All I want for Christmas is Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

The Xmas Warm-Up at The George, Kilsby, is one of my favourite nights of the year. Radio 2 has begun playing the Christmas songs; well all except that one. It is a bit early for the office party, but there is a sense that the festivities can legitimately get under way.

After the usual welcome, I settled down to open the evening's performances with a couple of my songs. The first is my second Christmas Song, 'Santa Never Looked So Good' and then a reflection on finding myself in an old and familiar place that feels very different with the passage of time. This one was called 'Old Town Blues' and was written towards the end of this year.

Getting the Fender to hold its tune was a nightmare. A long day in the back of the van meant that once in the warm it moved all over the place. The Martin, which I'd ony brought along for playing with MDF, was unaffected, so it became my instrument of choice for the evening. In the second half I sang a seasonal 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' and Neil Diamond's 'Solitary Man'

Our next performer was Steve Edgar, now an established feature at The George. If anyone is going to get away with a bit of Beatles, it is Steve, who carries off the vocals with ease. Tonight we had a bit of George and a bit of John with 'Isn't It A Pity' and 'Imagine' before ending his first set with Neil Young's  'After The Gold Rush'. His second half offerings were Jeff Buckley's other song, 'Song To The Siren' and 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' Steve's being a cross between Isreal Kamakwawiwo'Ole and Eva Cassidy


Paddy Wex was third up on stage this
evening and entertained as usual with a range of songs from the sublime to the ridiculous. His own compositions topical as ever dealt with the season, 'Good King Whatsislad', the political 'You Chose Trump Voluntarily ( to a tune by Purcell) and 'Speciesism' a guide to political correctness that encompasss the feelings of all sentient beings. The sublime components were written by others, Tom Paxton's 'Last Thing On My Mind' and Ralph McTell's beautiful 'Nanna's Song'.

It was a pleasure to welcome back Brian and Alan. They were meant to be second up, but when I looked in their direction to call them to the stage Alan was just tucking into his dinner, and Steve stepped in. Still, they were worth the wait as they entered into a shared double slot.

Between them across the two sets they sang and played 'The Rocky Road To Dublin 12345', The lovely Alan Bell 'Windmills', 'The Black Leg Miner', is well known to The George audience, it being one of the MDF regulars, but Alan's vocals and frame drum accompaniment gave it a menacing feel; 'The Flower of Sweet Strabhane', 'It's A Working Man I Am', 'Dance Oh Dance Kate O'Neil', 'Spancil Hill' The Rout of The Blues' and one that involved a lot of 'whack fol de do foll de diddly I de day' but the title of which escaped me once again.


The Greengrass lineup this evening included the fabulous voice of Lauren. Their first song 'Wild Goose' gave my goosepimples.
Their second song I missed the title of, but it was a moving song. I tried to google the lyrics without success, so when I see Keith or Kate in the New Year I will be asking.
They ended their first half set with a rousing 'Old Salty' and the goose pimples were back in the second half with the Fairport Convention
'Who Knows Where The Time Goes' and 'Dance Me'

Roland had come out for an evening of audience participation, little realising that leaving his guitar at home would offer him no protection.
He borrowed my guitar for his ragtime medly 'For The Folk At The Oak' and gave us a couple of a cappella songs. 'The Dark Eyed Sailor' and the amusing 'Rottenstall Annual Fair'.

MDF were very light this evening with Ross, Mark and myself.
We performed Fisherman's Blues, Mud's 'Lonely This Christmas' and the evening's finale was an MDF favourite, 'Wagon Wheel', which we delivered enthusiastically with a little help from our friends.

Keep your eyes peeled for the review of 2016 and I look forward to welcoming the start of a new year with the February open music night, our famous 'Night of Lurve' love song conpetition, Friday 3rd February.