SMSE FINAL meeting - Wed 6th July

No longer meeting

Moderators: David Martin, Iain Purdon, George Geddes, JimN

SMSE FINAL meeting - Wed 6th July

Postby JimN » Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:01 am

That's right - the final meeting of ShadowMusic South-East will take place on Wednesday 6th July.

After eight years, Spencer Scott and I have decided that the original aims of the club have been more than achieved and are unlikely to be surpassed and that in the current climate, with clubs subsequently having been started in Dartford, Surrey and Sussex, the "South-East" tag (initially adopted quite deliberately as opposed to any more local Kent description) can no longer serve its original purpose.

I must stress that Spencer will continue to run the venue at Temple Farm Workingmens' Club on the first Wednesday of the month, though I shall no longer be involved. Members in attendance last night were invited to submit ideas for a new name for the club which reflects the location and coverage area of the club's current home. I'm sure they will be inventive.

So... looking back through the archive, I see that we started in August 2003 with nearly forty attenders, including my son James (then in his last year of A-levels) acting as backing track DJ, Andrew Bailey (our stalwart doorkeeper and cash-collector for many years) and The Secrets. Members joining us at that first meeting on that hot and humid summer's night hailed from Carshalton, Kingston, Barkingside, Byfleet, Wansted, Plumpton Green, Laindon, Forest Hill, Westcliff-on-Sea, Hassocks, Thundersley, Crawley and Hassocks, as well as from every part of Kent. At our peak during that first year we had 75 members (plus James and Andrew).

Considering that we were operating in the quite odd basement/ground floor of the old Upper Bell pub at Bluebell Hill, space was often at a premium, never more so than on the occasions when we had live bands playing, with our still-extant petrol expenses record showing that over the years and at various venues, The Secrets appeared no less than four times at regular club meets and charity events, while Mike McWilliams' band The Contenders, local outfit The Banned and Alan Scrafton's (Southend) Saddows each appeared once. Mean Streak did two shows for us, one of them in London. We lasted at the Upper Bell for about a year, until the pub closed down. We had a brief sojourn at the nearby and equally famous Lower Bell - for one month only as a stopgap because we needed a room where we could control entry - before moving on to the Hastings Arms in Gillingham, a venue suggested by one-time member Ian Surita (to whom, many thanks).

The Hastings Arms was almost perfect for us through at least three changes of licensee: a sizeable back room with controllable entry, a small stage, lots of car-parking and (initially) a semi-isolated position surrounded on three sides by fields. We also ran various special events there, and the Sunday all-day charity function (raising money for the Nicholls family) with top of the bill Cliff Hall playing keyboards with Ian McCutcheon's Shazam was a real highlight.

We also ran a well-remembered Sunday charity event in Central London in 2004, in partnership with Pipeline Magazine (Alan Taylor and George Geddes) and with lots of welcome help from friends from all over the country. Bands donating their services at our charity events over the years have included The Secrets, Legend, Mean Streak, The Runaways and Shazam, with honourable mentions for USA guests Abel Khineche and Tony Chan. We welcomed guests from other parts of the country too - including David and Barbara Martin, Chris Kenward and co from the Berkshire and Surrey clubs and Ecca and entourage on their way to Le Touquet.

In 2009, due to various difficulties at the venue (not least its almost complete engulfment by new housing, requiring a more rigorous policy on noise), we moved on, to a small club in Rochester: The Billabong. Not universally popular with members (a few of whom never attended there even once), we eventually accepted an offer of the back room at what became SMSE's fifth and last home: the Temple Farm Workingmen's Club. The first TF meet took place in early March 2010. Unprecedentedly, I was unable to attend since I had already booked a trip abroad.

Over the years. SMSE has raised and/or donated well over £2,000 for several UK medical charities and every year since we started, at a cost of about ten per cent of the club's income, we have provided a free buffet for attenders at the December meeting (except when snowed off, when it has shifted to January). We constantly improved the means of delivery of backing tracks, obtaining a dual-deck CD player, two iPods, a portable PC running iTunes and a Mackie PA system over the years. All this was achieved with no increase in member's fees or attendance charges since they were set for the first meeting: £1pa to join, £2pcm to attend a meeting and £2.50 for a guest.

Looking back over those eight years, I have to say that the most memorable meeting for me was the second one, in September 2003. My friend Roberto Pistolesi was staying with us (we were off to Shadowmania) and he brought along a reworked Gibson Explorer valve amp (rewired with 1958 Fender Tremolux circuitry), his extensively restored Meazzi tape echo and one of his two 1959 Gretsch 6122 model guitars. The atmosphere was electric as Roberto explained his famous Gretsch theory to a packed basement at Bluebell Hill, not without a certain amount of heckling. Happy days.

