I was singing unaccompanied in the Tap & Spile on Saturday afternoon. Apart from there being a VERY high ambient noise level, a box player behind me tried to accompany me. This threw me, I just can't sing accompanied. Apart from anything else I find if I want to tweak the pitch / alter the tempo during the song...well I just can't. I'm sure these people mean well but they're really just a damned nuisance.

Some years ago I was singing unaccompanied at the Railway Folk Club in Lymm, a man with a bodhran started playing along. I had to ask him to stop and in consequence he saw his a*se (big time). It didn't help that he'd had more than enough beer. This guy gave me such a bollocking for not singing 'properly' that a now rarely go to what was a really good club. Sadly the club has changed it's title now and includes more 'pop' stuff than folk song & music.

On a brighter note, the Railway now has a most excellent sing a couple of times a month (Songs in the Snug, second and fourth Wednesday evenings))where a dozen or so singers gather to sing traditional (mainly unaccompanied) folk songs from the British Isles & further afield. Interestingly the change in direction of the Thursday former folk club night has spawned an excellent music session on the same night in a downstairs room of the pub. We often get good audiences!

I'm wandering.

John