Post by leoroberts on Oct 23, 2014 8:08:13 GMT
The M62 Eastbound on a Wednesday evening at rush hour can be a miserable place at the best of times... even more so when a van has been stranded covering 2 lanes.
A journey to Uppermill near Oldham that should have taken 35 minutes ended up taking nearly two hours but I was determined to get to The CrossKeys pub to see Phil Hare at the folk club.
Travelling with me were Sara and Heather (daughter #1) who had been enticed by 2 things: firstly my enthusiasm for Phil's music and, secondly, a menu choice which included 'home made cheese and onion pie, homemade chips and mushy peas'. It looked, as we sat in the car crawling along at less than walking pace, that one of these was going to have to be sacrificed.
Eventually, after passing the stranded vehicle, the traffic cleared and we got to the pub. Stuck up a big 'ill The Crosskeys is a pub full of little rooms. The roaring fire in the bar heartened us and we decided that we probably had time for one course, we'd have to forgo a starter and/or a pudding.
Replete, we moved into what I was reliably informed was the 'folk club' room. It wasn't very big, with tables around three edges leaving just about enough space in the middle and one end for a couple of performers if needed. It's fair to say that anything more than a duo would need to use the barn (an alternative venue the club sometimes uses "out the back") The entertainment started at about 8:55 (we would have had time for a pudding after all - but then wouldn't have had a seat!).
Quite a few people had brought geetars and I was fearing (shallow, I know) that we were going to have a first half of floor singers with Phil Hare coming on after the break. I needn't have worried, though. After the host played a couple of songs, Phil was introduced and was straight into his stride.
The room was small enough that he didn't need to be amplified and his garynava guitar sounded fantastic in the small space. Just as well, really, after the amplification problems he'd had at Llyn recently. The crowd (about 25 or so - some standing) were mostly well behaved with just a couple of 'talkers'. Turns out the talkers were Phil's companions; none other than Pete Ryder and his wife!
Occasionally some git in the pub would order a coffee and we were interrupted by a bean grinder and an espresso machine but it was only occasional.
A short break (to sell the obligatory raffle tickets) during which Phil came over and said 'hello' and was very talkative with Sara and Heather and even asked after Sybil (davewhite's guitar certainly seems to have made an impression on him at Llyn) and we were ready to start again. 4 floor singers (including Pete Ryder) doing a single song each and then Phil was back on for the second half. Phil moves around a bit and he tends to 'loom' towards you which can be a bit disconcerting in an enclosed space!
A few 'chorus' songs - with which many people joined in, some trademark DADGAD, some tunes and some songs and it was 23:20 before we knew it and Phil was being told to shut up and put his guitar away.
All this for only a fiver! Good food, great beer (according to Sara and Hevs - I was, as usual, designated driver so stuck on soft drinks all night) and some fantastic music. The floor singers were actually rather good and Phil was his impressively brilliant self.
It was also great to meet up with Phil Taylor (and Mrs Phil Taylor) although they sat at the other end of the room having rightly recognised that associating with me would damage their reputation. This, after all, is their local pub and they had walked there!
Phil is staying in the area as he's appearing at the White Lion in Swinton on Friday night. I'm going to go and see him again. Because I can.
A journey to Uppermill near Oldham that should have taken 35 minutes ended up taking nearly two hours but I was determined to get to The CrossKeys pub to see Phil Hare at the folk club.
Travelling with me were Sara and Heather (daughter #1) who had been enticed by 2 things: firstly my enthusiasm for Phil's music and, secondly, a menu choice which included 'home made cheese and onion pie, homemade chips and mushy peas'. It looked, as we sat in the car crawling along at less than walking pace, that one of these was going to have to be sacrificed.
Eventually, after passing the stranded vehicle, the traffic cleared and we got to the pub. Stuck up a big 'ill The Crosskeys is a pub full of little rooms. The roaring fire in the bar heartened us and we decided that we probably had time for one course, we'd have to forgo a starter and/or a pudding.
Replete, we moved into what I was reliably informed was the 'folk club' room. It wasn't very big, with tables around three edges leaving just about enough space in the middle and one end for a couple of performers if needed. It's fair to say that anything more than a duo would need to use the barn (an alternative venue the club sometimes uses "out the back") The entertainment started at about 8:55 (we would have had time for a pudding after all - but then wouldn't have had a seat!).
Quite a few people had brought geetars and I was fearing (shallow, I know) that we were going to have a first half of floor singers with Phil Hare coming on after the break. I needn't have worried, though. After the host played a couple of songs, Phil was introduced and was straight into his stride.
The room was small enough that he didn't need to be amplified and his garynava guitar sounded fantastic in the small space. Just as well, really, after the amplification problems he'd had at Llyn recently. The crowd (about 25 or so - some standing) were mostly well behaved with just a couple of 'talkers'. Turns out the talkers were Phil's companions; none other than Pete Ryder and his wife!
Occasionally some git in the pub would order a coffee and we were interrupted by a bean grinder and an espresso machine but it was only occasional.
A short break (to sell the obligatory raffle tickets) during which Phil came over and said 'hello' and was very talkative with Sara and Heather and even asked after Sybil (davewhite's guitar certainly seems to have made an impression on him at Llyn) and we were ready to start again. 4 floor singers (including Pete Ryder) doing a single song each and then Phil was back on for the second half. Phil moves around a bit and he tends to 'loom' towards you which can be a bit disconcerting in an enclosed space!
A few 'chorus' songs - with which many people joined in, some trademark DADGAD, some tunes and some songs and it was 23:20 before we knew it and Phil was being told to shut up and put his guitar away.
All this for only a fiver! Good food, great beer (according to Sara and Hevs - I was, as usual, designated driver so stuck on soft drinks all night) and some fantastic music. The floor singers were actually rather good and Phil was his impressively brilliant self.
It was also great to meet up with Phil Taylor (and Mrs Phil Taylor) although they sat at the other end of the room having rightly recognised that associating with me would damage their reputation. This, after all, is their local pub and they had walked there!
Phil is staying in the area as he's appearing at the White Lion in Swinton on Friday night. I'm going to go and see him again. Because I can.
Jo whoever he is.
