Felix Have Me Dad

( One of the classic Donnelly festive parodies from Keith's new Christmas album) . A song which is an homage of sorts to Jose Feliciano and the Three Tenors wishing us a Happy Christmas in Spanish/English. Of which more later.

There were many counter attractions competing for an audience at NFC on Wednesday. Elsewhere a hardy bunch of locals had braved the snow to trek North to Aviemore for some Costa Del Cairngorm thingy. There was apparently football on the telly, late night Christmas shopping, (though not in Nuneaton),the usual parking confusion (see next paragraph below) and various malicious continuations of seasonal Lurgies (great name for a band?).  Plus, the temperature outside had plummeted below zero well before the doors were even open.

As regards parking confusion, I need to point out again that there are two free car parks (Victoria Street One and Victoria Street Two), just across Roanne Ringway from The Crew, almost on the junction with Queens Road and The Ring Road itself.. Indeed the building itself is within eyesight once you get out of the car.  Both of these car parks are within a two minute walk of The venue.  We always use these two even though there is apparently also free parking (when there are spaces!) at the Abbey Theatre. To access the Victoria Street Car Parks, instead of turning up Queens Road towards Lidl, The Crew and The Theatre, turn left  (if coming round it from the North). Or turn right if coming to the lights along the A444, from the South. Follow this short spur of Queens Road past Johnsons the Jewellers, Iceland. The Lord Hop Micropub,The Co-op Club, Salvation Army H.Q. and the back of Rope Walk Shopping Mall on this two minute journey as it curves round to the right, almost a 360 turn before  It quickly becomes Dugdale Street and then Victoria Street. At the end of Victoria Street you can park free  6pm-8am  and virtually next to that four way junction just described. ( For Satnavs the car park postcode is CV11 5GE). Step out of the car and you are back next to Johnsons The Jewellers. Within under a minute on foot you are back at the junction where you turned, with its plethora of pedestrian crossings. The Crew (and so The Queens Hall above it) is visible, diagonally opposite where you have parked.  Try this link or just look it up on Google Maps. carparkmaps.co.uk/carparks/view/18630

    Right. That out of the way,  the Queen's Hall was warm and cheerful inside. The Church End Fallen Angel was frankly divine and thankfully,  enough people turned out to make the trip worthwhile for those who were performing. Not as many as in the Olden Days when local people supported their Local Folk Clubs everywhere, but fortunately our numbers were swelled by people coming in from Coventry and Birmingham. 

   Top of  the bill we had Lauren South and Keith Donnelly, seen on stage together at NFC for the first time . We had a debut feature from Folk rockers Fables and Lies and a classic traditional Seasonal set from our old friends Thrupp'nny Bits. 

Late last Wednesday I wrote on the NFC Facebook Page " Last night was an eclectic cornucopia of Festive and traditional Folkie entertainment." A fair and accurate summation of what went on. Fables and Lies were making their NFC debut. An affable and friendly crowd of musicians, I'd got it in my head that they were from the far South of the County but far from it. They were from Rugby, Coventry, Corby and all over.. And Corby isn't even in Warwickshire. (Yet). They brought in a fully miked up drum kit, electric bass, electric lead, fiddles and all sorts of anciliary items. I'm sure there was a wardrobe being carried up the stairs somewhere. Ross, our techie, watched all this nonplussed. He's seen it all, and the sound check seemed to go well. They certainly woke the audience up with a robust and energetic opening set.

Thrupp'nny Bits then quietened things down a little with a selection of their Christmas and Seasonal songs. Most (if not all) of which, are available on CD. We had Shepherds Arising and those poor Wrens pursued, and Wassails of various shapes and sizes. Plus my personal favourite, The Pudding Hunt. Tally Ho! Nothing like the TB's to get one persuaded that its beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Which led us to the interval. A quick jug collection and a chance for a wee break before we romped off again. Some bloke dressed as a grumpy elf ,who'd been compering the evening read out his now infamous Christmas Notices and Answers to The Christmas Quiz. Then mercifully, it was back to proper entertainment. The photo of this idiot below is by Kevin Hargraves. There were none of our usual photographers there on Wednesday although I did spot a welcome (and newly shorn) Andy Jones later on, and he was busy snapping away. I've not seen any of his work yet.so the photographs here, other than Kevin's, are I'm afraid...mine.

We had originally got Phil Hare to come and headline this December 2022 spot, but given the weather, the long return journey and our attendances recently, I'm glad we agreed to rearrange and that Lauren and Keith were able to step in. Phil will now be playing in September next year. When (hopefully) there won't be any frost and snow. Although in this country...you never know...

Both Lauren and Keith were in fine voice. I'm not going to reveal  too much about Keith except to say that he was very good, did lots of jokes, was very festive and very often, funny. ( Sometimes intentionally). This is because he's on at Atherstone Folk Club on the 21st December. So if you are not dancing naked round a bonfire that night (it's The Winter Solstice), get out there, support your local Folk Club and have a good time. Besides, if you weren't at NFC last Wednesday it will present you with another opportunity to purchase Keith's EXCELLENT new Christmas Album. Everything you would expect from this maestro of parody. The perfect late gift for that special Folkie in your life. 

