Gig Diary

Annie's blog

It wasn’t an auspicious start: halfway up the M6 the exhaust fell off the car and we had to wait three hours in Kendal while the new bit was fetched and fitted. So we arrived at Knockvennie village hall around 7pm, where the rest of the band had been practising since the day before (although I’m sure Richard allowed them to leave for a night’s sleep at some point). I was too tired to start playing anything so we agreed to reconvene at 10.30 the next morning. We were sans Bridgie, my fellow recorder player, for whom work commitments had made it impossible to take part, so Margot Gibbs (hereafter to be known as Blessed Margot of the Emergency Tootles) had bravely stepped in at the 11th hour. Not only that, but she drove the two of us to Galloway and back and found me a place to stay – what a star!

 

Friday morning brought with it the unwelcome attentions of a migraine, so after I’d finished throwing up, Margot led me gently out for a wee walk and some fresh air. At Knockvennie I had to sit in the car for a while to try and rest so that I could stop feeling nauseous for long enough to take some painkillers. However, by midday I felt better, which was just as well because the BBC arrived at 1pm. Two camerachaps, a director and the presenter, Carrie Grant (what a gorgeous apparition: I felt as if an Elven princess had dropped in on a party of goblins) brought in all their equipment and we were instructed to “just ignore us” and get on with practising. Easier said than done when you are trying to remember where to put your fingers, while a camera only inches away catches every bungle. However, they were all lovely and did their best to let us get on with it. PS: when I say “goblins” I must exclude Cheryl, Mary and Margot, who are all paragons of feminine lusciousness. Myself, I tend to look like a bag lady with a hangover.

 

Margot and I had missed the first day of band practise, and it seemed a lot had happened in that time because when I heard the songs they were not the same as on the LP to which I had diligently been playing along. As a non-musician I have zero understanding of things like phrases, bars and even notes (when someone says “give me a D” I’m more likely to shout “Derek the Donkey on Didgeridoo!”) so I had learned the shapes of the songs. And they’d just gone and bloody changed them all. I was also horribly nervous about forgetting my parts when we came to do the gig (and I certainly fulfilled that prophecy). However, by the end of the day we had got it all into a place we were happy with. The Beeb did the group interview and jetted off back to London or wherever, and then, to round things off, we all sat round a big table and signed 150 CD booklets.

 

Not content with spending all day in a chilly village hall playing the same songs over and over again, the indefatigable Howard Bradley was playing a gig at Castle Douglas Town Hall that evening at 10pm. I was too tired to go, but Margot put on her dancing shoes and partied the night away. Where do these people get the energy? So I stayed in and tried on my CMG T-shirt, given out by Steve earlier. I had been under the impression that M was for medium size, but mine seems to be for Menopausal and is huge.

 

And so to The Big Day: Saturday 1st of August. We gathered at Knockvennie at 12.30 for a final practise, and by 3pm were free to go down to the school. I hadn’t been back there since the 50th anniversary gathering in 1990 but had driven past it a few times and it looked very different. The school is now owned by a Japanese educationalist who brings kids over from Japan to experience a different type of education. Access to the main house and the farm-building rooms was restricted as there were 40 kids in residence, but the Courtyard was available, as was the Stable where we would perform. Margot, Frank, his son Arran and I had a wander around, taking photos and noting the changes, and I must say that, for me, it was a rather sad experience. So much of the school I had known is now derelict. No more cows in the byre, no roof on the formerly neat little dairy, or on Bronwen’s stable next door, no log cabin where we used to hang out, the pig field overgrown with weeds, favourite trees cut down. But I know that things cannot stay the same, especially over a span of 40 years: at least the school itself is still here.

 

Margot and I went back to Castle Douglas to take some time out and get changed. Her older brother Jem and his wife Jules arrived (we were staying in their delightful house, which is a haven of beautiful art, craft and homeliness) and they kindly drove us all back to the school for 6pm. When we got there, a transformation had occurred: Ed Booth had conjured food out of nowhere (or possibly Tesco) and dragooned people into prepping and cooking, so there was a feast of salads, two whole salmon, bread and cheeses; all the cooking done in the Wee House kitchen, which I understand is, perhaps not surprisingly, very Wee indeed. Wine and soft drinks had been provided and even, courtesy of Jim Heughan (sorry if I haven’t got your name right Jim, it’s been nearly 50 years) beer from his micro-brewery. I’m sure Steve and Joyce Winning had a lot to do with all of this organising as well; I’m a little foggy on details because I was getting seriously nervous by now.

