Nunc scrum down at The Rugby Club

A fifth venue for me inside nine days on Wednesday last, but this time as part of NUNC.

Nunc at Nuneaton. (Easy for you to say).

     This was only our second public appearance, our first outing having been at Nuneaton Folk Club in December. The evening was a  fund-raiser for Bedworth Folk Festival, at Bedworth Rugby Football Club, with a second half extended set from the divine Terry and Jan Wisdom. 

 

    A fascinating and diverse array of floor singers were fairly hustled through an eclectic first half by Host Malc Gurnham.  Malc and Gill themselves kicked events off, bickering, singing  and heckling the audience appealingly.

    They were followed by Mr. Joe Roberts, ( no longer the Oldest Swinger in Town) and his unique rendition of that Norfolk gem " Have you got a Loight boy?" Not so much the Singing Postman as The Singing Postbox. Dave Webb's spot  included a recitation on how an Angel came down from heaven to demonstrate correct procedure on Yorkshire Pudding mixes. Dave Parr continued his "Songs of Sex and Death " Tour with two morbid tunes celebrating well, very little, but making us chuckle nonetheless. Looking forward to the album, Dave. Great title!

 

      John Kearney, looking tanned and less windswept after his sojourn in Florida, pulled a surprise out of the hat with "We shall overcome. " Beautifully sung with not a Jolly Boy in sight. Phil Benson had used an iPad on a stick, (there's posh for you)  to tease two further rounds of very good chorus singing from the audience. Peter McParland decided not to risk any Peter Sarstedt and gave us a couple of nostalgic songs, whilst  Katherine Fear's contribution included her journey song about her Granny's relocation from the  Forest of Dean to the coalfields of Warwickshire.

 

      Nunc were introduced as not quite new to the club.  I'd done solo and BPS gigs there previously and Fi had appeared there with Pennyroyal in the past. This felt quite definitely like a debut. We sang "Boys of Bedlam," "After The Goldrush " and "Rave On."  The audience joined in enthusiastically. 

    Jan and Campbell followed us. Malc introduced them as  that rare item "Bedworth Virgins."  I'd seen them at The Tump last week. Their debut was well received, and completed a rousing if slightly hectic first half. We hurtled through the interval raffle and then Malc and Gill did a couple  before Jan and Terry took charge. 

    Another excellent session from them, with songs old and new, and a slightly naughty one from Terry which really could have been written by Black Parrot Seaside. 

   Another super night and a few more pennies towards the Beduff Folk festival in November.

Mac Awe on The Road (2)

      Last night  saw Mac Awe On Tour return to The Tump Folk Club, based in the Humber Hotel,Coventry. Near to where I grew up. I even found a framed map on one wall, showing my old house in Northfield Road. The décor inside this room, with its panelled walls, standard lamps, old-style settees, fireplaces and a Bagatelle table, is a history lesson in itself. It ought to be a listed building.

    I hadn't been there since well before Christmas. Since when a lot of water has flown beneath a lot of bridges. It was another freezing cold night, but a warm welcome awaited us inside for a pleasantly relaxed Performers Night. Next week the Tump have Fairport Convention covers band Meet On The Ledge as their guests-bound to be a bit more frenetic then!

 

   We had last night, not one, but two duos featuring a Jan. One was Jan and Terry Wisdom-I count them as old friends, and the banter was good. Their divine blend of driving guitar sounds, lovely harmonies and their eclectic choice of song made it worth turning up for them alone. Add Terry's supremely cool solos-added to every song-and Jan's pitch- perfect voice, it was a real treat. Highlights for me:  their adaptations of "Sultans of Swing" (at my request), and Chris Rea's "Road To Hell."  Excellent.

 

  The other duo there was Campbell and Jan.  Who I'd not seen or heard before. This club sometimes also featured spots from Campbell McKee-so we could have had (but didn't) two Campbells and two jans.. They played a mix of covers and originals, using guitar and piano accordion as accompaniment. Oh...and percussive eggs. "North Bridge" was one of theirs, whereas " Travellin' Light" was one of Harry Webb's-as Karen referred to him.

 

    Colin Squire took us on a U.K. tour, to Yarmouth, Stockton and Durham Town as well as covering a Bob Brooker song off his "Our Home is By The Sea " album. That took us to Grimsby and it would have the Old Boy himself breathless with excitement. There was a definite piscatorial flavour to Colin's choice of songs last night.  

     Cheryl was there too, plucking and strumming a collection of challenging instrumentals including "Ashokan Farewell" and "Jessica,"-the Allman Brothers tune which became Top Gear's signature.

