There's Fancy

Ooh Matron!  (Malc and Gill chose NOT to dress up).

                    It's not very often that the visual effects during a Club night are as spectacular as the performances. Last Night's Bedworth Folk Festival Fund Raiser however, carried some images that will stay embedded in the minds of  some of those present for a very long time. It would be criminal not to share this with a wider audience. Or to share some of the photographs. (Negatives are available for a reasonable price). 

       The evening was billed as a Fancy Dress themed event, with the threat of a fine levied on those who came in plain clothes. As it happened, due to the extravagant dress codes of some regulars,it was at times difficult to discern who had flouted the invitation,earning a fine,and who had not. 

        It took me a while to work out that the masked,caped Phantom hunched mysteriously in a corner was Dave Fry, for example. Whereas Dave Webb,perched on a stool like some green Punch without his Judy, had obviously gone to some trouble. 

Webby

       Malc Gurnham and Gill Gilsenan dressed to type really:the undisputed Lord and Lady of Warwickshire Folk, they wore Regal Robes and headdresses throughout. It took me a while to work out that Dave Parr had come dressed as a lumberjack,and Max Wright's Quasimodo was very clever. 

David Parr

         The visuals did not end with the costumes. Brian Phillips, the Main Guest, wore a small visual display unit which ran strings of messages.in sequence, across a screen attached to his waistcoat. He also had a small revolving Glitterball,projecting pretty images onto the ceiling. Now I've seen Ron Geesin,The Bonzos  and Sid Otway live...but this was on a par. 

Brian and his appliances. Well some of them.

         Brian was on top form. He claimed to have got out of bed to come along to the Rugby Club to perform. When Rod Felton used to say this, you somehow knew he was telling the truth. Difficult to tell with Brian. He qualified the facts later, during his set ,first by claiming that his children had sewn Velcro strips on to  his pyjamas and sheets and then by admitting that he had actually been very poorly. It is a measure of how good Brian's Stand Up routine has become, that at times it was difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction as he raged on about God, the walking habits of crabs, a Chinese cast member of Star Wars ,the Life Cycle of A Sperm and other stuff. In between the humour, we had some typically adept guitar playing and some of Brian's lovely repertoire such as " Never Going Back,"  "FairyTale Lullaby" 

         The show began with  Malc and Gill, replete in all their Court Finery. Malc as a Roman Emperor and Gill as...well as a damsel. Medieval perhaps. ( Only 600 years between them so that was quite authentic).  Malc had been poorly, and was still recovering from surgery. Alan Stocks had no excuse.

Stocksy in full flow

      Highly Strung were as musically eloquent as ever. Jan looked very attractive in her purple Afro Wig, though I have to say that a matching one for Terry would have enhanced the overall image. Their version of "One Meatball" got the joint really stompin'. Jan and Terry had a DVD for sale. (There's posh for you!). 

      Sam Stephens, gradually recovering from a serious illness and the loss of  Gren Morris played a couple of songs but sadly had to rush off home soon afterwards to deal with a crisis.Then things really took off as The Wright Brothers flew up to the stage to air a few songs. They winged it. Put planely, they may well be tiring of all the Aviation jokes by now, but as Max is the Master of Cyber Punning, when you have Whittled things down it's all in said in jets. ( Count 'em!).  

        John Kearney and I were introduced as two thirds of Nunc, which is technically true. I almost got into trouble by conjecturing aloud that a third of the letters in Nunc rearranged spelt out a well known word, but John would not let me finish the sentence. I meant of course,.."spells Cuneiform" -which is a well known style of writing. (I've seen John signing autographs-the two styles are very similar). I think a few of the audience thought I was going to spell out the same word I could see Steve Bentley was mouthing at me. (Not so).  

      John and I opened with "The Odeon." As it was Burns Night we claimed that this was in homage to the 60th Anniversary of the opening of The Tivioli Picture House in Auchtermuchty. I think a few people actually believed us. We then dedicated "Down Where The Drunkards Roll"  to many well known topers seated in the audience. We were treated to fine Chorus singing in both songs. 

