GFSAers in action! TJ's Acoustic Music Club - October 21st

Bob-Dubery · 2010-09-29T07:28:33+00:00

TJ's have given me the opportunity to put together a show for them. I think I've been fortunate enough to assemble a good line up. I didn't want to invite GFSAers to perform just because they're GFSAers. But as we all know, there is real talent amongst the GFSA ranks, and three of our members will be performing on the night - that's half the bill. This is an opportunity to learn their real names, see their faces ? and, most of all, appreciate their skills and their music. Performers (in alphabetical order) Conrad Fingerpicker (and his band The Cellphone Cowboys) Karryn & Tash Squonk Tom Howden Thomas Selmer-Olsen I am thrilled that all these performers accepted the invitation and will be giving of their time and talent for the evening. Venue: Marks Park sports club, Judith Road, Emmarentia, Johannesburg Date: Thursday October 21st Time: Music starts at 20:00, doors open at 19:30 Admission: R20 Food and drinks available. I've created a facebook event http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129391760446812 Feel free to spread the word. Come along. This is going to be a good evening.

Bob-Dubery

Keira WitherKay wrote so Bob what guitar you playing the morgan with the new warthog tusk bridge and nut ..... ?

You may have noticed that I'm not included in the line up. That's because I'm not playing.

Keira-WitherKay

X-rated Bob wrote
Keira WitherKay wrote so Bob what guitar you playing the morgan with the new warthog tusk bridge and nut ..... ?
You may have noticed that I'm not included in the line up. That's because I'm not playing.

wow thats insane Bob.. YOU MUST PLAY it's your night ................. i just assumed you were included in list...... i think you should tack on a small extra set ( the equivalint of the hidden tracks on cd) and play at least 3-4 songs........... well then it's a good thing i can't make it if i came and you never played i'd be quite dissapointed........ maybe even demand my money back ? ok maybe not ask for my money back but damn Bob you must play

for those of you that have not seen Bob play . he does a storyteling style repetoire with pretty involved fingerpicking underneath it ... well worth seeing .......and a style i particulatly enjoy

yeez Bob make a plan to play a set

Bob-Dubery

You have no case! ? I'm not advertised as playing.

Six acts already, and with turn-around time in between and the need for a pee break at some point nobody is getting more than 20 minutes and encores are verboden (even for Conrad!). If I decided to exercise my hostly right to playing then these fine, generous players would get even less on-stage time. I really don't want to take more time away from the excellent likes of Karryn & Tash.

My "job" is to arrange the evening.

Conrad

Le bump.... as it is tomorrow

Squonk

It's Tonight ?

aja

is there a GFSA table?

Squonk

Bob will be reserving a table, but with the expected masses that will be turning up it would be suggested to be there at 19:30 for a table ?

AlanRatcliffe

Have a good one folks. And report back...

Bob-Dubery

I am commandeering the two front centre tables. This is partly tactical because Conrad (it's always him!) requires some free space in front of the stage during his set, and so if I or people on my side are at those two tables they won't get moved around. Don't worry! He's not diving into the crowd (well, not that I'm aware of).

I don't know how many GFSAers will be attending, and I need to keep some seats for guests and performers, thus can't promise enough seating for y'all. Nothing stopping you grabbing another, adjacent table.

I also have no idea how busy I am going to be. I am erring on the side of anticipating that I will be very busy, so I might not be the most sociable of people.

I will be there from about 17:00. It's usually getting busy by 19:30, so if you want to grab tables with a good view or whatever then come earlier than that. There is plenty of secure parking. Drinks and light meals are provided by Marks Park (not by TJs). If you are going to eat then again get there on the early side as once things get busy the service tends to slow down.

Bob-Dubery

OK... the grisly photographic evidence will come later, but it went off well in the end. We were squeezed a little for time, it was always going to be tight and once we ran into a technical glitch.... poor Tom Howden had his set cut, but still did well.

Everybody else I invited was given carte blanche regarding material, but I'd suggested to Tom that a set of Ewan MacColl songs might be a good thing, and he agreed and so it was. As it was with time being so tight he left out what I think are the two best known MacColl songs ("Dirty Old Town" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face") but he did get in a fantastic version of "The Moving On Song" rewritten with lyrics conveying essentially the same message as MacColl's but in a South African context. *

Everybody played well - which is what I'd expected. First up were The Cellphone Cowboys with their country-rock sound. Laid back, effective, unfussed and unfussy. Squonk did a set in his own inimitable style - nobody plays like him, and his story telling, with dialog and great melodies works so well (especially the song about looking for a Cornish pasty in Cornwall - and finding it in Weltevreden Park). Karryn and Tash closed out the first half with a strong set of their original, edgy folk sound. Tash (taught by Keira Witherkay) made big contributions with her bass work, imparting a great movement to the songs and using light and shade, loud and soft to good effect.

Conrad and his better 1/2 kicked off the 2nd half with their Spanish flavoured instrumentals. I say "Spanish" but that's wrong, they did South American pieces as well and demonstrated the difference in the rhythms. Conrad had arranged some Spanish dancers for the last two numbers. This was not announced so as to maximise the element of surprise. This was a first for TJs and I must thank Brian Deuchar for making the necessary last minute (literally) adjustments to the lighting.

Thomas Selmer-Olsen and Mark Peters delivered a strong, dynamic set, as I knew they would. Great power playing, and their material has a built in punch. The vocals were very strong.

Which brings us round again to the closer, Tom Howden.

A good night's music. All of the above for R20! If you weren't there then... well you weren't there.

I was too busy to be sociable but I do know that Aja, Stratisfear and Webejame were there as well the GFSAers who performed - Fingerpicker, Conrad and his Squonkness.

A big thanks to everybody who played. I invited guys who I thought would deliver and they all did. Also a big thanks to Kenny from Marks Park, and Celia, Shirley, Kevin, Brian, Sue and Bill from TJs. These things are a team effort - more people than you'd imagine are involved in even an easy-going club night like this.

* Tom's reworking of one of MacColl's best songs was, I thought, entirely appropriate and in keeping. Folk singers like MacColl, Martin Carthy, Norma Waterson will all tell you those songs are not museum pieces, but have a skeleton of essential truth on which new flesh should be hung as and when necessary.

OK... I'm off to bed.

Keira-WitherKay

hi ya glad to hear everyone had a great evening .well done to you all

sorry to have missed it ........

Conrad

My thumb is not functioning as it should after that gig LOL.

I loved Tom Howden (so heartfelt and sincere),
Squonk had these clever and beautiful chord melodies going,
Karyn & Tash were very unique and creative and really musical
The guys after us (forgot the names) were great at harmonies and had clever little riffs
Fingerpicker's duo had cool harmonies too and he does a good bouncy-bouncy on stage while playing and enjoying.

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