 

    I did Ewan McColl's "Shoals of Herring," Rod Felton's "Curly" my own "Down Our Street," and  " All Over Now."    So as well as all the original compositions, we had covers of Abba, Mark Knopfler, Leon Rosselson, Bobby Womack, Cliff Richard and Bob Brooker. Now where else could that happen?

On The Road with Mac Awe

MONDAY: WARWICK FOLK CLUB
           Undaunted by the surfeit of Yellow Weather Warnings issued hourly by the Met office, I set forth on Monday night, across Warwickshire, to return to Warwick Folk Club, should the blizzards, snowdrifts and road closures permit me access. There to join other hardy souls for a Performers' Night.  It was good to see Norman Wheatley there, as he's not been too good lately. Gamely, he tried to take a back seat, (literally) during proceedings, but he only in part succeeded, ending up performing songs and a having a hand (literally) in the raffle. Maggie Coleman was going to M.C. Monday, but had to pull out owing to a tooth extraction. Let me tell you, after all the pre-Christmas abscesses,  assorted dental surgery visits and coin-sized antibiotics, she has my utmost sympathy. Abscess definitely doesn't make the heart grow fonder.

     So it fell to an interesting format, where each preceding act introduced the following one.

So after an introductory slot from Sue,  Dipped Sheep, followed. A lively collaboration between Michael Luntley on guitar and Keith Nickless on double bass. They sang us a song about Mr. Higgs the Milkman from over Hampton Lucy way. Who used to inscribe verses on his bottles.

    Did I follow them? I think I did. I thought I'd resurrect " The Bold Pirate," an old Parrot song about Risk Assessment. One from the C.D.engineered by Norman, with lots of Audience participation. The CD version featured Mr. Wheatley himself on SFX including parrots squawking, but he was very restrained on this occasion.  I totally messed up the middle verse, but such is the anarchic nature of this song, I'm not sure that those present noticed. Or cared. They were too busy concentrating on "Yo-Ho-Ho "-ing in the directed places, as indicated by my wavering flintlock pistol. Thus encouraged by their gameness, I then hit them with "If I were a Goat." This has gone down well previously in The Warwick Arms, and the audience once again bleated along with the shortest chorus in Folk Club history with an almost caprine enthusiasm.

Mac Awe. On Tour.

      I had to introduce a Mr. Dyson, who sang a couple of songs without involving Vacuum Cleaners, and he in turn introduced Rik Middleton, always a good bit of entertainment wherever I've seen/heard him. Peter Wimpenny a fellow Ewan McColl fan, sang "Dirty Old Town"  whilst playing the Banjo AND the clarinet-no mean achievement.  Mark Holden was a first-time visitor, and he played some strident chords particularly on an empassioned alternative version of " What did you do in school today." One  which he claimed had damn near arrested whilst buslkng in Manchester. I think the Mancs Plods might actually have been after his Stetson.

    Jonathan ? was the very acme of professionalism, starting, forgetting  and abandoning several songs before calling Peter back up to assist. He blamed his capo, his night out with a set of Stags and Hens, and the room temperature before finally embarking on two totally acceptable and well-delivered songs. Star quality.  So much were we enjoying ourselves that we all went round again. I did " On Raglan Road," and " Shoals of Herring," second half. Some nice accompanying crooning from the audience during both. Or they could have been groaning.

 

WEDNESDAY:  ATHERSTONE FOLK CLUB

                       To exorcise the (slowly-healing) scars of missing out on Guesting at their Christmas show, this was my first visit back to Ridge Lane since the Parrot carelessly exploded in a shower of Millet and feathers, in November. Thus we had all three Brethren Organisers from the North Warwickshire Folk Club Triangle together again.

    Shorn of Anne, rather than Fingers in The Jar as Residents, we had just Two Fingers to kick off events. Phil Benson and Steve Beeson.  Sneaking in a Dylan song. 
      Mac Awe on Tour followed. It was delicious watching Steve trying to get his head round pronouncing that. I still have a highly enjoyable recording of Steve trying to introduce The Parrots of The Seaside Blackness at Atherstone's inaugural launch. How I laughed, at the time. Now he's still in a band and I'm not. How cruel fate can be. How suddenly fortunes can change. But what does he smoke in those cigarettes?

      Once again, "The Bold Pirate " was wheeled out and pushed off the gangplank. This time,correctly. I had a prompt sheet handily positioned, (which I did not need). Malc Gurnham successfully threw me by actually phoning me from his seat in the audience, during the final verse, where I simulate an incoming 'phone call from the HSE (Folk Music) branch on my mobile. He was a proper scamp all night, that Malc. I followed that with "Goat" again, and finally finished with another (as yet) unrecorded song, "Manure." A hymn to Muck-Spreading, with a big Rodgers and Hammerstein finish. The audience, ( nervously), joined in with it.

