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Thread: Sussex gig on 24 July (Read 14810 times) |
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snodin
MV Fresher
I love Midnight Voices!
Posts: 4
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Sussex gig on 24 July
« : 20.05.06 at 22:25 » |
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Hi,
I'm new to the Board so hello to all the regular 'voices'.
Anyone planning on coming to the gig in Sussex on 24 July? The Ravenswood is a great venue - it's a 15th Century Sussex Manor House, and we'll be in the Baronial Room, complete with galleried landings, shields and Stag's heads! We have the excellent (and very English) singer, Liz Simcock, on the same bill - should make for a really good night. Tickets have just gone on sale (£10 - tel 01342 716975/714810 or email me at martin@acousticsussex.org.uk)
If you want any information on transport, local eateries or accommodation, just ask (or check out the Acoustic Sussex website).
Regards,
Martin Snodin
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https://peteatkin.com/forum?board=App&action=display&num=1148160328&start=0#0  |
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Grahame59
MV Fresher
I love Midnight Voices!
Posts: 3
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #1: 14.07.06 at 16:24 » |
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Hi Pete
I am coming to your gig on the 24th and wondered if you have decided on a set list yet and, if so, if it will be announced on here prior to the gig.
Grahame
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https://peteatkin.com/forum?board=App&action=display&num=1148160328&start=1#1 |
Grahame
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Pete Atkin
MV Deity
Posts: 508
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #2: 19.07.06 at 09:49 » |
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When it's just me, I hardly ever decide on a setlist until just before I go on. There have been a few exceptions, but usually I have a list of songs which I think I fancy doing and which I've therefore done a bit of work on, and I then usually decide on which two or three I'll start with; after that I go with the feel of things, and in any case sometimes blow myself off course by thinking of something out of the blue (or by responding, sometimes ill-advisedly, to a request). In other words, posting in advance is not really an option. (Besides and incidentally, would it make a difference to whether you decided to come?!)
Still making my list
Pete
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Grahame59
MV Fresher
I love Midnight Voices!
Posts: 3
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #3: 19.07.06 at 16:38 » |
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Thanks for the reply Pete.
No, it would make no difference at all to whether I'm coming - I've been to a few of your gigs, have all your albums and have been a fan since the mid-70s!
I only asked as I am bringing two people with me who are less familiar with your work and who asked me if I knew what you were singing, maybe so they could familarise themselves with those songs beforehand.
No worries, we're looking forward to a great evening.
Grahame
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https://peteatkin.com/forum?board=App&action=display&num=1148160328&start=3#3 |
Grahame
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S J Birkill
MV Administrator
just a sensible reserve
Posts: 848
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #4: 19.07.06 at 17:31 » |
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Hello Grahame
Perhaps you have a song in mind you think would appeal to your... people? You might consider venturing a request -- Pete will sometimes go out of his way to please, even if you ask for something obscure. Just tell yourself you're saving him the live stress of deciding on the night whether to attempt it -- he's got 5 days to prepare...
Steve
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https://peteatkin.com/forum?board=App&action=display&num=1148160328&start=4#4 |
Stephen J Birkill
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Grahame59
MV Fresher
I love Midnight Voices!
Posts: 3
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #5: 19.07.06 at 17:40 » |
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Thanks for the tip, Steve. Here goes...
Pete, if you *are* taking requests, I would LOVE you to play Driving Through Mythical America. A terrific song and one you haven't sung at the gigs I've attended, but also because one of the people who will be at the gig on Monday is an American, from Texas to be precise, a lovely lady by the name of Jo-Ella.
My son Stephen will be there too. A guitar player himself, he loves Thief in the Night.
Thanks and here's hoping!
Grahame
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https://peteatkin.com/forum?board=App&action=display&num=1148160328&start=5#5 |
Grahame
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David Morgan
MV Feature
Posts: 53
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #6: 20.07.06 at 10:35 » |
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While we're in requests corner for next Monday, can I just say that I'd love to hear one or two favourites from the (sadly neglected at recent gigs that I've attended) Lakeside Sessions repertoire. My ideal menu would include the obvious (Canoe, Ice Cream Man, Dream of Fair Women) and the perhaps less obvious (Femme Fatale, With Her It Goes Deeper, You Alone Will Be My Last Adventure and, topping them all(!!), The Ties That Bind You).
