FabClub Review 27 11 05
With the forecast snow having avoided us, and with several new faces scattered amongst the FabClub regulars, Debbie-Ann began the afternoon's proceedings by advising us that she would be compering 'solo' as Gordon was feeling unwell. Knowing that she had now managed to get a sympathetic audience on her side, I felt safer taking to the stage as the first 'turn' of the afternoon, warming up with Georg Kajanus' 'My Kind of Girl' before launching into a song so new that the ink was only just dry, and so dreadfully corny that an early billing gave people longer to forget it. For those that did, it's called 'Missing in Acton, (Lost Without Trace)'.
Jem followed that (sorry Jem but someone had to!) with an original song, 'It's a New Day', recalling time spent in a Nottingham bedsit, and continued with John Martyn's 'May You Never'. Both sung and played in Jem's confident, professional style.
Helen started with Maggie Holland's 'Time to Kill', and then gave us a delicate rendition of Nancy Griffith's '
Helen
The first song from
Dennis Homes
Debbie-Ann reminded us that we are always in need of compere's and reviewers, in particular we still need a reviewer for our final session of 2005 at the Orsett Cock (11th December), and a compere for our first session of 2006 (8th January).
FabClub 'relative newcomer'
Norman
Highly-skilled guitarist Mike Chapman then swapped stool for low-down chair before showing me how a guitar should be played by giving us 'A Thousand Dreams', which he told us was a Hungarian Bossa Nova. Interesting, we certainly have variety at the FabClub! Once the crackle of wrappers from the chocolates that Claudine had kindly provided throughout the room had subsided, Mike gave us 'Mi Cosa', which he later told me means 'My Thing'. Mike's thing is clearly playing the guitar, brilliant.
Mike Chapman
Steve O'Kane was joined by Fiona. Once he had told her what song they were to start with (always helps!), we heard one of Steve's golden oldies as he described it, 'Sunflowers', a reflective song highlighting famine/starvation against the high prices n paid for certain works of art. Nice harmonies were also evident on their next song, Julie Miller's 'All My Tears'. Steve will be launching a new CD in the new year. Watch this space!
Steve and Fiona
After a short break, Simon Oliver, described as a FabClub Virgin, played ''The Story Teller', the title track from his forthcoming CD. A strong voice, confident performance and an appropriately loud sound resonating from his 12-string guitar. A World War One trench song then led into Simon's very catchy 'Peace In Our Time'. This was the third time in as many weeks that I had heard Simon play this song, and I like it. Simon will be on of the acts featured in the FabClub's first Thursday Guest Night of 2006, on 26th January.
Simon Oliver
Mick and Nora, another regular act to be featured on 26th January, began with Mick's 'Black and White', which he described as being about the "the eternal search for truth and meaning". Very deep for a Sunday afternoon. Nice sound from the 8-string mandolin too. Then for worried men everywhere they played 'A Worried Man', but this was Mick and Nora, so there was nothing to worry about.
Mikanora
Claudine was missing Tim, so instead of 'Either of Us' we had just one of her! Claudine always gives a good rendition of French songs, this time she gave us a Breton Song where we joined in a 'la la la' chorus. Claudine's second song was 'The Calling', sung half in English, half in French.
Claudine
Liz passed around photo's of the grave of her Grandma's favourite cousin Charlie, a casualty of the First World War, before giving us an armistice poem with a difference, 'The Worthing Boys'. She then lightened the mood with 'Childhood Worries', a poem describing in detail the concerns felt by a youngster visiting Grandma's at tea-time, but not being keen on having to use her outside loo!
Liz
Describing themselves as 'singer-non-writers', FabClub virgins Brian and Barbara gave us 'Sweet Lovely Nancy', unaccompanied after a brief harmonica intro. Brian then donned guitar for Linda Thompson's 'No Telling', with harmonies provided by Barbara. We hope that they return to the club.
Brian and Barbara
Our youngest ever FabClub visitors helped draw the raffle, one of the prizes being a Tone Deaf Leopard T-shirt!!
Charlotte, Isabel and Debbie-Ann...
Fiona has a great voice for the more traditional side of unaccompanied folk, and today gave a solo performance of 'Ballad of the Shape of Things'. Very nicely done.
Fiona
Once again at the forefront, the vanguard of the glam-folk movement, and a cure for glum folk everywhere, came Tone Deaf Leopard. In memory of the recently-departed George Best, they performed 'Playing Footie' to the tune of 'Making Whoopie'. Then a change of instruments (well plectrum at least), before launching into a song conveying the difficulties encountered whilst sharing a one-bathroomed house with a teenager, 'A wee & a shave', again to a very familiar melody.
Tone Deaf Leopard
Fabclub regular Mark Reed rounded off the afternoon's performances with two of his humorous ditties, ''The Street Nosy Parker', which he wrote for a friend, and 'The Dog Song', about an over-amorous canine who took the idea of being man's best friend a step too far!
Mark Reed
So that was it, it was now well after
Mike Parrott,