My parents
enjoyed music but did not play any instruments. I can remember in junior school
in the 50's singing British Sea Songs such as "Hearts of Oak" and "The Arethusa"
(latter to the tune Princess Royal) and not forgetting "John Peel" so that
was probably the closest I got to an early exposure to folk music. Like many
lads of my age at that time I was pressed into service . . . as a choirboy.
(for those that know me, yep I was angelic at one time - all teeth and Brylcreem
- sorry, I don't have any photos!)
Early teens and the Beatles, the Who, Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, Gerry & the
Pacemakers, Dave Clark Five and of course the Stones were dominant but our
household rocked to the beat of "West Side Story", "Oklahoma", "South Pacific"
and the like. My pocket money didn't stretch to buying a 45 single to retaliate!
This "dark age" probably explains my pathological hatred of anything Lloyd-Webber.
At the age of 13 I was learning flute at school and, because I couldn't be
bothered to learn the dots, I rapidly developed the skill of playing by ear
to keep one step ahead of the tutor, a skill that stands me in good stead
now. Naturally the music I played at that stage was classical - Dvorak's Slavonic
Dances still bring back memories of audiences politely wincing as the school
orchestra must, to their ears, have seemed to be constantly tuning through
each piece.
By the time I was 17, I was borrowing my Dad's car and, with my best mate,
travelling to the Great Harry Jazz club in Warsash every Saturday night where
we busted our butts getting the place ready for the evening show and then
clearing up afterwards - all in lieu of having to pay the door fee. But we
got to see the likes of Chris Barber, Kenny Ball, Monty Sunshine and Acker
Bilk. About that time too we got to see Jethro Tull in Southampton - for free
- by pleading poverty on the front door.
In the late 60's we used to babysit my best mate's nephews 'cos we got paid
in beer! His brother-in-law could afford LP's and I discovered Pentangle,
The Dubliners, The Clancy Brothers and The Young Tradition.
The beginning of the 70's - and my best mate and I were into rock climbing,
mountaineering and drinking lots of beer. We met up with a guy who was a pretty
good guitarist so he and I started playing and singing floor spots (for more
beer!!) in various Folk Clubs around the Portsmouth area. Irish Rebel Songs
seemed to be quite popular at the time. (Was it some sort of incantation that
would keep the IRA bombers out of our pub?) So we did those, with a smattering
of Simon and Garfunkle. The Young Tradition stuff was far too adventurous
for us at that time.
The early 70's also brought us acts like Steeleye Span, Martin Carthy and
Dave Swarbrick, and of course Fairport Convention. I saw them all in Portsmouth,
often in venues no bigger than a pub back room. They were a breath of fresh
air, captivating and inspiring a whole generation, here was "old music" that
rocked and was LOUD. Even my Mum liked them and their music. Do we have equivalents
today?
A spell abroad between '74 and '77 introduced me to albums from bands like
Planxty and the Chieftains and my musical direction saw me playing less flute
and more penny whistle and bodhran. But by now any public performances had
ceased. I was a closet performer and that remained so from the late '70's
through to 2001 (some will say "and so it should have remained.")
In 1995 the family emigrated from UK to NZ, and in December 1999 I met Lew
& Jude Black at a Christmas meal and inevitably we got talking about "things
done" and "things to do". On my "to do" list were - "learn to play bones"
and "learn to play Northumbrian Smallpipes". Lew helped me with the former
and, at the 2000 Auckland Folk Festival, introduced me to Helen Capes who
sorted out the latter - there you go - there's two people to blame!!!
Because she knew I'd need some support from time to time, Helen also introduced
me to Trevor Cole, a fine luthrian, who had made several sets of Northumbrian
Smallpipes (NSP). As many of you will know Trevor made many other fine musical
instruments and there are some of you out there playing them still. Trevor
helped me out when things didn't seem quite right with the NSP and he fixed
reeds and clack valves and my waning confidence.
Trevor eventually died from cancer in late 2001 and it was at the function
after his funeral that I met Sieffe LaTrobe. Helen and I were playing the
NSP's and Sieffe came up to us and asked if we were from Auckland. Helen was
living in New Plymouth at the time and so he got a yes/no answer (he's still
getting them). An exchange of emails between me and Sieffe eventually saw
me joining his band, Thursday, in early 2002 and the performing drought of
nearly 30 years had ended.
The recent history adds little to the debate other than to observe that the
support and encouragement from the likes of Lew & Jude Black, Trevor Cole,
Helen Capes, Sieffe & Sylvia LaTrobe, Bev Young, Roger Giles, all the good
people at Titirangi, Devonport and East Coast Bays Folk clubs is an important
factor in continuing the tradition for me and others. Time to go on record
and thank them all.
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Page made 17th August, 2004