All aboard for the 2007-2008 season, A showcase session at Cambridge Folk Club
Rob and I have been back from holidays for a few weeks and getting back up to speed again. The early rehearsals revealed the benefits of a restful holiday and we had some lovely sessions. Occasionally, like pre-season friendlies for football teams, we also had a couple of clumsy sessions. But, we had our first outing since returning last night - a showcase session at Cambridge Folk Club. The feedback on our contribution to a typically varied and telanted Cambridge evening, was very good indeed.
Some new musical directions, June 2007
Given Rob's background, with his parents having been evacuated from the Bilbao area in 1937 as the city was increasingly under threat from Rebel troops, he is very interested in the Spanish Civil War and the evacuation of the Basque children.
13th May 2007 St Albans Folk Club, Rose and Crown
Like a football team playing on home ground, we were buoyed up by playing in our home town, having a little bit of local press coverage and being cheered along by a healthy crop of our mates. Just as well, because we were both absolutely shattered after the fun and the late night up in Piddling the night before. But we put together a couple of good 40 minute sets and club organiser Alison MacDonald and her friends did some excellent tunes and songs to round off a great weekend for us.
Investing in the Future
Well, we've both gone and done it! Rob and I have both invested in more instruments. Non musicians are often puzzled why someone might want two guitars or two mandolins - but musicians know why - the different textures to the sound, etc. (I have a lawyer friend who has guitars as his pension fund - he has over 80 and a very understanding wife!)
The Saddest of News
The reason why Rob and I have been helping Tam Lin is that their guitarist and vocalist, Paul Gunningham, had been involved in an extremely serious car accident earlier in the year. It is with great sadness that we heard that, after what appeared to be a hard fought recovery in hopsital from dreadful injuries, Paul has passed away.
Rob and I only had the pleasure of meeting Paul once and had both been struck by his friendliness towards us.
12th and 19th May 2007, Wedding Bells
Not our wedding bells but those of others.
Our friends from the Letchworth and Baldock Folk Club, Alan and Sue, core members of the band Tam Lin, have approached Rob and I to help out with a few of their ceilidh and social gigs. and following a rehearsal with them and their other fiddler Georgina up in Bedfordshire, we had our first outing in the charmingly named Piddling in Cambridgeshire on 12th May.
16th April 2007, Herga Folk Club
16th April saw us make our way to a singers night at the Herga Folk Club. High quality unaccompanied singing, especially from the well known Johnny Collins. Clearly, competing with background noise from the adjacent Pinner Social Club can be tough for some of the quieter singers. We got chance to do a couple of numbers before club favourite Graham - sorry don't believe we were given a surname - ended the evening with half a dozen unaccompanied songs.
Letchworth and Baldock, 4th April 2007
It was nice to have been asked back to Letchworth and Baldock so quickly after our last visit. We were supporting Isambarde - good friends of Show of Hands, and a very impressive (and nice to meet ) threesome indeed. Rob's son Dan (remember the name - Dan will make his name in music in the future, of that I have no doubt) accompanied us and observed proceedings with gereat interest.
Reading Folk Club, 1st April 2007
Well, it wasn't an April Fools trick: the good people of Readifolk were expecting us on 1st April, and we had a very enjoyable night indeed.
Given that we have some great friends in Reading, my wife and son travelled with us to the 'gig', as did our great friend and part time photographer and sound recordist (as well as a very neat guitarist in his own right!) Andy Garretty. Joe and Mandy laid on an excellent late Sunday afternoon roast dinner, and Rob and I had chance to do an hour's rehearsal before setting off to Readifolk - which certainly got us off the washing up.
Welwyn Garden City Music Club, 25th March 2007
Given that 1st April at the Reading Folk Club is our first full booking, we could not have hoped for a better 'dress rehearsal' than this. In the quiet suburbs of Welwyn Garden City, on Sunday afternoons, making use of a Quaker Friends Meeting House, there is a music club. The town of Welwyn seems unusually well provided with classical musicians of the highest order, and most weeks they have a classical recital. However, through connections that Rob has, an invitation had been made to us and to a Parisian Swing band to do the honours.
