Bedworth Folk Club settled into a new venue at The Newdigate Club last night, after their swift and sudden exit from the last one. A large and welcoming crowd, including some of the locals and Committee members, enjoyed a night of excellent floor singing, and a star guest in the exquisite Louise Jordan. Admirably compered by Malc Gurnham and ably assisted by his attractive young assistant Gill Gilsenan. (She told me to write that), Malc had experienced a particularly harrowing week leading up to last night .He did so well to hold it all together with that familiar chuckle and good humour.
What a smack in the eye it was all round, for the handful of bigots up the road at The Old White Building Society. Who had spent last month, post-refurb, heckling,whining and moaning about Bedworth Folk Club trespassing on their territory,soiling their finer feelings and ruining greatly-needed beauty sleep. Wonder what their frantically back-pedallling Pub Chain would make of the sixty or so customers they have lost? I was so distracted by the music last night , that I didn't miss that hideous mural, the haphazard parking, the deafening sound system in the bar next door, the plasma screens, the vinegary beer, the drunken punters, or the smelly Gentleman's toilet. Not once.
Instead of hostility, at The Newdigate, Bedd'uth rolled up its sleeves and put on a show for old friends and newcomers alike. My understanding was that it was temporarily housed in a separate room which won't be the permanent base. A pity, as stone-clad pillars apart, it was a nice homely affair, with Dave Webb, Max Wright and Alan Stocks ensconced at the front in their armchairs like a trio of enthroned Village Elders. Which of course was the reality for Webby, having once worked down the Pit across the road a few hundred years ago. The other rooms looked just as good, and the bar service is swift and courteous. So it won't matter where they eventually end up-it's an improvement.
Returning to Mining, there was a bit of a theme going on in that respect, for Newdigate Club once served one of Bedworth's many collieries. Bill Bates, Webby and several other singers mentioned the Mining Industry in their songs .John Meechan did not. For which I am grateful, as his version of "Farewell Johnny Miner," had been my own personal ear worm since he sang it at Atherstone last month.
The first half included slots from Malc and Gill, Dave Webb, Dave Parr, Thrupp'nny Bits, John Meechan, John Kearney, Brian Phillips, and some other bloke from Nuneaton Folk Club. He trolled out " Albert Balls" and " Folking Liberty," and wisely kept a new song "Dixon of Duck Green" rolled up in his pocket, for another occasion. It was a fine eclectic mix of traditional and self-penned songs, with some outstanding performances. I would be failing in my duties as a songwriter if I did not record here that John Kearney's rendition of my own song " Tiny Lights," was just the best version I have yet to hear.
Louise Jordan then took and held the floor, with a first half set featuring her near perfect vocal skills, considerable musical ability, easy audience manner and interesting material. It is always fascinating watching an audience falling slowly in love with a young, talented, attractive woman who sings like an angel. You could almost hear the sighs of contentment at the end of every pin-drop moment, as Louise finished each mesmeric moment. You could almost see the cartoon hearts floating up above the heads of many of the more mature senior gentlemen in the room, Disney-style, each time she stopped singing.
It's always good to uphold long-established Folk Club traditions, and so it came as no surprise to see that both John Meechan and Pete Slaughter once again won the raffle prizes, and that the Village Idiot wandered in during the interval. ( Having found no-one to harangue about injustice and corruption, and with me surrounded by minders, he disappeared again shortly afterwards).
The second half lost none of its intensity. Terry and Jan Wisdom were superb. Bill Bates, swapping guitars flamboyantly between numbers,did two of his best songs, "Down The Mine" and " Madhouse." Keith Donnelly (whose trousers seemed to have had and then lost an argument with the local Pit Bull), concluded the floor singers' spots fittingly. Keith is always good value and a great entertainer, but his "Ghost Eiders in The Sky" was a work of pure genius and the song about his dad showed a more tender side with a real gift for songwriting which some of us already knew he had.
I hope Louise won't be offended when I say I found her range somewhere between Cara Dillon and Hayley Westenra, for they are two female singers I greatly admire. During the interval I had said to JK that I would like to hear Louise wrap that golden voice around a few more traditional numbers during the second half. She obliged with several, including one in Gaelic, a nice version of "Silver Dagger," and a cleverly-adapted bittersweet version of " I know who I'll love."
An excellent night all round. Well done to all.
An excellent night all round. Well done to all.
