Sunday, December 28, 2008

Havering Folk Club seeks new venue

Well, the last night at Havering Folk Club turned out to be the last at the Golden Lion EVER.

The bloody pub has only gone into receivership. Bummer.

Apparently this kind of thing happens quite a lot to my Havering Folk Club friends, so looking for a new venue is a regular activity.

See www.romfordrecorder.co.uk

Orchid Group, the company which owns the 500-year-old pub, in High Street, Romford, went into administration.

Customers of the Grade II listed building this weekend were stunned to find it closed without warning.

Loyal patron Eric Willson, 63, from Collier Row, said: "It was a bit of a shock. People who arrived on Saturday night couldn't believe it."

The pub has now been taken over by Punch Taverns. It will be closed until mid-January, but staff will be paid in the meantime.


Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Last Night at Havering Folk Club

It was my last night at Havering Folk Club of 2008 since I'll be missing the xmas party next week.

I started the first half with Not John from Loudon Wainwright since it was Remember John Lennon day on Monday, then Steeleye Span's version of Captain Coulston - well my version really.

In the second half I got the chance to do Sitting on the Bank, one of my own songs from very long ago.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Working Class Hero - John Lennon



As soon as you're born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and class less and free
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

There's room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

If you want to be a hero well just follow me
If you want to be a hero well just follow me

Monday, December 08, 2008

8/12/1980 RIP John Lennon

It was 28 years ago today John Lennon got shot.

This tribute song is by Loudon Wainwright III

NOT JOHN

The limousine was waiting outside the studio
In stepped poor John Lennon and his wife Yoko
Oh no, not John

On up 44th Street, left at 8th Avenue
Up to the Dakota; a man waits there for you
Oh no, yes John

The man's name it is Chapman, come from Honolulu
He really loved your music, John, got a Japanese wife, too
Oh no, poor Sean

Five bullets in your body, that's what the experts say
They say you signed an autograph for him on that very day
Oh no, not John

There was a vigil at the Roosevelt, at the Dakota too
Silence in Central Park, they had a riot in Liverpool

Now Chapman's in the jailhouse - what's he doing there?
He went and he shot John Lennon. All you heroes best beware
Oh no, not John

The limousine was waiting outside the studio
In stepped poor John Lennon and his wife Yoko
Oh no, not John

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Andy Roberts on guitar


Andy+R+on+guitar
Originally uploaded by Andyrob
Andy Roberts on guitar
Photo by Ray Blockley at Welsh Cider Festival possibly 2004

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Andy Roberts Music

last night I returned to playing Andy Roberts Music at the Havering Folk Club
on a slightly quieter than usual singers night. Some of the regulars were off sick with colds etc and the audience seemed less inclined to join in the singing. There were some excellent new floor spots though, with more guitar players than usual which makes a change.

So I played my most recent version of Searching for Venus with reference to the recent conjunction of Venus and Jupiter with the moon. Hmm, well it seems the version on Last.fm is very different so maybe I'll need to re-record that one in the new year.

Then I played "When the Waters Rise" which is a dramatic tango about climate change but realised I haven't successfully memorised all the words yet.

Due to the new campaign to start the evening's entertainment more promptly there was even time to do one number in the second half so I played "The Wreckers Prayer" again since I've been getting some very positive feedback about that particular song.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Tom Bliss at Havering Folk Club

It was a Special Guest Night this week at havering Folk Club with Tom Bliss who we just missed at Crail back in September when we were in Fife.

It was good to see Simon back for a short visit after suffering severe back trouble, and that a £5 entrance night can still generate a sizeable crowd for a weekly club.

There was only time for each floor spot to do one song so I did Cormorants, which has been on my mind this week.

Missing Week at Havering Folk Club

Oops I seem to have missed recording which songs I played at Havering Folk Club last week, so I'll have an incomplete archive unless I make amends now.

November 12th 2008

I took along my Rock and Roll guitar

Archtop guitar - make unknown

And played first one of my own songs, Doing it all Alone - which Linda likes and then Memphis Tennessee

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Memphis Tennessee Chuck Berry Lyrics

Long distance information give me Memphis Tennessee
Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me
She could not leave a number but I know who placed the call
'Cause my uncle took a message and he wrote it on the wall

Help me information get in touch with my Marie
She's the only one who'd phone me here from Memphis, Tennessee
Her house is on the south side, high upon the ridge
Just a half a mile from the Mississippi bridge

Help me information, more than that I cannot add
Only that I miss her and all the fun we had
But we were pulled apart because her mom did not agree
And tore apart our happy home in Memphis Tennessee

Last time I saw Marie she was waving me good-bye
With hurry home drops on her cheeks that trickled from her eye
Marie is only six years' old, information please
Help me get in touch with her in Memphis Tennessee

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Havering Folk Club Halloween Party

So last night was the Havering Folk Club Halloween Party which is like a normal week but with dressing up and spectacle!

I sang one of my older songs, Joan of Arc

"The nights are getting colder and the evenings are getting dark"

and Unrequited by Loudon Wainwright with the HA ,ha, ha, ho, ho ho follow the leader type thing....

