New friends

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session was a real surprise. Simon, the stand-in MC, knew that new regular Paul M was likely to be there, but was quite prepared for that to be it. While he was at the bar he first saw another newish regular, Heather, which implied that her non-singing friend Hazel would also be there. Then, returning to the "barn" he passed Kay, who had made her single previous appearance "in the before-times" as one friend of the club says. Was she singing tonight? Apparently so, and interestingly, she was surrounded by others.

So when we were all settled there were nine of us. Kay's friends at that stage were Adele, Rich, Sue and Harry. The last two would be our audience though we are told that Harry plays the saxophone, which he didn't have with him. That's six singers out of nine present... so far.

We were later joined by another of Kay's friends, Paul O, who was definitely a singer, and for a significant part of the evening by one of the pub's customers, impressed by the music, so we will count him too. A further pub regular joined us for just one song, so I could have added her, but I won't be so rash.

Simon kicked off the session with In the good old colony times (roud 130).

Paul M sang The Manchester rambler (roud 26771 - Ewan MacColl). He said he had heard a different tune to this one since moving to Bristol and thought people may be tempted to sing that, but it seemed everyone was familiar only with the one he used.

Heather, presumably acknowledging the previous week's Eurovision Song Contest, sang the winning song from 1970: All kinds of everything (Derry Lindsay, Jackie Smith) sung for Ireland in the competition by Dana.

Rich unnecessarily excused himself for singing Country and Western songs (anything goes at the Dragon as long as it's acoustic) before giving us Mammas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys (Ed Bruce, Patsy Bruce).

 Kay and Adele, performing together were asked to do two songs and they obliged: See see Rider (Ma Rainey, Lena Arant) and Bang bang (my baby shot me down) (* Sonny Bono), which brought the first rotation to an end.

I always mention all songs sung by newcomers to the Dragon, and so I will do, but I will add Kay despite her one previous visit both to welcome her back and to make things a little simpler:

• Rich - I hung my head (* Sting)
• Kay and Adele - Light my fire (* Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, John Densmore, Ray Manzarek)
• Kay and Adele - Make you feel my love (Bob Dylan) - yes, noting the well-known cover by another Adele
• Paul O - Back home in Derry (Bobby Sands)
• Rich - Keep the wolves away (* Kevin Galloway) 
• Kay -  Here for a good time (* George Strait, Bubba Strait, Dean Dillon)
• Paul O - House of the rising sun (roud 6393) 
• Rich and Sue - Jackson (Billy Edd Wheeler, Jerry Leiber) - and so Sue, who Rich said sings barely once a year, joined the ranks of the evening's singers!
• Kay - I started a joke (*  Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb)
• Paul O - A pair of brown eyes (*  Shane MacGowan)
• Rich - Don't take your guns to town (* Johnny Cash)
• Kay - Till there was you (* Meredith Wilson)
• Paul O - Love in the desert (*# Paul O'Sullivan) - his own song
• Rich - Smalltown boy (* Steve Bronski, Jimmy Somerville, Larry Steinbachek). Instead of Jimmy's falsetto we heard this in Rich's deep, dark tones reminiscent of Johnny Cash, and so I had to find an appropriately different recording.
• Kay -  Raining in my heart (* Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant)
• Paul O and Rich - Fisherman's blues (Mike Scott, Steve Wickham)

 As if the already-mentioned new entries in the Dragon database (indicated above by "*") weren't enough, there were also these:

•  Paul M - Highland Paddy (* Sean McCarthy)
•  Paul M - Farewell Johnny miner (* Ed Pickford)

One other song that needs a mention is the particularly unseasonable A winter's tale (Mike Batt, Tim Rice). One of the pub's regulars happened to be walking through our room as Heather finished singing and said it was her mother's favourite song. Heather was duly asked to sing it again and she obliged by reprising a single verse and chorus.

Heather even finished off the session with another song new to the Dragon database: Stand by your man (* Billy Sherrill, Tammy Wynette).

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 11 of whom 8 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though not always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

We get up to all sorts

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

There was no theme at last week's Dragon Folk Club session and there will be none again this Friday. There were however some great songs and providing a huge variety which was lots of fun.

This Friday we will be without several of our regulars, so if you are an occasional Dragon, a lapsed Dragon or a potential new visitor to the dragon's lair, you would be even more welcome than usual if that's possible. There is no theme this week, but even when there is it is totally optional with any sort of performance encouraged as long as it's acoustic, and if you don't want to perform, just listen, join in the banter, and maybe sing along to the odd chorus then that's fine too.

