This is the, "what's been happening at FAF" column.
Here you'll find regular updates on FAF activity, trivia and gossip......
23/12/2015
All at FAF wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy and musical New Year!
22/12/2015
Another jolly evening of festive fun with MC Stuart. We were treated to Carols from the All Saints choir as well as the usual familiar faces. Martin gave us some Elvis Costello, Dave did his hilarious 'thank you' letters regarding the gifts of the 12 days of Christmas and there was some lovely singing from Christine. Nice to see Paul with his thought provoking songs and new face Steve with some very tasteful stuff. John was ably assisted by Keith, who also gave us some 'dirty old blues'!
8/12/2015
A packed programme hosted by Pete saw many of the regulars and others (too many to mention) in a festive mood. A fine spread of food appeared as the room filled up and there was even a surfeit of mince pies!
6/12/2015
Look out for a double page article about FAF in the new edition of Fishponds Voice. Sarah & Stuart are interviewed and give some insights into the club along with photos of some of the regulars.
24/11/2015
A Fantastic night with the wonderful Carrivick Sisters. Charlotte & Laura were in superb form with their beautiful harmony singing and instrumental virtuosity - so many instruments! Thanks to the floor singers and Andy for MC-ing. Thanks also to Dave Williams for the loan of chairs, much needed on a sell out evening.
10/11/2015
A terrific night, ably hosted by Sarah. Songs to mark Remembrance Day were in evidence in a varied evening. Richard gave us a medley of music hall songs dressed in a bowler hat and waistcoat, Kevin brought his newly acquired banjo and we were delighted to see Keith and Colin. It was also great to see performers who are new to the club or who had only been a couple of times before - Vicki & Richard gave us some beautiful harmonies and lovely playing, Carol sang unaccompanied superbly, Jacki did some old favourites and Steve showed his songwriting talents. Variety too with poetry from Trevor - the Bard of Windmill Hill and his ode to tea!
7/11/2015
We're delighted to say that the Carrivick Sisters have sold out!
2/11/2015
Tickets for the Carrivick Sisters on 24th November are selling fast - only a few left. This is likely to sell out in advance so make sure you book your ticket ASAP.
27/10/2015
Tony was our MC on a busy evening. Dave brought the family band, Pete from Somerset gave us some blues and Phil did a bit of CSN&Y. We had a Halloween theme from Tony & Grace and Pondlife. Good stuff to from Henry, Jo and Steve and nice to hear newcomer Sean with a couple of his own songs.
13/10/2015
Stuart took the helm tonight.
22/9/2015
Pete was MC on a fairly quiet night. Eddie gave us his unique wit and Richard became a one man band. Steve (who has been once or twice before) gave us own reflections on life and it was good to see Jo again.
8/9/2015
Tony took the helm and we welcomed back Jonathan after major surgery. It was good to hear a couple of his old favourites again. We also had Paul from Weston-super-Mare with his tasteful guitar instrumentals, lovely singing and playing from Gayle, and Pete revealed his new cigar box guitar for a song with Stuart. Tony & Grace finished with some 'community singing'!
25/8/2015
Andy found himself MC-ing (again!) as we saw the welcome return of Pete from Somerset and Kev. Martin and Steve both gave us fine renditions of Richard Thompson songs. Pondlife took us Mingulay by boat. We ended the evening, not with the usual Keep Your Lamp, but with a version of Country Life, a song often performed by Jonathan, who has not been well lately. We hope we sent some positive vibes to one of our founder members!
11/8/2015
Pondlife Pete, the writer of this column was at Cropredy and lack of information means that he can't report on this particular evening! No matter, we'll move on to the following FAF night.
28/7/2015
Andy was our MC for a fine mix of songs and styles, with some nice stuff from all including Martin, Sarah, Steve and Tony & Grace.
14/7/2015
Stuart was at the helm for a fine evening, with the usual mix of styles. It was good to welcome back John Blake with his wonderful Jake Thackray songs, and Gayle, who we haven't seen for a while. We were also treated to a couple of self penned songs from Jean on her performing debut at FAF.
23/6/2015
Sarah took charge for a busy evening including Chris, Kevin and Stuart & Pete.
9/6/2015
Pete was on MC-ing duties and we had a fine selection. Roger, Tony & Grace, Jo, Neil and Martin were all on good form and it was nice to see John Shaw.
26/5/2015
A regular night hosted by Andy with some great stuff from the regulars plus visitors Sian and Rob.
12/5/2015
A fabulous night with a blues special from the Whiskey Headed Buddies, with FAF regular Keith Hodges leading the band. Tony was in the MC hotseat.
28/4/2015
A more intimate evening hosted by Stuart and performed in the round. Some lovely stuff from some of the regulars and very tasteful guitar playing from Neil, who did some of his Brazillian tunes. Special mention goes to Seren The Heron, a young singer/songwriter from Abergavenny who came over and delighted us with her beautiful songs and voice.
14/4/2015
Jonathan introduced yet another assortment of allsorts, from Cuban (Pondlife) to Match of the Day (Tony), via Richard Thompson (Jonathan & Bob) to Johnny Cash (Richard & Colin) and a beautiful tribute to the late John Renbourn (Steve). We also had a true travelling minstrel, Ian, who was en route and called in to give us some stunning Renaissance music, complete with lute!
25/3/2015
MC duties were shared by Grace and Sarah who welcomed FAF newcomer Dawn doing some beautiful songs. Mentions also go to Steve, Sarah and Kev in another varied evening.
11/3/2015
Our next guest evening will be on May 12th with FAF regular and favourite Keith Hodges plus his band the Whisky Headed Buddies. More details to follow soon.
11/3/2015
A fabulous evening was had by all with the wonderful Jez Lowe, a performance full of charm, wit and thoughtfulness with some great playing and singing. There was a full house, so a big thanks to Jez. