Nuneaton Folk Club Review 2015

First... a word from our Sponsor

    Musically, a year of new horizons for me, new experiences for NFC : a lot of highlights and  a little sadness. The Club saw  12 sessions one on each first Wednesday of each month, featuring a staggering array of local and national talent. "Folk" does not even begin to cover it. Blues, Cajun, Acapella, Traditional Folk, Shanties, Country, Contemporary, Rock and Roll, Protest, Pop and Reggae are a few umbrellas we have communally sheltered beneath. Here is a photo of a satisfied punter making his way home, after a good session. 

   Our first Headline guest in January 2015 was the excellent Kristy Gallagher.  Simon Veasey and Paul Moore did us a first floor spot and both Alyson Bushell Edwards also made her debut. Kane Foster, Hilary Wilson and Daisybell joined us too,and the Legend that is Kevin Dempsey also did us a tasty little cameo! He is our main guest next week-January 6th 2016. 

Kristy at The Crown in January

    Guitar virtuoso and all round Good Egg Phil Hare was our Featured Guest in February. Somerville Gents, Dragonhead and Daisybell were amongst support acts. ( Phil returns to the Club in September 2016. Daisybell will share the Guest billing with Chris Tobin in June 2016). 

   Malc Gurnham and Gill Gilsenan headed the bill in March, with  Nunc, Sue Sanders, Dave Webb and Finger In The Jar amongst the other guests. Also appearing were the talented duo Sam Stephens and Gren Morris. Of which, more later.

    April 1st (appropriately) was " Comedy Night" our first "themed" night, and it turned out to be a cracker. There are so many good people writing or performing Comedy songs that it was difficult to fit them all in. We had slots from all the usual suspects, plus debuts from Joe Roberts, and John Neale. Mac Awe On Tour finished the evening, with a selection of mostly Black Parrot Seaside numbers.

    May 6th saw us finally drag Bill Bates in as our star man, and he entertained the Troops right royally. First appearances from Dipped Sheep and Peter McParland were an added bonus, as was the sheer luxury of floor spots from both Scarecrow AND Raintown Seers. These bands   had travelled in from Oxfordshire and North Derbyshire  respectively-such was/is the pulling power and growing reputation of NFC. Scarecrow return as  our February 2016 guests and Raintown Seers are the main billing  in March 2016. 

Bill Bates at NFC in May

    In June, two of our (many!) talented local acts, Jan Richardson and John Kearney had a Feature Spot each-one to end each half. This is a successful format which continues to offer an interesting alternative to our receptive and supportive audiences. John returns in August 2016, sharing our Feature slot once more-this time with our good mates K.C.Jones. Des Patalong, Dave Parr ,Brian Phillips and Hilary Wilson were among the support slots

    July saw our biggest turnout-estimated as somewhere near 150, to enjoy the impeccable talents of The Dubliners' Sean Cannon. It was the hottest night of the year in every sense-34c outside as the sun went down. (God knows what the temperature was inside-it felt like twice that!). Besides Sean we had debuts from three more bands-The S.J. Matanza Band, and local outfits Fray'd Knot and Comharsa. It was a triumphal return for Comharsa vocalist Mick Stanley, whom we'd last seen lying outside in the road after a horrific RTA in November. Sean returns by popular request (and because he is an old, loyal friend),in April 2016. 

Sean and a couple of fans at the front, sweating it out. Note the open door.  

      Due to some considerable idiocy on my behalf, a college reunion in Sussex coincided with our August meeting,so I was double booked. Nonetheless I managed to publicise the evening in advance by giving a bizarre "Live"  BBC Radio interview from the beach at Worthing.  Malc Gurnham and Gill stepped in as Guest Hosts, for another "shared " evening.  Nigel Ward stepped in for his debut, and there were also floor spots from Dipped Sheep and Brian Phillips. Dragonhead occupied our first half Feature spot, and the excellent Winter Wilson concluded what was an outstanding evening. They are returning for a Guest spot in 2016. The audience singing of John Kearney leading them all in " We Shall Overcome" apparently  went viral. 

The Wilsons rip it up at NFC in August

    I was back at the wheel for our September session, when harmony trio Thrupp'nny Bits were our featured Guests. Colin Squire and Chris Tobin made their NFC debuts, and there were return slots from Hilary Wilson, Daisybell and KC Jones.