Would love to hear any of these, if they fit. Or if not....any chance of Faded Mansion on the Hill or Senior Citizens (yet again!)?
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Ian Chippett
MV Fellow
In the clear at over fifty-five
Posts: 332
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #7: 20.07.06 at 13:36 » |
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I'd like to put in a request for "My Egoist" which Pete sang when he came to Paris back in I999 (?) thus making my day, if not year.Shan't be there on Monday alas for geographical reasons but if everybody learns the words and all join in at the top of their (Midnight) voices maybe I'll pick something up over here in not-so-gay Paree.
Ian C
Down and out in Paris
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Richard Bleksley
MV Fixture
My time has come to find a better way
Posts: 164
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Sussex gig on 24 July: Report
« Reply #8: 25.07.06 at 02:25 » |
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I don't know if you could say there was such a thing as a typical venue for an Atkin gig, seeing as how they're so few and far between, but if there were, the Ravenswood would not be it. A mansion, no less, set in lush wooded grounds - and the room itself comes complete with beamed ceiling, huge arched fireplace, minstrel's gallery and its own bar (yes, selling real ale). The perfect venue for a warm summer's evening, and even with the big fans swishing round overhead and the doors leading to the terrace and lawn outside thrown wide open it was very, very warm.
It's not easy to assess an artist on a first hearing, but by the second or third number I knew I was going to like Liz Simcock, who opened the proceedings - an attractive, individualistic and expressive voice, some very good songs (though not quite all of them hit it off with me straightaway), some quite nifty guitar work and a nice sense of humour (though mainly displayed between rather than in the songs). I particularly liked Scissors Cuts Paper, an angry song commenting on the seemingly never-ending conflicts in such places as Ulster and the Middle East, with a strong backing and appropriately vehement vocal delivery. A considerable talent, I'd say, yet another example of the amount of it that's bubbling away underground, beneath the notice of the mass media, while talentless nerds make fortunes.
Pete was in fine voice and gave one of the most assured performances I've witnessed from him, with very few glitches, stopping only now and again to mop his face with a large red handkerchief (or maybe it was a small towel). In particular, his guitar work was confident and seamless. Sartorial note: no question of odd socks this time, since he wasn't wearing any.
Since Janice graced us with her presence (and we had a nice chat in the interval) I won't keep a dog and bark myself by attempting to remember the setlist. I'll just try for some highlights.
The opener was the song that was first heard at Eastbourne earlier this year, and whose title has now been confirmed as Time to Burn. I liked it then and I liked again this time. In fact all three of the performed but so far unrecorded new songs appeared on the "menu."
An interesting departure was the coupling of the new song Me to Thank (first heard at Walthamstow last year) onto the front of Payday Evenings as a sort of intro.
The biggest rarity of the evening was a song Pete said he'd unearthed while sorting out some old papers, never recorded and so old that both he and Clive had forgotten about it. And that arch-completist, Andy Love, wasn't there… Called The King Is Dead, it had a rollicking piano accompaniment that my missus, keyboard aficionado that she is, rather enjoyed.
I've said there were very few glitches. The possibility arose (according to Pete) when he announced the only song of the evening he hadn't prepared at all, as it was in response to an on-the-night request. Since the song in question was Beware of the Beautiful Stranger, there were no problems, though.
Pete finished by saying how much he enjoyed doing these occasional performances, thanking the audience for making this pleasure possible for him - a nice touch, I thought.
My ever-loving wife (Off-topic trivia question: can anyone tell me which American author I pinched that phrase from?) had her moment of glory just before we left. I had just expressed my surprise to Pete when he'd said he hadn't noticed I was there, seeing as how we were right in the middle of the front row. He explained that he doesn't look at the audience when he's singing so as not to be put off, but concentrates on the wall at the back of the room. Quick as a flash, Mrs. Bleksley said: "So near you couldn't see it, eh?"
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David Morgan
MV Feature
Posts: 53
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #9: 25.07.06 at 10:36 » |
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Richard's summed it up pretty well. Other highlights for me were Winter Spring's three gems - Empty Table, Dancing Master and Prayers Against the Hitman - and a fine revival (for Grahame) of Driving Through Mythical America: an interesting challenge for solo acoustic guitar, as Pete observed, but he rose to it. Lyrics bees will have noted a potentially song-stopping glitch as Pete leapt from one 35-year-old stanza to another, but the Master of the Revels recovered smoothly, of course.
