This Blog is actually named after a near organic institution-not such a band as an event. A floating personnel occasionally step up and provide entertainment for the sort of gig previously occupied by the erstwhile (and long defunct) Black Parrot Seaside. (See the link there?). Belatedly,and by
popular request,here's a brief review of our adventures last Friday night when we did two forty five minute sets at the invitation of ray Buckler, a gentleman who has lent a lot of support to several of North Warwickshire's Folk venues.
Festivals (and particularly Beer Festivals) are one particular (and very enjoyable) example of occasions likely to tempt The Mac Awe on stage. Nuneaton and Bedworth CAMRA's annual “Thirst and Last " Festival for instance. The event is held each June
in The Co-Op Hall in Nuneaton and it really is a lovely venue. A
HUGE concert room with a HUGE stage (and apron), it is a pleasure to
play.
Last
year The Mac Awe started recruiting for this event well in advance and
rehearsed a set list that had worked for us all separately
elsewhere. As the June 2015 event approached, one or two musicians
began to drop out, whittle away, provide a doctor's note etc. By
the Friday night, this richly talented and diverse ensemble had
whittled down to the Kearney Boys, Malc Gurnham on base, and me. With
Gill Gilsenan operating the P.A. Could History repeat itself this
year? Read on: a definite pattern is emerging.
The
2016 event was scheduled for Friday 17th June. No Malc or
Gill this time-they were busy at Alcester Folk Festival. There was an early
plan to draft in a recovering Sue Sanders on fiddle, but that proved
impossible. But we recruited David Parr on guitar and Jon Harrington
on harps, adding them to John And Brendan Kearney. Flossy McDougal
was to join me on vocals. Unlike last year, we never did all
get together for a run through, but a few of us had a really good
rehearsal the week before, and the Kearney Boys did a weeny rehearsal
of their own. This turned out to be extraordinarily useful,as they often sounded like they actually knew what they were doing. What we
did do in rehearsals was a right mash-up, with some good chemistry going on in the
Parr-Kearney guitar department, and some mind-blowing arrangements
including a Robert Johnson-Beatles Segue and a seamless medley of
Stones and Beatles stuff.
Matt
Mallen Allen, the (very!) sound man from Nuneaton Folk Club was
drafted in to run the desk this year so there was a very strong NFC
flavour about proceedings. We began to set up for the gig late
afternoon, and hit the first major snag. Poor David texted us to say
the Paramedics had carted him away to A & E with a heart problem.
Such is the effect an impending Mac Awe on stage can have. But there
is more.
Jon
had let it be known that there was likely to be a delay in him
arriving from work, and with true Rock and Roll panache, Flossy was
travelling in by train. Our sound check therefore was a little thin
on the ground and we delayed the start as long as we dared before
starting minus David and without Jon. The line-up then was John
Kearney (guitar), his son Brendan on electric bass,and Flossy sharing
vocals with me. Although it has to be said that both John and Bren
had amassed a fine collection of percussion items and Flossy had a
tambourine. The first half went well. (We enjoyed it, anyway!). The
set list was:
How
Long Blues :Cold
Haily Windy Night
Vigilante Man :Shame Shame Shame:
Black Velvet Band: Standing
Round Crying: Down Our Street
(The
Di Di song) :
Love
In Vain: Over the Hills
and Far Away: Downtown.
Jon
finally arrived but as we returned to the stage to start the
second half, Flossy turned green and appeared to be in serious
discomfort. No-one ( I do mean no-one) had been looking forward to
this gig more than she, but virtually doubled up as she was, she just
had to leave. A recurrence of a previous problem. Flossy had left the
building, in some distress. Then the Cavalry arrived in the form of
a beaming Flossy announcing that her illness had (literally!) passed.
Boy did we have some fun then!
The
Second half set list was:
If
I had Possesssion:
You Can't Do That: Jolly Boys: When I get to the Border:
It's
a Sin : I saw Her Standing There: Its all Over Now :Bring It On Home
: Rave On: Everyday: Folking
Liberty :Help
Me Make it Through The Day: Down Where The Drunkards Roll
: Don't Worry/Wild Rover
: Perfect :We
Shall Overcome.
We
had been billed (in National press!) beforehand as a Folk/Blues
outfit and as you can see, there was a generous and eclectic mix of
material. Highlights for me were Brendan's perfect Glockenspiel solo on
Buddy Holly's “Every
Day,” John's remarkable blend of “ The
Wild Rover”
and Bob Marley's “
Don't Worry,” and
a Festival Beer named after one of my own songs-Church End's Folkin'
Liberty. Jon's harp work and percussion add-ons really lifted the
sound so that “Bring It On Home” and other Bluesy numbers were...well..bluesy.
The
audience were understandably concentrating very hard on their
drinking-tasting,assessing,ticking, marking, etc and it proved quite a
challenge to get them going. But finally, there was some
dancing-and some good chorus singing. As an encore we sang ”We
Shall Overcome,” a late choice, delivered movingly by JK and dedicated to
events in Batley the day before.