     Lauren is a fine musician and has an immaculate voice. She is an accomplished writer (as is Keith) and as well as doing some favourites together they also showcased some thoughtful and tastefully arranged new material. As a duo it's an interesting combination of voices and content but it somehow works. It's a bit like Pork and Stuffing or Ice Cream and Strawberries. I'm not daft enough to identify which one is which but do try to get along and see them so you can decide for yourselves.

Finally a thanks to all those whose hard work during 2022 continued to keep NFC surviving in what have been at times challenging circumstances. Most importantly, audience members and performers. Then let's have a round of applause for Rich Burlingham for his ongoing support and wonderful husbandry of beautiful, locally brewed Church End Beers. Jenna and Pete Willow provide invaluable help with advance publicity.  Aaron and new kid on the block Evelyn, keep the audiences provided with refreshment, help putting the chairs out and just keep on smiling. Thanks also to Ross for his sound work (see what I did there?), mixing, adjusting levels, stage swapping and all round general expertise. And Maggie my right hand woman who despite sometimes being poorly, faithfully puts her hand to helping out with, well,  everything. God Bless Us Every One!

 A few people have chosen to turn their back on us this year and a few others continue to stay away. I regret that and hope that some of them  can see it in their hearts  to return one day. Christmas is after all, supposedly a time of forgiveness, Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All. 

Fiddling about

        Filled with a slowly rekindling enthusiasm for supporting live  music last Thursday,  I got home from a second consecutive night out clubbing(!!). Before turning in, exhausted (but fulfilled). As midnight struck, the last thing I read was a constructive comment. It was from an NFC regular Jak Lynch, posted on  the Folk Monthly Facebook Page. I replied to it with a comment about how comforting it was to see him again. To be clear over the use of the word "again," it wasn’t irony, suggesting that Jak had  returned  suddenly, to something previously left alone, it was a compliment. It was an acknowledgement of those foot soldiers like Jak who can be seen not occasionally, but again and again as often as time, work and family commitments permit, supporting live music in their local venues. I'm very  conscious of the fact that if people like Jak don't keep on coming, these venues will eventually cease to function.

      It is harder, in physical terms to plan an event in advance than it is to just turn up in a back room and take it in turns to play music. That isn’t a lofty statement of superiority, it is just a fact. Yes, performing is hard, but doing both, first the coordination of the event and then the performance, with the added responsibility of catering for an audience who (quite rightly) arrive expecting to be entertained, can be doubly punishing. And the killer is when,  (after all that pre-planning and psyching up beforehand), hardly anyone turns up. It is disappointing for all: a shared anti climax for audience and performer alike.

     That didn’t happen on Thursday night. Someone reminiscing about the Good Old Days pointed out that when NFC first launched, 60-70 people regularly used to assemble in a concert room on a cold wet Wednesday to enjoy live music. Sometimes even more. Last night, as we slowly topped thirty, I felt elation. Because these are different times, we had mucked about with the date and given the number of counter attractions, it was encouraging to see that many finding us at all. The Pandemic definitely hasn’t yet fully gone away. People are still recovering. We are now officially in Recession. There is a cost of living crisis. Times are hard for everyone except the very  rich. You can see that every time you set foot in a shop or watch a news bulletin.

       Our region is blessed by the number of people who want to be seen and to perform in Folk Clubs and open venues. Which in turn generates unusually high numbers of places aspiring to promote music. Unfortunately there are not the same sort of audience members able or prepared to come out every night of a week to support them. It is a physical ( and a mathematical) impossibility for them to do so.  But with all that said, on Thursday there was a decent enough number of people in the room to make it all seem worthwhile. They clapped and cheered and whooped. They sang along, and pounded the tables where (appropriate ). They even danced, at times, amplifying the extraordinary levels of enthusiasm and commitment pulsating towards them from the stage.

   That wasn’t the only thing pulsating. It being not our usual First Wednesday, there were other events going on down below. The Crew, being the prime music pub in the area, I suddenly felt low frequency rock bass guitar  thrumming through the floor and into my kneecaps.  I thought at first it was radio interference, coming through the monitor speakers onto the stage. On further examination I discovered a full blooded Rock Karaoke going on downstairs. Whilst the rest of the town slept, The Crew was rocking, both upstairs and downstairs. Fair play to them. It was only 9pm-it’s either get out and enjoy yourselves or sit at home watching a group of idiots make fools of themselves in an Australian jungle. 

     Our headline act were Thorpe and Morrison. The returning Harry and Sean. Joined at the hip, musically. They had wowed us with a support spot to Kevin Dempsey previously and did not disappoint this time. Harry's percussive guitar style had us peering anxiously up to the stage through our fingers at times, especially after he admitted he had fitted a new set of strings. They must be A grade telegraph wire because he gave those guitars a proper hammering at times.. Harry is capable of subtle nuances up and down the fret and delicate tricksy harmonics at times, but when needs must, he can belt the living bejasus out of most parts of a guitar body. Combined with his reinforced boots stomping out a beat on an amplified board you really wouldn't know that Bon Jovi were being simulated downstairs. 

      Sean's fiddle playing is a sophisticated counterpoint. As well as Celtic stuff reinforcing his Scottish roots there are elements of Scandinavian and Appalachian about his solos. He can rock out with the fiddle too but at other times the soft, gentle sounds he coaxes from the bow or plucking the strings are that of a violin rather than a fiddle, exemplifying a classical background. 

