Another wild and windy trip last night, back across the Nuneaton Alps. For November's session at Atherstone Folk Club. Where the Featured Guests were Thrup'nny Bits. On arrival, I parked up The Saladdin, hastily removed my bearskin and entered the premises.I soon discovered I had been duped by Club Organiser Phil Benson's into believing his Cock and Bull story about this month's session being entirely military themed. This turned out to be not universally adhered to. Unless Donovan's "Colours" has some kind of reference to Tobruk in it, which I've somehow missed. Few songs anyone performed last night had a direct link to the Military, although Resident House Band Finger in the Jar gave it a decent shot, in their two spots. What a good job it was then, that I had resisted the urge to wear full Gordon Highlander Dress Uniform whilst doing my "floor spot."
Like a fool however, I had conscientiously prepared and rehearsed two appropriately martial songs, with the poignant proximity of Remembrance Sunday still fresh in my mind. I wasn't going to abandon all that work I'd put in beforehand. I would not simply resort to some safer and more familiar Diddley Diddly music. Oh no. Edgy Leftfield material-as always.
I thought I'd learned the words to Billy Bragg's "Between The Wars," sufficiently, but as it happened, the work I'd put in on this wasn't quite thorough enough. I sang it o.k. but I had to resort to the comfort of a lyric sheet on a nearby music stand more than once. Troubled also by a slight bout of Ridge Lane Flu (probably the altitude?) my larynx dried out so badly whilst singing this, that I had to take a slug of Goat's Milk (3.8%) to fortify myself before continuing.
Suitably recovered, I plugged several up and coming events featuring many of those present. I then set about regaling the audience with "The Old Barbed Wire." What could go wrong with that trustworthy old Army standby? I sang the truncated and bowdlerised version which BPS used to perform in the 1970's. It went well enough, with the audience singing verse and chorus along with me. I felt that the full 20 minute version (the one where the role of each rank serving in the trenches of WW1 is individually visited and scrutinised, and ultimately, the whole Battalion end up impaled) was not suitable. However,I was reprimanded afterwards for not doing the version so beloved of NAAFIs from Catterick to Bovey Tracey. Wikpedia confirms that there are actually several variants of OBW (besides ours), and even that Chumbawamba recorded a version in 2003. The only commonality in all these versions is that Officers did not like it. Apparently.
Sometimes, you just can't win. I should have done "Chicken on A Raft " instead. I had it in my pocket. (The words-not a fried egg on fried bread, which is Royal Navy Slang for this delicacy- hence "Chicken on a Raft" ). I guess I'm on a charge, now. Jankers for me.
Sometimes, you just can't win. I should have done "Chicken on A Raft " instead. I had it in my pocket. (The words-not a fried egg on fried bread, which is Royal Navy Slang for this delicacy- hence "Chicken on a Raft" ). I guess I'm on a charge, now. Jankers for me.
Here's a Mark Rider photo of me ruining Barbed Wire. You can see the back of my head as well. it's a wonder they weren't all blinded by the reflected light. That's a pukka Church End Brewery ad. on the wall in the background, by the way
There were some collectors items last night. A club debut from Peter McPartland, a singer with a really nice voice and a pleasing guitar style. A song from Steve Beeson that was under eight minutes. (Sorry, Steve!). Two and a half songs from lovely local girl (via Saarfend), Maria Barham. And the novelty of seeing Malc Gurnham and Gill Gilsenan heckling on the front row. When one is more used to that situation being reversed. A return to the Folk circuit for that demi-Legend John Meacham. John's had an even longer break away from it than we had. It took several pints of Sadler's in the Felix Holt to persuade him back. John's now on a promise to join the BPS Collective for a tune at Ridge Lane next month.
Two songs from a substantial portion of Green Man Rising-Steve Bentley and Andrew-preceded my little cameo. Rousing stuff as ever from the Risings, with keeping one's feet still an impossibility throughout their slot. The Thrup'nnys then returned for a second feature. Gaz, Babs n' Dez (they'll kill me for that!) did two excellent slots, whilst various members of the audience virtually fought over who could have custody of the dog each time they performed. It was light and shade stuff from them. Some stirring ballads: one very rude (but clever) song superbly enacted, and even a rather lovely early Christmas Carol. The audience were also treated to not one but two separate renditions of a Sydney Carter classic, "John Ball." One from The T. Bits and one from The Fingers. Hopefully those two bands will never merge. "Finger in The Bits" is just wrong on so many counts. Both very different: both equally enjoyable: each one having a different bird doing the carolling in the morning.
Only one tiny grumble over an otherwise totally enjoyable night-the miserable crew who slunk out at the interval so they wouldn't have to buy a raffle ticket. Not the first time they've done this-they have previous form! Scrooge Lives! I won the raffle for them, but decided to re-donate the prize for next month's do at Atherstone. Which, I can reveal as an Exclusive here will see all proceeds that night donated to Nuneaton's Food Bank. http://nuneaton.foodbank.org.uk/
Now sod the John Lewis advert and their soppy cartoon bear-can you possibly get any more Christmassy than that? Can't wait for December's session-who's on that night?
