Swaffham Ex Services Club

Got away a bit late but had a good run over to find Dave already unloaded and making space in the drive for me to back in. Soon got unloaded and then looked for parking – there wasn’t much space at the front of the club, but I eventually settled on a space in front of a house nearby. Meanwhile Nige had arrived and by the time he got unloaded there was no parking anywhere in the vicinity, so he had to drive back to town and walk back! Set up was OK. We used our lights at the back of the stage. The aim was to bounce off the ceiling and back onto the band, but I think the end result was more of a silhouette. Dave had set up a bit close to me, so I was unsure of using the 12 string, but in the end he said he would exit on Nige’s side so I set it up. Did a bit of meet and greeting, then it was time to get changed in the committee room. We did red with white ties and black waistcoats – smart and colourful enough thanks to Jenny washing mine while Jacqui is in hospital. Then it was on for a one hour set 1. We started off well. Despite a bit of a slap back echo from the stage side walls it was a good on stage sound. The banter was going well right from the start when I did a Bruce Springsteen “He----llo Market Shipboro” We got the logic right on the Everlys patter as I looked to Dave to say “I thought you said do the “Beverley Sisters?” Unfortunately then there some confusion over which pair of Everly songs we were doing. I called for, and eventually we did, “Cathy’s Clown and Bye Bye Love” There were a few up and dancing from the off and the dancing carried on as we progressed through the set, highlights included a particularly amusing Shadows walk with one of the guvnors making very rude use of the rubber guitar and the 4 Seasons and Hollies medleys which, unusually, kept people dancing and also garnered lots of warm applause. The slowies filled the floor and all was well apart from a bit of phlegm in Dave’s throat for the big end with “I Believe” In the break Eileen (who had seen us at Northwold) requested Johnny B Goode and I said we would oblige. We changed into the white dragon shirts for set 2 and it took a bit longer for people to get up and dance. So turning to entertainment Dave wisely called for “Alice” after the Eagles. This routine went really well and was much improved by Nige being on the phone for the delayed bass run into the chorus “I told you not to call me at work” he says! After an amusing “Halfway” where Nigel got put in a girly wig”, Elvis and Neil Diamond made an appearance and filled the dance floor. Then we did “Johnny Be Goode”. I messed up the guitar start but once we got into it the dance floor was rocking. The guitar problem is that the clean rock solo sound I go for is too brittle to get any sustain coupling between the guitar and amp – it makes it too hard to play because you have to pick and finger each note too cleanly in the time available (its fast for a slow hand like me). So I will try using the dirty sound on this in future to get the sustain. Also throughout the night, I had had trouble switching sounds because the pedal board was out the sight line due to lack of space – this is becoming a regular problem, I must try placing it differently! We finished off with the Bay Cities and “Love Is All Around”. We had got a bit disorganised towards the end but I don’t think anyone noticed much. While we were off for the raffle, We got a request to do an 81st Birthday for Cyrill who had played sax on “Britains Got Talent” he was in great shape for his age and wore the birthday hat well! Then it was back onto the usual sequence from “500 Miles”; but missing out “The Twist” ‘cos we had done it earlier -consequently we cocked up the start of “Locomotion”. After “Unchained” we did “Hi Ho” and “All Right Now”, then I called for Nige to do “Sweet Caroline”, Dave and I couldn’t stop ourselves going into the other two old Foot Tapper Status Quo numbers which although enthusiastically played were a bit shambolic. Towards the end there was a fight at the far end of the hall and the police arrived as we finished to take statements. With the audience a bit distracted and time marching on, it was time to wrap up with “Pretty Woman” and encore with “Wonderful tonight”. As we came off we sold a CD to a couple of autograph collectors. A gig of two halves I think. We played pretty well to start but we got increasingly out of kilter as the night progressed – partly due to trying to read the audience and change things on the fly! But I thought the entertainment aspects had gone very well, the management were well pleased and we look forward to our re-appearance later in the year. Pack up was hard work, but I got away about 12:30 am and was home for 1:20am on a wild, windy and cold night.