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A Nutty French Woman Production!
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Sonia’s
Birthday party
Another
great FAB Club birthday – and today it’s for one of our pure
songbirds, Sonia. We have bubbles
and noisy balloons and sandwiches and cakes and sausage rolls and a general
party party atmosphere.
Trevor Barham – the
soulmeister himself – is our compere and launches the afternoon with
“It’s FAB” – all about the Fab Club
itself. John Stafford provides
backing on harmonica and choruses are provided by the assembled masses.
Sources
tell me Trevor is working on his CD – which we are all looking forward
to eagerly in March 08 (scary it will soon be 08)
Paul Steel lines up with his
super gravely voice, accomplished guitar picking and fab harmonics. The rock
and roll classic “Every day” is his opening number. Next a John Prine number “Don’t let your baby
down” – Paul is shocked to admit he has tickets to see him at
the London Palladium (but what better reason to visit the Palladium for the
first time?).
Normally
serenading us with his ukulele, today Norman performs some
guitar numbers. He takes us back to the fifties, with “Diana”,
then a song made famous by Elvis – “Who keeps the
score?”.
John Stafford steps up front,
using Claudine’s new Ibanez (very carefully or he will be answerable to
Adrian…). First a number he claims he has not
done for a long time – “Down in the valley” (I think that’s the the title)-
lots of bubbles fill the room almost halting the performance. Followed by
some good time wholesome blues.
“CC Rider” (or was it C2C Rider?)– go man go
and a definitely rousing finish (its amazing what you can do with balloons)
TDL (Tone Deaf Leopard for those of you
that are uninitiated)– be afraid be very afraid- round off the first
half. “Lager Lout with a
Baseball Cap” kicks off inspired by a late night throw away comment
from a TV priest about how many drunks over 50 he saw in central Manchester
late at night wearing baseball caps.
Not sure what is more amazing – the song, or the prospect of the
Leopards watching a late night TV priest…And a break with tradition now
with folk song (from Wally Whyton – there’s a name to separate
the young from the old..) “Many a mile to reach the town-O”
– not sure that is the real title but that’s how I always
remember it.
Time
for the fabulous Fab Club buffet – with many varieties and shapes and
sizes of sausage rolls this week…And Sonia pens a poem in the break
– amazingly fast…
Trevor opens up Part 2
(of two or is it three…) A Fab club favourite number – “Breathe”
with lots of audience participation.
JoJo keeps us all
participating with the refrain “believe me” to “Ain’t misbehavin’”
– mostly in the right place and
“Raining in my heart” with more improvised melody
and definitely different
syncopation.
Me
(LizM) next with a birthday poem
for Sonia inspired by the Autumn – “September Song”
then a reprise of my jollier poem about “Shoes.
The
birthday girl Sonia is on next
singing a capella – “Amazing
Grace” to rousing applause followed by the Judy Garland classic
“Somewhere over the Rainbow”. Then the poem she wrote at the break
– a farewell remembrance.
OK
– so now it’s Claudine
– with a Pete Morton song –
“There’s another train”. Then a
special song written by Claude for Sonia about friendship and wishing Sonia
good luck in her new ventures – not sure what the title is “Blue guitar” maybe or
“Good Luck Sronia”.
And
not one but TWO cakes with candles arrive for all of us to enjoy.
And
now to part three of two….a quick sing around the crew..
Ø Trevor sings a song
about winning the Lottery –called “Easy Street”
which will be the title track of his new album. What a FAB track –
Trevor writes such memorable numbers
Then
the FAB Club amazing draw – wine, chocs, scented candles and – of
course – cuddly toys
Ø TDL – are
doing their special at Orpington (spots of course as they are Leopards) this
coming Friday – meanwhile they are doing a Shanty- using D and A7 (only
those two chords) – “Pay me my money down” aka the
Cox Crewing shanty (or that’s what I thought he said)- all stringed
instruments, percussion and voices invited to participate – and they
did.
Ø Norman – this time
with his ukulele – and he introduces us to basic ukulele techniques and
the six or seven basic syncopations then rolls into “Our Sargeant
Major” to illustrate the different techniques in practice
Ø JoJo performs an
Irish blessing for Sonia
Claudine
and Sonia round off the afternoon with “Knocking on Heaven’s
Door” and then
Claudine’s fave Elvis song, “Burning Love” like
you’ve never seen it performed before.
Liz
M.
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