TAMWORTH FOLK CLUB GUEST NIGHT REVIEW
November 2003

Colum Sands and Will Morgan

When writing a review from the same venue many times, there is only a limited vocabulary one can give to the auditorium and its contents. The Gamecock is no exception, but this particular evening I do think it is worth mentioning that the addition of a P.A. system and the mixing desk was not merely there because the guests had provided it, no sir, it was a culmination of weeks spent by members of your own committee in an educational quest for knowledge into the world of sound. But more about this later.

Guest nights come and go and usually are attended and remembered in great affection, this one came, and I wish was still continuing. The name of Will Morgan did not mean anything to me, but after speaking to him I had seen him at many venues and the few festivals I have attended over the years. He hails from Dudley, but we must not hold this against him, and applaud he actually found The Gamecock on a dark November night.

As is usual Steve Edkins performed the opening announcement, and with the aid of the mike (you remember that P.A. system) we heard nothing! Now I know education is a wonderful thing, but I realise that with anything electrical, if that little three pin plug is not actually switched on, it can make all the difference. I have to say, with this rectified everything worked well, much to the relief of Steve, Malcolm and Nigel who for the past few weeks, and in their own time, I might add learned to operate the sound system at college, and it sounded great to me, thank you boys.

Back to the acts. Will started of with a Jake Thackery song with French connections, I think the French language was lost on the Birchmore crowd, but there again English is not easy here.
His general jovial patter, jokes and very good guitar playing went down well and in no time, his spot had come to an end.

With all the bugs ironed out of the sound system, Colum Sands made his way up front, guitar in hand and started on a wonderful selection of songs and stories that would delight us all night. Colum was borne in County Down and is a member of the internationally renowned Sands Family, and with the release of his first solo album in 1981, was soon in the repertoire of artists from Billy Connolly to Maddy Prior and June Tabor.

His first song was of an Uncle with a cap who rode, or should I say pushed a bike everywhere which was both lyrical and thoughtful with meaningful words. In fact this was to be Colums theme. Following on with "Talking to the Wall, Going down to the well with Maggie and The politicians song". The first half was over all too soon.

With the raffle out of the way, Will Morgan started up with a very witty version on Robin Hood, another Jake Thackery song, The Bantam Cock ( have we heard this version before Pete?), more jokes, uninterrupted by Steve, and he finished with a song from Egypt, not the Eurovision Song Contest one, and received a great applause.
Colum Sands set out once more with his own compositions, interspersed with great stories. I think the best appreciation I can give to Colum and the way he can bring music to all sections of society is to quote a verse from his song "Buskers"

"And the music echoes all around, no matter where I stay,
Like the panpipes from the Andes, on Grafton Street today,
And some will give them money, and some will ask them why,
As the music fills the lonesome place, between the street and sky."

RDC 2003