The na-mara autumn 'tour' continues apace.  The 4th October saw a much appreciated return to the excellent St Neots Folk Club after a 20 month gap.  Roger and Patti are always very welcoming and appreciative of our material, as are the many club regulars.  It was also very very pleasing to see some of our friends from the Cambridge Folk Club taking the trouble on a midweek night in October to drive over from Cambridge to come and see us.

The club room at the Priory Centre was reasonably full and Roger performed a brief set of rousing and popular songs, and really got the evening off to an excellent start.  Other than that, there was just one other floor singer who performed, singing some interesting songs unaccompanied. This meant we had two good length sets to present our repertoire.

We had planned in advance to introduce some new material into this and the following night's performances.  Here, for the first time in a folk club setting played The English Penny.  The St Neots FC audience is a very keen singing audience.  They joined in wonderfully with The English Penny and made it a lovely rendition.   Determined to have it take it full place in our current set, we again played the relatively new The Silver Duro and, if I say so myself, we played it well.

The rest of the evening went really well and we were more than happy to oblige with an encore at the end - always an honour to be asked!  We have been trying to get some decent video footage of recent gigs and we hope to have something to put on the web-site in due course.
 

Despite wrapping up reasonably quickly, it was an hour’s drive home – so it was late to bed and early to rise for work the next day.  So, it was quite a challenge to cope with another late night the following evening.  

This past Saturday Rob and I were accorded the honour by the International Brigade Memorial Trust (IBMT) of opening their fund raising event to remember the 75^th Anniversary of the Spanish Civil War, held in conjunction with Philosophy Football at the New Red Lion Theatre pub in Islington in London. 

This was an evening’s worth of remembrance, education and entertainment which took place on an exceptionally hot October evening, in an atmospheric and tightly packed pub.

In addition to ourselves, there was further music from Grace Petrie, there was a homage to Paul Robeson taken from the one-man show Call Mr. Robeson, by actor Tayo Aluko , a poetry recital by the Scottish poet Jackie Kay, and there was a panel session discussing the meaning and legacy of the Spanish Civil War to the world today. This involved celebrities and academics including Andy Croft, Robert Elms, Victoria Hislop, Helen Graham and Billy Bragg.

We arrived early for the sound check and watched Tayo rehearse some of his performance.  To see such acting power close up was very impressive. We also watched the histrionics on a Norwich City fan who was watching a live stream of his team going down 2-0 to Manchester United.  I like football as much as the next man and supporting my small home town team have more than my fair share of disappointments – but I haven’t yet resorted to throwing things around and beating objects on the floor.  Most amusing.

We and Grace did our sound-checks and then we were interviewed by young film maker, Sanum Ghafoor, who was making a film of the event for a You Tube release.  We then waited for the theatre to fill up. 

The show was well marshalled and professional, starting prompt at 7.15pm.  Following a brief visual exhibition on stage, we started the evening with Rob playing his usual excellent and powerful instrumental opening to The Bite, which immediately halted the chat and captured people’s attention.  The Bite started the evening well.

Then, we moved off into the audience and waited to watch the panel session.  The very pleasant Billy Bragg introduced himself to us and said some kind words about The Bite.  There was the possibility that he would be prevailed upon to play something at the end of the panel session and, since he didn’t have his guitar, enquired whether he might use mine – which, of course, was fine.  In the event, the panel session overran (as these can do) and I didn’t get the chance to boast that my guitar had been played by Billy Bragg. Rather, it was us called back onto stage to finish this first part of the evening  - which we did with a rendition of English Penny, in honour of nurse Penny Feiwel who served in Spain and who, sadly,  passed away recently.  The song is rather hymnal in nature, with a chorus, and the audience soon picked the chorus up and we did have some singing along, which was great.

