Troubled by the harrowing weekend rigours of self-assembly furniture, what better way on a Sunday night, to ease such woes than by making the nine minute journey (for me!) over the Fells and Dales of North East Warwickshire to the nearby village of Monks Kirby? To gather round a figurative Little Pot Stove, and bellow shanties in the company of other like-minded souls?
Yes, it was another last Sunday of The Month, so it was another Sly Old Dogs-And Friends Gathering at The Bell Inn. The last stop (for now) on my little BPS Warwickshire Mini-Tour that took in Warwick, Bedworth, Atherstone and Coventry. In three and five piece formats. Whereas on Sunday it was just me, plus The House Band.
With the hideous X Factor, and the Downton Abbey Toff Saga well into their stride, Sunday nights, I'd like to think that the slightly reduced attendance there was down to counter-attractions On The Box. And not down to rumours of me coming along to sing that evening having earlier circulated about the village.
Also assembled there were The SODs themselves, comprising Martin Bushnell, Pete Willow, Bob Brooker, Richard Rider and Paul Kelly. Banjo Dave Evans was there too, and Sue Sanders, (who can be considered both a SOD and a Parrot-bet she's never been called both of those in the same sentence before). To my left was Atherstone Folk Club and I.T. Guru Phil Benson, that rare jewel, a Monks Kirby Virgin. As I think Ian Bland might also have been. On the far side of the room, trying to look inconspicuous, was Tony Super. A night of ribald jollity, nostalgic warbling and a good Craic was therefore pretty well assured.
Pete Willow had already given me the idea for my first number. Whilst I'd been whining on shared Social Networks about the pitfalls of German Flat-Packed Furniture, he had added mischievously to one of my posts, "D.I.Y".-someone should write a song about that." And indeed someone had. (Me). " D.I.Y." is on our CD "Ain't It Grand" The chorus features that very same phrase: " DIY- Ain't it Grand?/ The doors fall off and the legs won't stand." After that I went for safety and did "The Old Triangle" and "Black Velvet Band." With such an accomplished backing band it would have been stupid not have done those two!
Ian Bland sang two excellent songs. Both I'd heard before. Both were new to most of this audience, and both received richly-deserved applause. One was his cleverly inverted "Beer With No Pub"-a slant on the Slim Dusty original with a Coventry flavour. The second song was the powerful " Drifter." An eponymous title track from an earlier album. Cutting lyrics and a cutting melody. Hope Ian won't be offended by me saying that it reminded me of early Roy Harper.
Phil had declared himself to be content to be a spectator, but I dobbed him in, and so he was forced to break out the Ipad and return again to the theme of "The Undeserving Poor". I'd guess the Tories will not finish off their Annual Conference by uniting to sing that song. Tony's first song went awol ,(sympathies!) and after a plucky attempt to resurrect it, he sat down perplexed, scratching his head, yet to enthusiastic applause. Later he seized a chance to "redeem himself" with a thoughtful (and word-perfect) version of "Caledonia." This was the third version of this song I'd heard in a couple of weeks. So I went home and moved my copy of those evocative lyrics to the bottom of my "working-on" pile. Sue fiddled away pleasantly on a few solo numbers to my right, one a medley of waltzes. She also sangalonga Sods and generally had the good time she genuinely deserved, after a few rough weeks. Banjo Dave kept The Orchestra on their toes by galloping through a few instrumentals at a merry pace which left a few puffing and blowing by the end of each one.
Of the Sly Boys themselves, Martin Bushnell did a few tunes and then unleashed an absolute winner by topically airing Nic Jones's " Little Pot Stove." A lovely song, confidently sung. Richard treated us to a Spiers and Boden classic, whilst Bob was in a mellow kinda groove, which included "Stockton Town" Again-well received. Paul's remarkable version of "The Hot Ashphalt" featured his inimitable Irish Dancing Of A Certain Kind, from County Coundon. I think it was meant to symbolise walking over newly laid tarmac in thin working boots. I'm glad to say that as well as "Jock Stewart" and " The Ship Turned Upside Down/Irish Rover" the Orchestra also did "Gypsy Laddie-O " which, with its frenzied pace and hectic key changes, is one of my favourite S.O.D. numbers. In modern parlance, for all you groovy Hep Cats reading this, "It Rocks."
