FaB Club fourth session…20^th March…I am recovering from pneumonia and I am so tired I am worried about falling asleep during the two hour session!...Little did I know that our performers and audience had many surprises to offer!

 

 

 

Who else better than Margaret could compere the event? She introduced our session and picked her ukulele straight after to do two George Formby numbers; one about “ Grandad’s flannelled shirt” and a second song where there was an invitation to join a nudists’ colony…? The tone was set; funny songs were in the air that afternoon!

 

 

 

Indeed, Bill tried to fool us with a serious song first “Will you go lassie go” but went on about a dubious maid who did not have a good reputation at all. In fact she could just have been Glen Close in Fatal attraction except that the rabbit turned out to be Irish stew!

 

 

 

Another one of our regulars was up next:

the unmissable John Stafford who borrowed my guitar to give us two blues numbers. Margaret accompanied him on the bodhran in the first song and it all started well…” Nobody’s seen the troubles that I’ve seen…” sang John giggling for a second in between verses as he had forgotten the words…They came back to him in the end and he asked the audience to sing along ad infinitum…Towards what we thought was the end of the song, he pointed out there were a couple more verses, which he could not remember. Thankfully he was saved by Mike Adam who reassured him that we would “imagine them!”

He always gives it “that individual swing” said our compere as he left the stage…

 

              

Our next performer was new to the FaB Club but knew what to do to be never forgotten…

To my great delight, Mike Parrot explained that while in the audience at out last session, he had been so impressed with the concept and atmosphere of the club, that he wrote a song about it!

I am now very proud to announce that the FaB Club now has its anthem! Thanks to Mike!

 

                    

 

Choir teacher Tina Tate said she wanted him amongst the singers as she came forward and brought us all back to earth with a topical song: “The budget song”. None of us was surprised to hear Mister Blair complain to his “dear Brown” that there was a hole in his budget! I am not sure any of us were actually pleased to be reminded of what Mister Brown was planning to do to make “dear Blair” happy…never mind…Tina’s second number was even more “serious” she announced but it simply brought chills down our spine as her deep warm voice soared in the purple room and made Bill Withers’s “Lean on me” the sublime performance of the afternoon…

 

What a fantastic way of finishing the first half of the club…Mike Adams allowed us to move smoothly towards the break as he gave the performers a chance to think about grander achievements. Mike records and edits folk and blues artists’ material and was happy to let us listen to a few samples that he’d brought along. No doubt we will hear about his work in the future.

 

In fact, the break allowed me to get quite a few tips from him and immediate feedback from a Dartford Folk Club regular…

It also gave me a chance to discuss some arrangements for our next session: 3^rd April, which is Margaret’s birthday party! Don’t miss it , there will be a lot of different acts and entertainers!