As we left the stage for a second time, the IBMT Chair, Marlene Sidaway said some very kind things about our support for the Trust.  Various audience members, including senior trade unionists also congratulated us on our music.  We were deeply honoured.  Philosophy Football also gifted us some commemorative tee-shirts which are excellent and we shall wear them with pride.

We were able to stay to watch the poignant and funny Jackie Kay perform, and Rob had a nice conversation with Billy Bragg swapping stories from their personal links to the Spanish Civil War.  Then, we needed to make for home.  So, sadly we missed both Tayo and Grace’s performance – apologies to both of them.

It was also a huge honour to see the standing ovation deservedly given to International Brigader David Lomon, the living connection between today and the dark days of the Spanish Civil War.

We had supported the great Vin Garbutt earlier in the year at The Milkmaid Folk Club in Bury St Edmonds and had had a wonderful night.  So, it was with a jaunty Friday night spring in our steps that we set off for the Cambridge Folk Club where we had been asked to support him again. 

Cambridge continues to be such a supportive club for us and it is always a real pleasure to return there, - but this was doubly so with a chance to meet up with and say hello again to Vin Garbutt.  Given we were the support act, there were no other acts other than Vin and ourselves.

Vin has such a kind disposition.  There are some artists (often much less well regarded than he is, but which I won’t name) who disdain to spend too much time talking to or listening to support acts; not so Vin.  He knew who we were, was quick to come over and say hello, was kind enough to say he was looking forward to listening to us again and, indeed when we were playing, he was listening.

Not surprisingly, Vin had attracted a full house for the event and this was great for us too.  We did a half hour set which was really well appreciated, including a second run out for The Silver Duro, which is now really beginning to settle in and which got some really great feedback afterwards. 

With the help of the ever friendly Cambridge Folk Club team, I was able to try again with my fag packet sized video recorder, to get some footage of us for You Tube.  Sound maestro Howard’s sticky tape appeared to do the trick in securing the recorder to the top of an air conditioning switch box ‘thingy’ on the wall  - and I hope that we will soon have a few tracks from the evening up on You Tube to have a look at.

Vin was absolutely on top form.  Within minutes, he had that audience completely enthralled, totally focused during his songs, and rockin’ with mirth between them.  His gentle sense of humour and penchant for clever puns is wonderful to behold.

There has been talk of us possibly supporting Vin again at a London venue in 2012.  I sincerely hope it comes off – we’d love to support him again, providing Vin doesn’t think we are stalking him.

A Great Day out in Leytonstone and Walthamstow

It looks like we are going to have two gigs in one day in May 2012, so this outing was good practice for playing and moving on to a second venue!  Paul and Trish from the Lost Horizons Folk Club had asked if we would be willing to play at a festival in Leytonstone on the 18^th September.  It turned out this was exactly the date that we had decided to go and visit the nearby Walthamstow Folk Club.

So, straight after Sunday Lunch, it was up and out on the M25 to Leytonstone for their Car Free Day Festival .  When we got there, the town was buzzing - with a fun fair, a craft and hot food market and a rock band on at an inflatable marquee.  Being car free, there was of course nowhere for us travellers from St Albans to..erm..park.  So, we sneaked in the back of the Tesco’s car park and humped the kit through the crowds to the Luna Lounge where, downstairs, there was a cosy, dark, venue with some excellent music being played.

We got settled and got us some mineral waters (we are always abstemious before playing), and enjoyed a couple of singer-songwriter acts.  Then a very familiar figure came through the door – Robb Johnson, whom we had supported at Lost Horizons last time we were there and who was top of the bill at Walthamstow that evening.  Robb has huge support in the area and was doing the same as us, giving Trish and Paul some support, before moving on to the evening set at Walthamstow. 

Naturally, since Robb needed to get away, he went on before us and gave a truly rousing half hour of his most boisterous numbers, and the place was jumping.  He very kindly stayed on afterwards for a drink while Rob and I went on.  The p.a. was excellent and the intimacy of the venue meant we really got into it. It was an ideal place for us to get some new footage for You Tube.  Sadly, my little video recorder just couldn’t cope with the volume and, when I got to look at it, it was distorted beyond usability. 

