SftBH News Archive Apr 2004 - Jun 2004
High Barn, Great Bardfield, 19/06/04
Words by Shane: -
A stunning return to form for The Blue House as, after our last game at High Barn during which Kirk had been in a much more withdrawn role in front of the back four, we reverted to the familiar three-up-front formation with veteran centre forward Partridge flanked by the charming and fragrant Ms Mulley on the right and ebullient rhythm guitarist Kirk taking a much more prominent position, dropping back to cover when 'cool dude bassman' (apparently...) Gibbon went on sporadic sorties forward during the latter part of the set.
Particularly telling contributions came from Fiddly Richard, drifting in from the left to make some stunning moves at apposite moments during the game, and special kind of credit is due to Banjo Barnes, our very own folk ninja, who had to cover banjo, dobro and mandolin parts in a deep-lying holding role in the absence of both Radar Pete and regular guest Tony Winn - a big loss to any squad, even one with the strength in depth of SftBH FC.
Our thanks are due to the superb in-house sound, lights and mid-set Brewer's Gold provision which in no small way all contributed to one of the best performances the team have put on in recent times. Surely the Premier League beckons for this doughty combination of seasoned pros and exciting... (that's enough football metaphors - ed.). Splendid post-match ploughman's (it was two in the afternoon, after all) and we hope to be able to provide everyone at The High Barn once more with the spectacle of Helen's muppet-like piano-miming on 'The Big Dipper' while the rest of us attempted to come to terms with the concept of a whole audience clapping in time to a song based around the concept of walking home drunk and wondering at the beauty and goodness that is out there in the world if you just take the time to wait for it. As The Waterboys' Mike Scott (probably never) said "Just look at the stars!!!"
More words by James: -
Having suffered a bit from nerves last time at this superb venue, I decided this time to not worry about it and have a few beers (it was another beer festival after all). It seemed to work! Although the turn-out was disappointing by The HB's high standards, we had a respectable number of people in front of us, and they were all up for a laugh and some sounds. By turns boisterous and gentle, we managed to cobble together a nice, balanced set and literally stomped our way through an absolutely swinging 'Big Dipper' for the show's starry-eyed climax. Thank you very much to everyone there, for your clapping, cheering and general joining in. Much appreciated.
Personally I can't wait to be asked back to The High Barn (pretty please) - it's my new best mate!
Richard Lobb performed much later that same day and played an absolute belter, frankly, with drum and occasional piano accompaniment. More power to that man's elbow.
White Hart, Margaretting Tye, 17/06/04
Words by James and then Bill Pipe, a regular contributor!: -
A very happy return to The White Hart for their big summer beer festival, in a huge marquee with lots of beer in it. We were missing Pete, but had Tony Winn in as a bonus ball. Two occasionally sloppy sets with a few drunken covers...aah, just like the old days!
Bill says: -
GOD! You can go off some people. These lads get better every time I see them, the new songs are great and get more polished with every outing, and the old songs are evolving. A great setting, a large tent on a summer's evening, with around 50 different beers on hand for refreshment, (bu**er I was driving Vince home).
So on James recommendation I had a solitary pint of Brewer’s Gold and watched the Songs take the stage. Starting as so often with St Dunstan's they carried on with songs old and new, I do like Song III.
One of the things I like about about this band is that there is no one person is in the spotlight, they are a single entity right down to the stage banter. Helen was rather good, with lots more singing, loads of flute, and has sold her soul to the devil (but has a receipt) and picked up a harmonica to stand in for the absent Pete during Breaking These Rocks (which I love live!).
This was a great evening, right down to the Suffolk cover of Fat Bottomed Girls (don’t ask) and....Shock! Horror! GIBBON SINGS!!!! Yes cool dude bass man Gibbon took to the mic to join in a superb close harmony on 2 or 3 songs ………….Go Dude!!!
Oh yes Tony Win, famed Banjo player and star of the Edinburgh fringe did a couple of his own songs, loved the bluesy one Tony!!
PS thanks for the guitar lesson Shane. I owe you a pint!
High Barn, Great Bardfield 27/05/04
Words by James: -
Certainly not a perfect show from us on this occasion; we were Pete-less, sadly, and actually a bit nervous, what with the proper stage, sound and lighting systems and all that. Our host Chris Bullen had us in good and early for a soundcheck, so we were blessed with an excellent on-stage (and out-front, so we're told) sound. We seemed to take a while to get going, but get going we did, with 'Not That Kind Of Girl' and 'Statues' working particularly well. It was a pleasure to finish on a very quiet 'Follow Me' in a hushed room, this is a venue which is populated by and large by people that will give you a chance to do some very subtle stuff.
We all really enjoyed the whole night, and both Richard Lobb (www.richardlobb.com) and Moses (www.mosesband.com) really hit the spot as the night unfolded. A great night in a terrific venue.) really hit the spot as the night unfolded. A great night in a terrific venue.
By the end we'd been invited back to play at The High Barn's beer festival on the afternoon of 19th June. See www.high-barn.com for details.
May Day Festival, Alexandra Park & Steamboat Tavern, Ipswich 05/05/04
Words by James: -
Bathing in the glow of our happiness after finishing 'SftBH Too', bar some artwork and perhaps a bit of mastering...oh and trying to find somebody else to put it out...we managed a peculiar double-header on the Sunday of the Bank Holiday weekend. Russell was, sadly, unavoidably detained by a clog-dancing set in Upton-on-Severn and was so not available. Tony Winn did make it throughout though, and improvised excellently (as usual...git).
