London Report - Saturday folk music
Exmouth Arms in Starcross Street has four draught real ales. Not a spectacular amount, but four quality ones. The sport Spitfire from the Shepherds Neame-brewery and Fuller's London Pride, together with Adnams and Courage. More than you need really for a good pub night, and a perfect setting for a folk club. The barman by the way wore a new Spitfire T-shirt with the message "The Bottle of Britain". Funny.
The Cellar Upstairs Folk Club is held in a room above the pub, a room we once used to celebrate our son's 18th birthday. It was not a sell out yesterday, but there was a fair crowd, maybe around 40. And many floor singers, with most of us just getting to perform one song/tune each. And some of the floor singers were people who usually headline on their own, like Tom Paley and Ralph Jordan.
The beginning was something of a Swedish theme night. Ralph Jordan and his female friend, both with concertinas, did a tune by late Lars Holmer of Samla Mammas Manna, Tom did a polska called "Vi drack och dansa'" and I did an English version of Birger Sjöberg's "Den första gång jag såg dig".
Keith Kendrick and Sylvia Needham were the guests. Very English, very traditional, often a capella with Keith delivering the mledoy and Sylvia adding harmonies. Sometimes one of them played a concertina, and both halves ended with them inviting other musicians in the room tyo join them for instrumentals. It was the first time ever I have seen five concertinas together on a stage. Well, not really a stage, they have none att Cellar Upstairs. More one end of the room.
But why is the Victoria line always closed for engineering work on Saturdays? Usually it is the perfect way for travelling between Euston and Victoria.
The Cellar Upstairs Folk Club is held in a room above the pub, a room we once used to celebrate our son's 18th birthday. It was not a sell out yesterday, but there was a fair crowd, maybe around 40. And many floor singers, with most of us just getting to perform one song/tune each. And some of the floor singers were people who usually headline on their own, like Tom Paley and Ralph Jordan.
The beginning was something of a Swedish theme night. Ralph Jordan and his female friend, both with concertinas, did a tune by late Lars Holmer of Samla Mammas Manna, Tom did a polska called "Vi drack och dansa'" and I did an English version of Birger Sjöberg's "Den första gång jag såg dig".
Keith Kendrick and Sylvia Needham were the guests. Very English, very traditional, often a capella with Keith delivering the mledoy and Sylvia adding harmonies. Sometimes one of them played a concertina, and both halves ended with them inviting other musicians in the room tyo join them for instrumentals. It was the first time ever I have seen five concertinas together on a stage. Well, not really a stage, they have none att Cellar Upstairs. More one end of the room.
But why is the Victoria line always closed for engineering work on Saturdays? Usually it is the perfect way for travelling between Euston and Victoria.
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