We waved to Robb on his way out and promised to see him shortly.  We finished up after a good set, had a few words with Paul, Trish and the wonderful local songwriter Steve O’Donoghue who, it turned out, was also off to Walthamstow that evening.  Half an hour later we were in Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre Pub and bumping into Robb, Steve and others we had just said cheerio to.

This was our first trip to Walthamstow and a place we were excited to see.  It was every bit as good and talented as we hoped.  In an excellent upstairs theatre facility above a cavernous, lively, and well provisioned pub with a beer festival going on, there was a well manned p.a. system, a great house band including Russ who had managed the sound for us when last at Lost Horizons and who had also been at the Luna Lounge, and some really talented floor singers.  Such was the demand for floor spots, most only got the chance to perform one song.  Steve O’Donoghue did a wonderful new song of his.  We were privileged, having travelled so far, to be given chance to do a couple in the second set. 

Robb had attracted a full house and he performed a blistering set of his political songs. The crowd lapped them up and cheered Robb to the rafters.  What a fun night!  I even won the raffle – and took as my prize a copy of the new Coope Boyes and Simpson album – which I have just listened to and is fantastic.  A few pints of real ale, with poor old Rob doing the driving, some excellent music, then winning the raffle – my lucky night really! Sadly, getting up for work at 6.00am the next morning wasn’t quite so much fun!   

As our autumn round of gigs really takes off, we made our way to meet up again with Archie Macauley and the Uxbridge Folk Club again – this time not at the concert venue where we supported Emily Smith, but the home case for the club, the Uxbridge RNA Club.

The venue was intimate, the welcome was warm and the company on stage was excellent.  There was robust shanty singing to get everyone warmed up. This was followed by brief but excellent performances by both the Blue Rose Code and The Raven – both of which were very impressive and stimulating to listen to, and seem likely to return to Uxbridge as headliners in due course.  There was also a couple of very good songs by a friend of Blue Rose Code – whose name I didn’t catch.

We decided to take the lead of those doing the floorspots and played acoustically – and that really developed an intimate and listening atmosphere.  We played a full range from our repertoire bringing ‘When I was a Fair Maid’ out of retirement and, for its first time outside the rehearsal room, we played our new song The Silver Duro – which is a story about the eventual reuniting of Basque children with their parents following their evacuation from Bilbao in 1937.  I am pleased to say that the song was extremely well received and it will now become a very regular part of our repertoire.

Our attention now turns to a busy few days ahead – playing twice in  one day on Sunday, and then out Monday and Tuesday nights at the Unity Folk Club and then the Romford Folk Club.

As holidays fade to a dim memory and friends and relations fortunate enough to have it  return to work with all the urgency of needing ‘to get things done’ before Christmas, Rob and I are rehearsing hard for (as the gig list shows) is going to be a busy autumn period.

Using a sporting analogy, this time of year always feels a bit like the pre-season training that football players go through.  After the relaxation of the summer months, they need to get back up to match fitness to perform at their best for the forthcoming season.   However, unlike football teams that have the chance to play a few ‘friendlies’  against unknown opposition, where it doesn’t really matter if they win or lose, playing music – especially to paying customers – always has to be as good as you can possibly make it.

First time out for our ‘autumn season’ was a support slot for the multinational outfit The Outside Track, at the Baldock & Letchworth Folk Club Festival, at the Orange Tree in Baldock.  Sue and Al Hewson have done a great job pulling together a lot of interesting features for this weekend event and deserve every support.  The Orange Tree pub has also done a great job to accommodate the music in a nice marquee in the garden and to combine the event with a beer festival, with some excellent beers.  I can recommend Bear Ass.