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Four songs

Back from my Dad's funeral in Cornwall.

With a few regulars absent at Havering Folk Club this week, we still had a fun evening. John had heard me practicing "Hesitation Blues" so I started with that as a sort of request, then decided to sing "Samson and the Warden", a Loudon Wainwright song.

Samson And The Warden




In the second half I did an unusual thing for me, I decided irt was time for a traditional singalong and introduced the Essex audience to "Going up Camborne Hill coming down" accompanied by a pint of beer. Then I picked up the guitar and played "See Emily Play" the Pink Floyd classic.

So no Andy Roberts songs this week then.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Missing Weeks

I missed a couple of weeks at the Havering Folk club recently due to illness and events, so the last one I attended was on October 8th, another singers' night at which I played "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" "Don't you Grieve" and the Wreckers Prayer, my first repeat.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Havering Folk Club Videos

I put one little clip up after the first time I attended Havering folk club in Romford but sometimes Peter is there with a large video camera, tripod and everything.

This is the clip of the band called Balgores playing live at Havering Folk Club back in July.

Half Finished Songs

I've been on holiday in Scotland and managed to do a little bit of work on my half finished songs, not much, but a bit. It was great having a guitar with me on holiday. I'll have to make sure I can find a way to do that when I fly as well. Travel guitar I suppose.

Blue is 90% finished so I need to record that now.

When the waters rise is coming on.

I played Blue at the Havering folk club upon my return, followed by Norwegian Wood. Next week I might join in the idea of doing something from Oh Brother Where Art Thou , hence My Dear Someone which isn't actually in the film, but is from the CD of the concert by the people from the soundtrack of the film.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Neil Diamond?

I never thought I'd ever play a Neil Diamond song but I'd been enjoying "I'm a believer" recently and decided to look up the second verse. My version owes something to Robert Wyatt but obviously I don't sound anything like him.

The first song I played this week was "Mozambique" from Bob Dylan's 1970s Desire album.

Here's a recording from Splinters when I played Mozambique

A funny thing happened, we met someone whose daughter is playing a leading part in the play we're going to see later this month - Come Dancing musical by Ray Davies of the Kinks

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Two More Andy Roberts Songs

This week I continued to play my own songs, one sad and one happy. The sad or rather miserable song required a chair to put my foot up on so I could play the last chord, bringing laughter. I suppose that's better than inducing group depressive psychosis.

Shifting Sands




The second song was "Back in the Field" with some audience participation in the chorus.


Saturday, August 23, 2008

Return to Havering Folk Club

After a week's absence I returned to Havering Folk Club brandishing my yard of japanese plywood with NEW STRINGS which was great.

I played two of my own songs, both of which have never been played live before:

Mondura Dam

and

Winter in Andalucia

Then I got a chance in the second half to play one more - Maxime le Forestier's

San Francisco

Friday, August 08, 2008

Havering Folk Club

It was a testing evening at Havering Folk Club this week, with intrusive music coming up from downstairs due to some kind of organisational discoordination.

I took along my 12 string guitar again and played one song, Michael Chapman's Postcards from Scarborough
Next week I'll probably have to give Romford a miss as it's probably going to be London Wiki Wednesday

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Archtop Guitar

This week at the Havering Folk Club I took along my old Archtop Guitar and played a couple of bluesy songs.

The same old blues


I know this from J J Cale and Captain Beefheart but there's also a Lynnrd Skynrd version and I'm not sure who wrote it.

Down Drinking at the bar



By Loudon Wainwright

I've been singing this one since the early seventies. It's from the Attempted Moustache album. I think it sounds good on the jazz guitar.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Havering Folk Club

Havering Folk Club



I played for the first time at Havering Folk Club last night which was fine. There's no amplification, just a nice upstairs room with good acoustics and a small friendly crowd of regulars. We can get there on the train really easily so this is better than anything that exists in East London, which is not a lot.

I sang in the first half:

* Cormorants
* The Nutmeg Tree

later:

* The Wreckers Prayer

which got the audience going in the chorus. I'll be going back to Havering Folk Club

Saturday, July 12, 2008

How to write Lyrics?

Not sure about this video presentation about but there's an article over at DARnet called how to write Lyrics which at least tells an interesting story about songwriting

The comments are interesting too, because there seemed to be two different approaches to writing lyrics and songwriting but in fact most people agree that you really need both inspiration and also discipline.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

I'm uploading Gernika to a new blog via email.

It's now presented in an mp3player widget at andyroberts.posterous.com/gernika-by-andy-roberts

And it only took a couple of minutes to upload all 12 MB

Monday, June 02, 2008

Nick Harper in action


Nick Harper in action
Originally uploaded by Andyrob
Nick Harper is brilliant and this was him in action at the guitar festival in London's Southbank centre a couple of years ago.

The smaller gigs at the 12 bar club in Denmark street were good too.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

The chinese Lute still sounds pretty good. I sang "The Wreckers Prayer".

The chords are the same as for a mandolin.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

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