     And then we come onto Michelle Hollaway. Singer with Bonfire Radicals, experimentally branching out on her own. A pocket battleship of a vocalist in her patterned tights, furiously passionate as she blasted out thirty minutes of dynamite.  If you wanted a definition of "Owned The stage" there it was. Right there for all to see and hear. Acapella songs delivered with a raw, and angry belief. With the audience firmly clenched in her  diminutive fist, she stood up there belting out highly charged  lyrics with emotion so fierce no-one hardly dared to breathe. Later she would return to join Sean and Harry in an electrifying cover of "Sovay" and join in with some furious instrumental passages which made Ian Anderson on one leg seem positively mundane. 

      Winding it back, with some running order rearrangements due to logistical obstacles, Tyburn-Jan Richardson and Hedley-started and finished the evening. By a strange quirk of fate and National Rail timetabling, they were there at the beginning to kick the evening off and back to round it all off at the end. Thanks also to a bit of input from Atherstone Folk Club's Phil Benson who linked the acts whilst I made a dash to Trent Valley Station. Jan's singing was as good as I had ever heard her. There was a waspish, raunchy tone to a couple of her numbers which really caught the imagination. All complimented by Hedley's sensitive and sophisticated playing.

     It would be churlish not to mention the latest Church End draught Real Ale laid on-Fallen Angel, once again served in a superlative condition. And thanks to to Ross for his work on the Sound desk and to Aaron, a bundle of energy behind the bar. (And behind the vacuum cleaner, early doors!) 

     Thanks also to Ray Buckler for these photos. Our long time friend John B. Smith would have loved a night such as Wednesday, but all on the local Folk Scene were saddened to hear of his tragic bereavement on the day. Sincere Condolences from all at NFC go to JBS, a tower of strength in recording and capturing performance shots at all local venues. We are truly sorry for your loss, mate. 

   It was simply, one of those nights. Just as with Sunjay and Lee the night before at Bedworth F.C., the musicianship was breathtaking. If you missed one or the other or both of these excellent sessions -truly anyone who was there would feel genuinely sorry for you. 

Paper Back

      I'm going to have to start with Paper Circus. I am clearly biased here. I feel an almost paternal glow of pride over how far they have come. It was me who on first hearing them at an Open Mic session at The Twisted Barrel Brewery Tap, suggested that they should come over to Nuneaton and try out the Folk Circuit. They went down a storm (as I knew they would) and the rest as they say is history. If I'd been a Record Producer or if I'd owned a Record Label I'd have signed them up there and then after that debut. At that time they were a trio including Jim Park on cello. Jim left and Merlin on double base has since filled in admirably. Jim made a very strong contribution to the unique sound of the Circus. They were difficult shoes to fill. After he left it sounded neither better nor worse. It was just different. And still utterly brilliant.

 (photo by John B. Smith).     They held the audience in the palm of their hand last night, during two captivating sets. Whilst  compering I twice referred to them as "The Lindor Chocolate of Folk. " That caused a few titters, but listening to Jennian's voice curling around the subtle canvas which Merlin and Suraj Nagar lay down for her really feels like indulgent luxury. There are few female singers who can touch this quality. Many aspire. Few can emulate it. Without being too sycophantic, there is so much I like about this trio. I know I'm not alone, because we had a much better attendance last night and they weren't all Hawkesbury "Shoupies" * 

       Let's avoid the obvious (The Voice) and start with a few of the other things I admire about Paper Circus . Like Bird In The Belly, They  are immensely talented both musically and instrumentally. Like Bird In The Belly they are good fun to be with, nice people and totally grounded. There is no big Diva thing, they just get on with it. Their sound check was brief and to the point. I've seen and heard other acts take almost an hour over this-freezing other artistes out of the opportunity to get on stage and try out beforehand. So a tick for that.  This positive attitude continues on stage where they don't dress up or overdo the theatrics, because they know there is no need to hide behind hats, glitter,  boas, shawls, and all the other frippery. There are no melodramatic gestures or theatrical hand waving. When you have a voice like Jennian's you just need to concentrate on getting it out there, operatically pure. Like clear crystal. Whilst Paper Circus were on you could hear a pin drop during the quieter numbers. 

   One of the most noticeable (and likeable) things about Paper Circus on stage is that they are clearly having a good time. Between songs there is banter and laughter and if they do attempt a lighter song like "Here Comes The Sun,"  they are not afraid (or able ) to hide their obvious enjoyment in performance. If someone makes a mistake (and everyone in the business does) they just laugh it off and carry on. Exactly as it should be. They are very professional and stage savvy.  In a big room like ours with its own bar and other facilities integral, there is inevitably background noise even with a state of the art sound system. In one lull between notes, the electronic till beeped. In another, an empty bottle hit the recycling bin. Nobody (least of all Jennian) batted an eyelid. We were all so focussed. 

     I also admire their repertoire. It contains a mixture of uplifting and very dark songs. Like their covers of Mazzy Star's "Into Dust" (a personal favourite) and Massive Attack's "Teardrop." (ditto).  These are immensely powerful numbers. Tackled acoustically they could go horribly wrong. But none of these songs'  solemnity and power is lost. This is down to the strength of their arrangements. It sounds effortless. It looks effortless. It obviously isn't. Last night they ranged from classic, traditional folk into the contemporary world and back without barely a murmur. Wisely, they retain much of this material as the rock which their set list is built upon. They thread in their own compositions (excellent by the way) with the minimum of fuss. If they didn't introduce them as such, you genuinely would not be able to differentiate between their original songs and the cover versions. So they can get traditionalists singing along with "The Parting Glass" or  "Mountain Thyme," whilst also embracing Dylan ("All Along The Watchtower")  And they carry it all off with aplomb. I know from personal experience that they will listen to a recommendation for a new addition to the set list and then work around it in rehearsal to see if they can adapt it.  Suraj and Merlin are the engine room. ( Merlin? See what I did there?). They provide the cement. (Mixed metaphor?). 

     The audience demanded two encores and got them. The band sent them home singing with two old favourites from earlier set lists (and earlier times). "Hushabye Mountain." (a lullaby from the score of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and "Those Were The Days" a number one hit for Mary Hopkin long ago when dinosaurs roamed the land and the earth was new. That's something they also successfully manage to pull off: juxtaposing the dystopian Handmaid dread of "Into Dust," with a bleak song by The U.S. rock band Brand New and then getting the audience to sing it along with them. Light and Shade. The ingredients of most successful set lists. 

John Mosedale writes good songs. He's made several trips from Herefordshire  to all our local clubs previously to do feature spots. But due to You-Know-What we hadn't seen him for two years. It was good to have him back last night after a long time away. Sensibly, he included some of his more popular songs with some newer ones in an entertaining 30 minute slot. (John refers to his finale self deprecatingly as a "Medley of My hit") He also added in some new numbers. John is pals with Richard Digance and that shows in his song writing and his patter. He brought his own video crew along with him last night and they generously agreed to shoot the whole show. That should be interesting if it turns out. Photo below by John B. Smith.

       Last but very definitely not least, to kick us off early doors ,the Queens Hall stage groaned under the combined tonnage of The Hawkesbury Trawlermen last night. Not everyone gets the joke. Yes: they ARE a Shanty Crew and a very decent one, but Hawkesbury is a canal junction between Nuneaton and Coventry, where the Coventry meets the Oxford. It is possibly the most landlocked place in England. Rather than waves and foghorns the most noise comes from the nearby M1 and the railway line. You definitely couldn't get a Trawler in there unless it was a Triang one. So it was with a creaking of the knees (rather than the ship's rigging)last night as Dave Webb, Wes Hall, Malc Gurnham, Phil Benson, Bob Brooker, Popsy Read, John Meechan , Alan Stocks and Geoff Veasey assembled in (nearly) a crescent. In the picture below taken by John B. Smith, Bob is on his feet and awake at this point. 

     Crew members took turns to lead, with the choir adding support from the rear. They are getting to be old (very old!) hands at this now. Having appeared previously at The CV Folk venue in Coventry, The Lord Hop in Nuneaton and Bedworth Folk Club,this was their NFC debut. They also appear regularly at The Attleborough Arms in Nuneaton. Serenading diners.

        Scrutinise closely and you will see that Malc Gurnham (absent from the other photos) was also there. ( Eye Candy for the Over 80's above was provided by John B. Smith). 

( * "Shoupie" (n.)- an amalgam of Groupie and Shanty man. Mature  and mostly (but not exclusively) female followers of elderly men wearing striped jumpers whilst belting out maritime songs of a similar vintage . The photo below (by Max Wright) proves that there were actually nine Trawlermen present last night. Bob denies he was asleep and says that he was just snatching 4O winks. The Hawkesbury Trawlermen, due to their venerable age (aggregate years 600+) and their landlocked position (sometimes they don't move for hours), have become a bit of a cult. At least, I think that is how it is spelt. 

         I thought the sound was excellent last night. Thanks go to Ross on the mixing desk and also to Aaron behind the bar. And to Rich Burlingham for providing the premises and not one but TWO Church End beers on draught: a stout and a sessions bitter. Finally let's hear it to for Mags. She puts up and takes down the sign. She collects and then counts the jug collection. She distributes and then collects the fliers on tables. Without her-no club.  Simple as.

Taking the Michael?

 

     Last Wednesday night, as so often happens, the quality of performance at Nuneaton Folk Club was once again outstanding. We welcomed back Adam Wilson and Des Patalong to fill our longer 30 minute feature spots. And (after several postponements, rearrangements and cancellations due to Covid), we finally got Mike Reinstein to travel up from Sussex. I’ve played all three artistes on Anker Folk many times. Deservedly so, because their material is top class.

     It was also great to see  returning audience members. People we have missed and who always add quality to our evening, just by being there. People like John B.  Smith, Mick Stanley, Keith Donnelly and Ray Buckler. And there were  newbies. At least four. Please try us again and tell your friends. 

   The turnout  was a tad disappointing. The foresight of the Tory Council in closing most local car parks since our July session probably did not help. Although- (future attendees please note)- there is STILL free local parking nearby in Victoria Street.

