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BOB CHEEVERS DESCRIBES TWO HOUSE CONCERTS
HE GAVE LAST YEAR
In America, the "House Concert" concept is beginning
to take hold and flourish. The driving force behind that concept is
having places across the country for serious musicians to present their
art in an atmosphere of quiet...a true listening room experience. I've
done many house concerts in America and suggested to friends of mine
in England that we try one at their house. On my tour last november,
Geoff and Janis Haves, who live in East Molesey Surry, consented. The
deal is for the hosts to invite a number of their friends...lets say
20-ish, and provide their house as the "concert hall" with a few bottles
of wine and maybe some light food fare which would be added to by the
people who came to listen. There is always a half hour or so meet-and-greet
before the first set of music begins which is usually a 45 minute set.
Then there is a break for food and drink along with more conversation
followed by another 45 minute set of music. The beauty of the house
concert is that it guarentees the listener a personal place of peace
in which to hear the music. And the added attraction is getting to visit
with the performer or performers before, during and after the performances.
I like to interact with the audience as I'm performing...as in sometimes
getting their feedback about a situation about which the song may have
been written or their reaction to what the song says after its played.
At my first England house concert, there
were probably 25 folks. Janis and Geoff had invited several people to
play a couple songs each first, then Janis and Geoff played some songs...then
I played with Geoff accompanying me. The atmosphere is so intimate...so
attentive and rich with quiet and respect. Its a performer's dream...
especially if the performer writes songs from the heart and prefers
to play them for people who care. A number of people went all out and
brought fancy dishes of wonderful food to share. There was plenty of
wine, beer and conversation...people meeting for the first time as well
as old friends together with the common goal of listening to our music.
A ten pound door charge went to me as the primary artist of the evening.
Everyone had a fine time, I made a little money and everyone went away
happy and full of new songs to listen to in their heads. It was a fine
night.
The second house concert I did was in
Wales at the 16th century home of a man named Alastair, who Janis and
Geoff new. This affair was quiet different from the first one in that
Alastair invited about 75 friends from all walks of life, and one of
his friends volunteered to cook for everyone. So we were treated to
huge pots of chicken or vegetable curry with rice and bread and wine
and beer...all provided by Alastair. The evening was much more intense
than the one at the Haves house for several reasons. One was that there
were nearly 3 times the people. Secondly, unlike the Haves house concert,
there were no chairs at Alastair's house leaving everyone standing and
listening. It made for a different and more intense vibe. There tended
to be more conversation during the music at Alastair's mostly due to
the number of people and the fact that all of them couldn't get into
the room where the music was happening. But the intensity made the night
very high which also affected the selection of songs played. Janis and
Geoff played a set first, then I did 45 minutes...then a break then
another set from Geoff and me. A house concert can be whatever a host
wants it to be, but for singer/songwriters who really want to perform
in an atmosphere where their music is heard and appreciated, a quiet
of a roomfull of attentive listeners is heaven.
If anyone would like for me to come play
a house concert during my summer UK tour or later, please email me at
cheeversongs@earthlink.net and we can see if there are any openings
in my schedule that would permit it or look to the future and make a
plan. You can find me at cheeversongs.com on the web to hear and read
about what my music is like. I'm certainly one of those artists who
loves to have a listening audience, since the songs I write are meant
to be listened to. Of course, there are those times when the energy
level goes way up and the words "uptempo" and "driving" would describe
the song being played. Its all what the energy of the room calls for
and its always magic.
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ANDREW PERRY GIVES HIS ACCOUNT OF MICHAEL
FRACASSO HOUSE CONCERT IN GREENFORD 23 FEBRUARY 2003
The house concert - a success ! Tangibly a success,
I'm pleased to say. A remarkable number of American folk arrived too
! I met a delightful young lady who, prior to following an Englishman
(“he's an intellectual but it’s hard to tell”) to the UK, was a resident
of Austin, plus Gail Comfort (a Canadian fromWinnipeg) a Virginian and
her daughter, (I guess that's two Virginians) another Canadian lady
and the rest of us were Brits. Oh yes and some geezer called John Graveling.
