Sandal Citizens Association Gig, 31st July 2026

Report Philip Barr Videos Jenny Sidebottom 

With the summer holiday season now in full swing, I think it’s a fair analogy to compare the last 12 months since David stepped down with a roller coaster, the good news being that the track ahead looks generally sunny. We are also delighted that Alex and the new Mike are easing themselves into the band so well in addition to supporting / observing us at the Ridings recently, although it is a bit inconsiderate of Mike to be called Mike, as we now have three Mikes. Also, if they ever sing together and require extra sound there would be three Mikes and another three mics.

    Last night was another test of the band’s metal as we arrived at Sandal Sports and Social Club to find a packed hall and the kind of audience representative of a well to do area. 

   At the helm, of course, was Chris, he of the self – deprecating patter, and sporting a colourful shirt complete with bold flamingo design. Arranged across a dim corner of the room were the band, with the likes of Peter Joules and Val already looking quite smug with music stand lights perched on top.

  All ready for the action, Chris got the evening under way with the band signature tune, quickly followed by Top of the World

which was met with thunderous applause, suggesting that the chosen music era was well suited to this audience. Another Saturday Night and Bad Moon Rising were also well received before the first of two solo slots with David Blackburn performing Slip Slidin’ Away in confident fashion. After that, the Ronettes’ favourite and other hits jauntily followed, although there was a bit of a timing issue halfway through I’m Into Something Good, a problem that has only arisen recently. Fortunately, as soon as Chris announced the next song, Any Dream Will Do, there were audible gasps of Aahs from the floor and we didn’t disappoint with our female section, comprising of Carol, Glyn, Val, Mags, Margaret, Maria and Beryl playing a starring role in enhancing the harmonies. The Kazoos of Dave F and Mike S were also prominent in helping Urban Spaceman to rock and bring us to the interval. Here, the rather uncouth scenes sometimes seen in the Ridings with the use of sharp elbows and/ or extending a foot to impede the progress of anyone attempting to be first in the queue for coffee and cake was totally absent as our hosts showed those miscreants how waiting for cheese and biscuits or wine should be done. When we did finally deem it polite to queue, Beryl was quite taken with the sauvignon blanc and Mike S, I think it was, who commented how good the Shiraz was. Roy, meanwhile, was seen to be drooling over the prospect of cheddar cheese and Jacob’s cream crackers.

    All this naturally took some time, and it was noticeable that the light outside on this last day of July was fading by the time the second half was   due to start, resulting in a bit of a mock heated discussion about whether we wanted more light over the band, (Peter and Val looking even more smug at this stage.) With this argument soon settled, we swung back into action with Come on Over to My Place followed by Glass of Champagne, both good until an unexpected abbreviated version of Beautiful Sunday came and went, before a return to normality with Country Roads. It was then Stan’s chance to shine with a nonchalant performance of Sloop John B,

and with the audience immediately engaged, this proved to be one of the highlights of the evening, as rapturous applause followed. The band then seized the opportunity to keep this momentum going with a string of successes, not least of which was The Smiths, Sit Down which was performed with consummate skill as was San Francisco Bay and Love Potion. Now it was time for the finale, and what could have been a messy ending turned out, in my view at least, an accidental(?) triumph of timing as with the last three lines of Come Up and See Me still to come, Chris started thanking the audience for the evening while everyone else in the band continued to play to the official end of the song. It was kind of comical but because the music overlaid Chris’s parting words simultaneously it almost sounded rehearsed.

   Whatever the truth of the matter, we had a great night, and the occasion was very fitting as a way of rounding off this term. Even better was when Les Goddard, our host, (the first time, incidentally I’d seen him since playing cricket for the same team about 40 years ago!) not only thanked uus but announced that as well as the already promised donation of one hundred pounds to the YAA, the audience had been so generous with the raffle that he had decided to add another fifty pounds to the cause. Thanks finally for all the background work done by Richard, Beryl, Margaret, Dave Flatters and to our supporters with Jan performing video duties for Top of the World on this occasion.

   I hope everyone enjoys a well-earned break. 

    We resume Tuesday practices on 15th September.