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PAST GIGS
FISH SYMPHONY - The ‘The Fish Symphony’ a production by award winning arts company Strange Cargo, took place on the opening day of the Herne Bay Festival.
Freedom Songs - Songs of peace and protest, past and present. The voice of Human protest is never silent; the themes of Human protest are never exhausted for there is always injustice in the world, always cruelty and exploitation, always poverty and hunger, always War and destruction, always hatred and bigotry, always intimidation and fear. But by the same token there is a courage in the Human spirit that will always protest these evils - from the prisoner who carves his cry of innocence into the prison walls as the scaffold for his hanging is being built in his prison yard beyond the bars of his window, to the troubadour who sings his poems of defiance beneath the rostrum where the dictator stands. Let freedom ring The Rattlaz at The Tour de France. July 2007 It is a promising Sunday morning in early July and Jack and I are off early to Canterbury to unload the gear before the crowds arrive. Strange Cargo, the Folkestone based arts company, has organised a programme of outdoor entertainment for the day that could be high risk in this summer of floods but today the Gods are smiling or rather Les Dieux sourient and all looks set fair for the speeding men high on bicycles and performance enhancing drugs. The new piazza in Canterbury, you know the one near Ann Summers, has been converted into a picnic garden, all turf and straw bales for the afternoon's entertainment. It is a Dear Prudence day. The sun is out; the sky is blue; it's beautiful... So we get the gear unloaded and stashed beneath the big, high stage which has been specially erected, and head off to the assembly point where the parade of giants (or should that be geants?) is getting ready for the off. I manage to grab a cup of coffee from Strange Cargo's lovely Lisa. Jack, with more serious intent, discovers that some of the French contingent have a copious supply of pastis which they are more than willing to share with a brother from across La Manche, even if he is a supporter of Man U! And we watch the parade, an epic necklace of twelve foot French and English giants making their preponderant way through the streets of Canterbury all with fixed expressions that, ironically, seem so mobile and capable of expression. They also have, writ big, that spooky quality some puppets possess. All this accompanied by street bands, British and French, a joyous cacophony echoing through the medieval spaces of the old city. We are last band on in the afternoon, so after a bite to eat we make our way back to the piazza, and enjoy the entertainment. I am particularly taken with the massive drumming band from Brighton, about fifty bouncing people strong, all laughing, banging drums and bits of metal and moving to their infectious Latin/jungle rhythms in a way impossible not to respond to. Three lady dancers danced out front to add to the visual thrill and one of them, a young French lass, had une derriere marvelleuse , just made for rhythmic movement. By the time The Rattlaz come on, following two rather earnest, nervous bands, we decide to crank up the endorphins, make it into a bit of a party and spread some joi de vivre. So us old boys, Jack and me, with young boy Kevin, do just that. The piazza is warm and full, happy humans of all ages enjoying themselves in the sun, and we are relaxed and enjoying ourselves too, watching the balloons floating and people dancing and relaxing on the real grass which Strange Cargo have so thoughtfully and miraculously provided. It was a great gig. Loved it. Chris T. the RattlazTenderden Folk Festival. October 2007 It isearly October; one of those late summer/early autumn days that are sort of sad because the dark days are soon to come and the fields of cereal that were only recently soft emerald then crisp golden are now just sharp stubble. The sky is grey. The Rattlers have been asked by Kathy and Bob Drage to do a set in the tent in the garden at the back of The Woolpack on the Sunday afternoon of Tenderden Folk Festival. No fee involved. Let's call it a show case event. Anyway, Kathy and Bob are lovely people and good friends of the band, so why not? We arrive early in the afternoon to check the place out. Yes, there is a marquee rigged on the somewhat muddy lawn to the rear of the pub. It seems a bit off the beaten track. Over the way are the Talking Elephant Record and Hobgoblin stalls. Two people are seated at one of those pub picnic tables in the tent, and a man is on stage reciting poems and singing acapella folk songs. He has that depressing habit, often observed at Folk Clubs, of apologising for his performance before he has given it. The beat is not very up and the auguries not particularly auspicious. Still, we are here now so, what the hell? When The Simon Hopper Band begins to play, more people arrive and the atmosphere in the tent picks up. They play a really tight, well rehearsed set of mostly original material. Very enjoyable. At the end of it Andee asks us if she can sit in with us. After the gig, the man at Talking Elephant was effusive in his praise of the band, as was the guy from Hobgoblin. Maybe they were just being neighbourly. Still, it felt like we had lots of neighbours that day, and friends. A lot of people wanted to stay back and chat after the gig, which was nice. Thanks for asking us, Bob and Kathy. Maybe see you there next year. CD REVIEW • SONGS OF PEACE & PROTEST - The Rattlaz Available for download at www.smugglersmusic.com and www.efolkmusic.org This CD began life as The concert for peace & protest (see above) and we are very glad it was recorded! |
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