GIGS

Monday 23rd April 2012

The Jolly Anglers, Reading RG1 3EA

open-mic hosted by Tony Brown

"Made Those People Happy For A While"

Another quality-packed night of artists at The Jolly Anglers last night. As it happens I was the last to play and it didn't feel right to end with the song I had originally planned to play and so, of course, I resorted to the trusty American Pie for the finale to get everyone going.

This week was slightly different however as I had accompanying me: Lorenzo Todorow on saxophone; Pete Crowther on fiddle; The Mighty Dan on piano; and John the Landlord and Andy "Mr Cabaret" Gingell on backing vocals. I don't know what it was like for the audience to witness the riot on stage, but as most of them were either singing or dancing I got the impression they were enjoying it. I'm hesitant to speak for the other musician s (I use the term loosely particularly with respect to me) but I certainly had a lot of fun and think they did too. There's always a danger of becoming known as "American Pie Guy" but actually, do you know what, what the hell. There were smiles on people's faces as I left last night and to paraphrase a line in the song, I felt we made some people happy for a while. You can't ask for much more than that.

Andy Gingell completed the London Marathon on Sunday for WaterAid, if you'd like to sponsor him, his page is here.

My Set:

The Things That She Said

You've Got The Magic Back

American Pie (Don McLean)

Don't forget the screening of the film about the work of Joseph Campbell, Finding Joe, hosted by Stand-Up Cinema at Reading's The Rising Sun Arts Centre on May 18th at 6:30pm. The start time is early so that the film will end by 8:00pm and not conflict with Bohemian Night Showcase.

Campbell said the following in the last lecture he ever gave:

"In my writing and my thinking and my work I've thought of myself as addressing artists and poets and writers. The rest of the world can take it or leave it as far as I'm concerned."

So if you're an artist, writer, musician , or just someone wanting to break out and go their own way, or even actually dare I say, a Star Wars fan (George Lucas based his original films' stories on Campbell's work), then I think you might find the film interesting and indeed I hope encouraging. Next week I hope to pull together all of this site's reference's to the film and explain why I found it meaningful. I don't expect it to be everybody's cup of tea but if it helps encourage one person along the way to achieving what they want to in their life I think my job will have at least been partly accomplished.

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