Tonight's show was in the beautiful country town of Shrewsbury at the Music Hall. The venue, a lovely Victorian theatre is over 160 years old and played host to the Beatles in 1962. Tonight it was full to it's 400 seat capacity. Attending each show has allowed me to revisit old friendships and to forge new ones. Tonight is no different, I must once again say thanks to my host and hostess for the evening, Vartan & Jane Bozian and of course Maisie, Charlotte and Russell. Also delighted to meet Adrian & Linda from Bury St. Edmonds. You all contributed in making this a magical evening.
1st HALF: STARTED AT 19:37 - LASTED 66 MINUTES
IT AIN'T FOR ME - [From the album "BY LARRY / THE LITTLE ALBUM"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Accordion]
THE THING IS - [From the album "A STRANGER IN MY OWN BACK YARD"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Saxophone, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
Gilbert spoke about how nice it was to be in Shrewsbury for the first time and how beautiful the surrounding countryside was, liking it to Worcester where he had played the previous Sunday.
NOTHING RHYMED - [From the album "HIMSELF"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Flute]
The crowd immediately recognised the opening bars of this song and applauded loudly, at which time Gilbert stopped playing and jokingly said "And the next."
NO MATTER HOW I TRY - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Foot Stomps]
Just before the false ending before "I remember our first anniversary", Julian Webster Greaves stepped forward and stamped his feet to the beat. Lyrics changed slightly from "Is there a bank in town, that might cash me as a pound?" to "Is there a bank in Truro, that might cash me as a euro?"
IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS - [From the album "PIANO FOREPLAY"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
Gilbert spoke about his song writing and how when it comes to starting work on a Monday morning with a blank sheet, how past successes don't make it any easier. "I could be writing songs using a gold piano and it wouldn't be any easier."
WE WILL - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
MAKE MY DAY - [From the album "PIANO FOREPLAY"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Saxophone, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
Gilbert said "This song is a particular favourite of my wife's. She thinks I don't do enough love songs. This is not about her."
JULIAN WEBSTER GREAVES
MISS MY LOVE TODAY - [From the album "SOUTHPAW"]
[Gilbert : Synth, Mick Parker : Synth]
Gilbert changed to his second keyboard (DX7) for this song and said “I have released 14 albums so far and I write and sing all my own songs. This is one of the album tracks that many people seem to like."
STICK IN THE MUD - [From the album "FROBISHER DRIVE / IN THE KEY OF G"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Saxophone, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
Gilbert mentioned that during the 50s it was the older artists like Anne Shelton that were in the main stream and it was the younger artists that were trying to break through. Nowadays it's the reverse. But he'll keep trying.
CLAIR - [From the album "BACK TO FRONT"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Harmonica, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
"I write and sing my own songs. You'll never see me doing The Great American Songbook (Rod Stewart album). I think it's an excuse for writer's block, although Paul Weller has an interesting album of covers out (Studio 150).
SOMETIMES - [From the album "SOUNDS OF THE LOOP"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Julian Webster Greaves : Flute]
MICK PARKER
THE WAY THINGS USED TO BE - [From the album "FROBISHER DRIVE / IN THE KEY OF G"]
[Gilbert : Synth, Mick Parker : Synth, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
Gilbert changed again to his other keyboard for this song in which he hammers the keys rhythmically with his left hand. Rubbing his sore hand afterwards he said "I'm a piano teacher's nightmare."
WHAT'S IN A KISS? - [From the album "OFF CENTRE"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
FOREVER WONDERING - [From the album "FROBISHER DRIVE"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Saxophone, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
Gilbert explained " When I was young I tried guitar lessons, and because of success of people like Lonnie Donegan and The Shadows, everybody wanted to be Hank (Marvin) or Bruce (Welsh). My guitar teacher won't let me play left-handedly, so I took up the piano. For a piano player Fats Domino is a hero. I love that riff he plays. I written a few songs in that style, and this is one of them."
Gilbert spoke about the English language and English sayings, and how they can be misunderstood This song has an example in the lines:
"My girlfriend's name is Susan
We got engaged last march
She was killed while getting off a bus
At the top of marble arch"
"I don't mean on top of the arch but instead the top of Marble Arch (place in London), the same way we would say the top of the road" Gilbert explained.
WHY, OH WHY, OH WHY - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
I like reggae music and I like Bob Marley and UB40." This is an old song that I have decided to give a reggae feel to."
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING - [From the album "HIMSELF"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Saxophone, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
2nd HALF: STARTED AT 21:03 - LASTED 60 MINUTES
A FRIEND OF MINE - [From the album "I'M A WRITER NOT A FIGHTER"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth]
READY MISS STEADY - [UNRELEASED]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Harmonica]
"I pinched the melody for the first song that I ever wrote and added my own lyrics. Everybody said that the melody was great but that they hated the lyrics. (Audience laughter) If you listen to the Beatles early songs you can hear the Buddy Holly influence there. So this is the very first complete song that I ever wrote." After the song he said that it was probably on a dozen tapes by now, mimicking somebody holding up a mobile phone. "Have you every noticed?" he asked, "How a phone seems to do everything, record, camera, music player but make calls?"