Sadly, a few technical hiccups meant that we had to go on without a sound check, but Al and Rob did a good job on the sound while we were playing – so many thanks to them.  We have since had some nice feedback from those that saw us perform – which was nice to receive and has buoyed us up for a busy September and October. 

With many thanks to the organisers of the Ely Folk Club, we were once again invited to play the Club Tent at the Cambridge Folk Festival this year.  Ruth Bramley and her colleagues on the committee at Ely had invited us to do a 30 minute set – an opportunity we were very happy to take. 

As always, we were keen to get to the site, set settled and see some great acts.  This year, we were on relatively early, around 1.00pm.  As a luxury, the Ely team had arranged for us to park in the artists car park, with a shuttle to the site.  So, after a highly amusing journey from the car park to the site with the very entertaining brass section from Home Service, and a warm welcome from members of the Ely team, we were ready to go by 11.30am.  It was nice to spot a number of the Fisherman’s Friends in the backstage area as they had just come off the stage following a shanty workshop session.

Out timely arrival allowed us the opportunity to have a wander round the site, where it was great to meet friends from both Cambridge Folk Club and from St Albans, as well as have a couple of words with the ever friendly Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts. We were also able to catch 15 minutes of Abigail Washburn before returning to the Club Tent for a final tune up and going on. 

It was the usual quick turnaround of acts on the Club Tent stage and, with much shuffling of gear, we were on.  We had around 70 in the audience, who were very responsive and receptive.  The quality of the sound and other technicians was every bit as good as might be expected from a top-class event.  We felt we played well, made a good sound, and a few in the audience came to see us after we came off to give compliments and buy a CD.  Every time we do these events, it feels that little bit easier and free-er.

After coming off and packing up the gear, we stayed to watch Ruth and her friend perform close part harmony English songs – and very nice it was too!  Then it was off for a bit of festival grub (I won’t go into the details...no, honestly, I won’t) whilst listening to the Fisherman’s Friends on the main stage. 

Given various needs to be back home in St Albans reasonably pronto, we were only able to stay on long enough to see the wonderful Home Service.  As a longstanding fan, it was such a pleasure to see John Tams singing and our earlier bus companions in fantastic form playing some of the classic Home Service tracks!  Then we turned for home.  Although the next bus to the artists car park wasn‘t for an hour, a volunteer in the artists office volunteered to take us straight away.  Indeed, he took us to the tailgate of our trusty Touran ‘tourbus’. Absolute luxury – many thanks to the organisers!

We now have a bit of time to work up and polish our growing new repertoire.  Our next major gig is in mid September, before a blisteringly busy October.  We want to have that material ready for then.  We have new self-penned songs, including a new song about resistance to fascism – this time in Germany – called Navahos and Pirates.  We are also working up a song about family reunion after the Spanish Civil war, called The Silver Duro.  We are also pleased to see that gigs for 2012 are now coming in at quite a pace – but we remain determined to visit many new clubs in London over the coming months – it is by far the best way to get known.

Probably quite rightly, it is the case that folk bands only extend their area in which they are known by getting in the car and visiting new clubs.  CDs and e-mails are all very well, but you need to get up and go to clubs to get yourselves known and appreciated.  As such, Rob and I have determined that we will, over the next 3-6 months, try and visit a lot more of the London clubs we have not yet visited. Determined by the coincidence of our availability and the occurrence of singer’s nights, the first on that list was TwickFolk and so it was that we eschewed the comforts of a quiet Sunday night in and set off down the M1 and around the North Circular to The Cabbage Patch Pub in Twickenham.

From the very first song from the evening’s MC , it was clear that the standard of music around the club is very high.  All sat around a large central table, we had around a dozen different performers. The banter was fun.   Rob and I did Tri Martolod, Flower of Magherally and Billy Don’t You Weep for Me, and were made very welcome throughout the evening.

It was nice to chat with the organisers of the club during and after the evening (some of whom had seen us supporting Emily Smith in Uxbridge in February) and we hope that TwickFolk might see fit to ask us back to do a support spot for one of their guests at some stage in the future.