     Pete McParland followed. A decent chap with a pleasant voice, using good intonation, and a nice guitar style. Pete struggles with nerves a little though, and he thinks having words nearby to help him is a bit soft. And he does so love doing Peter Sardstedt's  " Where do you go to my lovely?" He does it well, too, but although I've seen him a few times, he inevitably wades into trouble with it. Those lyrics are damned difficult unless you're Peter Sarstedt or using an autocue. Once you have the choruses and verses in the wrong sequence, it's a long way home. Never mind-I've got him coming over to Nuneaton in May. And I'm printing out a songsheet for him.

       John and Elaine Meechan were up next. ( They've played the same bill as Peter in a few venues. Why they don't use the accordion/concertina/squeezebox thingy to help him finish the Sardstedt song, I don't know. Perhaps I'll ask). John has a volume control on his guitar, like another naughty guitarist I know, and he surreptitiously fiddles with it whilst playing, as he doesn't trust Desk drivers to project him strongly enough. Phil was onto him though, and after our eardrums bled a little during the first number, he counter-balanced him more sweetly.  Super songwriter Katherine Fear followed, giving her another opportunity to air her newish Walsgrave Colliers song.

    Lynne and Andrew, a duo from out Lichfield way I'd not heard before, followed. They did a nice version of "Scarborough Fair" and a Fleetwood Mac number amongst an extended slot.  

     Malc and Gill did a longish set, taking up the entire second half, and attacked it with relish. Malc's voice was back to its strident best. Gone the husky, flu'-driven  croak of pre-Christmas, and returned was the operatic bellow which shook the windows at times. Even before his microphone was switched on. There were lots of songs about mining, and by this time, the drink was flowing. It flowed rather more copiously than intended, as Dave Webb began waving his arms about (simulating a pickaxe hewing the three foot seam?) and he knocked a pint over. Though not his own. Gill continued her habit of heckling, not just from the floor, but from the stage, peppering Malc,  Dave and any other male in the room with pearls of wisdom. Her personal Water Boy, Pete Slaughter was kept busy topping up her water bottle. (Oo-er matron).   It wasn't clear whether this or the coffee or the crisps had given her hiccups. They certainly added to the excitement of one number, where she struggled to pitch the vocals in between them.

     All too soon "All The Good Times " brought the evening to a close. As I left the Brewery Tap a few flakes of snow drifted languidly down, mocking my earlier Social network rants about silly Weather warnings. 'Twas only a flurry though, and it lasted only as long as the roadworks in Oldbury Lane.

TON UP AT THE CROWN

Gorgeous action shot of The Crown. We're upstairs!

Last night saw the biggest attendance so far at Nuneaton Folk Club's monthly session. With the large room well up to capacity, given the various pre (and post!) Christmas illnesses potentially affecting audiences and performers, this was a magnificent turnout. Part of this was due to the calibre of the performers, their reputation preceding them through great publicity from Folk Monthly, local Radio and generous local press coverage. Indeed , we had been offered beforehand  not one but two "live" on air interviews on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, with me conducting a late one with Phil Upton from the (mercifully peaceful) Lounge of The Crown at 4.45 last night!

Mac Awe on Tour performing " If I were a Goat."

       This reputation also comes from the fact that word has got around, and many audience faces are now familiar ones. They know they will see a talented and diverse set of performers, along with the featured artiste. For free. In a pub which has been a CAMRA bastion for years, run by a Guvn'or who really knows his music.

     So big was last night's  attendance, that punters were queuing to get up the stairs, the pot collectors were kept busy all night, and we'd sold out of Folk Monthlies even before proceedings got under way.  I kicked off events by giving an honourable mention to The Fallen-those who had intended to come but had been knocked out by various Lurgies or work commitments. This included Flossie McDougall (one half of Nunc), Ginny White and  Sally Ann Veasey, ( two thirds of Daisybell) (Great name) and Bob Brooker-hugely disappointed to have tumbled at the last fence on his final circuit of the course and probably still venting his spleen this morning on Facebook. Sue Sanders, Malc and Gill and Webby were also missed but had sent apologies.

     Nunc were also amongst the pre-gig casualties, so instead of them opening as planned, it was Mac Awe on Tour  squawking out a couple of Parrot songs-"The Bold Pirate " and " Down Our Street." 

