This was na-mara’s last gig of 2013 and it proved a splendid way to finish the year.
Dunton Folk is a relatively new club. It is uncompromising in its focus on high quality acts and has seen a star-studded list of guests perform there already in its short history. This evening was a Christmas celebration with top quality musicians Blast from the Past, and we were playing support.
We were very pleased to receive the invitation to play at the club. Perhaps some might not associate na-mara with evenings of this nature, but we are in no way 'bah humbugs'. We were readily able to select a nice mix of more poignant material and some lively and rumbustious ballads and dance tunes from our repertoire. However, to manage expectations and also to avoid any potential confusion in the audience, we joked up front that we were the 'office party' before the Christmas party. Christmas would begin properly when the office party was over.
The club takes place in a beautiful church, with (very) good local ale and cider available alongside soft drinks. There is a p.a. for those who choose to use it but, on this evening, neither performing act did as the acoustics were wonderful in their own right and fitted the ambience for the evening. It is also a manifestly very well run and welcoming club. From the moment of our arrival at the venue, we were well looked after, informed throughout as to what was happening next, and our needs were regularly enquired after. In short, it was a joy to perform there.
We also had the genuine pleasure of meeting with the Blast from the Past trio. It turned out that, some years previous, we had met frontman Chris Green at Al and Sue Hewson's Baldock and Letchworth Folk Club, when he was playing with the well remembered and sadly missed folk trio Isambarde.
Blast from the Past are consummate professionals. They play and sing superbly and their stage presence and craft is second to none. They put on a great show of carols, songs, tunes and ancient stories and, despite this being their thirteenth night in a 27 night tour, they were friendly, approachable and, towards us, respectful to our music. They were interested to hear what we were playing and said some very kind words at the end of the evening. In short, they were a model main act and some others, who I am too polite to name, could assuredly learn a lesson or two from them.
The audience and the organisers seemed very much to enjoy the na-mara set and gave us some great feedback at the interval and the end of the show. They were also rapt throughout the two sets from Blast from the Past. If ever there was a cup of good cheer to put a smile in your face before Christmas, this was it. I only hope I can retain the warm feeling through the usual seasonal onslaught of Noddy Holder and Wizard.
Very many thanks to organisers Simon Bailes and Andy Barwell for the invitation to play at Dunton Folk and for looking after us so well throughout the evening. We sincerely hope that we make a return to the club in the not too distant future. Finally, thanks also to our friend David who came out on a cold Saturday evening to see us perform.