Oak Fair on Saturday

It's all coming together for our next gig on Saturday16th June on Meavy village green.  The Oak Fair opens with maypole dancing and includes a BBQ, Hog Roast, Cream Teas, Ice Creams, Cakes, Produce, Craft Stalls, Bouncy Castle, Coconut Shy, Skittles, Face Painting, Children's Entertainer, Pony Rides, Family Fun Dog Show, and a Grand Draw....

And as if that wasn't enough, Desperate Measures will be there to provide music.  Yay!

Our regular bassist and drummer can't make it, but Mike Trevarthen will stand in on percussion, and Peter Furnish will, er, furnish some bass notes for us.

The band will play from 15.15 to 16.00 and then from 17.00 to 18.00.  Or quarter past three to four o'clock and five o'clock to six, as us old-fashioned types would put it.

Don't miss the boat

 Saturday 9th June.  The Desperates played on a Dartmouth riverboat cruise....

View from the riverboat before all the guests arrive

Jo, our esteeemed and talented clarinet player, joined me (aspiring guitarist) to travel to Dartmouth from Plymouth.  Just after 6.30 pm we slotted into a parking space a few yards from the quay.  Everyone was there working out how to squeeze into a tight space at the back of the boat. 

The space for the band

But, hang on - not everyone was there!  Geoff and Felicity hadn't yet arrived from their Sabar drumming course in Launceston.  The captain was anxious to sail.  Phone calls were exchanged.  Time passed.  The captain drummed his fingers.  Maybe he should join the band.

Where were they?  Seven miles away.  Shaking of heads from the crew.  The boat sailed.  The captain started a long commentary... the band began to play.
 

We are sailing

Rock and Roll

Some of the band looked alarmed as the boat headed down river and out to sea.  With just cause, as the boat started to pitch and roll.  The band played on - but with an unexpected crash of cymbals.  Music stands toppled; half of the drum kit crashed to the floor (er, deck).  The audience began to think they were at a Who concert.

Heading up river, all became calm and, once more, the band played on.  The Rotary guests seemed happy and announced their thanks to the band - with special mention of the "lady with the voice" - our very own Tessa.

The band played until the very end, and our last note ended just as the boat stopped at Dartmouth quayside.

Food

Oh, and we had some lovely food.  Sorry Geoff and Felicity!

Mmm, desserts!



Back at the Chicken Shack

Accompanied by ravenous hens, the Desperates played all afternoon last Monday (4th June 2012) as part of the Jubilee celebrations at the Royal Oak in Meavy.  Unlike the previous day, when another band that featured some of the Desperate members played to a rain-soaked and deserted village green, Monday was a fine day so we were watched by a happy crowd sitting at the tables on the green and tucking into hog-roast and no doubt sampling the fines ales available.

By late afternoon, the hens were roosting contently, full of hog roast and bread rolls scavenged from the area around the aromatic hog and we were thinking of wrapping up our two-set performance to make space for another band due to arrive at 5 pm.  That's when we heard the other band weren't coming after all, and the landlord offered a free drink if we played on.  Not that free drinks are what motivates us, but the rush back to the bandstand told its own story.

Fortunately we had another set of tunes in hand - our repertoire has grown since it all started three years ago - and we were able to play on until 5.30 pm or so.

Wearily we packed up our kit, reflecting on how many of our tunes related to chickens....apart from "Back at the Chicken Shack" written by Jimmy Smith, we played "The Chicken" by PW Ellis. 

We are also finally getting the hang of "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens" by Alex Kramer and Joan Whitney - recorded by Louis Jordan but also famously by "Gonzo the Great" on the Muppets.  Fortunately, there was somebody there, apart from us chickens.

Welcome to the new "blog" about Desperate Measures!