Our August guest Mike Reinstein deserves great credit for keeping going under quite difficult circumstances. He was thoroughly professional. There was a remarkable variety in all his songs. Some were funny. Some were poignant and some were both.

All of them showed a great deal of craft, both in their composition and delivery. His background is in Drama, Education and Children’s Entertainment. And it showed throughout. One of the wittiest, most articulate performers we’ve ever welcomed to the Queen’s Hall, Mike was an excellent and thoughtful songwriter. He was erudite, polished and intelligent. And if you look at the photos JBS has uploaded to the NFC Facebook Page-count the facial expressions-he has dozens! 

Making a welcome return, Adam Wilson was (as ever), charming, likeable and earnest. He has a superb voice and writes great songs. The few cover versions he does do are immensely polished. As a Neil Young Tribute Act alone he could make a fortune in the Wine Bars and Tapas Restaurants of South Warwickshire. He once again forgot to bring along any of his excellent CD’s but if anyone contacts me, I can pass on details of how to buy one. They are well worth a listen.

Des Patalong has a voice and a presence that needs no P.A. His own songs are really clever and full of passion Des cares. He really does care. The spot he took on was advertised as being the Thrup’nny Bits, but due to ill health they could not make it and Des had to fly solo. (Get well soon Gareth!). He held the fort magnificently.

Some other old bloke making a fool of himself started the evening. The less said about that the better. He was returning from a throat and chest infection and sang like Lee Marvin. A sprinkle of people sang along with “Di Di The Ice Cream Man.”   ( Soon to be released on a CD?). The rest of the audience just looked either frightened or confused. Probably shouldn’t have even tried  the Barry Manilow spoof or the Three Lions parody. Oh well. That's the career in stand up fooked. 

     The Street Fight (Interval) Amongst the most energy expended in the area all night was the unedifying spectacle of two women on the pavement outside, air punching, and trying fairly unsuccessfully to hit each other. Hilarious. Treacle at its spectacular best.

       Despite the talent evident in the room the attendance was low. This was no reflection on Mike Des or Adam.  It is true that August is a holiday month and also the Festivals like Sidmouth are in full swing. However, it is also my personal opinion that having three folk nights within a few metres of each other inside five days is unfortunate. It does not matter how much each one costs or whoever the billed artistes are. People just will not come out three nights out of five. ( Some can no longer afford to).

      This level of competition does not happen in any other town I know of. At NFC we are not subsidised or profit making, or able to run at a loss. The Club funds are now dry. We  cannot go on inviting people to travel long distances to play to a virtually deserted room. There are alternatives. We will need to consider some of them over the next few months.

      My thanks go again  to Rich Burlingham for continuing to supply the room, the excellent facilities and the Church End Goats Milk. (that’s local real Ale to out of towners). And also to Pete W. for helping us out with advance publicity. Thanks also to Aaron for working the bar, and to Ross for driving the sound. Great also, to have top photographers like John B. Smith  back in the room. All the photos shown here are used with his permission. Thanks finally  to Pete Botting for his kind donations towards Anker Folk on Anker Radio. We'll be spinning them soon, Pete. 

      Finally a word for the witty Yoof who shouted “No one carries cash nowadays!” before running off downstairs to watch the fight outside. The object of terror which drove him and his mates away was the Interval jug collection. They had stayed to listen to the music for free, in air conditioned comfort, with a bar and toilets but then baulked at making any contribution towards it. Which is their prerogative of course. But if you are going to heckle lads, at least make it serious. A Post Office survey released this week also proves your supposition is wrong. So come along to NFC, enjoy the music and don't be a tightwad. 

Folk is coming Home.

 After the euphoria of such a great turnout at NFC last month, I confess we both had reservations about the July night. Not because of the calibre of the acts booked-we knew they would be great-but because we’d heard about attendances at other clubs dropping again due to Covid being back on the Agenda. Plus there were Festivals on elsewhere, fuel and travel costs are spiralling out of control and we knew that some people were on holiday.Incidentally when I say “we” I mean the Love of my Life to whom I will have been married for 51 years later this month. She has been very poorly and has missed quite a few NFC sessions due to ill health. It was great to see her back there on Wednesday. She is such a help-it’s a real struggle to run the club without her support.

But the turnout of fifty or so was more than acceptable. There was a really good “vibe” in there: you could almost reach out and touch it. I think it was because it was all organic and all home grown-both audience and performers.Nurtured by (not one but TWO barrels of Church End Goats Milk on hand pull. This local award-winning Real Ale is always on when the Folk Club meets, putting some other venues to shame in terms of taste and local provenance. Well done Rich Burlingham. 

The varied nature of material provided by the musicians helped the overall ambience and I admit I intended it to. We’ve always made a point at NFC of “taking risks” i.e. mixing up the traditional with the contemporary. It's not a risk really as it means there is something for everyone, whatever their tastes. You might not like all of it but there's a strong probability that you will go home recalling some of it fondly. 

