Good Wednesday is the Wednesday before Good Friday and The Easter Bank Holiday. ( I've just decided). Echoes in that title of Eric and Ern. "It's Good Friday," Ernie once opined slightly piously. -"It's good any day" chortled Eric, slapping his comedy partner affectionately and with a cheeky side wink to camera. Red Shoes were our guests on Wednesday and KC Jones along with Urban Fox supplied further entertainment. Our attendance was only slightly down on last month but respectable given the struggles still going on elsewhere, post Covid. See how full and atmospheric the Queens Hall looks and how far away the stage seems in this photo.
Being band-less I don't always open with anything nowadays, but I kicked off the evening at 8pm with "Lord of The Dance." unaccompanied. It seemed appropriate to the time of year. I have always enjoyed singing it, but as I so rarely get back on the horse nowadays I had to keep referring to a song sheet. The audience gave it a fair go with the choruses so that went quite well. I then bottled it with "Twas On an April Morning," which I had rehearsed and fully intended to do. Nunc used to cover it but instead I sang Vigilante Man an old favourite which never dates due to "free" Nations' propensity for persecuting the Poor and the Homeless. It's amazing how you can insert "Have you seen Suella Braverman?" into the first line. (Try it!). She would have made a fabulous Railroad Bull in Woody Guthrie's day. Picture below by Karen Jones.
That bit safely over with, Urban Fox stepped up to make their debut. I'd seen them at a few clubs locally and they'd got better each time I saw them so I was delighted to see that they embraced this opportunity with a lively set. A combination of Nigel's songs and jolly instrumentals got the audience warmed up. Two fiddles definitely creates a good sound. Their harmonies were well arranged and well sung too. An excellent start. We'll return to the Vulpine theme later in the text. "Coventry Weavers," " The Reluctant Sailor " and their concluding fiddle medley were highlights for me.
Local outfit KC Jones have been itching to get their new album "Roots" finally released. and their set included some new songs from it and a few crowd-pleasers like "Sonny" and "Ivory Battle." They included "Cut Throat Jack" and "Stronger" among the newer songs, roping in Nigel Ward from Urban Fox for one of them. And also a cover (was it?) of a certain Adele song with a bit of James Bond theme picked out by Karen at the end. They finished cannily, with "Time For Us To Leave You." Which by then of course it was-that half hour or so had flown by. As pictured below they had drawn Nigel up to guest. It was that kind of "sharing" night and with our three acts coming from Coventry Nuneaton and Birmingham respectively there was a pleasing geographical symmetry to proceedings.
In the second half they declined to include their (excellent) and well-loved version of The Move's Blackberry Way but still showed they could rock out a good arrangement of a classic cover with Dylan's "You Ain't Going Nowhere." The atmospheric homage to a Briar Rose ( a fine Brum pub: I know it well)- "All The way to Troon," featured Mark taking the lead vocal. proving that they both have fine voices. Derek's not bad either-proving that like Urban Fox they can handle nice three part harmonies. It wasn't actually about Wetherspoons-that's just my little joke. It's actually a rather sweet love song.
Red Shoes delivered a seemingly effortless sequence of songs about Love and Hope, Cruelty and Forbearance. And eventually returned to that vulpine theme. They actually once covered Reynardine , a favourite song of mine which I'd already discussed with Urban Fox members earlier in the evening. The Shoes did it justice I have to say. It featured on their double CD "It Isn't Over Yet." The Guest Beer on Wednesday was (appropriately and yet entirely coincidentally),Church End Brewery's "What The Foxes Hat," and only the night before, Mark Evans's beloved Villa had put those Foxes up the M69 into the bottom two of the Premier League.
My own Grandad, Edgar Oldfield, once rescued and cared for a young orphaned fox cub. It became imprinted of course, and would not leave him, probably looking upon him as Mama Vixen. Some of his neighbours and relatives were scandalised by this sort of (what they judged to be) eccentric behaviour, especially when he took young Reynard out for walks on a lead. But those of us who preferred looking at foxes to killing them found it completely normal and very appealing. I loved him for it. Carolyn has become both renowned and admired for the work she has put in to nurturing stray ones, poorly ones and those who just need help. Urban Fox were there on the night. So after an instructive and interesting aside about foxes and why they scream at night (it's often family disputes as much as cries of ecstasy), we had Red Coat Ride an articulate song about the (non) glory of The Hunt.
They gave us the anthemic Celtic Moon. Covered by Fairport Convention and played on Radio One no less. And "Swansong" a tremendous finale/encore in which anyone who had an instrument was inveigled up onto the stage and invited to join in. What a way to finish. An inspiring sight and a beautiful sound.
So let's hope it wasn't a Swansong or a Finish. Because I'm not sure that it's time yet. The Folk Circuit needs its Red Shoes. Aye, and its KC Jones Duos and Urban Foxes. Such is the demographic of most Folk Clubs that there were many in an average audience (and a few on the stage!) who have felt the rigours of playing and performing regularly taking its toll over recent years. Certainly post-Covid There have been several times when Mags and I have discussed packing it all in. It's not just the travelling and logistics. Not just the toting kit up flights of stairs which brings pain into tired bones and worry into troubled minds in the middle of a sleepless night. It's families and friends: illness and the anxiety of modern living and the uncertainty and additional pressure they sometimes bring.
Stagecraft. Competent musicianship. Carolyn's passionate vocals. Their well crafted and at times intense songs. Can we afford to lose all that? They are threatening to return after retirement to semi-retirement "playing for fun and sharing a few beers with friends," as Carolyn puts it. It's a nice thought which I completely understand. Perhaps the Red Sandals? Or the Red Espadrilles? Or even...the Red Foxes? I hope so. I hope we see them again in some format or other. The Folk World isn't ready to say goodbye just yet.