A lovely Thief in the Night & Ice Cream Man early in the set also deserve mention, and it was fascinating to hear about the genesis of Beware of the Beautiful Stranger, all those years ago on the road between Cambridge and the old A1.
Highlights?? I'm trying to recall lowlights. After all, as the MC reminded us, we were hearing just a few excerpts from the catalogue of probably the UK's finest songwriting team, so why should there be lowlights? It was a joy from beginning to end, as ever.
Oh - that's Damon Runyon's description of your wife, I think, Richard? Another writer with a style that's hard to copy!
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Richard Bleksley
MV Fixture
My time has come to find a better way
Posts: 164
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #10: 25.07.06 at 10:57 » |
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Right first time, David! For those unfamiliar, Runyon was the author of the humorous tales of Broadway low-life upon which the musical Guy and Dolls was based.
Oh, and by using the word "highlights" I didn't mean to imply that there were any lowlights!
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https://peteatkin.com/forum?board=App&action=display&num=1148160328&start=10#10 |
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Kevin Cryan
MV Fellow
I love Midnight Voices!
Posts: 1144
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #11: 25.07.06 at 11:46 » |
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As far as I know, the phrase ever-loving wife rarely appears anywhere except on tombstones, birthday and anniversary cards, and in the social and personal columns of newspapers. Maybe that is why it seems to have a familiar literary ring about it.
There was an episode of The Saint (the sixties series which starred Roger Moore) called The Ever Loving Spouse, but I do not think for one moment that this was what you have in mind when you asked the question.
The adjectival phrase ever loving appears quite often in Christian liturgy. This random example is taken from an American prayer book:
Quote:Prayer of a Parent for a Departing Soldier
Father all-powerful and ever-loving God (my italics), from before we were born, your love has nurtured and sustained us. Hear my prayer for N., my son/daughter. Keep him/her safe in time of battle and faithful to you, day in and day out. Bring him/her safely home to those who love him/her. We ask this through Christ our Lord. |
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.
You'd imagine that phrase ever-loving would appear in song lyrics more often than it actually does. It appears in Nick Cave's Bless His Ever Loving Heart but in that song it's religious love that been spoken of:
Quote:
Bless his ever loving heart
Only he knows who you are
He may seem so very far
Bless his ever loving heart
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It's there in Lillyn Brown and Her Jazz-Bo Syncopaters' Ever Lovin’ Blues, which, I think it's fair to say, speaks of secular rather than spiritual love:
Quote:
I'd give up all my money
If someone would call me honey,
To a good man my my heart I'd love to lose,
So don't be hesitating
And keep me here a-waiting,
Because I've got those ever-lovin' blues!
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But, from your point of view, the phrase that comes closest to phrase we started out with pops up in the Sid Tepper and Roy Bennett number from the Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii , Beach Boy Blues
Quote:
I want a taste of honey
From my wahini's lips
I want to be her ever loving man (my italics)
But I'm a kissing cousin to a ripe pineapple
I'm in the can
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And there you have as much as I know about the phrase ever-loving. Wasn't it worth asking the question?
Kevin Cryan
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Gerry Smith
MV Moderator
Posts: 222
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July: Report
« Reply #12: 25.07.06 at 15:01 » |
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on 25.07.06 at 02:25, Richard Bleksley wrote:
The biggest rarity of the evening was a song Pete said he'd unearthed while sorting out some old papers, never recorded and so old that both he and Clive had forgotten about it. And that arch-completist, Andy Love, wasn't there… Called The King Is Dead, it had a rollicking piano accompaniment that my missus, keyboard aficionado that she is, rather enjoyed. |
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I believe this is on the LWT TPMO recording that Steve B. has archived. As you say, Richard, a rousing number that rollicks along.
Wish I could have been there.
Gerry
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https://peteatkin.com/forum?board=App&action=display&num=1148160328&start=12#12 |
Out playing the saxes
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naomi
MV Fixture
I love Midnight Voices!