Take Ian Bourne for example. Nuneaton's not his home town he claims, but he's one of us now whether he likes it or not. ( I think he does). He loves to research out some of the odder, quirkier stuff and when he does write his own material it tends to be in a similar vein. Thus a slightly offbeat outlook matches the mood in the town. My dad and grandad were both born in Nuneaton: I still have friends and relatives living there. "Treacle Town "  has an ironic, sardonic type of humour, quite different to that of its neighbours. Just go on the Nuneaton Borough Fan's Forum and you'll see what I mean.  Ian has been very poorly from time to time but it didn't show as he took the role of the (now vacant) House Band Slot, kicking off both halves. His delivery is first class: a mixture of cabaret, theatre and Comedie Noire. So  the morbid "Psycho,"( my request:  a 1950's song actually based on a true story),  contains just the right amount of furtive eye rolling, eyebrow arching and tortured notes.( Ian is actually a good singer and his voice projection is fantastic). It's all good fun especially watching Folkies trying to get their head round songs about Zombies. ( Zombie Folk? A new genre?). 

Now an NFC regular (indeed as common as the red throated Phalarope nowadays, at most of our local Folk Clubs),it fell to Bob Brooker to follow that. Which he did in his own inimitable style. Looking very dapper he had forsaken his banjo and Bouzouki bringing along instead only a petite little guitar which looked as if he might have taken it from a novelty key ring. The sound it produced however belied its size. He coaxed from it self-penned songs about trawlers, fish and chips  and Whitby (obviously!) before calling up one of his music buddies Craig to accompany him in a stomping finale: a medley of foot-tapping instrumentals. Bob's musicianship is astonishing: it wouldn't surprise me if he turned up one night with a Euphonium around his waist and proceeded to coax a series of traditional songs expertly out of it. 

Karen and Colin Jones (as KC Jones)  were as good as I have ever seen them. A thirty minute slot gave them longer to showcase their talents. Namely harmonies, strong solo singing and clever instrumentation with  thoughtful arrangements. Karen started with a stunning unaccompanied version of "My Laggan Love." They did a few self-penned album songs including "Captive"  " Ivory Battle" and " My Destiny." They finished with " Sonny" -again indulging another one of my requests.  A nicely balanced  set with a mix of covers and original material. They work hard on performance-and the work they put in on rehearsals is evident. They are getting a lot of work at the moment. Richly deserved. 

Our first guest spot was occupied by Kristy Gallacher. She'd been away from the local scene for a few years, what with getting married and becoming a mum. It wasn't apparent as she launched energetically into a quickfire set of her own tunes plus a few covers. One of many things I like about Kristy's live performances is her economy. Her own songs are fast, effective and cleverly constructed. They are all of a similar length: a DJ's dream with no seven minute dirges. Just zippy, punchy  radio-friendly tunes with a brief intro. Because of this, John Goodman and I sat nodding at each other across the table like a pair of wise old gnomes saying "Played this!" or " Great single: that's gone out on Anker Folk a few times." It was good to hear songs like  "Blood," or  "Quicksand." performed live and sounding as tasty as the studio versions.. We also had what was to be the second Gretchen Peters cover of the night. Kristy's stage presence is deceptively simple and clean cut. In Jeans and a leather jacket  she whirled away from the mike during  guitar licks and whipped back to return to the vocal. On top of all of this, her guitar work was as good as ever. We talked briefly afterwards about female guitar players and the credit they don't always get. Three of my favourites are Bonnie Raitt, Susan Tedeschi and Joanne Shaw-Taylor. All good singers and great guitarists with styles you could pick out on first hearing. Kristy's style is fast and skilful. Someone told me she was taught by the late Dave Bennett. I'm not surprised. I asked an audience member whom I knew had not seen her before what he thought. "I'm blown away," he said. Job done. She hasn't released an album since 2014-c'mon Kristy-let's have another. It's time. 

            After the interval, a jug collection and another Gretchen Peters song (" Hello Cruel World" this time from Ian Bourne), we handed the rest of the evening over to Craig Sunderland.. 

Again, a deceptively homespun jeans and t-shirt look belied the considerable talent this guy is still building on. His guitar picking is masterful. His choice of songs just gets better and better. His intros, banter and stage patter make him instantly likeable. He's turning into a polished product- and I'm not the only one saying so. I don't think I've heard the Keith Donnelly cover he did before-it was really well done and fitted into the intimate folk tradition easily. I also enjoyed his version of Rufford Park Poachers. He finished with Rod Felton's "Curly"-a beautiful song which has stood the test of time. As an encore he did Nic Jone's "Little Pot Stove." Two lovely, nostalgic  singalong pieces which sent everyone home happy.

Thanks again to Rich for his continuing support, to Ross for his most excellent mixing from up there in the Crow's Nest and to Aaron, back behind the bar. Also thanks to Max Wright. All the pictures here are his. And thanks to Pete Willow who continues to give us help with producing posters (and hopefully-fliers) Get well soon, Pete! 

Next month it's the oft re-arranged debut at NFC of Mike Reinstein, singer-songwriter who is travelling up to the Midlands all the way from Sussex. I hope we can continue our generous turnouts to give him a proper Nuneaton welcome. We first agreed this booking in happier times: Pre-Covid and no ridiculous petrol prices. It'll be a good night . Do please encourage others to come along and join us. Hopefully the link below might direct you to one of my favourite Reinstein compositions. 