   Next up, and masterfully engineered by Sound Wizard Tom Veasey, from the back of the Hall, Paul Moore and Simon Veasey. Tom's set-up (of which he is very VERY fond) is pictured below.

Some Mixing Desk Porn for Tom.

 (Mmm! )....The Good Ol' Boys delivered a trio of atmospheric, moody Anker Delta smokin' Meth tunes. (That's what they told me to write anyway). They sound good in The Fox these two, but through Julian's massive sound system, and Tom-driven--they were just epic.


 Simon Veasey is concentrating

 Hilary Wilson brought the room back to somewhere near decorum, with three of her carefully crafted, beautifully delivered songs.

 Arty shot of Hilary Wilson

 John Kearney would probably agree that he had arrived looking a little dishevelled and slightly distressed. He had composed himself by the time his spot arrived. It included a poignant reflection on the theme of Auld Lang Syne, and the ubiquitous "Jolly Boys" (which he probably hates by now-but when you get requests for a great song-what's to be done?)

John "Jolly Boy Kearney" last night

     Daisybell ( great name) were another late casualty, but a less than fully well Katherine Fear was cajoled and bullied into doing just one of her own songs. It was lovely. Well done, Kate.


 Katherine Fear

     With Bob Brooker a late faller too, this gave a remarkable young man called Kane an opportunity to debut at NFC and he grabbed it-playing a haunting, moody piece on ...well a sort of flute. Modest, affable-he has a future in this game-and like everyone else there last night-he's  local!

 Kane blowin' in the Wind.

    Another debutant, Alyson Bushell Edwards gave us some more thoughtful, well-rounded songs, warming us up for Kristy to complete the first half.

Alyson gets to grips with an NFC audience

       None of you reading this know that Kristy and I were exchanging emails over the previous 24 hours as she was very concerned about losing her voice. That was why we'd amended her set slightly.  There was nothing to fear, as she gave us two sets of the usual high quality, with a certain huskiness which was either brought on by Laryngitis or an appealingly attractive vocal style. Boy she can pick the guitar, also. Bet she can't shout at her mum this morning, though! I like Kristy for all these things, and her professionalism. But also because she was bold enough to give Black Parrot Seaside gigs at places like The Tuns and The Tin Angel. She just lives music, that girl.

Kristy Gallacher on stage last night.

 

        The interval raffle, thanks to Mags and Michele, meant that we were able to (ahem!) reimburse Kristy's expenses, and present Kevin Dempsey with a Thorntons White Chocolate Snowman won as a prize. He was overwhelmed. Dressing room rider next time, Kev?

     Mac Awe on Tour returned to start the second half, with Dave Parr providing a typically tasteful background to a BPS/Beyoncé collaboration, " If I were a Goat." We've performed this song from Banbury to Market Bosworth, but never has the bleated chorus been returned so enthusiastically. (Worrying). During Mac Awe On Tour's second number, " Cockney Power," a Red Admiral butterfly appeared, fluttered round my head  and settled on my cheek. The audience thought it was some type of remote-controlled mini-drone, I think. Remarkable.

 Mac Awe On Tour

     A treat for us all then, as Kevin Dempsey, who I'd cut a deal with the night before, did three fantastic numbers. The final one, featuring a guitar solo which was well-just... startling. Mark King thumb slaps and all. Kev has already been booked for a return Featured Guest slot. And he's going to do Atherstone Folk Club too, in 2016. Part of the deal was the sweetener of Kev promising to bring Brian Phillips with him last night. Which he did. Welcome back, Brian. Hope to see you up on that stage soon. 

Kevin Dempsey at Nuneaton

     And then it was the Divine Miss Gallacher, to close another fantastic Bond Street evening, in typical style. A seamless second set featuring new songs, old songs, and a few covers of Dylan, Colvin and Guthrie tunes. Classic. I counted over a dozen talented local musicians dotted round the room in the audience. They had not got a floor spot, but still came along anyway, to savour the ambience, the atmosphere and the goodwill. That's a measure of the team spirit in this town, and shows how well we are doing.


Arty shot of Kristy. 

    See you all next month, when PHIL HARE is our featured guest. With floor spots including Nunc, Dragonhead, Somerville Gents, KC Jones, Des Patalong, Malc and Gill Daisybell  and John Kearney.  Can't wait.   

   These photos are courtesy of Max Wright and John Neal. There are lots of photos and plenty of chat on the Nuneaton Folk Club Facebook page. (This is a controlled group with restricted membership. You have to request to join). I will also post some of the photos into the Gallery section of the Club website at :

    http://blackparrotseaside.weebly.com/