Back to last week, Colin was MC as usual, and he started us off bawdy with The red light saloon (roud 9424). Simon followed with a partial match in the form of The tailor's breeches (roud 1610).

Sue gave us Big Rock Candy Mountain (roud 6696) and Bob followed that with Call me the breeze (J J Cale).

Paul called us to order with Waking dreams (roud 22620) and Denny completed the first rotation with The pickled herring man (# Cathy Wallis).

Other songs not found on YouTube and therefore not included in this week's playlist were:

• Paul -  Lament for the fishing (# Derek Brinkley)
• Colin - The labourers' union ( # roud V48257)

 There were four songs new to the Dragon database:

• Bob - Crystal Chandelier (*  Ted Harris)
• Denny - You'll never walk alone (*  Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II)
•  Sue - Ob-la-di, ob-la-da (* Lennon-McCartney)
• Colin - The weight (*  Robbie Robertson)

When it came to the time to close the session it was Sue's turn to sing and she sent us home with Things (Bobby Darin).

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 6 of whom 6 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Denny - Profile

Denny (Photo: Simon Meeds)

This article is one of a series on regulars at the club.

Denny first came along to a Dragon Folk Club session in 1983 as an audience member when it was at Iron Acton. Returning to the Bristol area after many years away, she found her way back to the club after a forty-year gap on 10th March 2023 and has been regular singer ever since.

She sings unaccompanied with a preference for songs with gusto and a good chorus.

Denny first came to the Dragon Folk Club to listen in around 1983 when it was still at The Lamb in Iron Acton. She moved away from the area with work and her first participation at a folk club was in the North East, at the Cutty Wren Folk Club in Redcar, North Yorkshire around 1984-86. It was more usual there to sing than not, so she was persuaded to learn something. Denny says that "the folk scene up there was brilliant and you could go to a different club most nights of the week".

She moved again and due to her shift work was able to attend festivals but not a regular club for many years. She now finds herself free to do so which she says is "fabulous".

She has been delighted to be a Middle Bar Singer for the last few years at Sidmouth Folk Festival.

Paul - Profile

Paul (Photo: Simon Meeds)

This article is one of a series on regulars at the club.

Paul first came along to a Dragon Folk Club session on 10th March 2023 and has been a regular ever since.

He sings unaccompanied and while he's happy to sing any songs he particularly enjoys a good loud chorus, shanties, and music hall songs in a "traditional" folk style. He is beginning to learn a few ballads too.

Paul started singing in a school choir. He sang the Hallelujah Chorus at the Royal Festival Hall in 1966. 

He started singing again at the Tribe of Doris festival in an African Harmony Choir and learnt Zimbabwean folk songs with Chartwell Dutiro, a mbira player, in a singing group at Buckfastleigh in 2001/3.

Paul met Denny in 2004/5 and she educated him in 'British folk music' and festivals. He found his folk singing voice at the Towersey Sing-around Bar in 2007. He then sang annually at The (Wareham) Wail from 2009 to 2022. He has also been a Middle Bar singer at Sidmouth since February 2023.

Paul has built his repertoire from eight songs to over a hundred thanks to the opportunities for singing at the Dragon Folk Club. He says "we sing often and it's a friendly, non-critical, informal environment". He also now sings at WoTFolk at The Victoria, Westbury-on-Trym, and at Stan Drews in St Andrews, Bristol, both of which are monthly folk clubs. Paul has also sung at The Mutiny Shanty Sessions at Bristol harbour and at the West Somerset Folk Weekend in 2025.

Striding forth

Paul W striding forth at Clevedon
(Photo: Simon Meeds) 

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session was another great one. Paul M returned for his second visit - let's hope there will be many more. Simon dropped the bombshell that it was VE Day. To the relief of others he wasn't suggesting a theme, but simply admitting that he had forgotten to set the theme. Nevertheless, a few appropriate songs were aired during the evening.

As far as I know there is no theme again this Friday, but don't let that stop you bringing your own theme if you have the urge. Otherwise who knows? Something may emerge.

Colin, MC as usual, started us off with The seven wonders (traditional, collected by Mick Tems of Pontardawe).

Simon followed his wartime non-theme with Plover Catcher (Elizabeth Padgett).

