Shadows Club woes

[Uncle Fiesta]

Each month, I attend two Shadows clubs.

At one, we play exclusively Shadows music, although I'm sure no-one would mind if someone played a non-Shadows guitar instrumental; I've done so myself with no adverse comment. There are also a few who sing the odd Cliff song (I've yet to take the plunge, but you never know, one day).
Until recently it was strictly backing tracks only, but then some members put a band together and they have got stuck into learning the Shads' back catalogue. This aspect of club activities has come on well, particularly as we swap around so everyone gets to have a go on any instrument they fancy.

At the other club we have always played a mixture of backing tracks and live music. The band has been going for ages and there is a large pool of musicians to draw on. However, in recent months I have become frustrated by the lack of Shadows music. The stage seems open to anyone regardless of what they do, particularly singers performing rock and roll, country and western, and similar drivel. I mentioned to someone at the last meeting that Shadows music seemed a bit thin on the ground these days, and the reply was, "Well, if you just do that, it gets boring." I couldn't help it, I replied that if he was bored by the Shadows, perhaps he shouldn't come.

I drive a fair distance to get to this club and am beginning to wonder if it's worth it. My opinion is that it should be Shadows only, other guitar instrumentals, and if you want to sing, it should be Shadows songs, or Cliff songs, and that should be it. And anyone who doesn't like that should go elsewhere. After all, it's supposed to be a Shadows club, and it's called a Shadows club so they should know what to expect. You wouldn't turn up at a tennis club, then play cricket, would you?

[Hank2k]

Morning Steve
We had a similiar issue at the Southend club, we started to allow vocals and suddenly there was an influx of non shadows music being performed. I have no issue with the occasional non Shads but the problem is it starts to become an open MIC night rather than a shadows guitar club.

[ecca]

It can be indeed a problem.........
We have Jo, our resident Billy Fury look unlike who occasionally sings a few which is tolerated ....... because he brings the most splendid pork pies !
Otherwise it's not encouraged and so far, at the Hankies it's instrumentals that rule the roost, not always Shads stuff but we don't care about that.

[bob t]

And the Instrumentals could come under the heading of what the Shadows might have done

[Iain Purdon]

This is an interesting question, because I have come across both points of view. Warwick has been going since the early 2000's and started out as a Shads BT club, very quickly evolving into live band as well. More recently we have found people who can play other stuff asking to do so and the question came up at the club's AGM. The decision was that people can play what they like on whatever instrument they like but that the emphasis is still on the Shadows. It seems to be working, judging from attendance figures.

I don't think there are any right answers. It depends who is coming to the club!

Iain

[Bob Withrington]

Hi Iain,

I think it all works extremely well at the Warwick Club.

At the 20th March meeting of the Surrey Shadows Club we are going to trial a short Rock 'n Roll segment to the evening's performances. This to satisfy requests we have received from the considerable number of people that regularly attend as our appreciative audience. It should be fun, come along and see.

Cheers,

Bob Withrington
on behalf of SSC Management Team

[noelford]

I would agree that if you call your club the such-and-such Shadows Club, then you would expect it to be dedicated specifically to Shads' music. We deliberately called our club The West Of Wales Shadows & Guitar Club and, as such, whilst having a bias to Shads' music, we do have a wide variey of other genres. It must work because we have some members travelling from sixty or seventy miles away to come to our meetings. I have a large Shadows repertoire but also include a lot of other classic guitar instrumentals. I also like to play other material that suits Shadows'-style playing. I do think you need some variety to keep your playing fresh.

[Uncle Fiesta]

I would have no objection if anyone wanted to play other guitar instrumentals such as the Ventures, Spotnicks, Eagles (the proper ones), Surfaris etc, as these are not dissimilar to the Shadows style. Indeed, I myself am forever searching for other things that can be played in that way. (Abba songs work well.)

I do however object to making an 86-mile round trip, plus paying for a bridge toll and a player's fee, then wasting half the night being subjected to music that has nothing whatsoever to do with the Shadows - particularly rock and roll, which I utterly hate.

[dave robinson]

You need to address the club organisers in question rather than vent your anger here, though I suspect that if you did, it would be you that is shown the door if the majority enjoy it, after all The Shadows began as a rock & roll outfit.

[JimN]

I would have no objection if anyone wanted to play other guitar instrumentals such as the Ventures, Spotnicks, Eagles (the proper ones), Surfaris etc, as these are not dissimilar to the Shadows style. Indeed, I myself am forever searching for other things that can be played in that way. (Abba songs work well.) I do however object to making an 86-mile round trip, plus paying for a bridge toll and a player's fee, then wasting half the night being subjected to music that has nothing whatsoever to do with the Shadows - particularly rock and roll, which I utterly hate.

Rock'n'Roll, especially the well-known "standards" by Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and (to a lesser extent) Elvis Presley and (rarely) Bill Haley are popular with performers because they're easy to play, easy to remember the words to and easy to call with a scratch band because everyone knows them. See also certain "rock standards" which have managed to gain entry to the canon over the intervening decades (eg, Proud Mary, Stuck In The Middle With You or Yellow River).

I've played in clubs "oop narf" with a price list on the back of the dressing room door threatening that the resident musicians will charge £10 a song to play end-of-evening R'n'R medleys in A.