back to reality

A great day was had by all...or if they didn't enjoy it, it was their own fault.....I'm talking about Towersey on Monday and what a great line up it was too...there was so much going on you had to pick and choose. So for me it was mainly centred around the concert stage and the bar!
Token Women were a great ensemble that really entertained the crowds...fiddles, drums, spoons, saxaphone, tuba, trombone...probably forgotten something.....then the afternoon concert featured Lau and Parallelogram....I'd particularly gone to see Kris Drever and Lau and wasn't disappointed with either, but not totally sure about Parallelogram....some tunes were excellent others quite iffy.....
So by the time of the evening performance, after a few beers...Kris Drever went down very well..he is an excellent guitarist and singer and I would recommend him to anybody. To add to the entertainment, there was a funny set by the New Rope String Band...definite lunatics, followed by the Battlefield Band with some stirring renderings.
A flurry into the Dance Tent and the Demon Barbers.....say no more...complete lunatics and loads of people in fancy dress...wish I could have stayed longer...
So, a short week this week, saw Jane and I as m.c.s at Chichester last night. We had great fun at the packed out club and I sang Stow Brow, a stirring traditional song which went down well. We finished the evening with a rendering of The Tree in the Wood for everyone to join in and participate with objects- trees, limbs, branches,leaves etc. a good time was had by all.

catch up

Well, I've sorely neglected my blogs! Been quite busy, but no excuses.I've spent the last couple of Tuesday evenings at the Four Chesnuts, where Pete Watkinson did an interesting mainly traditional session. I sang Sheepcrook and Blackdog. the second Tuesday was a singaround and there seemed to be an underlying theme of a sexual nature!!! It was all good fun. Ray recited a Jake Thackray song called Isabel Makes Love..try and read it sometime. I found it most amusing. I sang Where Are You Tonight and A Sailor's Life.
The weekend of 17th-20th was spent up in Grays, Essex with friends while my two daughters went to the V festival in Chelmsford. We all had a great time, culminating in a visit to the Sail Loft Folk Club on Sunday evening. It was a really busy evening, but I managed a couple of songs: Where Are You Tonight and The Swallow Song. One of our friend's 13 year old son, Sam played a tremendous guitar solo. Wow, he was good.
Tonight I have been to the Regnum, where we had an easy laid back session. I sang Follow the Heron and Sheepcrook and Blackdog.
Off to Towersey for the day on Monday...so looking forward to that.

willows and regnum

Thought I'd make a trip to The Willows this week to hear Rattle on the Stove Pipe....a great trio who play and sing a mix of Appalachian and traditional songs. There was a really good turn out and I enjoyed the evening. As I won't be at the Regnum for a couple of weeks had a look in on Friday night. Again a good turn out and everyone in fine form. I sang The Blacksmith and the Swallow Song.

catch up

So, since the Cuba experience, things have been quite busy. Last night I was back at the Four Chesnuts in Chichester for a theme night...Around the World in 80 Songs. It was a great evening with loads of people there and we managed to feature 73 countries, not bad going. I sang a Norwegian song Vem Kan Segla, a beautiful love song and another old favourite Diego's Bold Shore. Both went down well, but the highlight for me was Alison and Marilyn singing the Luton Airport song, can't remember the song title,but great fun!
Last week I managed the Chichester club on Tuesday where I sang Bay of Biscay and Ship in Distress, after a request from Chalky, then on Friday paid a visit to the Regnum Club, where I sang A Sailor's Life and Bay of Biscay and finally had a great day at the Wickham festival on Sunday. The weather was fantastic and so was a lot of the music: notably Boo Hewerdine, Quimantu, Hazel O'Connor and Eliza Carthy and the Ratcatchers.
I would like to be able to take in a lot of the summer festivals, but not sure which I would enjoy most and how to fit them all in. So we'll see.

what's been happening

Since the fabulous holiday in Cuba, I've been trying to get round the clubs again, but many aren't functioning owing to holidays or festivals. However, Chichester folk song club has carried on regardless every Tuesday evening, with Mick Ryan and Pete Harris guesting last week. They played a really good evening and everyone there enjoyed their music and humour.
Then the last Friday in the month saw Pete Morton at the Folk on the Coast in Bognor. I'd last seen him at the wet and windy Leigh festival, but in Bognor he provided a great, entertaining evening performing a mix of his own and traditional songs. I sang Bay of Biscay, which has become a firm favourite of mine and sounded quite haunting with the use of a mic. in a very quiet room. I really enjoyed myself.

holidays

It seems an age since I have written a blog, but all in a good cause, I've been on holiday to Cuba.
Bid, Skill and I joined up with 9 other Intrepid travellers to travel our way round Cuba from Havana.
We all had a great trip and really loved the Cuban people, their open-ness, happiness and friendliness won us all over. we visited Santa Clara, Trinidad, Camaguey, Santiago and Baracoa, travelling mainly by minibus, with Tony our guide and Soto our driver, staying in casas en route.
We were always greeted warmly and hospitably and I would recommend Cuba as a destination to enjoy a holiday to anyone.
We were particularly taken with the abundance of music. In every town there was a Casa de Trova where local artists performed nightly and other finds included the Yard in Trinidad and the Cave where there was dancing till all hours!
on our first evening in havana I joined a salsa band for an impromptu performance of the Grey Gallito, ( the grey cockerel) and was so impressed with the way the musicians picked up the rhythm and melody...it was wow!
Anyway, back in the land of the living, so will be posting more news again.