Week two of the Fab Club... and the inevitable spectre of whether we could match the rousing opening a fortnight ago... how long would the new club honeymoon last? First signs were not promising: the weather outside was cold and a delay in putting the heating on (an oversight we were promised would not happen again) meant it was pretty cool inside. But not for long!
The Cheeky Gulls took brave flight to launch us on our way into an afternoon of high variety. Two unison voices over Claud's accurately picked guitar relaxed ears and vocal cords with Annie's Song (spiced with a few ad libs to make John Denver blush) and Streets of London - though Mags, in a possibly Freudian slip, was asking if we'd seen a young man not an old... Sorry Mags, I've too many grey hairs to oblige!
Following the duo of daunting females was Bill... and he did the sensible thing: stood up and sang two traditional pieces that commanded listening, straight from the mouth to the ear - a salutary reminder of what lies at the heart of all good songs.
The next act brought another switch of mood, and something of a surprise. Fiddlefit, a duo from Gravesend, with the classic combination of acoustic guitar and fiddle, blew away the last vestiges of the cold afternoon with a swirling set of Scottish tunes that broke the speed limit... And they can sing as well... as they proved with their version of Neil Young's Love is a Rose.
Fiddle Fit.
To enable everyone to catch their breath... Claudine asked me to take the floor (though even when I was on my feet she wouldn't stop talking - I had to push her out the way!), with a ballad about two farmers, followed by Rick Kemp's song Somewhere along the road... the main purpose of which was to give the next act - Sarah - a good link, as she recalled singing the same piece herself when playing the part of Maid Marian in a pantomine! For this afternoon, however, her soft swooping soprano voice gave us gentlemen licence to dream of two songstresses from different eras, as she sang Mary Hopkins' classic Those were the days, followed by Kate Rusby's Falling.. a particular favourite of mine - thanks Sarah! I think everyone was pleased you won the free entry at the previous raffle after that performance!
And... surprisingly quickly, the interval was nearly on us... but not before the tempo and style were changed again as Claudine took to the floor for a lively jive... with the ever willing Robert as her partner... fortunately he managed to catch her when it came to the final swing!
Mick and nora...
Time to take breath, retune and recharge... then we were off again with another duo, Mick and Norah, with a couple of nautical items featuring guitar and concertina. Norah apologised in advance for her cold hands... and Mick was quick to suggest that all his mistakes were due to Norah's cold hands.... hmmmm.... not sure you can get away with that Mick... but, cold hands or not, everyone joined in and we all made it successfully through Windy old weather and Whip jamboree.
Big Bob followed and, despite having left his songbook behind, picked up the nautical theme with a moving tale of the Sheringham lifeboat and its insistent refrain - "carry us safely home from the sea". He wondered out loud what else he could sing... so Mags offered to help him with Wild Rover - though whether she helped or hindered is open for debate!
Having assisted Bob, Mags took over in her own right, proving her multi-instrumental versatility as she played Jesse James with both mandolin and right foot... is there anything beyond her you may well ask?
Bill...
There was enough time to go round again... so Bill gave us Matty Groves, followed by Sarah's House of the Rising Sun. I then came back to try a new song, Distracted Preacher, designed to prove beyond all doubt how miserable I am, as it's based on a Thomas Hardy short story, and he never went in for happy endings!
Mick and Norah resisted the invitation to follow this with a spot of Laurel and Hardy! Instead, they reverted to their nautical theme, giving everyone the chance to bellow out Drunken Sailor.
Bob - this time without the assistance of Mags - gave us his Grandfather's Clock (and there were some interesting percussion effects amongst the audience to simulate the ticking!)
The raffle... tickets once again stuffed in Claudine's pink beret... saw free entries for Bill and Scottish shortbread biscuits for Norah (maybe she can warm her hands with them!)
Then, to take us through to the close, Fiddlefit came back with three numbers, including a Cajun song, some Irish tunes... and exceptionally high class musicianship evidencing one of the hallmarks of the Fab Club, even though still in its infancy: there is something about the space, the acoustics, the atmosphere and the attentive listening of the audience that encourages musicians to play and play better - a very positive circle of mutual enhancement and enjoyment! Judith, the fiddle-playing half of Fiddlefit, commented specifically on the good acoustics and the excellent welcome... so congratulations to Claudine for masterminding both!
So if you missed Fab Club part two... you really missed it! See you next time...??
Tim Almond.