A Homespun Yarn Part 2

HomeSpun,
The Half Moon,
Putney.
27 January 2006

This was my second Gig at this extremely popular Pub/Venue.
Situated by the River Thames (and not a whale in sight)
It was also the second time at a 'Homespun' Gig
Having seen them a year ago with Eleanor McEvoy
in Worcester.















I arrived at the Pub in the nick of time, sweating buckets
after racing through London on a freezing night.
Ordered my "first" pint and then joined the queue to the music room. Whilst waiting I got chatting to a couple of guys who had also arrived at the pub on their own and once inside we met a third.
Four gents out on their own on an evening, or 4 guys who love live music? Definitely the latter


The Gig had a wonderful informal feel to it Plenty of objet d'art on stage, Dave's beer waiter stage left, an ornamental table centre stage, complete with nodding dog, and Fairy lights over the monitors. As Dave Rotheray said during the set that these items had been collected in various towns during the tours. To wich Sam Brown quipped "that's how the got me". I rather hope not.
Dave also had some mates in the audience, down from Hull.

The Set, all taken from the Band's two albums was a joy. A few of of us couldn't help but sing along , although we did get it
spectacularly wrong during Sweetness, thinking it was finished when it wasn't. Sam's vocals are perfect for Dave's Catchy lyrics, and I should give a special mention for Somerset lass Clare Mactaggart on backing vocals, Violin and Mandolin, also Melvin Duffy on Pedal Steel Guitar, who along with Gary Hammond on percussion and Tony Robinson on keyboards/Brass together give the band their distictive sound.

The Set.
If We're So Happy
Unfortunately Young
Anniversary Rag
Love Will Come Around
Sweetness
Don't Force Me To Be Free
ITALY
I'm In Your Head
Whistlestop Blues
Let Me Be Good
Rubber Duck
Did You Ever?
Days
Footsteps
You Are Here
and
Effortless Cool
( which should be dedicated to one of the guys I met on the way in, Phil Brooks, a Homespun fan, and real nice guy.)
The encore was the old Lindisfarne tune
"We Can Swing Together" with Sam on Ukulele.
A great sing-along tune to finish the night.
With the banter,and music with friends it made for a fabulous informal evening.
And four old farts went home very happy.

I should also mention the support.
A one Curtis Eller's American Circus
a Basil Fawlty/Ron Mael (Sparks) Look-alike, with a Banjo, with all the madcap/bandy leg antics you'd expect fom a certain Mr Cleese.
Songs about Pigeons, Moles, Buster Keaton, and Serpents,
with lots of yodeling.
Good Banjo player, just not so hot on Kazoo.
Crazy but very entertaining.

Oh and if your in the Putney area on 17th February try and catch
HANK WANGFORD & REG MEUROSS on their
'NO HALL TOO SMALL TOUR'

One Night in Bridport

Reg Meuross and the Short Stories Band
Bridport Art Centre,
Dorset.
Sat. 22 Jan 06


Reg Meuross is widely regarded as one of Britain's finest acoustic singer/ songwriters.
He and his band where first noticed by me, at last years Trowbridge festival.So when I spotted he was playing in Bridport , I contacted a resident of Bridport.(My uncle John Lipscombe) and persuaded him that he, and his wife, Sue should come along too

Arrived early. was met by them and along with Sue’s son Jonathan
Had a good nose around this quaint old Dorset town.

Well replenished. An excellant Veg. Biriani ( thanks Sue)
We got to the Art Centre, only a short walk from their flat,
in plenty of time to get the beers in.
The Venue small, and looking like an old Methodist hall
(perhaps it was)
Seated at the back of the hall slightly elevated
we had an excellent view.

Reg and the band arrived on stage at 8pm. A quick quip about the heat in the venue and feverish activity by the Crewkerne gang and it was straight into the first number

I noticed the band was light right from the start (where’s the Violin)
explained by Reg during the set, that Sinaed had double booked herself , and was languishing in the South of France
8 numbers in all in the first half, and after a 25 min beer break
a 2nd set of 13 songs(inc the encore)
Unfortunately I can’t recall all (a bit tricky writing the dark)and alcholol kicked it's ugly head later in the night
The set had a mixture of a few new ones, along with others from
the Short Stories Album
With the absence of the Violin, others shone.
The Clarity of Sarah Allen's Flute playing,
The “Rabbit” on keyboards was having a whale of a time, dropping his sheet music and even taking photo’s of us.
The Drummers soft hands on a few of the numbers
But what stood out was Miranda Sykes on her backing vocals complimenting Reg through out were just spot on..
The evening was thoroughly enjoyed by all

The Set (what I can recall) was....
And They Danced, The Man in Edward Hoppers Bar, On Roslyn Banks, Davey Johnson,
You Left Me Crying, Worry No More, Jealous, Good with his Hands, Your Face Again,
Man in the Moon, & The Goodbye Hat

The Band
Reg Meuross : Guitar/Vocals
John ’Rabbit Bundrick: Piano
Sarah Allen: Flute & Accordion
Roy Dodds: Drums/ Percussion
Miranda Sykes: Double Bass/ Vocals

and missing Sinead Jones: Violin


In Fact Reg Meuross has put a fine band together here.
All exceptional musicians in there own right

A must see band if you like good song writing, superb musicians,
that gel together to make a good night out

2006. A Glastonbury Free Year

So with Michael Eavis is having a year off.
(No Glastonbury in 2006)

And the cold weather upon us.

Are you starting to think about what to do

this Summer.

Worry ye Not.

Check out the......

Trowbridge Village Pump Festival 2006.

on 20th to 23rd July

The Line-up as of Jan 2nd

reads........

The Waterboys, Waterston Carthy,

along with daughter Eliza Carthy,
and The Ratcatchers.
Hank Wangford & Reg Meuross,

Suzanne Vega,

Altan, Osibisa, Gretchen Peters,

The Karine Polwart Band, Show of Hands, Los De Abajo,
Wailin Jennys, Nine Below Zero, Mary Flower,

Rachel Unthank and the Winterset,
Dana Gillespie & her London Blues Band,

Costo Rico, John Alderslade, Zydecomotion,

Allan yn y Fan, Keith Donnelly, Merv Grist Players,

Mr. Love & Justice, The Doghouse Skiffle Group,

Johnny and the Poorboys, Last Night's Fun,

Keith Christmas, The Buffalo Gals

and the Zig A Zag Cajun Band.

Along with
Mystery Juice, Praying for the Rain, Pronghorn, Pura Vida,

Vince Lee & the Big Combo. Swamp Donkey, RSVP,

The John E Vistic Experience,The Harrisons,

The Huckleberries, Elephant Talk 2, James Warren,

RSVP, Gringo Ska, and Skiffle Haze

Now that can't be bad can it.

And there's plenty for the Wee ones too.

So Go on. Click my link to the festival,
and the Summer sunshine won't seem so far away

And I'll see you there at the

Stowford Manor Farm.

Brief Lives

Now that 2005 is behind us
This site will remind you of many who left us last year.

The Blog of Death

Happy Reading