There's a lot of good music coming out of Coventry. Always has been. With 2021 and the City of Culture approaching, already there is jockeying for position over events to be organised and exactly which local talent needs to be headlined. Those representing other areas of music will have their own specific opinions and agendas. But in terms of sheer musical ability and genius,for me,at the top of the table is Kevin Dempsey. What an ambassador for his home town and for Folk Music that man is.
And what a draw he is. We've been privileged to enjoy Kevin's work at Nuneaton Folk Club every year since we opened. As usual the hall was full to bursting. Extra chairs had to be requisitioned whilst others simply had to stand. Aaron was kept very busy behind the bar,which was good news for Rich Burlingham who had ordered in yet another Church End beer for the occasion,the excellent Hop Gun.
We knew we'd have to put together a quality field of floor spots to hold the interest of the audience while they waited for Kevin's first and second guest spots. Nunc started proceedings right on time thanks to everyone being economic with their soundchecks. No Paul Moore,alas,but we began our first set with "Vigilante Man" and ended it with "Knocking On Heaven's Door." In between we performed "Landslide," already a staple part of our set list.We haven't had time to rehearse it much so the only opportunity we get to run through it is in performance. It's the perfect vehicle for Flossy's soaring vocals. I'm so glad I suggested it and persevered with persuading the others to Nunc all over it.
Katherine Fear was up after us. She's been very busy of late,working the Polly Button promotion hard and showcasing what audiences will get to see and hear at The Abbey Theatre in April. (And later on,in the West End run-who knows?). Three songs from her and Sally-Ann Veasey making a welcome return to an NFC stage. it was almost like a Daisybell reunion. If you have been on Mars and have missed the posters,fliers interviews and feature articles,Katherine has written a folk opera about Polly Button. Real name Mary Green, she was one of Nuneaton's more infamous ex-residents,immortalised in a book by Stephen Moore last year.
Brian Phillips followed,another local talent who has gone into print. He told us he had just been issued with an ISBN number. Not so much him as this book what he wrote. Almost certainly containing narratives about Whelks and bodily noises. Once he had conquered a misunderstanding between his guitar and the fans cooling the stage,he gave us a couple of songs,and his thoughts on Donald Campbell and emollients for various disorders of the nether regions. All of it much too rude to be repeated here.
But not all the talent on view was local. Steve and Julie Wigley returned to NFC from the depths of darkest Derbyshire. (That's alliterative,you know). Julie's sensitive songs and their well-arranged harmonies lulled the audience into a sense of tranquillity which would be swiftly dispersed by the following act.
That was John Mosedale,also returning to NFC and also travelling in from a long way away,in this case,Herefordshire. John's opening gambit was "Always putting me foot in it," a song we played on Anker Folk recently. John's cheerful songs with witty lyrics and rumpity-tumpity guitar rhythms are a hallmark of his work and he finished with "We're not Packing Parachutes." But he surprised a few present by sandwiching between these two numbers "Remember Me," a very touching song about encroaching dementia in loved ones and the effect it can have on relatives.
So then it was time for Kevin's first,shorter set. On Wednesday he just seemed better than ever. He had the briefest sound check of any guest we've ever had,then when I introduced him he just came on,picked up his beloved Taylor guitar and coaxed magic from it. He didn't litter a fancy wancy instrument tree with other instruments. He didn't have an array of foot pedals to enhance his sound.He didn't make a big fuss over levels or effects,relying instead on the good sense of the Sound Desk to bring out his gifts to the whole room. Lighting rig wasn't bad,either.
I've known Kevin for decades,and whilst his physical appearance has changed (true of many of us!) his character has not. Always friendly, modest and unassuming. His warmth shines out from any stage and it can be felt clearly off stage in ordinary conversation. I've known a few folk divas in my time. ( For the sake of maintaining good relations I won't name any here). But Kev is not made from that mould. Straight in and right on the money with it all. He appeared to be having a great time. The audience certainly were.
In between breathtaking solos and percussive licks using the guitar body as a seventh string,he entertained a larger than average crowd with a bunch of stories, anecdotes and reminiscences. Kev makes you feel as if you're at home with him, sitting round the fire with the family,having pulled up the chair to listen to "Wicked Polly or " Love is Just Around The Corner."
After the interval, Nunc opened the second half with "Down Where The Drunkards Roll" and then Kevin accepted an invitation to come up and stand in for Paul Moore on "Bring It On Home." Though I say it myself it was a pretty good version. The audience played their part too and because Marie Aucott still isn't there I had to dedicate the verse I usually address to her at Geoff Hardy instead.
Kev's second set then concluded the evening. His repertoire isn't massive. It doesn't need to be. If he finds a song he's comfortable with,then he sticks with it. The embellishments that he adds,the different arrangements,the improvisation, the switch in mood from Jazz to Folk to Funk ,this is what people have come to hear and admire. Not an endless catalogue of "and here's another one what I wrote" asides. There's no fat in Kev's set lists. The songs come quickly one after another,and so pyrotechnic is his guitar style,so soothing is his voice, there is no time to get bored or distracted. His percussive guitar style shredded one of acrylic nails,but other than that there were no glitches. Not that we could determine anyway although the occasional grimace suggested perhaps a note or two he wasn't happy with.
Two encores later it was sadly time to put the houselights on and go home. A very satisfied audience,another memorable night. The feedback I got was that most people there felt privileged to have been part of it. Photos here were provided by Paul Monks,Steve Bentley,Ray Buckler and Max Wright.