All in all about 25 folk squeezing into the small living room of a typical
post war three bedroom terraced house in West London - Greenford - to
be exact. The venue was a blokish but friendly home quite close to Heathrow
Airport and under the flight paths. Phil, our host made tea for the
earlier guests (including me) and worked anxiously to make the place
as welcoming as possible for his guests.
Michael Fracasso arrived by plane on Sunday morning after a two-week
tour of Spain, and was pretty shattered by the time he got to the house,
but tuned up and was ready to follow me on. We started at about midday
with our host Phil, the owner of the house, and Geraint Evans (Welsh
you know) singing a self-penned song about Phil's loss of wife and love
for his two children, stylishly and tastefully put together in a revealing
but non mawkish way with simply beautiful harmonies and back up guitar
work from Gerry. Gerry and Phil are associated with the Cabbage Patch
Folk Club in Twickenham – where they welcome modern and American folk/Americana
acts. Hell , they even booked me once ! Then a chap (whose name I missed)
did two instrumental guitar pieces, and a Guy called Hamish (Scottish
you know) played three songs including the Lowell George favourite -
"Willin'".
Then it was time for The Silly Moustache (that’s me – Andrew Perry)
I had been given 25-30 minutes immediately prior to Michael's set. I
started and finished with originals, my first “Whose Blues” is a toe-tapping
hokum blues and the last - "Here And Gone" my song about my father.
The meat in my humble sandwich included David Olney's “Women Across
The River”, and Greg Brown's Driftless, both well received by an audience
which (unusually for me) knew of both Olney and Brown - so the acceptance
of my versions was most gratifying.
Then the main act ! - Michael Fracasso. A small man, a tired man, after
all his recent travels, his voice was quiet but all heard his gentle
greeting and introductions in that small room. Whilst adjusting the
tuning on his 1969 Sunburst Harmony Sovereign Special (identical to
one I used to play in “A Boy And His Dog” in the '70s) he told us a
little of his history, and we became pleasantly acquainted with, and
enchanted by this well travelled singer songwriter. Michael's voice
is high tenor, and not loud, as such, and his guitar playing is simple
but appropriate and tasteful. However, his wistful and sad songs get
through to you. His high, almost thin, plaintive voice has a way of
getting the words through to you in the way that lower pitched voices
sometimes fail.
Each song is a fully developed cameo of either a real or fictitious
story – all believable, all easy to follow, and revealing this Texas-based
troubadours observational and poetic skills – “There’s a Mister Gentleman,
tryin’ to make a pass, There’s a Mister Gentleman, movin’ up real fast,
look out baby, watch each step you take, there’s a man with 21 faces
– crawlin’ like a snake” – just one of his sharp eyed poetry to a blues
riff. His strident rhythmic guitar style almost seems to drag his world-weary
sounding voice along reluctantly to make his point - but make his point
he does - without pressing it - “I got a Nervous Mind, got a nervous
heart, Got a way of thinkin’ makes me come apart!. His style is a little
unusual whilst also being reminiscent, not of Texas singing styles,
but more of Appalachian balladeers from the thirties and forties, whilst
his Album “When I lived In the Wild” whilst still eminently listenable
gives most songs a more honky-tonk, sometimes Jimmy LaFave kinda feel,
although “Forever For Now” is reminiscent in picking style and in vocal
delivery of Pete Rowan.
In his songs he told us of his previous life and labours, and loves.
It was a most pleasant musical experience, and a very pleasant meeting
with a modest, and unassuming talent. I shall treasure Michael's words
of approval and encouragement at the end of my little spot and it was
an absolute pleasure to see that Harmony with the Alaska shaped scratch
plate. Neither of which will outshine the pleasure of sitting listening
to Michaels' rare songs and delivery.
Andrew Perry
http://www.arunet.co.uk/andrewperry
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