Big Birthday Bash - 21st to 23rd November 2008

Review

Well, there we go.

I think everyone enjoyed themselves, certainly no complaints and lots of positive feedback!

We really didn't know how this one would go. With losing the club venue, the village pub, I was worried that the move to the village hall would be especially problematic for our weekend bashes...... especially when we discovered that the hall was double booked for Friday night. We almost cancelled but decided with a bit of ingenuity and some good will all round we could get away with it. and duly moved Friday nights festivities to the nearest available workable venue....Leeming Village Hall. A couple of our stalwart regulars (Lee & Glyn, who double as the best soundman in N. Yorks and the M.C.'s M.C respectively) "volunteered" to taxi those vanning in KF to Leeming and gave up a night's drinking in the process.

Great night, Friday..... singaround was passionate, funny, moving with some real quality singing and playing. Tony Levy's set was it's usual eccentric self with some well folked (I think that is how you spell it!) rock covers and zany self penned songs including the minor classic "It's hard being Jewish at Christmas". Mad but fun. Brother Crow were there usual classy selves, Andy's great songs, very well played by the 2 of them. Much appreciated by the very knowledgeable audience. Marie Little is such a great live performer, she takes an eclectic set of songs and really makes them her own. To me she really embodies "Folk Club Folk"....she's one of us up there on stage doing the songs like we all wish we could do them. Excellent. We then moved seats, bar stock, people back to KF, went home and had a couple of whiskies with the house guests and hit the sack.

Saturday dawned with only light snow showers (given that the Winter Warmer in Feb had temperatures down to -6, we have decided that KFFC actually stands for Keeping Folk Flippin' Cold), we started early getting our second venue of the weekend set up for the hoped for hordes.

The singaround got going at about 11.30 and grew and grew.... what a joyful sound with every corner of the folk world (and beyond) covered. The harmonious (if not pretty!! hee, hee, hee) 2 Black Sheep & A Stallion popped in for a couple of hours to do their share and we all had a good time with ale flowing....the smell of (over) cooking pork just added to the ambience! Jim Potter provided us with a fine set of traditional songs and tunes and gave everyone a breather....at 82 he was the "senior" act of the weekend. What can I say about Mary Humphreys and Anahata? Stunning musicianship, great songs very well sung and an infectious stage presence. Even a banjo......... First time of seen them, won't be the last!

More singing up until 7pm, then a very high quality song writing contest with some great songs very well performed. The song contest was "outsourced" to Richard Grainger's Klondyke Folk Arts organisation as I'm keen to keep my friends (and family!!!). It formed the last heat of the KFA song contest that has been running at Richard's Festivals all year. Some great songs and performances, the winner was Rebekah Findlay (which pleased the "home" crowd) with her great song "Duty Bound". Who was that dodgy backing singer though......oh the Mrs. The final was held on Sunday, more of that later.

Ian McKone's set was pure quality, how can one so young have had time to learn to play a guitar like that? Proper blokes singing voice as well. ....will someone else give him some gigs? He really is one of the hottest young acts in the North of England. Or maybe it is him that needs to pull his finger out and ask for more gigs!!!! Blind Summat! were next up, I better let someone else comment on them.....it's hard to tell how it went from the stage. The Duncan McFarlane "Trio" were storming.... I thought "Robin Hood's Bay" was going to lift the roof off the Village Hall. Thoroughly enjoyed there set as always. He's on the main stage at Shrewsbury this year (as he has told me SEVERAL times....... thoroughly deserved though. Glad we had them here again while we can still afford them!

Sunday was mellow(and rather snowy!). Another singaround to remember from the unearthly hour of 10.00am (whose idea was that then!). Then Derek Wardby did a short set (I love the fragility of his voice and he has written some great, catchy songs), Bonny At Morn (ages 16 & 18) gave us the younger generations take on the folk world (lovely harmonies). Hamish Currie has a fair dollop of class in a laid back kind of a way....and that looping stuff aint half clever. I booked Bill Lloyd again out of sheer self indulgence.... he sings & plays just my sort of thing.... great American songs and some really interesting material collected from Irish travellers. And that Banjo playing..... he simply makes the thing sing.

The final of The KFA song contest followed. Just 3 finalists, but what quality! Brother Crow, Wendy Arrowsmith (bias, me, when?) and Becks who had one the heat on Saturday. Brother Crow were slick, Wendy sang her unaccompanied bitter lullaby beautifully (bias, me, when?) and Becks has such an emotive voice. Becks won against the more experienced opposition (I've gone into football commentator mode), .. and thoroughly deserved as well (she's part of Blind Summat! as well... and had Wendy doing harmonies for her....I don't know more local bias, which is why we wouldn't have done the song competition ourselves). You can hear the winning song at www.myspace.com/rebekahfindlaymusic

More informal singing followed and that was it!

Too many people to thank...... Glyn for his MCing and remembering all the things I forget (which is lots). Joolz for remembering all the things that Glyn & I forget (which is lots). Lee for doing sound all day Saturday & Sunday. Brother Crow for doing the sound on Friday. Wendy for organising the bar and playing Bet Lynch on Friday & Sunday (and for remembering all things that Glyn, joolz and I forgot....which was lots!). Rob for his great organic pork and providing food all weekend. Hamish, Tony, Zeke for MCing duties........but most of all you lot for coming and making it a truly memorable weekend. It definitely works in the village hall........in fact in some ways it's better than the pub as with only one space it builds the sense of community. We had over a 100 people through during the weekend with a max of pushing 70 on Saurday night.....which meant with everyones generosity with raffle tickets etc that we paid all the bills and put a few pounds in the folk club coffers. Thanks.I had a fantastic time.

See you in Februay (20th-22nd) for the Winter Warmer?

Running Order