It was great to see Steve C for the second time in a fortnight, and his first song was The field behind the plow (sic) (Stan Rogers).

Paul M gave us the evening's first song new to the Dragon database, one that his father used to sing, The ghost thit' anted Bunty (roud V45218 - Tommy Armstrong) - which translates from Geordie as "The ghost that haunted Bunty".

Paul W and Denny both made their first songs ones that were not previously in the Dragon database, and Denny's was not to be found on YouTube. Paul's was I will always love you (* Les Sullivan) and Denny's was Moon names (*# Charlotte Oliver) - complete with a link to the official recording on bandcamp.

Thinking of Paul's song, I wonder whether there is a thing to be made of writing songs with the names of other, well-known songs. I used to know a great chap called Jim Carroll (not the well-known one, but the one seen at the beginning of this video acting the fool), sadly no longer with us. If we were having a song session in a public bar and someone said, as they often did, something like "Do you know Free bird?", Jim would pick up his guitar and improvise a blues of the same name. At other times his speciality was pseudo-flamenco.

After that digression, this brings us to the end of the first rotation.

There were just two further songs new to the database last week, both from Paul M:

• Grace Darling (* roud 1441)
• The rising of the moon (* roud 9634)

Paul modified the words of Grace Darling slightly in the hope of emphasising that she was a woman rather than that she was English. All nevertheless joined in with the chorus.

As the session came to an end it was Denny's turn to sing and she picked our oft-used finisher-offer, When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford). Rather than simply the customary joining in of the chorus, this became a truly communal song as Denny handed over to Paul W, and he in turn to Simon to finish off the last verse. And so was ended a very enjoyable evening.

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 6 of whom 6 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

May Day 2026

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session fell on 1st May, so the theme had to be May Day. As always the theme was entirely optional. Some people had prepared appropriate songs, others mangled their songs or introductions to fit, and others quite reasonably went ahead and sang what they sang.

It was great to see a turn-out of 11, just the same as the week before, and a level we would be very happy to maintain, so do come along whether you're a regular, it's been a while or it will be your first time. We really are very friendly and definitely non-judgemental.

Two of those present were happy to be our audience: Heather's friend Hazel, and Sheila who was with Paul and Denny. It was Sheila's first visit; she seemed to have enjoyed it and said she was surprised how many of the songs she knew - I saw her joining in quite frequently.

Colin, MC as usual, started us off with The month of May (roud 153).

Stuart and Carrie sang I wandered by a brookside (Richard Monckton Milnes, 1st Baron Hougthon, Barbara Berry) and Fresh as a sweet Sunday morning (Bert Jansch).

Paul gave us The Galway shawl (roud 2737) and Denny followed up with the Swinton May song (roud 305).

Stan added the first new entry of the evening in the Dragon database with I will love you all my life (* Charlie Landsborough).

Heather's first song of the evening was Day trip to Bangor (Debbie Cook).

Simon had been stuck on the motorway, but having arrived and bought a drink from the bar, it was his turn straight away and he plucked out Phil Tanner's version of Barbara Allen (roud 54, child 84). And so the first rotation was completed.

Keith G arrived some time later on a rare visit complete with a new keyboard, which he used to give us Is you is or is you ain't my baby (Billy Austin, Louis Jordan). His second offering was a medley of songs which included among others excerpts from: Love letters (* Victor Young, Edward Heyman), Georgia on my mind (Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell) and Perfect day (* Lou Reed).

Other songs new to the Dragon database last week were:

•  Stuart and Carrie - Tin man (* Dewey Bunnell)
•  Stan - Someday soon (* Ian Tyson)
•  Carrie - Sunshine in Leith (* Craig Reid, Charlie Reid)

It fell to Denny to finish the session. She said she thought of May as the start of the festival season and sang a song she proposed as a good one to start off a folk festival: Come by the hills (W Gordon Smith).

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 11 of whom 9 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Heather - Profile

This article is one of a series on regulars at the club.

Heather first attended the Dragon Folk Club in 2005. In the last few months she has returned and has become a regular singer. While she doesn't play an instrument she says she will "sing anything".

While working for DC Thomson in Dundee Heather joined the Thomson-Leng Musical Society. After moving South to Bristol she became involved with the Bristol Musical Comedy Club. She performed in a duo known as Kismet and went on to sing solo in pubs, clubs, hospitals and old folks' clubs.