And it was peculiar. For a start, it didn't rain at all in Alexandra Park, which is most unusual; in fact we took to the stage in glorious sunshine and it was still there when we finished. We were blessed with excellent onstage and out-front sound, which didn't 'alf help. Most of us had even practised, so that probably helped too. A brisk half-hour set was warmly received by the assembled, quickly bronzing throng, and a very nice man from Holland (we think) bought a CD. As usual with these things, my own particular highlight of the afternoon was not a musical one, but succeeding in instructing the Blue House's Doberman cross Jimmy-Jack to "Sit!" over the PA when he started acting up in front of everybody in a most un-mascot like fashion. He stayed sat for a couple of seconds at least.
The evening at The Steamboat was odd, too. Poor old Val the landlady was suffering from a mighty migraine, which doubtless wasn't helped when we arrived an hour and a quarter late. Sorry, Val & Al. During the afternoon we'd acquired a drummer, Pat from 'Out of Order'. He had strict instructions..."Just play when we have a jam at the end, and don't bring the full kit!". Well he's a mischievous sort is Pat, so I suppose we should have seen it coming. Cue SftBH with full drum kit throughout. Tiger skinned drum kit. Oh my word. Pat hadn't really heard any of the songs before, but most of the time nods, winks and gurning got the endings and the light and shade sorted out. Songs acquired new shapes and twists as time signatures were changed and beats-per-minute radically shifted. Endings were extended and new instrumental passages appeared out of nowhere. It was an interesting experiment. As it happened not many folk turned up to witness it (probably tired after a long day's boozing in the sun up at the park, I know I was), but at times it was really quite riveting, the flipside being the bits where it just didn't work at all. Thanks Pat for coming along and making us think, but please don't ever bite my foot again. Quote of the night has to be from Pete, namely "'Ooh, come and join this nice acoustic band he said'....and then this...".
The evening was completed back at the Kirks' place, where Mrs. K, Helen and I were treated to the unusual spectacle of Shane and Pat wrestling in the garden. In their underwear. More gin, anyone?
Miskin Folk Festival 11/04/04 - "And I would drive 500 miles…"
Words by Shane: -
Wales! Land of song, poetry, the Pontypool (or was it Pontypridd?) Front Row and, for one afternoon only, Songs from the Blue House.
A mildly anxious rhythm section (well, Gibbon and Shane) made their way to Miskin over the Easter Weekend not entirely sure whether there'd be a band, a fiddle player, a venue or a PA* to greet them. Having already lost Radar Pete to a combination of a mystery incapacitating gastric bug and the offer of overtime, the derring duo approached the Severn Bridge with a mixture of shock and awe (well, it's very big…) and a vague uneasy feeling that if James & Helen's plane** didn't turn up on time it was going to be a very short, and overwhelmingly instrumental, set.
As it turned out, the travel-weary troubadours were right on time and were whisked to the campsite in record time to hook up with splendidly be-waistcoated Banjo Barnes, his charming and fragrant partner (and new album guest vocalist) Alie Byrne, daughter Roisin, Fiddly and family, and a cast of beautifully bearded, be-hatted, and outrageously shod (and this isn't a derogative term, by any means) folkies.
Our set was very warmly received by the assembled throng, despite (or perhaps because of) its self-written origins, and in what looks as if it may become a regular feature of the set, the 'Portman Road Cheer' in "Not That Kind of Girl" was especially well performed by the assembled - again, we're not sure if Shane's entreaty to "imagine Ralph McTell has been playing new songs for two hours and has just announced that he's going to play 'Streets of London'" helped or hindered folks' inclination to participate; the performance was digitally recorded, so we look forward to dragging people into our living rooms and handcuffing them to the sofa*** in order to sit through it, and we can always check then.
The evening was taken up by a seriously deteriorating Shane, an increasingly jet-lagged James & Hel, a studious Russ, a bemused Fiddly and a frustrated Gibbon (well, it was getting late) engaging in some serious etiquette-trashing by crashing what is (I believe) popularly referred to as 'a session' and insisting on shouting loudly about who we wanted to hear next, playing self-written songs, doing Guy Clark numbers and at one point joining in with a (helmets provided) version of 'The Laughing Policeman'. There was some marvellous saw-playing, courtesy of a mildly sinister gentleman who insisted that all members of the band were, in fact, differently coloured seagulls (no really, he had a colour scheme all worked out for everyone and was very specific about it), some beautiful harmonies, and a real-life hammered dulcimer player. Not the only one hammered, I can tell you.
There are places on the worldwide interweb where you can find out generally about both the Miskin Easter weekend (www.miskinfolk.co.uk) and how fabulous Austin is but I leave you with my favourite quote, courtesy of Helen Mulley. Simply, "Two caps, matching hats, love of musicals? Definitely!".
* In the end all of these were fully present and correct, as it turns out.
** Not "their" plane, obviously - we haven't done that well yet. Our glorious leader and our most photogenic member (your choice as to which is which, frankly) were on holiday in Austin, Texas prior to the show. Judging by the the stories I strongly suspect that they rather wish they still were…
*** steady on at the back there.