Karen Orgill has been running this club, at three different venues, since 2003.It began in the Warwickshire village of Brinklow,named after the mound in the village which once supported a Motte and Bailey Castle. When The Tump re-located to the outskirts of Coventry,at Coombe Social Club, I got to know the club properly. Black Parrot Seaside did a few spots there. Then it moved closer to the heart of Coventry,settling in The Humber Hotel. There BPS also did a couple of Guest spots.
What an honour then, to be invited, by Kristy Gallagher and Karen to share in the Tump's 14th birthday celebrations by closing the evening at The Humber. I love this pub for several reasons. I grew up nearby, in Northfield Road. As a kid, a railway line spanned by a huge footbridge gave access from my street to all the factories which once surrounded The Humber.
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| Kristy Gallagher |
Eleven years after I had moved away from the area, first to Wyken and then to Binley, I worked as a gardener for Coventry Parks Department helping to maintain all the surrounding parks and playing fields. I spent my penultimate night as as a single man in there, when my mates in the Gosford Green staff bothy decided that they could not send me off to London to get married without a celebration. We knocked off early that afternoon and walked across to The Humber. I was taken home afterwards in the back of a three wheel Lister truck with a 28lb bag of grass seed as a wedding present. Unaccountably, I don't remember that journey at all.
I also love it because of the fun I've had performing there. With Black Parrot Seaside, or solo and latterly with Nunc. I've seen the back concert room filled to bursting for Roddy Felton's Tribute night. And I've trialled a few of my own dodgy songs in the Front Room on Singer's nights,when a cold winter evening meant that only the brave and the foolhardy would set out to play sing or listen to music.
It is impossible to list all the artistes I've seen there simply because there are just so many. Karen has established a reputation for kindness and generosity of spirit. So many poets, singers and bands have cut their teeth at The Tump in the Humber. So many revivals-first tentative steps back into public performance after a long break. So many debiuts-first steps along the Road to Somewhere. Some anxious, some over-confident,some inaudible. She has done her best to balance this with attracting top class names in as Special Guests. The public of Coventry have not always reacted kindly. The place deserves better support. But last night was one of the better ones.
Kristy opened proceedings with one of her own songs and a lovely version of "Dont Think Twice" before she selflessly handed the floor over to others. That's typical. She's a kind and thoughtful lady as well as being a wonderful artiste. She too has worked hard to nurture and encourage new talent and to open doors for Coventry and Warwickshire audiences. The photos that follow by the way, are mostly all courtesy of John Wright and John B. Smith.
Thereafter she linked,clapped,cheered and offered moral support from the floor as Rob Oakey, a long time stalwart supporter of The Tump (and host at The Sty across the other side of the city), led a procession of floor spots . Rob gave us a couple of tunes including a bit of audience participation with "Bonnie and Clyde."
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| Rob Oakey |
I was delighted to see that Terry and Jan Wisdom were fit and well again. Earlier in the year they had to pull out of an appearance at Nuneaton Folk Club due to ill health. Everyone was disappointed so it was a relief to see this talented duo back to top form. I've just reviewed the much-hyped Shirley Collins album "Lodestar" for a magazine. Accomplished as Shirley still is, I have to say that Jan's voice appears to be holding up much better. Her vocals are crystal clear,her syncopated guitar provides a solid framework for Terry to weave patterns of his own guitar magic.A bonus last night was that I finally managed to get my hands on their excellent album,"Highly Strung."
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| Terry and Jan. She's on the right. |
Amelia Gascoigne-Roberts demonstrated that unique vibrato-style vocal brilliance with two of her own songs. Both thought-provoking in style and content,with excellent musical accompaniment.
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| Amelia Gascoigne-Roberts |
On the night, we were treated to not one but two poetic recitations. Ray gave us two interesting reflections on some of the more hypothetical aspects of Life including time management. And trying to remember, at the top of the stairs,what you actually went up there for.
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| Ray |
John B. Smith demonstrated that his talents extend beyond excellent photography and into Poetry,with a clever poem about a part of Kim Kardashian's anatomy. Later on, John would demonstrate a third gift, that of providing the most soulful vocals during the call and response section of "Bring It On Home To Me."
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| John B. Smith |
A set from John Wright and Hilary Wilson closed the first half. They were better than I had ever heard them. Which is not to say that they are not usually pretty good anyway, but this was a sophisticated and very tight musical performance. Atmospheric songs,some self-penned, and an excellent finale featuring "Ride On," with the audience taking up the choruses enthusiastically. Two guitars and voices perfectly synchronised. Nice.
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| John and Hilz |
During the interval there were cakes and nibbles laid on by Karen's mum, to reinforce the party atmosphere. Then it fell to the enigmatic Cliff Hands to start the second half. His very first plucked note broke a string,and so a replacement instrument had to be quickly served up. I'd seen him before and had enjoyed his mean and moody delivery then. Some quality lyrics and his economic,mesmerising chord runs got us into a very atmospheric place. He led us through a series of cleverly spun imagery and a clutch of dramatic, songs like "Things are going to change", and "Hometown Love Story." I hope he won't mind me saying that he sings and a writes a little like early Dylan,and has a hungry,lean look and sound about him. It's meant very much as a compliment. On the strength of his set I bought two of his albums. I was not disappointed with either of them.
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| Cliff Hands |
So it was Nunc's turn. We took to the stage, though we didn't stay on it all the time, and took the audience through a series of covers each of which had a chorus. The usual run of songs by Caey Chambers,John Prine,Sam Cooke et al. A new-ish CSNY mash-up seguing "Find The Cost of Freedom " into Neil Young's "Ohio." And "Knocking on Heaven's Door," which has emerged from nowhere over the last couple of months to be a proper crowd-pleaser. The audience hollered along gamely with them all, including our encore- John's fabled composite of Bob Marley meeting The Irish Rover.
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| Looks like we are all singing. |
A glorious night. A lovely night. We always feel good driving away from The Humber, Perhaps it's because Uncle Bill and my dad used to work across the road assembling rear axles in 'A' Shop?