John and Geoff. We thought we'd dress down.

      That shy retiring Petunia Des Patalong did two of his own compositions. Something about a Neo Liberal anthem which John's lad Brendan,over on a Flying visit from Cork, applauded warmly. And his "Ironing Shanty," which Des always introduces by saying he only ever intended to do it once, (and The Ironing Shanty), and then he goes on to complete it to thunderous  applause. 

Des performing an Ode to Bungo and Madame Cholet

        Maria Barham, (our featured Guest at Nuneaton Folk Club on February 1st) warbled a couple,including her distinctive  arrangement of "Eleanor Rigby." Giving her vocal range a full exercise, she exhorted the audience to join her in some of the higher notes. " Come on," she urged, "Join me in these:I don't get to use them very often." Only Dave Webb could reach the Top C however, and that was because of his tight Elven britches and the way he was sitting on the stool. 

Webby is sitting tight. 

           Steve Bentley is pretty well always in Fancy Dress wherever he goes and he turned up halfway through the first half with Andy his accordion player. Steve Bentley's long introduction paid fulsome tribute to all he has done for Folk and Acoustic music in Nuneaton. We learned for instance,that this year's Ragged Bear Festival will be in October (good!) and that Atherstone Folk Club are partnering him to put on a show featuring Green Man Rising in The Crew soon.( Excellent!).  It's about time someone did something to promote Folk Music in the Town,as there is precious little else going on. 

       Steve thrashed his bongos enthusiastically through a stirring version of "The Bonny Ship The Diamond," having first joined in an instrumental. He said that his playing was a little restricted having had his shoulder muscles stretched by a Lurcher. Or it could have been a Lurker. You just never know with Steve.

Steve and Andrew

        Although the Black Sheep ran out and I was forced onto the Sahou, generally the night just got better and better. I won some After Eight Mints in the interval raffle before Brian Phillips got everyone laughing. A generous sum raised for the Best Folk Festival in The Country. 
           And finally...just for good measure...

  

First Footings at The Crown

      Well not quite-although it felt a bit like it on January the 4th and with a Bank Holiday just gone!  Some of us it felt unseasonably early to be rocking in the New Year with the first Nuneaton Folk Club session of 2017. But our audience seemed up for it and  enjoyed good music whilst  sharing a monster tin of toffees and chocolates between them. Keith Kondakor ate so many he got chair crazy and did a spectacular tumble off his stool. Hope he's fully recovered now. If not-don't send him sweets as a "Get Well" gesture. 

    Following breathlessly on the heels of Monday night's first "Anker Folk" programme of the New Year, and after an earlier singaround at The Larder that same Wednesday afternoon in Atherstone, it all meant a busy 72 hours! Yet on a frosty night, with many counter attractions, we still had another bumper crowd turn up. 

Ray Buckler did sterling work at the back of the room,helping me conjure up extra seating from behind those curtains. A remarkable storage space,this. You could hide Lord Lucan and Shergar in there-it's like a Tardis. Once we had run out of chairs and tables though, it was literally standing room only for any latecomers. 

       Our guest was that seasoned old Warhorse (he'll love me calling him that) Geoff Higginbottom. He was undoubtedly one of the attractions, bringing a few extras in, but we also had four other artistes making their debut (as was Geoff). Of which,more later.

Geoff Higginbottom. From Stockport. Or Manchester. 

   John Kearney and Flossy did "Ae Fond Kiss," (it being Burns Month?),  before Nunc added "Weather With You" and " Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy" to warm the audience up.

    Unfortunately, Maria Barham (who had been on all our posters) got taken out beforehand by The Lurgy. ( Never mind-she's our guest next month so NFC audiences can enjoy a whole catalogue of songs from the Coleshill Nightingale then). 

      Peter McParland gamely stepped up as a late replacement,and became the first of several talented support acts to take us forward. Pete had already sung himself to a standstill at The Larder that afternoon and had also loaned his guitar to a Mystery musician there , so I'm grateful to him for coming in at short notice.  

