Out With The Old?

 No disrespect to our performers or our audience last night-that's just how it felt, as the last show of the year at Nuneaton Folk Club slipped gently out of sight, like a graceful old Ocean Liner making her penultimate journey.

Quality wise, 2023 has been the best year ever. The consistent brilliance of our monthly guests has rarely dipped at any time below outstanding. Fitting therefore that we should close the year with the wonderful duo of Sally Ironmonger and Brian Carter. Superbly supported by the best harmony singers in the area, Thrup'nny Bits and a late cameo by long time NFC supporter Jak Lynch. Plus half an hour of nonsense from the compere, which undoubtedly lowered the bar ( not in a literal sense) and the tone.

With Comharsa unfortunately having to drop out earlier in the day due to ill health, at short notice it took a bit of effort from everyone performing to fill the not inconsiderable gap in the evenings format. But the audience chuckled and sang throughout the evening and went home happy if a little cold. (The heating had broken down-more of which later). God knows what I'm doing here. Imploring people to sit down ,probably. ( All photos courtesy of Max Wright).

As several people pointed out, it wasn't yet Christmas so only yours truly dressed as if it was. This was deliberate, as all of the material I intended to deliver had a Christmas theme. What few shops remain in Nuneaton had been flogging Christmas Stuff since August anyway, so with NFC always having the first Wednesday of the month it was probably going to be the one and only opportunity to drag out a few festive favourites. Hidden Gems like "Smells Like Christmas," (next year's Christmas Number One?) for example. With a medley of um.. amended Carols. Interspersed with news flashes like "Answers to The Christmas Quiz" and "Parish Notices." The quiz always gets a few people going as they fumble through the memory banks until the gags get under way and they finally realise that there wasn't  one. I also did a tribute to Shane MacGowan by singing my own slightly adapted version of Fairy Tale of New York. After all, I have the teeth for it. 

My APB appeal for help to fill the Comharsa gap was ignored by all 265 Stalkbook friends bar one. Jak Lynch was the only one to volunteer and he filled in admirably with a trio of imaginative arrangements. Ring of Fire to begin with, Butterfly and then Felix Navidad to finish. Gamely sung both by Jak and the audience struggling with pronunciation through the Spanish bits.  Somehow despite the number of times I have played the latter on Anker Folk, I can nowadays never get Keith Donnelly's version "The Police Have Me Dad," out of my mind. It was a worthy effort by Jak and a favour I won't forget. Unlike most of the rest of Nuneaton  he chose to come out and support Live music rather than watch Nigel Farage making even more of a twat of himself by eating animal scrotums in an Australian jungle. 

Thrup'nny Bits delivered too. They  performed a first class extended set of (mostly) seasonal songs. Old favourites like "The Pudding Hunt,"  "The Boars Head Carol"  and "Bold Sir John. " Finishing with their excellent version of The Wren. Des Patalong would like me to remind you all that these and many other Seasonal songs are culled from one of several excellent TB albums. Not only that-they are always used annually in Anker Folks Christmas Shows. This trio are a credit to local Folk Music. They can sing (it really helps) they can hold a tune(ditto) and they work very hard on harmonies which greatly enhances the integrity of their traditional material.  

Sally and Brian kept the quality up throughout their two highly enjoyable sets. Their enthusiasm and wordsmithery (not a word-I just invented it) never wavered. Their material is principally made up of their own very strong compositions and a few covers. I applaud that. Some acts shy away from covering a few favourites but I always thinks it is a sign of self belief and confidence when a performer of high calibre anyway pays homage to work of others they admire. "Songs we wish we had of written," as Sally refers to them as. Thus amongst wonders like "Metalwork"  "The List" and "Raspberry Ripple," you will also find their thoughtful renditions of songs originally composed by Billy Bragg, Charlie Chaplin Supertramp and Victoria Wood. Here is a rare shot of Brian not smiling.

For usually the rapport between the two is endearing and effective. Their enthusiasm is infectious, engaging and very enjoyable. They find an evident joy in public performance and gently banter with each other throughout proceedings. This I think is the recipe behind their longevity and their success. That and the quality of their own songs. Here's a second shot from Max to prove that (a) there really was an audience and (b) Brian usually smiles. 

I cannot fault the support and encouragement which The Crew's Guvn'or Rich Burlingham has given us throughout the last 12 months. Concert sized Room, heating and lighting, sound technician and bar staff all thrown in for free. Curating monthly a fine set of PROPER ( so not Doom Bar then) Real Ale tipples from local award winning Brewery, Church End out at Ridge Lane. Gravedigger, Fatboy IPA ,Stout Coffin, What The Foxes?, Fallen Angel and my own favourite Goats Milk. Last night the upstairs heating wasn't working. The heating engineer could not get it working so somehow a giant gas heater materialised. Large enough to launch a hot air balloon, it  blasted warm air into the auditorium. It added a certain seasonal winter piquancy to the event. 

Kudos also, to the quietly efficient and unflappable Ross, once again driving the mixing desk from the Eagles Nest. And to Heidi, one in a long line of competent, friendly and pleasant bartenders working the bar last night. Beneath the inscrutable "hard man" aura which Rich sometimes projects is a very kind and caring person who works very hard to promote live music of every genre. A proper geezer and no mistake. 

So what next? As I suggested earlier, 2023 has been the best year yet in terms of the Headline acts we have brought in. Bird In The Belly, The John Richards Band, Kevin Dempsey, Lauren South, Benji Kirkpatrick, Winter Wilson, Phil Hare, Sunjay Brayne, Paper Circus, Red Shoes, Si Barron. That's as good a list as you will find at any top class Folk festival. And that's without adding in the BRILLIANT support acts like Mick Bissiker, Tyburn, Craig Sunderland, Bobby Brooker, The Willow and Tool Band, John Mosedale, Urban Fox, Adam Wilson and oh so many more. Playing for love. 

And all ostensibly for free. Although, a few people (as last night) choose not to make any donation towards paying entertainers expenses. That's a statement they can make when we don't sell tickets or charge admission.  On our budget it is impossible to improve on that line-up. Whether we just repeated it or booked another list of a comparable calibre. More worryingly, inviting people to travel across the country to play The Queen's Hall is obviously not what the people of Nuneaton want to see. However good they may be. 

Long term-maybe even mid term-we (i.e. Mags, Rich and I) cannot go on subsidising Nuneaton Folk Club out of our own pockets. It is, to use a fashionable word, unsustainable. Time will tell. Our guests in the first part of the New Year are Kevin Dempsey (January) The Lost Notes (February) and Greenman Rising (March). After that.....we shall see.