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FaBclub review 6th September 2009 written by Clive Meggs It's welcome back time after our summer break, and the guests and performers are arriving. I look forward to some cobwebs being blown away this afternoon. Joe is our compere today fresh from his appearance at Wat Tyler Country Park, Basildon yesterday where he organised a FaBclub session to back up the Basildon Council run mini folk festival. I understand this was a great success. Joe starts us off with a Dransfield number - Up To Now played impeccably on his horizontal zither type guitar (an appellation dulcimer bought at Broadstairs this year). How many instruments does this man possess? Margaret is then called upon to give us a couple of songs. She starts off with Tribute To George - all about you know who, and concludes with Banks of the Ohio after a change of instruments. Nice to hear you again Margaret. Paul Steele is next with a fantastic version of Born To Run, a Bruce Springsteen number. He follows this with Is Your Love In Vain, a Bob Dylan classic - but not as you know it. Paul can take any song and make it his own. Such quality guitar playing and unique singing style - I just can't hear enough of him. Joe looks around the room and finds a lot of the unused acts are missing so he performs a duet with Kathy on her concertina ( Joe on his new instrument) called Rout of the Blues. A lovely traditional number. He is introduced as 'The Lovely Len' but we know him as the FaBclub's answer to Neil Young. There is an intellectual discussion about helium being stored in rock and singing in a high voice, and instead of doing a Neil Young song, Len does a song new to me - Accidentally Like a Martyr by Waren Zevon. This is followed by a familiar song entitled Fire and Rain, again which I don't think I have heard Len perform before. This retirement business has certainly given him a little extra time to practice. Great stuff Len!! Norman is next and says he is going to do a couple of George Formby songs, but tells us that in all the years he has been doing these songs he has never performed them together. Two of the most well known Formby songs I find this amazing. The first is Cleaning Windows followed by Leaning on a Lampost. These are real Sunday Afternoon songs, thank you Norman. The next guest is introduced as melodic Mike who starts with All Around My Hat. His next song is called Fiddlers Green. We don't very often hear an accordian played at this club and it makes a refreshing change. I hope you can come more often Mike. We take a break and have more than a kitkat. Our buffet is open and we have a chance to share our experiences over the summer. Joe starts the second half with Rip It Up, played on the guitar, a brilliant self penned ballad with a real traditional flavour. He follows this with another of his own songs - Natures Wonderland. What a talent!!!! Mike returns out of sequence because he has to disappear early. On guitar this time Mike sings a Tom Paxton song - Rambling Boy. He follows this with a joiny in song - The Wild Rover and the audience certainly do join in. Paul is next with his unique version of Let It Be Me. He then sings a Slaid Cleaves song - Broke Down - Slaid is one of my favourite artists. This is nothing like the version I know, but is every bit as good. Margaret gives us a bit of Careless Love, the name of the song I hasten to add. This is followed by I Wish I Had Someone To Love, a song she heard sung by Benny from The Dubliners, now an old man of 84. A song with an endearing chorus. Len does not let us down. He comes on and gives us a Neil Young song - I Believe in You and follows with a song from his favourite boy band - The Beatles - Hey, You Better Hide Your Love Away. Norman is next and sings a Dicky Valentine song - Finger Of Suspicion- together with a trumpet solo in the middle, played on the mouths of the audience. This is followed by a Jonny Rae song - Walking My Baby Back Home. A bit of nostalgia at the FaBclub. With a bit of time left to fill Len is asked to return to give us another song - another Neil Young song - Alabama - brilliant Len!! Margaret gives us Keep Fit. Paul gives us Time Time Time to aptly call time on the afternoon, thenNorman gives us Bless Them All, a tune to hum as we leave. It's nice to be back. Our next meeting is in the pub on Sunday 20th September where our guest will be George Hudson. |