Who would have thought that five years have elapsed since Nuneaton Folk Club was made homeless overnight by the sudden closure of The Crown? On learning one Monday morning (via Facebook!!) that we no longer had a venue, I drove into Sunny Nunny shuffling options through my head as I parked up. Because of previous conversations I decided to try The Crew out first. Rich Burlingham was sitting on a bar stool in there and our first conversation was along the lines of " About time! I've been expecting you!"
Rich and The Staff of The Crew could not have made us more welcome. Rich and co have gone out of their way to help promote Folk and Roots music in the town. By putting on the Annual Ragged Bear Festival. By staging one off concerts by artistes we could not possibly afford-Fairport Convention and the excellent Peatbog Faeries for example. And by giving NFC five years of solid, generous support, helping us out with everything from promotion and publicity to linking up with local breweries so that locally brewed award winning Real Ale is available on draught on most Folk Club nights.
This partnership is truly something well worth celebrating, so we pushed the boat out. With a two hour "Anker Folk" Radio special reflecting some of the 100+ artistes who have trod the boards during that time. Broadcast on the night before and the night after the Folk Club itself. ( A playlist will be added at the bottom of this post. We hope to have The Special available somehow in a Listen Again format for those who missed it but would still like a listen.
We began the evening by sharing a special award presented to John B.Smith for his tireless work in capturing the essence of all our local Folk Clubs on camera. This was presented to John during a Folk Day at The Temperance Folk Club, Leamington, last Sunday. Most of the local organisers contributed to this surprise award.
We also reminded people that local artist Claire Botterill had set a stall out at the back of the room. selling prints, cards, worksheets and tuition, Claire also holds 5 week two hourly classes at her Garden Studio. For contact details see the "Links" button on the Home Page of the NFC website.
Then Malc Gurnham and I opened up the evening proper with three comedic songs. This was our third appearance at three different Folk Clubs inside a week, so unsurprisingly we were beginning to get things right by then. It was Malc who first talked me into relaunching a Folk Club in Nuneaton, which finally got under way in 2014. Malc has played along with me in Black Parrot Seaside and Mac Awe On Tour, so although I'm a bit ring rusty we seemed to please the audience with "Albert Balls" "The Odeon" and "Di Di The Ice Cream Man. " Whilst The Odeon was issued on a previous album, Albert and Di Di were going to be part of a new solo Album which Malc and I were working on just as Covid struck. Who knows? perhaps we'll get it finished now! This photo by Max Wright is my favourite as it does show both of us smiling and evidently having a good time.
Poachers Pocket were making their Queen's Hall debut, though I seem to recall Campbell Perry and Colin Squire making appearances individually or in other line ups at The crown. Supplemented by Carole Gillespie they gave us a very entertaining first feature length spot. Guitars, Banjos and Accordions all figured as they romped through an enjoyable set. [ photo by John B. Smith] Next up came an NFC favourite, Kevin Dempsey. A popular stalwart of the local and national Folk scene for many years. Although not 100% fit, Kev showed no sign of that affecting his performance. Most of us knew what to expect as he ran deftly through "Leaving in a Hurry Blues", "Love is Just Around The Corner" and "All For You." Always good fun though, to roam the room watching jaws drop as Kev's pyrotechnics. Photo below by John B.Smith Whipping a frenzied audience up into a crescendo, before we allowed Bird In The Belly to commence their first set, it was time to present them with the Treacle Town Trophy, awarded to them for topping the Anker Folk 2022 Album Charts with "After The City." Beating off formidable opposition such as The Magpies, Trials of Cato, The Unthanks, Lady Maisery and Thorpe and Morrison was no mean feat. Laura seemed a little nonplussed by The Poundland Egg glued onto a Poundland garden ornament, but she wore her crown proudly for the rest of the evening. BITB may well have been performing at Coventry Cathedral the following evening but I bet they were not honoured like this. If you look closely at this photo by John B.Smith she's also clutching the trophy itself. Clearly very deeply moved. Not the first time they've won this either, as "The Crowing" won the same accolade in 2018. Then off we danced through a profusion of Victorian and Edwardian misery. Painstakingly researched material beautifully arranged. We had graveyards, workhouses, addiction,poverty, famines Plagues and battlefields. The body count rose progressively as BITB kindly obliged with a few requests such as the outstanding "Give me Back My Heart Again." and "Bright Light. " Photo by John B. Smith Following a brief break BITB continued their heart rending trawl through a succession of elderly songs given new life. How many times did we nod our heads sagely at our ancestors' wisdom whilst reflecting " You see? Not much has really changed. Will we ever learn?" Both Ben and Laura sing with a powerful emotion that is startling in its intensity at times. The band as a whole are tight-and I don't mean they won't spend money. Their musical togetherness was a comment I heard a lot during the evening and afterwards-just how well the harmonies work together and how well the musicians weave their patterns using a broad variety of instruments and effects. Here Laura demonstrates her versatility with the flite. And look! She is (as promised) still wearing that crown!
Included in the BITB repertoire were two newish songs commissioned by Coventry City of Culture-bringing (no less) a gardener's ancient diary back to life again. He had problems with cultivating growing and harvesting tomatoes too even back then. Bless. And so the evening came to a close. Don't forget to spread the word and here to help you is our latest flier, designed by Pete Willow and produced by The Crew. Next month we have an NFC debut from Red Shoes. Most famous for one of the finest covers of Blackberry Way, so well done that Bev Bevan sings on the album version! Finally thanks to Rich,Jenna, Holly et al, to Ross for his fine work on the mixing desk, and to my nearest and dearest Mags for all the work she puts in to help NFC swing along its merry way. And now that Anker Folk set list as promised. Apologies for the layout-cut and paste job which appears to have a mind of its own!
song 1 Fosters
Mill Dom Pragg
song
2 Issi Come Down
Bob
Brooker
song
3 Old Man (Adam Wilson)
Song
4 The Laundry
Shanty (Des Patalong)
Song
5
Foxy
Lady (Benji Kirkpatrick)
Song
6
Blackleg Miner (Craig Sunderland )
Song
7
Like
a River (Brian
Price)
song
8
The
Wild Goose (Greengrass)
song
9 Subconscious
Cry for Attention (Keith Donnelly )
Song 10 Captive (KC Jones Duo)
Song 11
Chester
Fiesta (Thorpe & Morrison)
Song
12 What matters
most (Jan Richardson)
Song
13 Mrs.
Allcock’s Millionaire (John Richards Band)
Song
14 Don’t
Think Twice (Kristy Gallagher)
song
15 Handsome
Molly (Kevin Dempsey)
Song
16
Always
putting me foot in it (John Mosedale)
Song
17 I’ve got my
country back (Phil Hare)
Song
18
Just for you (Wilson Wright)
song
19
Bees ( Bird InThe Belly)
song
20 Candlelight
Fisherman (Si Barron)
song
21
The
List (Sally ironmonger)
Song
22
I cannot remain (Winter Wilson)
Song
23 The
Doffing Mistress (The Redhills)
Song
24
Gallows Pole (Scarecrow )
Song
25
Carolina Pines (Malc Gurnam & Gill Gilsenan)
Song
26
Turn
to Blue (Steve & Julie Wigley)
Song 27
This
changes everything (Gren Bartley)
Song
28 Turn
of the Tide (Jane Moss)
Song
29 Chicken (Tom Young)
Song
30
Diggers (Thrupp’nny Bits )
Song
31 Bedlam Boys (Greenman Rising)
song
32 It’s Come to
This (Mike Reinstein)
Song
33
Wild Mountain
Thyme (Paper Circus)
