It was our first evening in The Urban Bar. It was January-cold and winter-harsh outside on the mean streets of Whitechapel, but inside Song Club East concert#5 it was warm, welcoming and songwriter-sensitive.
It comes in threes at Song Club East: singers, guitars, songwriters and now in our new home, three barstools and mics. Very songwriters-circle, very conversational.
Our guests were stalwart adherents to the singer-songwriter code with story songs, tales of broken hearts and sympathetic left-of-centre-humane socio-political prognostications.
In the week that David Bowie left us bereft, Our Man in the Field, played for us the day before the birth of his child (8.4lbs, apparently). The circle keeps turning.
Alex (OMitF) name-checked Vin Garbutt as an influence and his dry, direct delivery was reminiscent of the north-east folk-legend and fellow Teessider. He sang L'Etranger, to applause from the French contingent in the audience. His caustic Background Hum tells of inhumane attitudes to those escaping war and famine propagated by the right-wing media. Low-key but warm, his stage presence compliments his songs. We were charmed by his visit.
For the second time in as many concerts we were sought out by a transatlantic fan of song-writing (and welcome to him). His visit was well-timed as it coincided with the appearance of a transatlantic artist in the shape of Robert Chaney. He played songs written by an old girlfriend, by Irving Berlin and by himself. He and our US visitor reminisced about songwriters they knew from home and Robert showed why Americana tale-telling-in-song is such a popular genre here with intriguing songs such as The Ballad of Edward and Lisa and The Cyclist.
Your host (me) contributed with material from his back catalogue, encompassing the creation of everything and how to say a final goodbye with joy.
We loved having our guests along. We loved having the audience there, too.
Join us next month for Various Guises and Adrian Johnson. February 11th.
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