 

Richard, Howard, Frank, Fergie and Cheryl were setting-up in the Stable and we were still moving things around almost up until 8pm when we were due to start. Around 50 people crammed into the Stable, sitting on the floor and standing round the edges. Then we began. I’d like to say thank you to that kind and forgiving audience, who patiently waited while I panicked and forgot my lead part and was reminded of it by Richard and Margot. I think we were all nervous: some bits didn’t quite work out as planned, it was very emotional, and doing the end of Petronella three times in order to get the bop-tings right nearly killed us all. But what an achievement! I’d rather eat my own leg than do another performance of that bloody record, but I’m so glad I was part of it all: it was something really special and, for me, a milestone in my life that I’ll never forget.

 

When I think of the amount of work that has gone into reissuing the LP, remixing the CD, cleaning up the original analog tapes, designing the booklet, getting the inserts, cover and labels scanned and printed, organising rehearsals, setting up the crowdfunding and all the other tasks that needed identifying and actioning, plus eight people who have jobs and lives and families finding the time to practise at home and listen over and over again to the music, I’m truly astonished. Steven Bateman’s drive, energy and commitment made this happen and he deserves a big long holiday. Frank Swales put in hours and hours of work on the original tapes and the CD. Richard has an archive of old lyric sheets, receipts, photos, out-takes and other memorabilia and sent many an email with information and sound files so that we all knew what we were supposed to be doing. It was a wonderful experience to be part of, and meeting the members of the band again after so many years was lovely. Mary’s humour and Irish twinkle is delightful. I can now admit, Fergus, that I fancied you like mad, but you were 17 and therefore unattainable. I’ve always had a soft spot for huggable Howard (that big patch of mud between the goalposts on the front lawn), while Cheryl is simply awe-inspiring. Frank is and ever will be a musical genius. Richard is the kind of teacher that I wish every child could have. Margot saved the day and is a wise, funny woman. Bridgie, I missed you. Paddy and Mat, I hope you could hear us up there.

 

For the rest of the evening there was eating, drinking, dancing, talking, catching up with old friends, lots of hugs, sitting round a bonfire into the wee small hours. I got whisked into an Eightsome Reel by Richard which went on for ages, as Steve had forgotten it was on a loop and I was wondering if there was a defibrillator on the premises, because there was about to be a collapsed heap of the old and knackered. After some oxygen and a swift pint of The More The Merrier, there was one very important thing I wanted to do. A few years after I left Kilquhanity, Frank Swales and I got married. That’s a whole other story! It lasted for about 6 years (my advice to you young people: don’t get married on April 1st) and we’ve both walked very different paths since. So I was looking forward to having a proper chat with Frank and giving him a big hug, because he’s overcome many challenges (I was probably one of them) to get married to the right woman, have lovely kids and still be able to reel off the whole of The Dead Parrot sketch from memory. I found him hiding behind a camera and we had that chat and that hug and it was most excellent.

 

Post-gig I had gone off for a calm-down and was returning to the Courtyard when I experienced a brief dislocation of time. The music for The Dashing White Sargeant started playing: I was immediately transported back to 1974 and my last school party, 15 years old again, full of dread at leaving school for the last time, fearful of the future, already grieving for all that I’d be leaving behind. And in the next moment I was back in the present, hearing laughter, seeing people dancing. And I could whisper to that past self: “It’s going to be all right. It’s going to be good. Don’t leave your recorder in the attic, it’ll get woodworm.”

 

Mary’s blog
It was all so special, the way the band all came together in the rehearsals, sounding amazingly good even after the first day. Also how well we all got on showing respect and affection for each other. What an extraordinary thing we have done and we should all feel incredibly proud of ourselves.
The BBC thing wasn't as bad as I imagined and ended up being rather fun. I wonder how we will come across on the night??
I know that I felt a lot of pressure at the gig not wanting to dissapoint the audience (our friends) but in the end we all just had a lovely time and everybody seemed to really enjoy it all and it turned into something quite magical.
Thank you all so so much for a wonderful couple of days!!
And a special thank you to you Richard who gave us the freedom of expression through music all those years ago and to Stephen and Frank who have put hours and hours into making all of this a reality.
Cheers to you all and lots of love.
We must all keep in touch.
 Mary xxxxxxxx

 

Cheryl's blog

 I had an absolutely wicked time...it was such a great experience!! THANKYOU !!! 