       September actually saw TWO gigs at The Crown, as on the 30th, Atherstone, Bedworth and Nuneaton Folk Clubs combined to host a fund-raiser in memory of  Rich McMahon.We had hoped to book Rich in at The Crown, but he died in tragic circumstances, and far too early for such a young man,in May. His widow Maggie was there, on what turned out to be a terribly poignant evening. Nunc, Dave Webb,Bob Brooker, Band On The Rum (more debutantes) Finger In The Jar, John Kearney, KC Jones, Brian Phillips, Dave Parr and Mac Awe on Tour  all helped raise money for local charity SIFA Fireside.

         October saw our First Anniversary Bash. We had some excellent plans drawn up, but a devastating flu'-type virus swept the area and scuppered most of them!. Despite that, we had a fun night. Joe Roberts, John Wright, Hilary Wilson, Bob Brooker ,KC Jones Max Wright and Thrupp'nny Bits stepped in. The weeks (days?) of rehearsal Mac Awe on Tour had spent disintegrated as one by one our Guests were skittled out. John Kearney and I were the nucleus of the second half-but it was a happy collaboration-and one we shall see more of in 2016 at NFC and elsewhere. 

      November was a highlight. We finally got The Divine Kim  Lowings and the Greenwood to take centre stage. They shared the billing, with Terry and Jan Wisdom who elegantly concluded the first half. John Wright and Hilary Wilson appeared together and there were quality performances too that night, from returnees Malc Gurnham & Gill Gilsenan and Dragonhead and Chris Tobin and The Willow & Tool Band  who both made their debuts.

Kim Lowings & The Greenwood November 2015

     December 2nd seemed indecently early to start doing Christmas, but Nunc gave us Gaudete and Fairytale in New York to kick of the festivities. Our main guests were an early gift for NFC regulars-two stonking sets from the supremely talented (and disgustingly young) Danny Pedler and Rosie Butler-Hall. The stage was awash with musicians (and instruments) as bands Comharsa ,Thrupp'nny Bits and Fray'd Knot returned. Bob Brooker  and John Kearney did spots, as did Ian Bourne.

Danny Pedler &  Rosie Butler Hall -December 2015

On a sadder note

     The price you pay in becoming involved with so many good people is the shared pain and loss felt when things don't go well. Rich McMahon's untimely death early in 2015 hit many of us hard. Also, I'd got the  talented duo of Sam Stephens and Gren Morris pencilled in for a Guest spot this year, but in the course of 2015, Sam was  debilitated by a life-changing illness, as was Gren Morris. They had to pull out of Bedworth Folk Festival, and I feel we shall not see them together again.  

    Sue Sanders has guested on fiddle with both Black Parrot Seaside and Mac Awe on Tour, but is bravely fighting a serious illness. Hopefully we will welcome her back as a solo artiste (and Band member?)  in 2016. 

Get well soon, Sue!

    The brilliant Bill Bates gig in May was clouded for me by an awful phone call I received late in the evening. I had to hand over the compering and rush to a nearby hospital where my twin grandsons Robert and Raymond were in serious trouble and fighting for their lives. It was not a happy outcome which followed for me, but my friends in music were tremendously supportive as we all grieved afterwards. 

Tom Veasey

Tom Veasey at the wheel

       Do not despair-Tom is fit and well,but he leaves us in January 2016-and who can blame him-he's off on a world adventure, working for Disney! Tom has been a reliable unflappable Sound Man-the best I have ever worked with-and I shall miss his support and expertise greatly. Bon Voyage, Tom!

view from Tom's  Sound desk

Other items of note  Membership of our Facebook Group Page exceeded 200 in December 2015. 

Thanks to: 

       Staff of The Crown Nuneaton, but especially Julian and Sam (and Nelly!) who have kept me motivated and partially sane on First Wednesdays for 15 months now.
        Ray Buckler-for getting us a mention in the 2016 CAMRA Guide! 

      BBC CWR especially Keith Wedgebury, Phil Upton, Vic Minett and Brodie Swain and their respective producers, for the superb coverage they have given us during the year!       Stalwarts like John Kearney, Flossy McDougall,  Maggie Veasey, Sam Davies         Sue Sanders and Gill Gilsenan who helped with selling Folk Monthly Magazines ,selling raffle tickets and helping with the draw. 
    Phil Benson and Malc Gurnham for keeping the North Warwickshire Folk Triangle strong and alive. 

The Banners of the three clubs at The Crown during our  farewell to Rich McMahon

  

The Tilting Kettle who have donated two fantastic, individualised NFC cakes

Anyone (and there were many) who donated raffle prizes during 2015. What extraordinary generosity!  Anyone who helped out lugging equipment, transporting musicians and keeping me grounded. 
Our audiences. (see below) Some of the best chorus singing in the Midlands. if not the world. 

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Our performers. 56 so far. With more to come in 2016 

                                         HAPPY NEW YEAR!