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FaBclub review 28th February 2010 written by Liz Montgomery A wet windy wild afternoon for the FaBclub - and that's just the weather outside. Sue Leopard is compering and JoJo volunteers to start the afternoon with "Oh what a Beautiful Morning!" - and gets us ALL singing (even me…she'll regret that when she realises how out of tune I am) TDL sing us a song written about and for a vicar…"The drunken vicar" - he'll wish he never said that no one writes songs about vicars. It's the normal high standard of subversion we have come to expect of Sue and Trevor. And they follow up with another one I haven't heard before - "The Social Climber" - the story of the real Urban Gue(o)rilla. - with a great refrain. Next up is Foxon - with a lovely Linda Thompson song - "No telling what a love song will do" on mandolin and autoharp and a song written for them by Trevor Sharples - based on "The water is wide" (loosely! - renamed "My bottom is wide" - yes you can guess) - lovely arrangements and lots of laughter from this one. Not sure I can cope with so much fun on a Sunday afternoon. Chicken say - "Norman with banjo please." Actually think it's a banjo ukelele and a "new" Formby song.."Oh! Don't the wind blow cold" - then back to a more familiar "Sunbathing in the Park" - all cheeky Formby stuff. Helen provides us with some soothing ballads - "Homeward Bound" - and one that she has just learned "At Seventeen", which has such a haunting and interesting melody. Haven't heard that for ages. Some lovely tunes from Ben - who continues to explore and expand on the modern UK acoustic repertoire with his own compositions - heavily rippled through with blues and the style that Renbourn, Jansch and Thomson kicked off, but executed in his own distinctive and beautiful style. Then "Off to California"- a great arrangement of this jaunty traditional number. Bernard and Maureen bring us some more jaunty traditional toons on concertina and guitar. Quite a medley but "Lord of the Dance" was definitely in the middle…they tell me that "Little burnt potato" was the first part. And then on into "Uncle Bernie"??? Feel I should be dancing at this point. Some more role reversal in songs for Bill … with a women's poem written by Jenny Joseph - "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple". And then regales us with the story of "Icarus".- "Be daring and brave…" all about pushing those boundaries sometimes inappropriately. A run up to the break with Liz with "February Song" - about the promise of spring and "Oh my haven't they changed" - about the surprises that old school reunions can bring. After a little break to refresh our glasses and the glorious FaBclub raffle.. back on with the show: " JoJo gives us a number from Porgy and Bess - "Summertime",…she is definitely trying to make the sun come out (and it is shining by the end of the song); " And Norman is "Riding in the TT Races" - he can't wait until June; and a bit of the "Limehouse Chinese Laundry Blues"; " Some more from Foxon - a gorgeous Christina Olsen song "Hurry on Home" and then a saucy song about cycling via June Whitfield, Hinge and Bracket, allegedly - as they say it's all in the mind. " A pinch of psaltery from Bernard - what an amazingly beautiful sound - really atmospheric " Bill performs an a cappella heavy rock version of "Silver Dagger" (is that possible? Of course it is - it's FaBclub) - and a song of the sad outcome of the demon drink- "By the dry Cardrona" - although I am not sure that is how it is spelled. " This time chicken say Helen - "Ain't no Sunshine" (yes it has disappeared for the afternoon too…) and a bit of fun with "Don't get married girls" " "So you wanna be a folk music star" from TDL via The Byrds sort of, and the inimitable and deeply heartfelt "The Floor Singer". " A bit of "Shopping at Lakeside" from Liz And Ben rounds off the afternoon for us with a brilliant version of "Georgia on my mind". Another lovely afternoon at FaBclub. (All photos are from the archives due to a technical hitch) |