I don’t often drive in London, so it was a welcome relief to travel back around the North Circular and up the M1 around midnight when the traffic was a bit thinner.  Home for c12.30am – sadly, breakfast was a blur five and a half hours later.

This was a lovely event to be asked to play at.  For reasons of variety and inclusiveness, the organisers of this week long festival in aid of raising funds for MacMillan Cancer Support had organised for the widest possible range of musical genres to play across a range of venues in the village of Fenstanton, which sits between Cambridge and Huntingdon.  So, following events for jazz, classical, rock, barber shop and many more music styles, na-mara were the folk event.  This was a big honour and a big responsibility; this was our concert – no other acts, we were the show.

So, it was early up the motorway to make sure we had plenty of time for a good sound check.  Our venue might not sound too prepossessing at first hearing, a builder’s materials headquarters.  However, it was a beautiful 17^th century barn, with all mod cons and chairs laid out for an audience of c70 people and set in some very lovely grounds showing off what the builders could do to transform your garden and home. 

After a brief chat with the immensely energetic organisers, we had a sound check with Adey and a chance to have a warm up before the audience began to arrive.  This was the first full concert we had done in a while, so we had been rehearsing hard in the previous days.  However, it is nice to get properly tuned up and a feel for a venue before going on.

We played well and Adey’s sound was excellent.  The audience was exactly our type of audience – interested in our tales and stories, and appreciative of the hard work we had put into writing and crafting the songs. At both half time and at the end of the show, it was lovely to chat with members of the audience.  For many, this was the first folk event they had ever been to – all the more pleasing to report that they had had an excellent evening and were buying our CDs!

Eventually, people began to drift away.  We had a last chat with the organisers and then lifted the gear into the car and set off home.  We were pleased with our performance.  However, as mentioned many times before in this blog, it was something of a trial having to get up at 6.00am the next morning to do the day job.

Thank you again to the organisers of Fringe in the Fen – they deserve every success.  We hope they raised lots of money for a truly great cause. We salute their vision, ambition and energy!!

Not surprisingly, this being the 75^th anniversary of the start of the Spanish Civil War, this was an emotional day for everyone, ourselves included, at the annual memorial of the International Brigades Memorial Trust.

In addition to the annual laying of commemorative wreaths by Brigaders, their families, the IBMT themselves, Catalonian and Spanish Governments, and others at the memorial statue in Jubilee Gardens, there was also a round of powerful and moving speeches as well as a variety of music,. 

In terms of the music, we had the socialist choir, The Strawberry Thieves, resplendent in their red T-shirts, singing the songs of the International Brigaders such as The Valley of Jarama. 

We were asked to perform three songs.  We chose The Bite, Only for Three Months and, given the sad news of her passing earlier this year, we gave the first public performance of our new song The English Penny, in honour of Penny Feiwel and all of those who served in the medical services in the Spanish Civil War.

Then the cast of the musical ‘Goodbye to Barcelona’ sang a number of excerpts from the show that they are currently actively seeking to raise funding for.

The event ended with The Strawberry thieves singing The Internationale.

The 200 or so people in attendance stayed on for a long time afterwards, catching up with old friends and comrades.  Likewise, we chatted with lots of very interesting people over the next hour or so before repairing to a local pub that had been booked for the event - where we had a very welcome cooling pint after a hot afternoon, and some very satisfying pub grub!  Lots of people were interested to stop and have a chat with us about our music and I fell into a conversation with a wonderful and sprightly woman in her 80s who had spent a lot of her younger years in my hometown of Middlesbrough. She told me many things about the fights in the 1930s there, between communists and fascists – stories I was completely unaware of.

Thanks go to John Tennant for looking after us so well on the day and giving our equipment a lift to the pub.  We hope to catch up with him later in the year at the Unity Folk Club in London.