Taken by Surprise

[will vine]

In Hertford today the pubs, coffee bars, library, museum, and various other venues played host to bands and musicians. In effect it was a free festival, a boozy stroll around town. I had no idea about any of the bands and just took in bits and pieces, good and bad, then met up with my family at a little pub car park, and witnessed a dj set by none other Don Letts. Do you ever have those musical moments that make you and yours so happy you cry? I did today. I blubbed like a baby.

[Pete Fowler]

A Will moment. Today, the Treacle Market in Macclesfield. The town square surrounded by stands - farmers’ food and locally-made trinkets - and the very centre holding a tiny stage, folk singers and clarinet players, Bilks and Bellowheads, Renbournes and Radioheads.

A guy nearly my age, mike, guitar, amp and speaker, white hair withering. He sings Pride and Joy. Pride and Fucking Joy. I’m on the edge of things, standing by the hot dog queue (‘organic sausages! Come and take your pick!’), but stand entranced as he goes through the song.

I’d lived in a station house, at Hatch End. It had been a post office at some point, and had a flat roof over where the office had been. You could get to it through an upstairs window in the house. And I’d spend hours on that roof, hours and hours, watching the world go by, staring at the people heading for the station.

Sometimes I’d take a sharp stone up there so I could carve something into the roof tiles. Leave a message for eternity.

And, at some point near the end of 1963, I carved the words onto a roof tile: ‘Pride and Joy, Marvin Gaye, Oriole, 1963’.

I hadn’t remembered that till I saw this guy sing it in a market square.

You pick me up, Marvin, when I’m down; and when we go out, you shake the whole town.

[Jamie Renton]

The Green Note, Camden, Friday night, Modou Toure and Ramon Goose played this beautiful slow desert blues : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8Q11S0-98U

I had the sniffles, the water pricked eyes and a lump in my throat bigger than a king size gobstopper.

[AndyM]

There were no tears here (except maybe ones of laughter) but ten years ago or so, I was in the Champagne region of France attending a village fete celebrating the harvest. A local brass band themed the afternoon with vaguely familiar French tunes, but then (who knows why?) switched into a medley of 1970s disco hits. Red-faced middle-aged French gents huffing & puffing to pump out the Village People's 'In The Navy' on assorted cornets and tubas is quite a sight to behold.

[will vine]

... but then (who knows why?) switched into a medley of 1970s disco hits. Red-faced middle-aged French gents huffing & puffing to pump out the Village People's 'In The Navy' on assorted cornets and tubas is quite a sight to behold.

Why does that sound like a lot of fun where a similar bunch knocking it out on ukeleles, as seems to be in vogue, does not?

[Jamie Renton]

Back in the late 1980s, the Town and Country Club in Kentish Town hosted a special Zimbabwean night. The idea was to create the ambiance of a night out in a Harare club. they got Zimbabwean beer in specially, there was a stall selling Zimbabwean food and there were two live bands: Jonah Moyo and Devera Ngwena and The Real Sounds of Africa, both big favourites with John Peel and Andy Kershaw.

The Real Sounds really did play their Harare club set, which meant they mixed their own songs (including tunes such as this one, combining ringing African guitar pop with a football commentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eksZrvhS36E ) with a section in which they kept the dancefloor busy with covers of Western hits.

So it was that a mix of bemused white world music fans and wildly dancing Zimbabwean expats were treated to versions of Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are" and Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up"

I didn't cry, but I remember having a very good laugh.