Music In The Vineyard, Farnham
Music In The Vineyard, Farnham – Sunday 26th February 2023.
Having not gigged too much in December and January for a couple of reasons (the football World Cup and illness) it’s been really nice to get back into a steady stream of gigs in February.
After a great social club evening in Winchester and a fabulous event in Bordon we arrive at this council run event in a lovely church hall in Farnham firing on all cylinders, we’ve been playing well.
Sandy and I head over early to set the PA up (Valentine is laid up elsewhere today), well, we have a bit of a false start before we get going actually! The battery has died in Sandy’s car. We look at each other not knowing what to do and I then run in to the pub opposite our house where landlord Dave happily agrees to come and help give the car a push to get it bump started. Phew! Thanks Dave. We get going.
Upon arrival in Farnham, we are greeted with huge traffic jams, it appears there has been a farmers’ market in town this morning which is coming to an end just as we arrive.
However, Sandy and I arrive at the venue just as some other event is kicking out. I look around for someone in charge but can’t seem to find anybody. No matter, I can see the stage, so I set about bringing all the equipment in.
As I clear the stage and am moving some bits and pieces out of the way a guy approaches me as I manoeuvre an old guitar amp off the stage. “That’s mine” he says, “Oh sorry” I say “I was just moving it out of the way”. “Oh don’t worry, it’s fine” he says “I’m getting rid of it actually, I don’t need it, do you want it? You can have it”….. and with that we load it into Sandy’s car. Thanks mister. Sandy then heads back home to look after Poppy Popstar, our lovely Cavapoo.
With plenty of time I set about setting up the PA and am just about done when the rest of the band turn up, perfect timing.
While everyone is setting up and getting ready a familiar face walks in. “Hello Lucky, I was in the area today so I thought I would pop in”. Wow, I’m shocked, it’s Rod Davis from The Quarrymen, John Lennon’s pre-Beatles skiffle band!! I interviewed Rod for one of my radio shows a couple of years ago. We kept in touch, and he’s been meaning to come along and play with us. I’m gobsmacked. Rod says he would like to play a couple of numbers with us today. Of course, we agree and continue to set up while Rod goes off for something to eat.
Soundcheck quickly and painlessly finished we all head off to the coffee and cake stand (oh yes, we’re so rock ‘n’ roll!) Finny 2-Cakes outdoes everyone though, he must be hungry!!
Rod returns and we discuss which 2 songs he would like to play with us and in which keys. We’re adaptable so it’s all agreed. He wants to play at the end of the first set so I quickly get on to Sandy to ask her to come back early so she can photograph and video the moment Rod joins us on stage.
A bit of juggling with the rest of the songs from the first set and we’re off. Straight in to “Slow Down”. We’re playing well again, great sound and great fun. Our new original song “Living Without You” gets an airing in front of its co-writer James Slingo which is a lovely moment. Then it’s time for Rod. I introduce him and you can see the shocks on a lot of people’s faces as they reach for their phones to take photos and videos. Without any rehearsal with us at all we go into “Maggie Mae”, Rod starting slowly, and we all just join in. Fabulous. Despite Rod giving Richey a solo when there isn’t a guitar solo in that song it goes brilliantly. The crowd have loved it. Next up we play “Twenty Flight Rock”, the old Eddie Cochran song, again with Rod leading the way. Again, it goes without a hitch. What an awesome end to the first set. We pose for photos with Rod (and the mayor!) and mingle with the crowd during the interval. The staff here have been photographing and filming everything and inform us that there will be a write-up in the local paper coming. It’s all good publicity as far as we are concerned!
After the short break we head in to the second set with plenty of vigour and excitement. It goes brilliantly too and we end with one of our new original songs “Everybody’s Screaming” (about the late great Screaming Lord Sutch). There has been dancing in the audience from the band, mass singalongs from the crowd and plenty of dancing from the crowd too. It has been an incredible afternoon.
With thanks to Farnham Town Council, for organising such a brilliant event, we pack up and head home. Exhausted but happy.
- Lucky