HOLD ON TO WHAT YOU GOT - [From the album "BY LARRY / THE LITTLE ALBUM"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth & Accordion, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
CONVERSATION WITH FLYING PLATES - [From the album "PIANO FOREPLAY"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth]
"They say that music is inspirational and lyrics are perspirational. My inspiration for a song comes from a good title. I thought that this was an interesting title for a song." Gilbert was quick to point out that his wife has never thrown plates at him but he has seen it happen.
OUT OF THE QUESTION - [From the album "BACK TO FRONT"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Flute, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
SAY GOODBYE - [From the album "IRLISH"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Flute, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
Gilbert sang the usual Spanish chorus. But proudly impressed the audience by singing the Japanese and French versions with no problems.
WATER MUSIC - [From the album "IRLISH"]
[Gilbert : Vocals]
Gilbert introduced this song by explaining how he got the idea for it. "The basis of this song is the rhythmic sound made by women washing clothes on the rocks at the riverside in the Peruvian jungle. Because it is a mundane job the women create a rhythm as they wash the clothes on the riverbank. This sound was recorded for a World Music CD and I got to hear it and found it interesting. I wanted to use it as part of a song but instead decided to use it as a backing with no music". Gilbert stood to sing this song.
WHO WAS IT? - [From the album "BACK TO FRONT"]
[Gilbert : Vocals, Mick Parker : Electric Piano, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
During this song Gilbert walks and dances around the stage.
After which Gilbert introduced the other people on stage. "Julian Webster Greaves on saxophone, flute, harmonica, tambourine and foot stomps. On backing vocals we have Helen Hardy and ictoria Hardy, mother and daughter. Last but not least my music director, on synth and piano accordion......Mick Parker."
THE MARRIAGE MACHINE - [From the album "A STRANGER IN MY OWN BACK YARD"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Flute, Helen Hardy : Backing Vocals]
IF I DON'T GET YOU (BACK AGAIN) - [HIMSELF [HIMSELF [HIMSELF]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth]
"This is another old song that I recently re-discovered."
A WOMAN'S PLACE - [From the album "A STRANGER IN MY OWN BACK YARD"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Saxophone, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
Durning the 70s when Feminism was at it's height I wrote this song because I thought that it had a good title. I either had a good sense of humour or a death wish, I've been beaten up so many times by women about it.............and I've loved every minute of it." I could have called this song "A Woman's Place Is On The Phone." We then went on to have the 'Battle of the Sexes" where the men sang the line "A woman's place is in the home" and the women replied, "If that's the case you're on your own". The result tonight was a draw.
IS IT A CRIME? - [From the album "LIFE & RHYMES"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Tambourine, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
This song was again well received.
WHAT COULD BE NICER (MUM THE KETTLE'S BOILING) - [From the album "BACK TO FRONT"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
This was done in reggae style.
ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY) - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Tambourine]
Gilbert left the stage momentarily but returned to wild applause.
ENCORE
MATRIMONY - [From the album "HIMSELF"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Saxophone & backing Vocals, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
GET DOWN - [From the album "I'M A WRITER NOT A FIGHTER"]
[Gilbert : Electric Piano, Mick Parker : Synth, Julian Webster Greaves : Tambourine & Backing Vocals, Helen & Victoria Hardy : Backing Vocals]
Gilbert finished the show as is now customary by standing on top of the keyboard, singing the song with the audience.
About half an hour after the show Gilbert entered a packed foyer to the delight of his fans and signed an autograph for each and everyone of them.
Finally, a big hello to Mary and Graham from Huddersfield, Phil Mears from Manchester, Steve from Southport and Mike from Runcorn. Always a pleasure to bump into Paul Griffiths (Widnes) and John & Shirley Towers (Durham) who like myself are clocking up the miles but are enjoying every minute of it.
Last but not least it was very nice to meet Marie's husband Richard.
"INTRODUCING MAISIE"
GILBERT, CHARLOTTE & MAISIE
STATS
Gilbert played and sang 32 songs tonight representing material from 13 different albums. The breakdown was as follows:
Back To Front
4
The Berry Vest Of
4
Himself
4
Piano Foreplay
3
Frobisher Drive
3
A Stranger In My Own Back Yard
3
Irlish
2
The Little Album
2
I'm A Writer Not A Fighter
2
Unreleased Tracks
1
Sounds of the Loop
1
Off Centre
1
Life & Rhymes
1
Southpaw
1
