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FaBclub review 21st March 2010 written by Clive Meggs We are a little short of floor spots this afternoon. I hope it wasn't something I said in the newsletter. The sun is shining and spring has finally arrived. Our guest has a large repertoire I am told, so the entertainment should not be lacking. I have been pressganged into writing the review again and Bill has kindly volunteered to be our compere for the afternoon. He starts with a fine version of The Silver Dagger but cannot stay serious for long. He continues with a self-penned song - We are the Wrinklies - which hasn't been aired for over a year. Nice to hear it again Bill! Margaret is next. She informs us that she is now a silver surfer and recounts her experiences over the last week. That takes up a couple of floor spots. She then gives us her version of Your Cheating Heart. I must be careful what I write about Margaret now because she is able to read it ( that should get her reading all the old reviews). She continues with The Last Thing on my Mind. A lovely Formbyless performance!! A FaBclub virgin next, Ken Lees, who is the Brother-in-law of our guest. He plays us a lovely tune on his banjo, the name of which I didn't catch. But he follows with a very familiar tune - Teddy Bears Picnic - which kickstarts the percussion in the audience. For an encore he gives us another tune that he admits to stealing from his brother-in-law. Great stuff Ken - please come back again soon!! And he does, he joins our main guest of the afternoon - Jim Bainbridge - on the stage. They start with a couple of Irish tunes to get the St Patrick's Day thoughts out of the way. Jim plays a mean melodeon and is accompanied by Ken on his banjo. Some songs next - Hello Patsy Fagan and another that I didn't catch the name of. Great choruses!! The audience are in a singing mood and are in fine voice. He continues with another melody of songs - Don't Fence Me In and She Was Only Sixteen, followed by two toe-tapping Irish Tunes. A song from the wrong side of the water next, a Newcastle ballad, with lots of Geordie vocab - Keep Your Feet Still Geordie Hinnie. To keep things even he does a song next he learnt from a Cockney. Very funny and not exactly politically correct sung to the tune of a well known rugby song, it goes down well with the audience. This is followed by a couple of polkas he learnt from a lighthouse keeper from Wexford. Time again for the percussion. At the Old Lambers Fair in Ballycastle is next, a song about lambing at Ballycastle. Jim spots a Scottish accent in the audience and asks Joe where he comes from. He mentions Kelty, Fife and Jim says I know a song about that place and goes into a Scottish song called The Kelty Clippy. He has such a repertoire. Two more foot tapping tunes are followed by another Geordie song Brown Ale Crazy and the most politically incorrect song I have ever heard - Put Another Log On The Fire. This finishes the first half in great style, and I for one can't wait for more. Our break gives us a chance for a chat and a top up of fluid. The second spasm is started by our sound engineer, Joe Migdal with a song called Up To Now. This song is played on the Appellation Dulcimer and is certainly appealing. Quick change artiste Joe grabs his squeezebox and sings us a tale about Bill Pardon - Pardon's Rant. How embarrassing for our compere, but he doesn't really mind. He says he hopes Morris Sides will be doing it all up and down the country. Yet another FaBclub virgin next. Terry gives us a song from her stool at the bar, and has strong competition from the noise in the bar. She has a lovely strong voice and this does not present her any problems. The first song is a solemn ballad entitled Guard Your Man Well and in contrast the second is a jolly number going by the name of Bettsy Bell. Great stuff that is appreciated by the audience. If you are passing please visit us again Terry. We can't get through a session without a Formby song and Margaret does not let us down. She starts with a medley of Leaning on a Lampost and Cleaning Windows. Her second song is an old Seekers favourite written from the viewpoint of a sheep - I Know I'll Never Find Another You. Thanks Margaret!! Fifteen Times a Night is the boast next sung by our compere, Bill. An old favourite we haven't heard for a while. He sings this to get us in a good mood for when we lose the raffle - which we do. Our guest makes a welcome return for his second session and starts with a couple of Northumbrian reels, something of a warm up for the percussion. A song next - about a shopping trip to Newcastle that became a visit to a pub instead, a jolly song but sung in such a strong accent it was almost undecipherable. This is followed by a song about the West Clare Railway. It is called, I think, Are You Right There Michael. Jim tells us that there was a sign in the carriage saying that passengers should refrain from picking blackberries while the train was in motion, that's how slow it was. Johnson's Motor Car is sung next with a very simple chorus. This is followed by a football song - I'm the Only Catholic In The Rangers Team. Jim says he thinks he is far enough from Glasgow to sing this safely. Three reels next followed by an Eric Bogle song - The Folk Singers Lament - a mickey-take about Bob Dylan and the folk revival. The next song , an Irish Ballad originally sung by Bing Crosby shows the true versatility of our guest. A great round of applause is afforded by the audience leading to an encore, joined by Terry, of the famous Union Miner's Lament. What a great afternoon's entertainment!!! We are back again in the function room next week for a get a floor spot session. See you all there!! |