Mike Reinstein Live @SEF 19.04.19 - The Gardener of Aleppo. Uploaded with permission - YouTube

Flaming June

Kudos to Steve Bentley for first floating the idea past me of inviting Benji Kirkpatrick to come to Nuneaton Folk Club. Having persuaded me to give it some thought and then putting us in touch with each other Steve left us to arrange a booking and so it was that last night we welcomed this extraordinary musician and very likeable guy to Nuneaton Folk Club for the first time. To be honest I was sure we would not be able to persuade him to trek across the A46 from Leamington but I was wrong. He was very keen to come along. I'm so glad he did. As you can see in this candid snap by John B. Smith Benji had miscalculated the road distance between Leamington and Nuneaton, though. 😀

Having checked out Benji's recent You Tube clips and realising that being Warwickshire based he was actually a local lad (!!) I didn't need much persuading. His pedigree of previous bands tended to suggest that as a solo artiste he would be both versatile and entertaining. So it proved.  One of Benji's other exploits has been as part of the Bellowhead Legend. As soon as we booked him, I started ragging Bob Brooker over his uncompromising opinions of Bellowhead. With the full intention of eventually getting Bob on that stage the same night. Like Benji, Bob Brooker is an expert in the correct playing of the Bouzouki. (Pete Willow who has been giving us a lot of background help with NFC promotion actually billed this as a night of 1,000 Bouzoukis on the excellent fliers he has been helping us with. So no pressure). 

It became evident  early on as we raided the storage cupboards for more chairs and tables that it was to be another bumper audience. Benji had attracted a fair sprinkling of admirers from South of the County which meant we had quite a few newcomers. We also had a few ex-regulars returning after a long break away so that was gratifying too. Folk Clubs look and sound so much better when the spaces are filled.  We'd been a bit low on our usual crop of excellent photographers recently but last night we  John B.Smith, Ray Buckler, Max Wright, Paul Monks and Sue Sanders (to name a few) adding shots to our Facebook page. 

I think most people are aware by now that I have left Nunc and that they have split. So, shorn of all musicians, and having the additional burden of a throat infection,  I needed someone to fill the vacant "House Band " slot as the evening's proceedings kicked off at 8pm. Craig Sunderland stepped in to help (as he often does nowadays). He admirably filled the vacancy by thrilling the early audience with some dazzling guitar work. Deservedly a popular turn at all our local Folk Clubs, Craig performed a trio of opening songs. Here JBS captures a rare shot of Craig with his eyes open. 

I was compering the show from the floor using my own personal hand mike for two reasons: (a) I did not want to contaminate anyone else and (b) I was too weak to climb the steps up to the stage. It was one of the few times I have ever compered an NFC night in either venue without inflicting my limited vocal skills on anyone else and it felt distinctly odd. 

Bob Brooker had survived the embarrassment of my mischievous initial introduction to Benji with uncharacteristic charm and dignity. Following Craig he proceeded to demonstrate that he knew his way around a bouzouki too. Not only that but on the guitar as well.  He did a selection of his self penned tours of Whitby songs before bringing Craig back on stage to conclude his spot with some nifty jigs and reels. Quite why the North Yorkshire Tourist Board haven't so far recruited Bob to do their promotional videos I'll never know. This stylish photo is courtesy of Ray Buckler.

Yonderland is a fine niche t.v. programme set in a world way beyond ours. I'm a great fan of it, as I am of Jane Moss and Paul Monks, who constitute the duo currently carrying that name. Jane kindly performed her excellent version of "Turn Of The Tide " which deservedly put her in first place in a Coventry Singer Songwriters competition. Paul added some of his songs including the atmospheric title track from his most recent album "Fairground." All of which added to a most entertaining interlude before Benji began his first, shorter set of two. Here  are Yonderland frozen in time by Sue Sanders. 

Benji strode onto the stage as if he owned it which effectively he did, after a couple of powerful opening numbers. Strong vocal style and incredible fretwork soon had the majority of the audience gasping. Those of us who had (like me) only ever picked up a guitar, made a noise on it and then put it back down again as quickly as possible were mesmerised by it. Certainly for me, the highlight of the evening was what he did with Jimi Hendrix songs. 

Benji has recorded a whole album of them. On the Bouzouki. Hendrix was sometimes unfairly  stereotyped as a flashy noise merchant. He was simply one of the best guitarists ever. Amply demonstrated by his solo album Blues where he played beautiful, soulful music alone on acoustic electric and semi acoustic guitars. Benji takes this to a higher level by tackling some of the more notorious Hendrix material such as "Foxy Lady"  and "Purple Haze."  Paradoxically he also takes the seminal Hendrix Blues Red House and rocks it up a little. You'd need to be there to believe it but this actually works. It's neither derivative nor plagiaristic. It's damn clever and you have to love the man to be able to reproduce his work so technically brilliantly like that. 

Craig added a couple more numbers to kick off the second half and then Benji bounced into another energetic second half. We had acoustic folk. We had unaccompanied folk. And we had more Hendrix. Benki Kirkpatrick is a confident polished performer. I recommend most highly that you try to get so see him "live." and buy some of his material asap. A most original gifted and innovative musician. 