Posts: 153
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #13: 25.07.06 at 15:12 » |
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Sounds like a great night.
I, too, wish I could have been there !
Naomi
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S J Birkill
MV Administrator
just a sensible reserve
Posts: 848
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July: Report
« Reply #14: 25.07.06 at 17:03 » |
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on 25.07.06 at 02:25, Richard Bleksley wrote:| The biggest rarity of the evening was a song Pete said he'd unearthed while sorting out some old papers, never recorded and so old that both he and Clive had forgotten about it. And that arch-completist, Andy Love, wasn't there... Called The King Is Dead, it had a rollicking piano accompaniment that my missus, keyboard aficionado that she is, rather enjoyed. |
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on 25.07.06 at 15:01, Gerry Smith wrote:| I believe this is on the LWT TPMO recording that Steve B. has archived. As you say, Richard, a rousing number that rollicks along. |
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In fact this is one of a handful of old songs Pete seemed to pull from deep memory while sitting at our piano in Monyash in June 1997, a couple of months before the first 'FoD'. I see he included it in Programme 5 of LWT's The Party's Moving On in 1970 but I can't recall having a recording of that particular show (correct me if you sent me one!). The words are on the Website, here.
Steve
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Stephen J Birkill
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Seán Kelly
MV Fixture
Posts: 236
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #15: 25.07.06 at 21:57 » |
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Richard and David - for these descriptions of the evening much thanks - most welcome for those of us who remain 'looking forward to Sheffield'.
Seán
(ps that's not a quote from any writer - no worries of that with me  )
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Jan
MV Fellow
Posts: 312
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #16: 26.07.06 at 00:43 » |
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OK Here's the setlist for Pete's part of the Ravenswood gig.
Time to burn (g)
Thief in the night (g)
Icecream man (k)
Dancing master (k)
Driving through mythical America (g)
An empty table (k)
That was the way to be alive (The king is dead) (k)
Intro of I've got me to thank (g)
leading into
Payday evening (g)
Between us there is nothing (k)
Here we stay (g)
Beware of the beautiful stranger (g)
Prayers against the hitman (g)
Girl on the train (g)
As others have said it was a lovely evening in a beautiful location.
Liz Simcock was entertaining and charming. She had some good songs. I was interested when she commented on the quietness of the audience during the songs. (MVs as usual being well behaved in such matters!)
It was good to hear the three new Atkin/James songs, it was the first time I'd heard Time to burn.
I was watching the faces of a couple of MVs in the front row and the look of delight on one bloke's face when Pete started Thief in the night was a picture!
I'd never heard Driving through mythical America sung live before, I missed PoD 
This was an absolutely amazing performance of a big song.
Andy Love has certainly heard Pete sing That was the way to be alive (The King is Dead). Pete sang it on a very cold, wet night at Eastbourne back in 2001. It was the night Andy got his car locked in the multistorey carpark together with his bell for freeform playing.
I would be interested to know if the song was played at PoD. It appeared on the setlist but there was some confusion about whether it was A king at nightfall or not. Please could someone confirm either way and I will amend my gig spreadsheet.
For the discussion see:
http://www.peteatkin.com/cgi-bin/mv/YaBB.cgi?board=ods;action=display;num=1100111668
In fact I can't remember who I got the setlist from in the end, if I have it its in the loft and the computer I used is long gone so any assistance would be appreciated.
Back to the latest gig.
I would have liked a bit more of I've got me to thank but it did lead very nicely into Payday evening. It was worth all the train and taxi fares and the hotel bill to hear this one
And it was lovely to hear Beware of the beautiful stranger again.
MV Martin MC'd the proceedings - thanks Martin for the assistance with transport and accommodation information and for the lovely evening organised by Acoustic Sussex.
It was good to meet MVs Frank, Chris and Richard and family.
In view of Pete's comments on the forum I'd expected to hear a majority of keyboard songs but the final score was:
Atkin 9 Roland 5
Perhaps it was something to do with the heat.
Jan
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Gerry Smith
MV Moderator
Posts: 222
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July: Report
« Reply #17: 26.07.06 at 00:49 » |
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on 25.07.06 at 17:03, S J Birkill wrote:
In fact this is one of a handful of old songs Pete seemed to pull from deep memory while sitting at our piano in Monyash in June 1997, a couple of months before the first 'FoD'. I see he included it in Programme 5 of LWT's The Party's Moving On in 1970 but I can't recall having a recording of that particular show (correct me if you sent me one!). The words are on the Website, here. |
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Hmmm, curious. I'm sure that show 5 is one of the old recordings made by my brother Chas, that I sent many years ago and whihc you put onto CD. The programme cerainly looks familiar. Thing is, otherwise, I don't know how I'd know the song. All my CD's are in my ex's loft at the moment so I'll have to find a moment to dig them out and see what I find.
While I'm here, I'd entreat anyone not familiar with History and Geography on the Lakeside Sessions (or even better on the FoD 97 recording) to have a listen. This is a truly inspired song with lyrics that touch me deeply at the present time. There is something wonderful about the line "I comb the rubble of a shattered world to find the bright face of an angel".
Gerry
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| « Last Edit: 26.07.06 at 01:12 by Gerry Smith » |
https://peteatkin.com/forum?board=App&action=display&num=1148160328&start=17#17 |
Out playing the saxes
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Richard Bleksley
MV Fixture
My time has come to find a better way
Posts: 164
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #18: 26.07.06 at 01:55 » |
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Janice,
As one who has, ahem, a certain interest in what happened at PoD I would love to be able to give a definite answer to your question. I am absolutely certain that A King at Nightfall was played because I remember noticing the high proportion of the original five album title tracks that appeared (all except The Road of Silk - Live Libel, of course, not being a song title).
So I was going to say that it was AKAN that was played, until I checked back to Paul Gunningham's review and found that The King Is Dead is in the setlist too. Trouble is, I don't actually remember it. I would have thought I'd have noticed a song I'd never heard before - except that, by the second set, I was suffering severe fatigue from the long day of unaccustomed responsibility and was running on nervous energy. I nearly fell asleep during Senior Citizens!
The song came to me at the Ravenswood as fresh and previously unheard, but considering my afore-mentioned condition at PoD I could be wrong. Anyone else remember?
Well, I'm not the only one who doesn't remember what gets played. Pete said at the Ravenswood that he hadn't played Driving Through Mythical America for many years, when (as you remarked) he played it at PoD, less then two years ago!
Richard
(with his memory slipping away)
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snodin
MV Fresher
I love Midnight Voices!
Posts: 4
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Re: Sussex gig on 24 July
« Reply #19: 26.07.06 at 10:00 » |
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Hi folks
As the 'promoter' the other night, I just wanted to mention what a pleasure it was to see everyone - several people travelled a long way, and we appreciate the effort. It was good to meet Pete too - a first for me, although I felt I'd got to 'know' him through emails and telephone calls in the preceding months (and, of course, he's an easy chap to get along with). He arrived in good time so we were able to chat while setting up the PA etc, which always makes the evening more pleasurable for promoters.
I fist saw Pete when I was 17, at Nottingham University - I lived locally then and it was our regular music venue (saw Sandy Denny, Stackridge, Vinegar Joe, Captain Beefheart, etc... ahh, those were the days). Since then, I've seen Pete solo just twice (Islington and Eastbourne) and with Clive once in Brighton. He's always given great performances and this show was no exception, in my view. He gave 100%.
What was especially heartening for me was that apart from the MVs, we had a good number of local people, some of whom come to our events regardless of genre (we deliberately mix things up a bit) and some who just turned up because they saw the gig in the local press and were intrigued. CD sales (albeit at overly-generous prices!) would suggest he's found some new fans - who'd have thought it?
So we're pleased to have become part of Pete's storybook and hope we've done our bit in keeping these great songs alive. I made the observation during the show that I think the songs are "important" and I actually do believe this to be the case. They are a benchmark for others to compare their work (God help them). Apart from the aforementioned Liz Simcock, in the audience was a lady (who I introduced) called Janice Haves, founder of Angelic Music (a recently established web-based forum and record label for female singer songwriters www.angelicmusic.co.uk). Speaking to them after the gig, I can tell you that both found the material a revelation.
Anyhow, I do hope the September gig is the 'occasion' it deserves to be, and thanks again to everyone who came to our gig, and for Pete for giving us a great performance.
Martin, Acoustic Sussex(www.acousticsussex.org.uk)
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