Comperes: Mick N Nora

Mick and Nora start off with their first song a Sea shanty called “concubine”, an up-beat number with a catchy chorus, ”Hey ho here we go riding on a donkey”, as everyone joined with percussion instruments and anything they could shake or bang and the chorus became one big  sing along.

Their second song was called “booze talking” which I think was in the pop charts many moons ago, Mick and Nora, made the song their own.

Sonia

Appearing in her see-through dress, not that we were looking, honest, so Gill made her a make shift sarong, very nice too, with Claudine on the guitar, she gave us a great version of

 Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on heaven’s door”.

 Everyone joins in and makes it a group effort.

Then a short but great version of “My old Man” the cockney sing song number.

Next up was Len, who opened with an old sixties folk number, “If I were carpenter”. Len has a great guitar style and I always enjoy it when he is performing, the guitar I mean, let’s not go down that road there is enough thinly disguised lewd banter, flying around the room as usual, without me adding to it.

Len’s next song is by The Beatles,

“Strawberry Fields”,

a great rendition

with everyone joining in with the chorus. I have seen Len develop as a performer over the last six months and he just goes from strength to strength.

Norman  picks up his ukulele and opens with a George Formby favourite, “TT Races” come along and see me in the in the TT races and apparently Norman is going to the Isle of man,

 to be part of the event but

 I am not sure if he is in it or just watching,

Norman cruises to the end of

 the song to rapturous applause.

His following song was made famous by Dean Martin I believe, didn’t he drink Canada Dry? Only took him a week too. “That’s amore”

gets every one in the loving mood,

 singing and tapping their feet.

JoJo

 Begins with a risqué poem, about a man’s wife who dreamt she was Lady Godiva, and soon has the crowd laughing out loud. The man in the story is not too happy about being made to be her horse.

It puts a smile on every face in the room.

Bill

He starts with a song that he wrote himself,  doesn’t have a title, it’s a spoof sixties protest song about the environment, very interesting, retro and very of the moment at the same time, he sings out loud and strong  to the beat of his left foot.

 Jojo keeps time with the bodhran

and Clive shakes his balls on a stick.

 I will name this song “sing it loud”

“Sexual repression” was the title of the next self written song , being shy  and not very worldly wise I am not sure what is about but I think it was about with a cat with big teeth,

 I over heard some one in the audience

 mention something about a pussy that bites.

After a short break, Ken opens with a poem about the season and the weather,

“The song of the weather”

by Flanders and Swan.

He is then accompanied by

Mick on the guitar with a rendition of

“It takes a worried man to sing a worried song”

John Stafford adds some great Harmonica and backing vocals plus the audience join in with the chorus. I must admit you will go a long way to find a better audience than the one at the FaB Club

Nora introduces Fiona to great applause,

Steve O’ Kane, joins her on the guitar.

Fiona sings with a soulful tone,

she really does have fantastic voice;

Steve plays a moody mournful slightly bluesy tune.

 A story about the seedier side of American life.

Great stuff!

They carry on with “let it be” I am inclined to get the lighter out of my pocket and wave it above my head, but that’s not easy when you are typing.

John once again jams along,

on the harmonica and with the audience partition it

makes for a very full sound.

The clapping at the end of

the track rattles the windows.

(ed. Note) Trevor is next and sings two new numbers…

Modern Folk, a song that was inspired by a recording session he did for Link Fm radio a while ago, where he found out he belonged to a new breed of folk singers that we then called “the modern folks”…

I would like to hear it again as

 I think the lyrics are well worth listening to…

“On Easy Street” was the second number… catchy as ever… Well done Trevor, good luck with the recording!

 (end of ed. Note)

Next Claudine plays an Eva Cassidy song, a melodic tune that Claudine effortlessly floats her unique French singing over. What with being busy with her weekly Fab Show on Linkfm 92.2fm.  Wednesday 7 to 9pm.  And arranging the Fab club she does not play as often as she once did, so it’s a treat to hear her again today. Her second song is one of her own, “start a fight”.

A ballad about lost love.

Steve O’ Kane improvises

with some outstanding lead guitar.

 Claudine shows that

 song-writing is one of her many talents.

Mick introduces John Stafford. John quite often joins in on a lot of songs from the sidelines with his harmonica but rarely appears out front, this time he is singing and playing guitar. He starts with “I still miss someone”.

John sings and plays in his own unique style, to the delight of the audience.

He then launches in to a very deep southern blues version of “Sweet Chariot”. Everyone joins in with stamping and banging anything that comes to hand, and joining in on the vocals, with

Steve O’Kane on lead guitar

 from the back of the room. Fantastic!

Nora introduces Steve O’kane, if you have never seen or heard Steve, do yourself a very big favour, and visit his website www.steveokane.co.uk . As well as being an outstanding live performer, he writes very memorable songs that very often touch your heart and make you think at the same time. The audience are spellbound by his performance of his song,

“Ball and chain”.

John Stafford once again adds

some ambiant harmonica.

At the end of the song Steve mentions he is performing at the Leigh on Sea Folk Festival,

definitely one for the diary.

Steve’s second number, is called “the Muse”, and once again we are immersed in his world.

Great performance as usual.

Everyone calls for an encore and I think he would have complied, if it hadn’t been for the raffle.

Mick and Nora open the third section, with “hopping down in Kent”, followed by Len with “Here comes the sun”, then Norman with another George Formby song, “walking my baby home”,

then it’s Bill again with his ever popular

“ I am a Essex boy”

Bill is also appearing at the Leigh on sea folk festival, accompanied by the FaB choir, another one not to be missed. And last all of all, Steve O’ Kane. He gives his CD “Talking to the moon” a quick plug, then launches in to “Sunflowers” accompanied vocally by Fiona.

Then followed by John Denver’s “country roads”

Once again the afternoon has been, probably the best party in Essex. Don’t miss it next time. If you too have a song you want to sing, an instrument you want to play, read a poem or even just want to come along and watch, take the plunge and come along, you know you want to. Newcomers are always made welcome. So see you soon

Trevor Barham