Well, by the time we got there, late as usual,,,

(Can somebody tell Mike that the club starts at 7 o clock???)  Wendy was just finishing her turn with a song, probably called Lets Swing, we must have missed Richard,

Geoff Hollis then took the stage, and started with an  a capella  Kieran Halpin song, then, picking up his guitar and thumb pick, gave us My Eldorado, a song by Graeme Miles, (you learn a lot doing this job!)

Linda was comparing.

But I don,t  think Neil had remembered to leave his Christmas Cracker joke book with her, shame really…

Tom and Linda then did a couple of songs, I carry the torch for you, and the Crosby, Sills and Nash, Teach the Children Well.

We then had a break, and the raffle, which was won by the last person in….Mike!

Don’t suppose that will make him any earlier.

We then had a treat, as Dave had paid us a visit. Dave organizes the Folk at the Oak club, which meets at the Royal Oak every second and fourth Mondays (if that’s too complicated, it’s usually second and last Monday in the month, though myself and mike managed to go in a month with 5 Mondays!)   Easier still, it’s on this Monday coming! You will be made very welcome. (Mines a pint of Fosters Dave!)    While we are advertising, Monday is also the last time to see our regular members Wendy and Richard performing with the Harmony singers, at St Johns Church in Llandudno. If you like music and  have never seen one of these shows, then you are really missing a good night out, its been on throughout the summer, (Monday Night is Music Night), But finishes 19th September. It’s so good a lot of people go more than once to see it, and all profits go to local charity

dave came on and Tom accompanied him with his mandolin for the first song, I,m a Rolling Stone, (no, it’s not Mick Jagger or keith Richards)    Tom then Swapped to acoustic  guitar, when Dave did the weary Hobo song.

Peter did two songs with Tom accompanying him on guitar, finishing with The Furries love Light in your Eye.

Tony Grant then came on, (must have missed him first time) and got are feet tapping by giving us a couple of rock and roll medellys,

We then had a Duo from Conway,

Mike and Steve, who gave us two songs by America, and one by the Searchers, Horse with No Name, Don,t Throw your Love Away, and Ventura Highway

Wendy and Richard came back, and sang a song about Who,s going to water my Plants, Richard then doing a Double Jim Reeves tribute with Put Your Sweet Lips…Etc. and He,l have to Go.

Wendy sang a Welsh song, something sounding like Doc Thor Harry add….(can’t speak Welsh) followed by Rosanne Cashes Heartache by the Numbers,

Geoff then trundled back on and gave us a Jack Temkin (Eagles) song with Tom on Mandolin, Peaceful easy Feeling.

Followed by Robin Laigs Black Clothes.

We had a visitor from North Germany,

Catarina, who gave us a 200  year old sad German folk song, about a woman,  married to a sailor, who went away and didn’t come back. She sent her sons to look for him, and they didn’t come back ether, it was beautifully sung, acapella.  the type of song our own Geoff Hollis would sing….  She said she had a lovely evening, and hoped to visit us again.

The Evening was closed by Dave from  Hendre  (every second and fourth Monday) with Tom accompanying him singing Your Cheating Heart and Aborline.

SEE YOU ALL NEXT FRIDAY.

A good turn out this week with 34 people coming through the door.

Highlights of the night included Linda & Tom  singing ‘The Northern Plains’  followed by Colin with a good version of ‘Forever Young’ . Nice to see Tom Goodall at the Club with 3 numbers including ‘I’ll Make the Sunshine Out of the Rain.  I couldn’t tell if it worked or not as it was now dark outside. Two songs by Peter followed including ‘Valley of Tears’ .

Wendy was  a lot better this week after having a bad throat and unable to sing last time and she sang a couple of songs including ‘ I Go to Pieces’   Next was Richard supported by Tom with a few songs including ‘Oh Lonesome Me’

Mike Whittaker sang a few of his own songs including ‘My Old Man’ which always goes down well here at the Football Club.  John a newish face at the club sang three numbers ‘Crust’ ‘The Box’ and ‘First’  Terry got up on stage with ‘Trouble in Mind’ and ‘Pack up Your Sorrows’ and he was in good form.

