| John Spiers & Jon Boden 24/11/2006 |
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| Written by sham |
| Friday, 24 November 2006 00:00 |
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John Spiers & Jon Boden supported by Carol & Laurie Harrison Following their support slot for Aussie blues guitarist, Derrin Nauendorf last year, Carol & Laurie Harrison made their second appearance at Mellor Brook. As on that occasion, they began the evening's musical offerings with a varied set of traditional and contemporary songs. Carol's confidence on the fiddle is growing and she has developed a broad repertoire of tunes. However, her main attribute remains her jazzy vocal style shown off by her sass delivery of songs from Eddi Reader and Rickie Lee Jones.
The 2 Johns (strictly speaking, a John and a Jon) were also making their second appearance at Mellor Brook. As they did 12 months before, they attracted a full house. Spiers regaled the audience with anecdotal tales of life on the road and quirky background stories as to how some of the tunes were inspired. Spiers' tune "Jiggery Pokerwork" references his "Hohner Pokerwork" melodeon which, unknown to him when he acquired it, was made out of reinforced cardboard. While busking on a rainy afternoon in Oxford, it dissolved in his hands.
Much of the material was taken from their two CD releases of 2005, "Songs" and "Tunes" and the format for their 2 45-minute sets involved alternating from song to tune, back to song. The audience lapped up the banter as well as the foot-stomping rhythms. MC Seamus Heffernan had acclaimed them as the first Community Centre guests to appear on the BBC's Later With Jools for earlier that week, they had recorded 2 songs with their big band Bellowhead for the programme, due to be broadcast later the same night. VCR's must already have been programmed when at 11 o'clock the audience roared approval of the now customary encore of Prickle-Eyed Bush.
Before allowing them to leave the stage, Seamus asked if they might return next year and got the appropriate assurance.
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