So wonderful to see everyone and play together, and the filming was very relaxed and easy peasy with Scottish accents from the crew to oil it all along. (Don't know about you lot but I'm a massive sucker for  Scots talk!) 

Carrie was dead nice and very encouraging, and it's all very exciting and can't wait to see it. The Bonny Labouring Boy sounds and looks great on You Tube, (thanks for that Steve)  and on a personal note getting to skip around the hall with a boisterous bunch of folks like that after the gig was terrific! (I'm normally playing the gigs, and don't get to dance).

Hope you are all happy and well and big thankyou's and hugs from me!

Cheryl xxxx

 

Frank's blog

I’d been to Scotland 3 times already, during the process which began in the summer of 2014, the first visit being to collect the Master Tapes of the albums. Seeing Richard again (and his lovely lady, Vivien) was amazing, and it was great fun going over old times and digging out old notes and lyrics and dusty old instruments and other memorabilia from “Back In The Day”. The next visits were pretty much purely for practicing and to see if the whole “gig thing” (that Steve B seemed pretty adamant we should do!) would be viable. First I met and played again with Richard, Howard and Fergie, then came Mary some months later, then it was the rest of what was left of the original band just last week. Bridgie couldn’t make it but Margot Gibbs took Bridgie’s original spot and did a brilliant job!

 

I’m glad I was able to go through this rehearsal process in gradual stages, with one or two members at a time, rather than all at once. I feel that if we’d all got together suddenly it may have been too much. After all, there’d been a 40 year gap and in-between rehearsals we’d surely need SOME time to socialise and catch-up (Eh, Richard?!)… In between travelling from where I live in Leamington Spa to rehearsals in Scotland I was working on the re-mastering of the tapes for the CD release, and I’m glad I had that to do because working so closely with the original recordings helped me not only to get back into the old “buzz” of the music, but also to get used to the idea that we’d all be together at some point soon and we’d be doing it all again for real! Well, we all got together for the first time at Knockvennie (“Knockers”) Hall on Thursday 30th July and played together for the first time the day after (the day that the BBC arrived to film us!).

 

I felt pretty much “practiced-up” and wasn’t anywhere near as nervous as I thought I’d be – even with the Beeb setting up in the background. It’s been a long time in the planning (about a year) so I guess I’d had enough time to prepare mentally and emotionally for what was to come. It was nothing like preparing for a “regular” gig, though. It was when we were setting up the gear in the Stable that I started feeling a little nervous. Playing in front of total strangers would have been easier, I think, but this was an audience of old friends (and their families) and I really didn’t want to cock anything up. Cassandra came to the rescue, though, and taught me some breathing exercises and it actually worked! Thanks, Cassandra, I’ll remember that if ever I play live again! “Curtain up”: I actually felt fine – not really nervous at all – but I did feel quite emotional about the whole thing and had a bit of a time getting into “Auto-Pilot” which was the only way I felt I could deal with it all. Yes, there were a few cock-ups, but the encouragement of the rest of the band and the audience kept me going. What a lovely, friendly atmosphere!

 

After the gig it was Scottish Country Dancing and the long-awaited “Catch-Up Time”. I’d been taking pictures of everybody during the dancing and it was during that time that I was able to have a good “chinwag” with Annie (you’ll have read in her blog that we were “an item” once upon a time) and I’m glad we had this opportunity to exorcise demons (mostly mine!) and to become friends. As she said: “Water under the bridge”. I’m glad Annie initiated that chat, and it was so good to see her again and be able to talk. After the event it was back to Richard’s in Powfoot, where Arran (my son) and I were staying, and we dissected the whole experience into the wee small hours.