Tony Grant was also in good form with ‘Bad Moon Rising’ and ‘Rio and then finished the evening with the Searchers hit ‘ When you Walk  in That Room’

It was a shame that Nathan & Steve had to go early. I ‘HOPE’ that Nathan will be better very soon. so along with Steve they will be entertaining us again soon.

More fun at the Rhyl Folk and Acoustic Club,  Hospitality Suite, Football Ground, Grange Road  Rhyl  next week 26th August 2016  Starts around 8 pm.  See you there !

All the best Geoff

Another fun night,

Highlights including Terry, ‘ Little old Wine Drinker Me,’  and the John Prine  ‘Unwed Fathers’,  and was followed by Geoff Hollis, who asked ‘Can you fix this Broken Heart’, the start of the very sad.(well it would be with Geoff!) very poignant,  and very beautiful Dar Williams song Family, ‘Let your love cover me, like a pair of Angel Wings’ beautiful lyrics, no one dies in the song, (they were already dead! )  Yes, it’s another song about a funeral, but it’s so good, and he sings  it so well that  I would love him to sing it at mine.  He followed that with one of my all time favourites, Mick Haney’s  Past The Point of rescue, with Tom playing the Mandolin.   More beautiful Lyrics,

Last night I dreamed you were back again
Larger than life again, holding me tight again
Placing those same kisses on my brow
Sweeter than ever now, lord I remember how
Couldn’t get enough of kissing, do you know how much you’re missing
No you don’t, but I do

The days like a slow train trickle by
And even the words that I write refuse to fly
All I can hear is your song haunting me
Can’t get the melody out of my head, you see
Distractions are amusing, do you know how much you’re losing
No you don’t, but I do

But I do, and I wonder if I’m past the point of rescue
Is no word from you at all the best that you can do
I never meant to push or shove you, do you know how much I love you
No you don’t, but I do

I swore I’d never fall like this again
Fools like me never win, came to my knees again
Can’t close the door on likely hood
Things might be just as good, I always believed they would
Gotta let your love invite me, baby do you think it might be
No you don’t, but I do

But I do, and I wonder if I’m past the point of rescue
Is no word from you at all the best that you can do
I never meant to push or shove you, do you know how much I love you
No you don’t, but I do

But I do, and I wonder if I’m past the point of rescue
Is no word from you at all the best that you can do
I never meant to push or shove you, do you know how much I love you
No you don’t, but I do
I know you don’t, but I do
I know you don’t, but I do

Geoff’s  songs always have exceptionally good lyrics, I’ve  not heard a bad one yet!

UNWED FATHERS

 

Two Duos Next,

Both completely different, First was Anne & Bob, who started with Bob Dylan’s  Stay Away, and finished their first spot with a blues number Last Train. It doesn’t get much better…. Well, it did actually, when they came on for the second time.

 Following Anne and Bob, we had Nathan and Steve, better Known as Hope.

They didn’t have a new song this week……..but they did have a very good song about eloping,  and an older song Nathan had written about 6 years ago, called Crazy, which he shared with us. A good set to take us to the break and raffle. (which Vera won!).

Tom and Linda started off the second music session.

followed by John,

Who entertained us with the great Kenny Rogers song You Picked a fine time to leave me Lucille.

Tom was back on the stage again with his slide guitar, accompanying Richard,

in Me and Bobby Magee, the Kris Kristofferson great, or Janis Joplin for those that can remember.

Then Tom was back again…

This time  with his violin! or was it a fiddle?  It came as no surprise to us regulars that he was also a very good fiddle player, why do some people have all the talent and others none?

Stuart followed, with Bill Withers Lovely Day

 Followed by Geoff,

Who finished with the thought- provoking  Richard Shindell song, The Ballad of Mary Magdalen, a great Finnish to his contribution to the nights entertainment.

