Well now , It has been a full on time for Betty and no mistake, the pace is picking up and it is over a full month since The Rabbi’s birthday and a week after Betty’s foray to The Boogaloo for the… Voices…singer/songwriter night hosted by Zachery Stephenson!
So what happened Bet? ……………….at The Rabbi’s birthday Bet?
It was a mixed bag of a night my pretties……….Mark and I met up for a general catch up, meltdown,move along…… in the afternoon and fell in to falling over with ease, he is going to be on BBCradio soon and has had one of his songs picked up by a business company who want to use it as a jingle wehay!!!....:-)
We discussed the Ya Yarecording company and how it is attaining juggernaut qualities in it’s momentum and drive…….. Betty Woz ‘eRE is turning into a Panacea and Mark Cottrell into a Scapegoat for the masses,and we are very excited about the prospect…….lol x
We practiced a few ditties…….. and we ate!! Oh yes! Mark and I had dinner together, quite a turn up as we usually only get it together to have toast!! Salmon and Thai prawn fishcakes if you please……….
We wandered down to the bus stop full of anticipation and promise, …..have we got everything? How are we getting there! Taxi? Why the fuck not?Don’t we know who we are? ……….it starts to rain and…….we know who we are ay…., bus ay… no, no, no, train… as we alight in Hackney we get a bit lost and very fucking wet! It came down stair rods …soggy shoes Bet? Soggy knees! ( one of those paving slab moments lol)…..eventually our venueappears and we steam into the bar……………it is quiet……..to quiet…… and I wonder if we have stepped into “The Slaughtered Lamb”………..but there is The Rabbi, resplendent in his nonchalance…….and a big old grin!!
Within a trice, we are joined by Robert James Selby , a perveyor of tranquil acoustic dittieswho brings a cake for Rab fashioned by his good lady into a pint of guiness! it is perfect ! and we all trundle out to a thankfully broad roofed gazebo affair ( it was still pissing down)in the garden for a fag and a chinwag, to await another friend Ange who was sharing her birthday with Rab and to find out where and how we were to be performing……………………it was then we noticed “The man in grey”, he was not Johnny Cash!!… on his bontempi, had started to knock out a few Hank Williams numbers in the corner of the bar…………….it was still too quiet……..we find out we may not get to go until half nine which gives us two hours to kill ……..so we start to sing and play outside! J
It is strange that for a private function such as Rabbi’s birthday thathe has so many friends and is so open that it becomes a massive public event!! But it was pissing it down and the venue a little outof the way … and not so many people turned up… it was quite good in a way…….as the man in grey… wouldn’t let it lie……
We all sat round the gazebo and I warbled a few, Mark presented a few and Robert sashayed one or two,… we had cake and we ate it!! we made aquaintance with several of the locals and everyone smiled big, honest smiles……..Ange is there! full of smiles and hugsand a camera and fags, and partay!!!, Mark put his weddings, parties, anything hat on and we all sang along to “the monster mash” and sundry other classics!!!..............................
”heyyyyyy good lookin’” “ I hear that lo, o, o, o, o, onesome whistle blo,o,ow….” ………now I don’t mind a bit ‘o Hank….. butthe man in grey…………it got to half past nine and The Rabbi got angry, as he wouldn’t get off!. Rabbi spoke to the manager ! and he still wouldn’t get off!!... Rabbi had booked a function!!!.........
More of Rabbi and Ange’s friends turned up and it was getting crowded in the garden!!But fuck it hey! We were having a lovely time and we carried on doing so!!
It was half eleven before the man in grey let up… he had gone through the whole Hank Williams back catalogue and the loop tape……………but finally we were able to go inside…………
And therein the evening took a much warmer and drier turn …….and we started all over again, we did not have microphones, or amps, we did not have a stage or a platform but in true folk style we gathered around the tables and created a marvellous chorus! Mark and I did a rather marvellous rendition of “Pyscho Killer” and we were treated to a mini set by a marvellous singer and guitarist Amy Stephenson……. A strident lyric set to poignant voice….she was ace!! Robert took on a couple more and we goteveryone involved………………..
The night drew on and the pub closed to the public and the curtains were drawn, ……..then the ash trays came out and we were able to smoke inside!!! It felt very decadent!!
And we sang merrily for another two hours, Rabbi John , Robert, Amy, Mark and Betty ( i particularly like mark and Betty’s rendition of “ psycho killer”)….very groovy… and a whole chorus of host!....host of chorus and we sand Irene goodnight and finshed with a soft and genkle “every body hurts”….
And it was half past two and we should be in our beds and wetake a taxi through the rain soaked streets all a glistenin’ and Mark does not want to sleep, he says he is not drunk , we listened to the recordings for the new album and slowly he passes out whittering lovely nothings to himself……. I set the alarm for we have to be up in 4 hours!!!......
Birthdays are good my pretties! J xxx