 |
| BPS ripping it up..or just tearing things a little bit, at The Shakespeare. (Photo courtesy of Ian Bourne). |
Well..that
really is the question. To be is the answer-a debut at last for Black Parrot Seaside at The
Shakespeare. In Spon Street, Coventry last night. I introduced us as “four fresh-faced lads
from Coventry,” which was
wrong on oh so many levels. With a combined age approaching 250,
“Geriatric version of The
Enemy “ might be a more
apposite description . However: even for a venerable old crew like
us, Coventry City centre is a familiar stomping ground. Most recently
we'd played The Tin Angel (also in Spon Street) and The Tuns. Where,
on both occasions we were the oldest people in the building. We even
got an encore at the Tuns, closing their show (and later as it turned
out, the pub) with a storming performance of “Vacuum
Cleaner.” Much
appreciated by the Goths, Hells Angels and under age drinkers in the
Mosh Pit.
Less
recently in the city centre, we'd played (still extant) Dog &
Trumpet, The Golden Cross and Coventry University. Most of the
central venues we'd played before that have since been either closed,
demolished or renamed. Glorious names from Coventry's Musical
Heritage: The Climax: The Alhambra: The Colin Campbell:The Climax:
The Dive Bar and The Bear Inn. We'd also been barred, during the
rock days from The Smithfield Hotel (opposite the Road Transport
Museum),by a racist manager who had objected to a reggae song we'd
done. So much for Two Tone. Wonder what he'd have made of The
Specials? (!).
But
the Shakespeare's Open Mic night hosted by Ian Bourne was a “tick “
for us. As I arrived, a young gentleman optimistically wearing shorts
(it was 9 centigrade outside) was grinding out some pretty industrial
riffs on stage whilst spilling his angst and torment into the shadows. As I
settled to my first Orange Juice of the night, The Darkest Light
took the stage. This duo were excellent. They were evidently
well-rehearsed and worked very hard. They both delivered strong
vocals and enterprising instrumentation. They'd put some real thought
into their arrangements. They invited the audience to join in with
“Purple Rain,” and a rather nice medley of familiar songs
as they finished their set. I did, but most of the rest of the
audience largely declined their offer. It didn't seem to be a
chorus-singing sort of venue. More somewhere to sit and stare into a
lager, or stir a finger in a diet coke whilst wondering what was for
tea tomorrow.
Pickabale Craic followed them. I
enjoyed their set, too. I'm sure I'd seen and heard the
singer/acoustic guitarist somewhere before, as I recognised some of
the songs. They write and perform some decent tunes. They had a nice
sleazy bluesy feel to them with a deceptively relaxed style and delivery. They
seemed pretty tight in a musical sense. I hope they won't be offended
by me saying that they reminded me of a raw and emergent Dire
Straits. It's intended as a compliment.
Then
a four-piece Parrot took flight, with the original three of us joined by
Malc Gurnham on acoustic bass. We had agonised over the set list,
especially over trying to fit as much as possible into the half hour
allotted. We opened with “ All Over Now,” which seemed to
go down well. We followed with “ The Odeon,” and “Down
Our Street.” which appeared to have a mixed reception. I say
“appeared,” as with Ian being a sound wizard and a lights man,
and the band behind me on form and on top volume, I couldn't really hear
or see much. Foldback speakers or a set of cans might have helped,
but I do think I heard a few raucous Parrakeets belting out the Odeon
choruses somewhere towards the back of the room.
Although a mixed-age clientele,
I had the distinct feeling that some of our lighter, more nostalgic
songs about parts of Midlands culture long gone, left us-and them out
of their comfort zone. “ Albert Balls,” being more
contemporary (as it is a song about tag artists) seemed to stir them
a little however, and I even caught Ian chuckling in a few parts and
singing along with us.
“
If I were a Goat” is our Bete
Noir (See what I did there?) Being a badly-mauled Beyonce cover, I
suppose if there are any Miss Knowles fans in Da House, it's always a
risk-taker. In most Folk Clubs though,audiences often take up the bleating in the
choruses with great enthusiasm. Indeed, occasionally we've had some
problems in stopping them, afterwards. But last night, as
the final chords unfolded, there was just an eerie silence.
Then...one plaintive bleat broke the hush. “ Not many Goat fans
in tonight then?” I observed sheepishly, expecting some
reaction. The screens to come down perhaps, Blues-Brothers fashion? Or a carefully placed bottle sailing through the air. At least a cocktail stick petulantly tossed in our direction. (We were on a
Punk label once you know!). All we had was a couple of polite hecklers and a few
mildly racist sheep jokes about wellies. Really,chaps, you can't do
any of that sheep-shagging stuff about the Land of Song any more.
Trust me. Oops...
We
set aside the one traditional Folk song which we had planned and did a blues instead. That went down o.k. We finished with “
Folking Liberty,” as we always do nowadays. That
galvanised people a little. It had seemed a difficult audience to
please, but that wasn't personal. It was a Tuesday night, end of term
in Coventry. City centre. And our “shock” endings and stops and
starts (which are actually rehearsed and planned for) were perhaps a
little too Leftfield for just a few punters?
We
handed over to the Sabboteurs, who were closing the whole evening. I am a closet Sabbath fan (more on that guilty pleasure in the preceding post),so I
was genuinely looking forward to an act playing Sabbath songs
arranged in new and interesting ways. Well...it was certainly all
of that. And more. Technically, it's a brilliant idea. Anyone who
has heard Apocalyptica doing Metallica covers can subscribe to it.
Occasionally it was difficult to pick out which song was being done.
I recognised “Children of The Grave,” “Black Sabbath”
“ The Wizard” and “Paranoid.” And possibly the
most stripped-down version of “Whole Lotta Rosie” I've
ever heard. Yes, I know it was AC/DC. It was that kind of night .
Now
: if you'll excuse me, I'm off to comb through my Nine Inch Nails
back catalogue. And I want to score “Seven Nation Army”
for Flageolet ,Bazouki and Northumbrian pipes. I think it could catch
on. Warwick Folk Festival 2015 here we come.