Pete doesn't want to talk about it-how you broke his heart.

           Tricaorach followed Pete.( This translates from Gaelic as Three Sheep-or is that stating the bleating obvious?) Not strictly new to us,as we had seen guitarist Michael Luntley and Double Bass virtuoso Keith Nickless at NFC in previous guises. Supplemented by a fiddle player they kept Matt Mallen Allen occupied, as they worked busily through three songs. It's true to say we got a real buzz from them. 

Tricaorach. ( That's easy for you to say!)

             Next up,and all the way from Oxfordshire, was a genuine debutante. The delectable Dolly Mavies. I had played one of her tracks on Anker Folk in December, so I knew  she was quality, and she did not disappoint.  She demonstrated a remarkable vocal range.  A  very original arrangement of Joni Mitchell's "River" was sandwiched between two other songs including one of her own. 

Dolly Mavies. (The Anker is next door but you cant sail away on that).

               And then came another debut. Three excellent musicians who are collectively Paper Circus. Nunc had played on the same bill as them at The Twisted Barrel. Fronted by the gorgeous voice of Jennian King, they brought the house down,as I expected they would.  Their effective combination of guitar cello and Jennian's vocals is simply stunning. They opened with "She Moves Through The Fair" and just captivated everyone in the room. They had a few followers in the room-(PaperClips? Ringmistresses? Paper Doyleys? Circus Animals?) They lowered the average age present considerably! Excellent stuff. Hope to get them back soon. 

Paper Circus. They are no cardboard cutouts.

        By contrast, and with another (kind of) debut, a right parcel of rogues followed, Blues Monkey's harpist Jon Harrington has played harmonica with both Mac Awe On Tour and Black Parrot Seaside,previously, so we know him well. Paul Moore has appeared at NFC solo and with Simon Veasey Paul had jetted in from Austria which sounds impressive,but in fairness, he had been on holiday there. Dennis, who clattered away on an assortment of percussive instruments behind these two, I think was joining us for the first time. Good banter and good time music from these cheeky chappies

Bluesmonkey, going ape. 

         After the Monkeys got us all swinging,it was time for Geoff Higginbottom's first guest spot. Geoff is a seasoned professional,popular on the club and festival circuit.  He has a powerful voice, uses several different instruments and employs a dancing mannequin. (Someone said it was his agent, but I'm not so sure about that). 

Geoff Higginbottom slapping his plank

               I know that for some delicate souls, the sight of a man with a pony tail ,violently slapping away at a plank lodged between his legs can be disturbing. ( Although probably not in Nuneaton). But it is an essential part of Geoff's version of a Scouse tradition of Dancing dolls. "The Ballad of Seth Davey"  aka " Whiskey on A Sunday" got the whole audience singing,whilst concentrating fully on whether or not (as promised) one of the dancing dolly's limbs would suddenly fly off. (They didn't). 

     During the interval we sold raffle tickets and copies of Folk Monthly,and the tin of sweets travelled round once again. John Goodman continued his winning streak,collecting more shatterproof mugs as prizes, before Nuncington got us under way again. 

Nuncington- Bringing it On Home

     Jon Harrington joined them for "Bring It On Home" and a bit of Hillbilly for "All Gotta Die Some Day." Then it was time to hand the stage back to Mr. Higginbottom. Roasting beneath the lights, Geoff took us on a tour of his considerable back catalogue of songs. Requiring en route, a little help from Gill Gilsenan. I am told that, in  this incriminating photograph below, she is simply "helping him to change his batteries." There are more explicit shots but we simply cannot show them. Having seen Geoff's act before, I can only say that he does seem to have a lot of problems with them

Gill is giving some attention to Geoff's instrument.

     So powerful is his voice projection, it was a wonder that Geoff's vocals on his version of "Copperhead Road" didn't take some windows out. Those new batteries certainly seemed to doing the trick,too. By the time he'd got to the end, with a poetic and moving encore,he was picking up Police radio on them. 

Let it go now, Higgo!