So the NFC audience figures are slowly climbing back upwards. It's been a long hard slog getting back on track and no-one should rest on any laurels. It's still use it or lose it and in a music pub with fine traditions like The Crew the latter does not bear thinking about. Next month the Guest spot is shared. There's a longer chance to admire the skills of Craig Sunderland and a welcome return to NFC for Coventry songstress Kristy Gallacher. Also appearing next month are local duo KC Jones-again no strangers to NFC. Other names are still to be added-but please do come along and if you were first timers last night-spread the word.  As always a final thank you to The Crew staff especially Rich for his continuing support and interest. Including always having Church End Real Ale on hand pulls upstairs for every NFC night. And also to Ross, always there to help out when needed and running a tight ship from the Mixing desk. Here he is with Bob applying the jump leads and getting Craig under way. Photograph by Paul Monks. 

Red Eyes and Redhills

   Followers of this Blog (both of them) may have noticed that there has not as yet been an account of the most recent Wednesday night at NFC. That will be addressed now. It was in fact, mostly a joyous occasion. Our attendances are slowly climbing back up-we had to get extra tables out!  Covid (though not gone) seems to be hitting people slightly less hard, confidence in live music is reviving  and the by now ubiquitous Church End Goats Milk was typically delicious. It was also lovely to see long time supporters like Kath and Ian Peretti, John B. Smith Geoff Hardy Wes and Linda , Jak Lynch and Max Wright fit, well and back with us. Below we see Guitar Whisperer Wes Hall  outlining his latest project to a captivated audience. All photos here are courtesy of John B. Smith. That's Ray Buckler lurking over by the facilities btw. 

     We had three bands: Nunc, The Willow & Tool Band and the magnificent Redhills. Plus Malc and Gill in tip top form . It should have been a night of celebration and mostly it was. For me personally however if was to be the last night of Nunc as a House Band. Most of them have turned out rain or shine to support the club and certainly since we left The Crown and moved to The Crew, they've added a quality to the evenings. There is no point picking publicly over the bones of the break up.  It's happened and we move on-along our separate paths. I'm sorry it happened. I enjoyed those good times we sometimes enjoyed whilst we were together. You'll see the four of them playing together under a different name somewhere soon. And of course they all have other issues and side projects which they are involved in so all will remain components of the local music scene. I thought the four of us played o.k for the last time as Nunc, given the circumstances. Below is an historic picture of Nunc on stage at NFC for the last time.  This photo just will NOT centre align. How spooky is that?   

                                                

      Nunc handed over, after kicking off the evening to Malc and Gill. They were in fine voice: as good as I've ever heard them, particularly the harmonies. Their choice of material was excellent and it was kind of them to include "Down By The Dockside Wall" a favourite of mine. This Shep Wooley song always gets an audience singing and remains an earworm for days afterwards. A special mention for Gill having the pluck and grit to climb the stairs and then get onto and off the stage without falling over. It doesn't look easy and I can tell you from offering her chivalrous assistance, it genuinely isn't. That girl has PLUCK. (And that's not Cockney Rhyming slang). Here JBS has captured them in a rare shot where they are not arguing. 

        The Willow and Tool Band had experienced their share of problems too. Pete Willow and Lolly had been poorly which had restricted rehearsals. It did not show however as they romped through a fine repertoire of eclectic material. Keith looks as if he is getting ready to do some Irish Dancing.

         You would have thought they'd never been away and they seldom stopped smiling. The only problem they seemed to have was getting Tool's mighty double bass from the Car park to the gig beforehand and back off stage afterwards. So nice to see a band up there on stage sharing responsibilities and having fun. They all took turns singing and playing. Here's Lolly, fluting. What a classy, sassy lady she is!

       Finally having The Redhills as our featured guests was one of those cancelled/rearranged things which all of us despaired of ever staging at times during the Pandemic. But due to patience and dogged determination, finally we got them all up there assembled on that mighty stage. A stage they filled: indeed they filled the auditorium too. Good to see a good electric band at NFC playing good electric folk. :drum kit: electric bass and lead: fiddle: acoustic guitars and all kinds of other bells gongs and whistles kept the audience on their toes. Literally at times, as people began DANCING! (I know!). The band  were also dancing on stage during certain times: their energy and enthusiasm was infectious. 

       Their arrangements were clever and well thought out. The exchanges between instruments were ingenious and skilfully executed: they are all clearly excellent musicians. Their two sets were a joyful demonstration of good folk music delivered with style and aplomb. Go and see them if you haven't already. Highly recommended.

         Thanks to the support acts, to John B. Smith and Max for a plethora of photographs and to sound techie Ross Tidmuss who certainly had his work cut out in the sound booth that night. Thanks to go also to Aaron behind the bar and to the rest of the Crew Staff especially Rich Burlingham. They combine to help us lots behind the scenes to ensure that quality Folk, Rock and Americana can be brought to you on each first Wednesday of every month.  Here is a candid JBS snap of Aron grabbing a portion of sushi during a lull. 

       In June, our featured guest upstairs at The Queens Hall is Benji Kirkpatrick. Famously, he's played with Bellowhead, Faustus  and Steeleye Span as well as being a virtuoso solo performer. Check out his videos on You Tube or on the NFC website.  With Bob Brooker Craig Sunderland and Yonderland (Paul Monks and Jane Moss) in the mix too, it's going to be one hell of a night.