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.