Once in a Blue Moon - a tribute to Lal Waterson

BBC Electric Prom, October 25, 2007
Did you miss this? Yes, so did I. I managed to capture a web showing (which ended on November 4, so you've missed it unless you're reading this today) and captured it to a DVD which is now one of my most precious possessions.

(If you're interested to know how I did this, I'll be posting a techie thingie on my SoftwareDaily blog http://software-daily.blogspot.com/ if you're interested. But not today, which is supposed to be my day off.)

The video quality isn't up to much. Blowing up a tiny web window to full TV screen pixelates like mad, and since I did the capture on a Saturday, which has got to be the web's busiest time, the transmission juddered a few times and lost sound and/or vision once or twice. But most of the time, it was OK, and the sound was superb. I'll be editing it down to an audio CD I can play in my car as soon as I have the time.

And no, before you ask, I can't let you have copies! But (crossed fingers) here's a slideshow of shots from the show:



The set list was
* Some Old Salty
* Flight Of The Pelican
* Foolish One
* The Altisidora
* So Strange Is Man
* Migrating Bird
* Pheobe
* Cornfield
* Memories
* Fine Horse Man
* Winifer Odd
* Never The Same
* At First She Starts
* Midnight Feast
* Her White Gown
* Evona Darling
* The Bird
* Wilsons Arms
* One Of Those Days
* Scarecrow
* Red Wine Promises
* Song For Thersa
* Once In A Blue Moon
* Stumbling On

BBC's Clare Hudson and Daniela Armstrong recorded this minute-by-minute record of how it all happened:

1. 19.31 - We are waiting for the 'Once In a Blue Moon' music event to start.
2. 19.36 - Radio 2's Mike Harding takes the stage to introduce the event with a story of when he first met Mike and Lal Waterson.
3. 19.38 - There are twelve people on the stage. It's hard to describe how powerful the sound is.
4. 19.39 - Eliza is centre stage in a fabulous red dress.
5. 19.42 - She's introducing the house band. She's warned up she might blub. She won't be alone if she does!
6. 19.44 - Flight of the pelican starts with a guitar solo followed by the haunting lyrics sung by Eliza about
7. 19.47 - Marry Gilhooley, Lal's daughter, joins Eliza for 'Foolish One'.
8. 19.49 - Their vocals are supported by a string quartet.
9. 19.53 - Eliza introduces special guest actor Tim van Eyken to ring the next song The Altistadora.
10. 19.57 - Another special guest - James Yorkston and guitar join Tim for 'So Strange Is Man'.
11. 20.00 - Liverpool artist Kathryn Williams takes centre stage for the 'Haunting Bird' supported by the string quartet.
12. 20.03 - The audience are delighted as Kathryn sings 'Phoebe' and 'Cornfield' which she explains are part of the same story.
13. 20.05 - An instrumental resounds around the walls of Cecil Sharp House.
14. 20.10 - Marry and Eliza are back for 'Memories'. It's a family affair with Lal's son Oliver Knight on guitar.
15. 20.13 - Eliza affectionately introduces her old Dad Martin Carthy to the stage to accompany Marry in Fine Horse Man.
16. 20.18 - Martin's singing this one solo. 'Winifer Odd'. It's a curious song of a woman in strange circumstances!
17. 20.23 - One more from Martin. 'Never The Same' harks back to the old days.
18. 20.49 - The second half starts the man from Fife, James Yorkston singing the melancholic 'At First She Starts'.
19. 20.56 - 'Midnight Feast' and James is joined by Norma and Mike, Lal's sister and brother.
20. 21.01 - He jokes about the rehearsals at Norma's house. Wouldn't you love to have been a fly on the wall there!
21. 21.03 - Another special guest Liza Knapp brings what looks like an electric zither to the stage to give her rendition of 'Her White Gown'.
22. 21.05 - She's immersed in the song.
23. 21.07 - Talented Lisa takes to the auto harp for this next care free track 'Evona Darling'.
24. 21.17 - Alasdair Roberts is the next special guest, he solos on 'The Bird'.
25. 21.20 - Mike Waterson has arrived on stage, introduced by his niece Eliza as the family trouble maker. He's joined by Liza and Dougie.
26. 21.23 - Mike stays on stage joined by brother-in-law Martin and nephew Oliver.
27. 21.26 - Mike jokes with the crew and the audience - "We're only here to have fun", he laughs.
28. 21.33 - After a moving song Mike invites "the plague of his life" Norma to join him in Red Wine Promises!
29. 21.37 - Norma introduces 'Song for Thersa', the lady who looked after her, Lal and Mike when they were kids. Did Norma just wipe away a tear?
30. 21.38 - The family unite again for 'Once In a Blue Moon' what an incredible line up.
31. 21.42 - Eliza grabs a violin in this track.
32. 21.45 - Everyone's back on stage. Eliza runs through the thank yous and the applause for the assembled throng.
33. 21.49 - The crowd are demanding more. Will they get it?
34. 21.50 - They're back, but Norma says they've not rehearsed any more. Ah they've found one!
35. 21.51 - Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight!

Lal died nine years ago last September, which is why I've preceded this post with a reprint of my obituary published in The Independent.