Summer Concert at Walton Sports and Social Club 19 July

There were reports after Tuesday’s intense final band rehearsal of soloists having nightmares about being chased by microphones trying to kiss them and from seated band members about giant horseshoes squeezing the life out of them, (and that’s apart from rumours about affected individuals being offered black market valium pills as they staggered out of the club). But… as we know the search for perfection isn’t without its sacrifices and so our resilient band arrived in a determined and upbeat mood in light casual summer outfits to match the sweltering July evening. Inside, Joe and Rob were busy fine – tuning the tech and Geoff was receiving and organising the raffle prizes, while David and others were making sure band chairs were arranged in the aforementioned tight horseshoe shape. In the meantime, friends and family started to arrive and by the time we were ready for the off there were just enough people to abandon a contingency plan to send press gangs onto Shay Lane to make up the numbers, (our version of a crowdstrike!)

Thus, all was in place and David began proceedings, introducing the band in song and adding a ukulele riddle for good measure from his corny joke collection.

Three confidence boosting full band songs then followed complete with interesting snippets of background information also provided by our leader, thereby preparing the way for Pippa and Dave Blackburn to display their talents in the far from easy Zombies song She’s Not There. Another test, this time for the whole band was Daydream Believer where one instrumental ‘hook’ had caused problems on Tuesday. I suspect different strategies may have been used to overcome this hurdle: a) leaving it all to David, b) cheating by keeping to a plain C chord, c) alternating between C and C sus 4, or C and C and C+9 or, d) attempting all three chords and hoping any mistakes would be drowned out. Anyway, with this ordeal over and clammy clothes now even clammier, it was time to sit back and enjoy Mike S’s consummate and entertaining song about a tattooed lady followed soon after by Beryl’s silky voice with David providing the instrumental for It’s Getting Better and not long after that Rob was pulling out all the stops as Walton’s very own Donovan with harmonica to the fore. A quick mention here too for the idea of importing colourful, removable mike covers for tonight, thereby not only keeping nasty lurgies at bay but probably helping those suffering nightmares on Tuesday night to dream about lollipops instead. There was a very minor glitch when the band was nearly wrong footed when David launched into the opening chords of, I’m into Something Good before Hey Good Looking’ but as he said his song sheets had stuck together and of course we all believed him, (ahem).

The interval arrived but there was to be no rest for the wicked at the interval for our main man who performed more heroics by reading out innumerable winning raffle ticket numbers leaving him little time to recover before the second half resumed in the same vein with the same tried and trusted formula.  Chris emerged in an alter ego state as a Norfolk rustic of doubtful heritage, spinning a tale about his humble upbringing before leading an amusing sing – a – long version of Oh Dear What Can the Matter Be. As a complete but lovely contrast Carol performed her piece de resistance

before Mike Carr again changed the tempo with his electrified uke wizardry in Sultans of Swing followed shortly after by Dave Burgess, (himself no mean player),

and the depleted Thursday group performing an Everley Brothers ballad. Another full band song which went with a Bom Bom Bom (in the enforced absence of Val) was the Kinks Sunny Afternoon before Roy came to the mike once more with his proficient Teenager in Love.

In fact, there was no end to the individual talent as Melvyn and Tony demonstrated with their smooth rendition of Promises, an Eric Clapton number. The end of the marathon evening of entertainment was now in sight which was just as well with the thermometer still hovering around 30°C and puddles of perspiration liable to set off a tsunami of uke equipment and flailing bodies should anyone slip but who better than Pop to convey a chilled atmosphere with Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds before the whole band’s powerful finale, One Hundred Miles penned by David and Tony with made to measure lyrics. 

And so that was it, the summer extravaganza completed and a big pat on the back for David and for everyone in the band. 

 Next up, after Tuesday’s session and to round off this hectic season is the Ridings next Wednesday, 24th July – 10:30 for 11 a m. assuming there are no outages before then.