Sharpe observations…
Andrew Sharpe introducing the band
Andrew MC’d the celebratory concert at the Bridge House Theatre, Warwick, 21st September 2019. This is his introduction to both halves of the concert, much as it happened. Andrew is a longtime friend of the band and co-founder of Steamchicken with Ted in the early 80’s.
STEAMCHICKEN: They started out as a ceilidh band playing dance tunes from the less conventional end of the folk spectrum, presented in ever-increasingly wacky style. They eventually morphed into jazz-folk fusion with an awesome brass section, and more recently electro-swing in their own inimitable style, slightly resembling ‘Caravan Palace’. Ted’s sons, Matt and Joe, are in the band and Bill Pound’s son, the now famous (in folk circles) Will Pound, also played with them. Andrew plays keyboards and is the band’s inveterate, witty, eloquent MC.
THE DOORS OPEN: The sight greeting people as they took their seats. A nice touch was the slideshow of archive photos of the band and friends, some of which had not seen the light of day for 40 years (the photos, that is, not the friends!)
Act One. [Andrew, resplendent in trademark fedora, enters, stage right.]
Good evening. Welcome to the auction of mid-life crisis projects. Lot one, a collection of musical instruments.
What am I bid?
Don’t tell their wives. But this lot is worth more than their cars.
These guys can actually play them. All of them.
Forty years. Bloody hell. I actually met them way before that, on the Leamington folk scene mid -70s. Who remembers Keith Donnelly with hair? Ted picking up the wrong harmonica and the ensuing panic. The White Horse folk club? And the White Horse Cloggers, many of whom went on to form a Morris team. Whatever happened to them?
And I remember June Tabor before she made it big.
In spike heeled leather waders, singing unaccompanied, on the dancefloor at one of the Staff and Castle ceilidhs, at the Courthouse. You could hear a pin drop. Awesome. Was anyone there?
And those ceilidhs were to morph into a folk day and then a folk festival.
It’s still going, I think.
And in 1979 they made a record. It was a different age. We’d had multiple elections. We were the laughingstock of the world. The Labour party was in disarray. A right-wing zealot had just made it in power, although you never met anyone who had voted for that.
Maggie was just Boris with a dick. Is that the right way round?
And the band released a record, which Ted tells me is a collectors piece. At least that was his line when he tried to take twenty quid off me for my third copy.
I was listening to it the other day. I thought that the music has aged very well.
Nothing changes. Ted is still picking up the wrong harmonica. As for the band, judge for yourself as you welcome to the Bridge House Theatre the Somerville Gentlemen...
Ladies and gentlemen the Somerville Gentlemen's Band...
The six guys who never, in their wildest dreams, ever thought they’d play together again onstage, until 2019. Opening the first half with “Moving Day”.
Act Two. [After an interval which gave old friends time to catch up.]
And we’re back. Are you having a good time? Come on you can do better than that.
If you can’t cheer, waive your railcard. Are you having a good time?
That’s better.
Wasn’t the first half wonderful? They gave us what we wanted on a Saturday night. A nice warm place to sit down and a snooze in the dark.
And the songs! They’ve not lost their touch. Hilarious. And often utterly filthy, thinly disguised metaphors about sex.
Which shows there’s nothing wrong with their memories.
And they’ve not only inspired, they have literally bred a new generation of folk musicians, many of whom are onstage tonight, starting on the first number with Phil’s daughter Juliet, who I’d not met.
I asked what she played and whether she had a sense of humour and they said ukulele, so evidently yes.
And joining the musicians onstage is Joe Crum on drums
And Matt Crum who, inspired by his father’s habit of picking up the wrong harmonica and playing the wrong tune in a different key, has become a fine modern jazz musician.
[Offstage, Matt plays a nerve-shattering punk-jazz sax solo.]
Thank you, Matt. Have you finished?
[Matt plays an excruciating coda, and says “I have now!”
Mr Matt Crum ladies and gentlemen.
So please welcome back to the stage the Somerville Gentlemen’s Band…!
Andrew Sharpe
The finale. With ‘The Gentlets’ (left to right) - Juliet Ferrar; Aiden Adams; Richard Ferrar (bass); Joe Crum (drums); Roseanna Cole; Lainey Cole; Sue Crum; Matt Crum (keyboards).
The band thanks Andrew for his key role in this wonderful night.