O'Hooley and Tidow

Saw them in concert last night and quite enjoyed it . Belinda is a great pianist and the Steinway mod 3 grand was a fine instrument to display her talents upon .
They do what they do very well and the harmonies are tight and well conceived with beautiful little discords and wistful minor keys dotted about like bitter cherries in a sweet trifle .
 A nice concert even though they don't believe in "Leaving them laughing" as the final encore was quite a "Thoughtful" number but there was a standing 'O from the crowd and I enjoyed the well thought out production . "Jack the lad/lass" would have been the closing number for me !

Post-diluvian problems

Its been an odd week with the flood damage restoration and stuff causing me to miss a few sessions and having to re jig things at the last minute and all that kind of stuff. Apologies to the Belvedere warblers Danny and Colin in particular for missing our appointment , Sorry lads!

Belvedere session

Another good afternoon at the Belvedere with nine warblers in attendance with the usual eclectic mix of old and contemporary songs . I like the way the songs develop a theme/thread from one to the next using either a topic or artist as the link , What a great way to get a session rolling along Colin gave us "A rosebud in June" a particular fave of mine even though I always laugh at "Jolly Jolly sheep" (Never seen one) even with the smell of mint sauce hanging heavy in the June air!! Fat oxen are a reassuring sight though! John did a song my naughty granddad taught me as a nipper , O Reilly;s daughter---He brought it and a number of other unmentionable songs back from the Somme!
Dannys "Up Camborn hill coming down" was a great blast from the past! and Jack sang us Penny Evans and Martin gave us an alternative Spencer the rover , never heard that melody line before . Jim gave us an old Ronnie Drew fave weilla waillia ?? which prompted The Auld triangle from me --Got the verses mixed up as usual but hey!! Colin did the great North wall , Great stuff.
 Trappers hat for me , a lovely hoppy number from the Brimstage brewery .

Heres a rhyme about the plight of the pi-irate bold. It was when I was watching a re-enactment of the days of the swashbuckling buccaneers I noticed health and safety tape and non slip coating on the "Plank" they were walking!

THE GOOD SHIP ELFNSAFTY

 WAS A PRIVATEER BY TRADE

SHE WAS TIED UP DOWN IN LIVERPOOL

WHILE THE CREW DRANK LEMONADE

THE WHORES AND RUNNERS FLOCKED AROUND

TO CHEER THE BUCKANEERS

BUT THEY HAS TO WEAR  DEFENDERS

TO PROTECT THEIR "LITTLE" EARS.

WE CAST OF FORE WE CAST OFF AFT

BUT THEN THERE WAS A PANIC

WHILE THE ROPES WERE CHECKED

TO SEE IF THEY WERE HYPOALLERGENIC

THEY WERE OF HEMP THE CAPTAIN SAID

WELL SEND THEM FOR A TEST

THE RIGGING TOO WILL HAVE TO GO

LIKEWISE THE BOSUN'S VEST.

TIME CAME TO BEND ON BRAND NEW SAILS

TO CATCH THE BLUSTERY BREEZE

BUT THE CREW LOOKED RATHER NOVEL

AS THEY ALL BENT AT THE KNEES

AND THEN OUR WOES COMPOUNDED

AS WE REALISED OUR PLIGHT

WE WERE'NT ALLOWED TO HOIST THE SAILS

ONE INCH ABOVE HAND HEIGHT.

WELL NEVER MIND CRIED SHANGHAI JACK

ITS TIME FOR OUR RUM RATION

BUT THEN THEY FOUND THAT BOOZING TIME

HAD LOST A LOT OF PASSION

THE SIGN UPON THE BARREL HEAD

WHICH SURELY WAS A JOKE

 READ "PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY"

AND THEY'D FILLED IT UP WITH COKE.

THE CABIN BOY WAS ALL DONE UP

IN THE BEST HI VIZ APAREL

BUT HE LOST HIS HI VIZ TROUSERS

IT WAS HIS TURN IN THE BARREL

THE CREW ALL TOOK A TICKET

AND LOITERED IN A ROW

WHILE THE LEADING HAND GOT ALCOHOL

AND SPRAYED THEM DOWN BELOW.

SO WE HEADED OFF TO RAID AROUND

THE BURNING HOT EQUATOR

WHERE THE BOSUN'S FACE GOT SCORCHED

JUST LIKE THE SKIN OF AN ALLIGATOR

THEY TIED HIM UP AND SCRUBBED HIM DOWN

TILL HE COULD'NT BE NO CLEANER

THEN LARDED HIM LIKE A ROASTED HOG

WITH A TUB OF NEUTROGENA.

WE HAD TO DISCIPLINE THE MATE

HE WAS BOUND FOR DAVY JONES

BUT THEY SAID THE GNASHING OF THE SHARKS

WAS BAD FOR BRITTLE BONES

SO WE HEADED UP TO NEWFOUNDLAND

AND REACHED THE DOGGER BANK

HE WAS SUCKED TO DEATH BY A SHOAL OF COD

WHEN HE WALKED THE NON SLIP PLANK.

THE CAPTAIN WAS A BRUTAL MAN

WHO USED TO BE A WHALER

BUT HE WAS SOON ARRESTED

 AND THEN BUSTED DOWN TO SAILOR

HE FACED THE APPEAL TRIBUNAL

AND HE COULD'NT HAVE BEEN SORRIER

BUT THEY MADE HIM SHIP AS A CABIN BOY

ABOARD THE THE RAINBOW WARRIOR.

SO WE SAILED BACK INTO PORT

WITHOUT NO SACKING RAPE OR PLUNDER

BUT THE WHORES HAD ALL BEEN CHASED AWAY

AND THE PUBS HAD ALL GONE UNDER

SO WE DONNED OUR HI-VIZ SEA BOOTS

AND WITHOUT A BACKWARDS LOOK

WE SIGNED ABOARD WITH THAT PRIVATEER

WHO'S KNOWN AS THOMAS COOK.

Baltic Shanty session.

The day of the Grand National co-incided with the first Saturday of the month and town was very lively with racegoers either celebrating or drowning their sorrows. I did not think the revelers would have found the Baltic but the place was full and there was little chance of any meaningful attempts at singing or playing as the cacophony was merciless! Quite a nice atmosphere though and a few songs got through even with Derek nursing a bad chest , Nontheless He carried it off like Bonnie Tyler in true shanty tradition with Julia's buttonbox melodies cutting through the babble.
 I enjoyed the night and will look forward to next month's "First Saturday"

Another good session

The Belvedere was very enjoyable yesterday with Nine in attendance generating 30 plus songs which was a remarkable production!! Enough for a concert methinks. Not all serious either! there were a few humorous numbers which enlivened the afternoon and a good time was had by all.

Bugger the bankers

John Doyle Mike Mc Goldrick