And after we thought Anne and Bob couldn’t get any better…

They came Back, and gave us Stagger Lee, the  popular American folk song about the murder of Billy Lyons , and finished there set with a song from the boss! (Bruce Springsteen)

To close the evening, Hope came back on and gave us….

Two of their best, Temptation, and ‘Take it Slow.

Home time, after a very enjoyable night, and a big thanks to everyone in the background that makes these nights so much fun. See you in a few weeks.

A lot of our regular members were away at  ‘Folk at the Farm on  Anglesey, so it wasn’t the busiest night of the year!

But we still had e good time, Wendy  took the job as compare,  Jackie the door, and Jeff  the sound desk, Wendy also did an Edwina Hayes Tribute night, singing all Edwina Hayes songs, including I’ll leave a light on for you and No-bodies coming around, as well as accompanying Richard in a couple of songs (Yes, one was a Jim Reeves!!!)    Stewart did Desperado, the Eagles classic, followed by the S&G great America. Richard then took the stage accompanied by Colin on his Uke, to give us Pilgrim, by Steve Earl, and 500 Miles (Away from home)

Colin then took the stage Himself, (accompanied by his Epiphone, Tobacco Sunburst Les Paul style ukulele) and gave us Buddy Holly,s Raining in my Heart, and , yes, a Beatles song, Follow the sun.

Wendy then did Two Edwina Hayes Songs.

I Leave a Light on for you, and No-boddies coming around

Hope, Steve and Nathan then came on.and gave us Big Wheel Girl, and Loosing Everything.

Tom Goodall came up and gave us …

A Bruce Springsteen Cover, followed by one of his own compositions, ‘Everyone’s got a song about a train, so here’s mine’ I think that was the title anyway!

Wendy then introduced Tony onto the stage, he started of with the haunting Angel Flying too C lose to the Ground, by Willy Nelson, and finished his first spot with a just as good John Wright Song. What a writer,….I had a dream, and I gave it away, and the name that I gave it was your name… Tony’s got just the voice for it.

After the raffle…

Wendy,s Richard did a turn,  followed by John,  then Stewart singing Stand by Me.

Wendy, Richard and Colin, in true Rhyl tradition, decided to form a group…

and gave us their first ever song together Heartaches By the Number,

Hope came back on for their second spot, and sang an almost brand new song, never heard at Rhyl,  called Temptation.

Time for Tom Goodall final slot..

for which he gave us Mothers Hug.Wendy then sang the Edwena Hayes song Just another Bend in the Road, and the night was closed by Tony doing You got a Friend, and a rock medley, or two featuring  Honey Don’t! and the Parkinson’s song A whole lot of Shaking going on. A good night was had by all.

Richard and Tom started proceedings tonight with ‘The City of New Orleans’, ‘He was a Friend of Mine’ and ‘The Games People Play.’  Richard with Wendy followed singing ‘Walk Tall’ but Richard left his Val Doonican’s Jumper at home.  ‘Distant Drums’ and ‘Can’t Stop Loving You’ followed.  Wendy went all ‘Crazy’ and then did ‘Our Town’ and ‘Speed of the Sound of Loneliness’  making a very good start to the evening.

Linda and Tom only did one song about ‘the Irish rain’ and ‘Don’t you Believe’ and a good choice of ‘Waiting for the Times to Get Better’ in view of the Referendum result last night.  Terry was next and got very warm with ‘Old Flames’ and continued with ‘Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain’ ‘Long Black Veil.’  I started  off with ‘Saving a Place,’  ‘What’s the use of Wings,’ ‘Windy Harbour’  and Keith Marsden’s song about a Funeral.  Mike Whittaker sang  his own song ‘Don’t Ever Change’ one of my favourites by Mike, he also did a cover (doesn’t happen very often) of ‘Norwegian Wood.’

Tom Degney finished the night  with two songs ‘Sally’  and ‘Dr Jazz’.

All in all there were twenty eight people in the Club eight of which were performers.

A good night was had by all.

Don’t forget there is NO Club next week. We shall reconvene on 8th July 2016.

All the Best. Geoff