 

In a nutshell, it was an exhausting but very worthwhile and most enjoyable experience. My only regret is that I was unable to make the time to REALLY catch up with my Killy brothers and sisters. I didn’t see everybody I’d hoped to see, for one reason or another, and some of those I did manage to see only got as much as a “hello” or a “How are you” in between grabbing gear and setting up, which was really sad. Ah well….there’s always landlines, computers, Facebook, Twitter, emails, ipods, and iphones, I guess – BUT, whatever you do…..don’t forget to switch ‘em off when you’re finished with ‘em – and unplug ‘em, just for safety, eh? Thanks, though, to Steve Bateman, for putting all this together. From a personal point of view, I think I needed “my past to meet my present” (copyright H. Bradley). Now it’s gone full circle I’ve been able to put to rest any fears, and any negative thoughts and feelings I’ve harboured all that time, and in the process been able to re-kindle much needed “old” friendships – and made a few new ones on the journey!

 

Margot's blog

Yes thank you everyone, for asking me to join in, I agree with Annie and Cheryl 

That was an extraordinary week end. From being full of trepidation-I had a great time with wonderful people.

X Margot 

 

Richard's blog

Dear all,

Sometimes weeks come along with such a plethora of riches that I have to pinch myself so I know it’s real, I’m in one of those weeks!  Tomorrow I’m a reader, with a voice coach from the RSC, at a read-through of one of Vivien’s plays. On Tuesday I was playing in a viol group with my heroes from the professional viol world; all playing my instruments. I’ve managed two days instrument making too which has given me time to savour memories on the Highlight of the Week; the culmination of our year of, mostly, remote working on an ambitious project.

 

From first phone call from Steve to our Goodbyes on the pavement outside The Jewel in the Crown it has been such an engaging venture, just as it was in 1974. It has had some hiccups, but there was always a lovely confidence that there was a go-round - usually more positively from others than from me, but then, most of you went to good school...

 

The Knockvennie sessions were huge fun and a lovely atmosphere beautifully captured in the many photos, which have been enhancing my nostalgic reveries over this week. We even managed to transport some of that atmosphere to the stable, despite its forbidding plywood walls and bright fluorescent lighting. The changes to the stable meant that it smelt and sounded very different. But once we struck up the band, the whole feeling of sharing with our family what we had been practising  was exactly the same.  The band threw themselves at it and the audience responded accordingly. Gig highlight for me was definitely takes one two and three of the end of The Petronella!

 

 I am thrilled and grateful that everybody wanted to do it and, if nothing else, it inspired Howard Fergie and Frank to meet up the following day and play the music they really wanted to play together!  Let's not wait another 40 years before we do it again.

 

My thanks to all the musicians. I probably won't ever know exactly what it has cost each of you - I don't mean money - to prepare for this and then come back and perform at Kilquhanity. I am sure you thought it was all worth it.   I think we all owe a very special thank you, Frank and Stephen. I don't suppose anyone, apart from me, is aware of just what they have put into producing such a high-quality reissue.  Frank has spent hours listening to the original, both tape and disc, and then bringing his light touch approach to producing that wonderful CD, as well as overseeing the work on the master tapes which were then used to produce the LP. A project like this can’t happen without someone at the helm. That was my role in 1974, in our own simple home-made way.   In 2014/5 Stephen has taken this to another level and we have had all the benefits of his really knowledgeable and professional approach but with the added benefit that he is one of the family. Bravo All!

With love and thanks,

R.

 

Steve’s blog

About the event: That which strikes me most, and that which I wished I'd been able to say in the Stable, is how amazed I am that the original songs were performed by you as teenagers (even Richard aged just 27,) and how remarkable it is that you were all able to come back to that same place 40 years on and perform those same songs as you did, in front of a discerning crowd, with such harmony, after a lifetime of doing so many other diverse things. 

 

It made me cry the intergenerational connection you were able to make with four distinct generations: a) those audiences that preceded the LP (Willie Galt, Jeremy Ross), b) those pupils who lived it (70s), c) those visiting Killy who weren't yet born when we were resident (Japanese kids in residence), and those new bairns born in the nick of time to see you play (Eric's grandchildren). The gig was like a bottle of love potion number 9, perfect for the soul and a sensational success! 

 

BTW, I am uploading the video of Bonnie Labouring Boy, which, for me, sums up the emotional high I felt and shared with the rest of the people in the Stable. 

xxS