Unicorn Folk Club

I confess when I looked up this site and found that I was supposed to be playing on the 3rd July, it gave me a bit of a shock. I had mentioned to my sister Vicky that I would be passing through England on my way to Spain for a reunion and the next thing I know I am billed to play there as you will see if you look up this site. http://www.unicornfolkclub.co.uk/ It takes me back to 1980 when I was one of the first to play at the club AND IT HAS BEEN GOING EVER SINCE. A lot of work goes into organising this sort of thing every week. Well done Vic.

GIG

Yesterday I performed for 10 people with Huntington's disease. http://www.ahda.asn.au/content/whatishd/index.asp

Luckily, I have played for these people before and I now am familiar with the kind of response to expect. I really like this gig though selfishly so. I leave all the real oldies behind and sing Beatle numbers, Hotel California, I can See Clearly and Brown-Eyed Girl. Some of them try to clap along. If you are ever depressed, look up the site above.

The Alexandrian Quartet

I have just started reading "JUSTINE" (the first book in the quartet) again. I think this is the 6th time. It really is a very worthwhile read if a little difficult at the beginning. I read it for the first time when I was recommended it while in a shop in Torremolinos. The site below might help expalin a little about it. http://www.mellenpress.com/mellenpress.cfm?bookid=6100&pc=9

I did read James Michener's "THE DRIFTERS" at the same time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Drifters_(novel)

After twenty five years of waiting, I managed to travel to Alexandria. It had all the charm I had imagined. I actually wrote two songs about Egypt. Will have them on another BLOG later.

REUNION

Just recently I have had a lot of emails about a reunion with students from around 1973. This is to be held in the school which is situated in Torremolinos in the South of Spain.

It might turn out to be a bit different as most of these students are around 50 years old. The difference between 14 and 24 was probably a lot greater than between 50 and 60. The Photies above show us at the first reunion in L.A. around 20 years ago. I wonder if they are all still playing basketball to-day. In the early days the staff always won the sport! I suppose they might just clinch it this time around. It was an important time of their lives for these students and I hope they will again take back fond memories of Torremolinos and the staff.

A memorable Gig

I set off today to do a gig for some 70 (upwards) year olds. They were a good attentive (no not asleep) audience and I had some fun persuading them that Obama was Irish ..... Tooral o Tooral u Tooral s Tooral ama There's no one as Irish as Barack Obama. I started off on an Irish note..... a medley then a bit of religion with The Unicorn Song and Lord of the Dance. Then into The Garden where the Praties Grow and Shake Hands with your Uncle Mike.

I then tried out for the first time I Just don't Look Good Naked Anymore. Have a look at how Stan does it. http://heraldnet.com/article/20071221/MULTIMEDIA/283841756

They seemed to love Oh Lord its so hard to be Humble but I don't think they quite got the point with I Don't Remember Blues.

I followed up with Going Back to Dublin which I do with a reasonable backing I made for myself then Maggie and Frank Sinatra's version of Swing on a Star.

I ended up with a real medley of Oldies. Carolina Moon, If You Were the Only Girl in the World, Red Roses for a Blue Lady, If I Knew you were Coming I'd a Baked a Cake... A You're Adorable, Making Whoopee, Don't Bring Lulu, Bless em All, Five Foot Two, When Irish Eyes, Barrel of Money, Yes Sir thats my Baby, Hello Who's your Lady Friend, Are you Lonesome to Night, Lilli Marlene, Bunch of Coconuts, All the Nice Girls Love a Sailor, I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside, My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, and ended up with Show me the Way to go Home. As I was packing up I noticed my unplayed flute so I performed a quick Danny Boy encore. I do hope they had a good time. I certainly enjoyed myself.

The Boat That Rocked.

I DO remember listening to Radio Caroline which I presume what the movie is sort of named after. We lived through a very fortunate time in the 60's. The culture was changing, the world was getting smaller and lots of people appreciated everyone else! The music was scintillating in the quality of the rhythms. Perhaps the structure was a little simple ( i.e. 3 or 4 chord changes) but the beat was right on. Here is what Bill had to say

Bill Nighy: "All the usual suspects... I'm a big Stones man, I've never really recovered from that, and The Who, and from the movie I particularly dig those two tracks. I like American black soul music, that was my first big enthusiasm, and I like Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin and all of those people - Otis Redding, Atlantic Records, Tamla Motown when it came along. I love them all I guess. And more than anyone, Bob Dylan. I listen to Bob Dylan on most days and he remains the single most important artiste in my life. Van Morrison also is big on my list."

He forgot to mention "THE BEATLES" and all those groups from Mersey side. We even had a little jazz .... Acker Bilk etc. and Skittle Groups like Lonnie Donegan. Donovan also deserves a big mention as do many others. I was a fan of Leonard Cohen. Still am. Have a look at some of the items on Utube. Just type in Utube and his name. Some fabulous stuff. Have included one link if you need it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJAcACBMa70&feature=related

We maybe did not use the espression then but hey THAT"S COOL.

St. Patricks Day

Sorry about the time it has taken me to write about this but with FIVE gigs during the great St. Patrick's Celebration, I was understandably a little tired. Not only did I sing about Barack Obama being Irish but I included a new song written especially for the occasion. The words are as follows and the chorus is the words of the verse repeated with a different melody.

I am a little leprechaun I come from far and near

I'm welcome in the parlour where I sip me pint o beer

I am everybody's hope I am everybody's dream

I am a little leprechaun who wears the emerald green.

You Can find me in the woods You Can see me through the trees

You can hear me in the cornfields if you get down on your knees

You can see me in a flash you can try and chat to me

And I'll tell you that old story of how we came to be.....

You can ask about that pot of gold that people seek to find

But the only gold that's valuable is deep down in your mind

And the story I will tell to you It's one you've heard before

That leprechauns are real and the rest is just folk lore.