us to pat their delightful and immaculately behaved dog whilst they sang. Steve Bentley and Andrew Wrigglesworth from Green Man Rising followed. Then it was us. The Parrots of Seaside Darkness. A five-piece this time, supplemented by Malc Gurnham on bass and Dave Parr on guitar. We did a bit and then Cazz and Madge picked up from their first half appearance to add another set and close the evening.
Cazz and Madge
Just so damn good, they make you sick, sometimes. These two are the epitome of "presence." Their voices harmonise and combine so well. They are both fine musicians. They have an evident rapport on stage. Their vocal range is amazing. Carole's waspish, complex lyrics make you think, and then thank the Lord she hasn't (yet!) written a song about you! It is all, as I've already mentioned, enviable.
Like Dave Parr and Cyder Annie, they'd played support to us at RailAilFest 2013 in July. In a Goods Shed, if you please.! Here, fully indoors, and without barbecue smoke drifting across them, they were just simply imperious. The usual mix of their own stuff and beautifully-crafted covers of classics like "Geordie" "Caledonia" and the Leadbelly/Bristol Rovers anthem, "Goodnight Irene." As an honorary Gashead, I can tell you that hearing 2,000 Gas sing it at Fulham can be quite emotional. This wasn't a bad way to finish the evening, though. I've been practising this song for ages. I went home and tore it up. Irene....Goodnight.
Conclusions
This club should flourish. It suits the interests of many for it to do so. Wednesdays at Church can be a bit quiet sometimes. Not last night. The bar takings must have been stupendous. The location is a little isolated-especially for those delicate souls I was talking to at Warwick on Monday, who viewed the trek over to North Warwickshire, from their part of the world, as on a par with Arctic exploration. Use your Satnavs!
First night nerves were an understandable problem for a few. It should get better from now on. If you ever go on stage without being nervous-there's something seriously wrong, in my opinion. It is taming them that is the key to good performance. If the crowds continue, the furniture arrangements will need some reconsideration. What a nice problem for any emergent Folk Club to have-congestion management!