For the next - and last - meeting of SMSE, we have an eventful night planned. Tony Dobson has kindly agreed to bring along the bassist and drummer of his group "Quiff and The Shades" as well as his own Gibson J-200. Don Vann (on bass) and Geoff Cousins (on drums) have undertaken to provide live backing for our very own Hanks, and we're in the process of sorting out the parameters of a possible repertoire to choose from.

We hope you can attend. It'll be your last chance.

Don't forget: the July meeting also features the annual presentation to the SMSE Player Of The Year (in this case, the last one).

Many thanks to everyone who has supported SMSE over the last eight years, and best wishes to Spencer and members for the future operation of the club at Strood, and good luck in whatever direction it takes.

See you in July,

JimN

PS: Dob Dore (admin): I'll be in touch asap about changes that will be needed to the club section in order to reflect the above developments.
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Re: SMSE FINAL meeting - Wed 6th July

Postby johnabutler » Thu Jun 02, 2011 9:39 pm

Regrettably, I doubt whether I will be able to make the SMSE wake in July, but hope to be at the phoenix-like gathering in August. Good luck Jim and thanks for all the fun. I'll miss the Dolly Suite.
And now for Spencer's quest for a catchy new club name to trip off the tongue as easily as the old one. As the club looks set to remain Medway based for the time being (I'm pleased to say), how about "Chavs Shads" or if that's too down-market, perhaps "The Shadway Club"? I will send more brilliant ideas as they arise.
Have a good one in July.. Best wishes

John Butler
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Re: SMSE FINAL meeting - Wed 6th July

Postby LONGPLAYER09 » Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:20 pm

Or even the Medway Shadows Club. MSc for short!
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Re: SMSE FINAL meeting - Wed 6th July

Postby Razzmataz » Fri Jun 03, 2011 12:02 pm

I still prefer South of the River (down Mexico way) Shadows Club (SRSC)
Paul

PS. My sister-in-law refers to what we do as "public Hanking".
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Re: SMSE FINAL meeting - Wed 6th July

Postby David Martin » Sat Jun 04, 2011 8:43 am

Now that IS a surprise...

SMSE has been a cornerstone in the resurgence of Shads' music in England and we all owe a debt of thanks to Jim and Scott for their tireless work on our behalf...

July 6th... I'll do my very best to get there... but where is it now? I'm confused! (no change there then... :lol: )

D
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Re: SMSE FINAL meeting - Wed 6th July

Postby David JM » Mon Jun 06, 2011 9:12 am

Hi Dave,

Nobody seems to have had the courtesy to reply as yet, so here are copied and pasted directions from an earlier Club announcement.

Temple Farm Working Mens Club, at 15-17 Cedar Road, Rochester, Kent ME2 2HB, [phone: 01634 717172 ]

If you have Satnav, you can use the postcode [ME2 2HB] as your homing signal.

If you're using less hi-tech methods of navigation, here's a map of the area:

http://tinyurl.com/yj92725

Cedar Road runs off Darnley Road, but doesn't quite meet due to a concrete road-block.

"A" marks the spot - you need to travel via Cuxton Road (the main road - A228) and Hawthorn Road in order to get as near as possible to the club.


Regards,

David JM
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Re: SMSE FINAL meeting - Wed 6th July

Postby David JM » Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:30 pm

Me again - :twisted:

Can somebody explain to me why the club name should be changed?

If it had infringed somebody's copyright, I can understand, but there are no clubs in the whole of the Uk whose name or title comes anywhere near close for confusion to reign.

It's well established, so (as they say) "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

The mnemonic could always stand for "Spence's Musical Soiree Event"...........

Anyway.

It'll be years since I performed with a live band, so I'm looking forward to the July meeting. Everyone else who goes will probably wish that I'd let it stay that way. We'll see............. Anyone know "Black Knight" in Eb..............??

David JM
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Re: SMSE FINAL meeting - Wed 6th July

Postby marvwelch » Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:54 pm

Well done our David . I did find the statement strangely worded , as you say , it is carrying on so not the final session . Also , again as you say , why change the name ?. It`s worked up till now ?. Will be good to see you . And the very best of luck to our dear friend Spencer . We will remain in good hands for sure . Take care all .
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Re: SMSE FINAL meeting - Wed 6th July

Postby marvwelch » Fri Jun 24, 2011 2:55 pm

Was saddened by lack of faces at Dartford club last night . I pray this isn`t a premonition for Stroods future ?. Hope there will be backing tracks as well . with respects , hope not all "live" all night as concerns have been raised ( honest ). take care all . Ron
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Re: SMSE FINAL meeting - Wed 6th July

Postby Razzmataz » Fri Jun 24, 2011 4:38 pm

Ron,

I think it was just due to the time of year, holidays etc. We had a good variety last night and I'm sure that Dartford will be back to strength soon. As for Strood I'm sure that will be as popular as ever. I can't make it for final official SMSE meet this month due to other commitments, but rest assured I will try to attend both venues when able (Oh! please god no, I hear you all cry!).

Paul
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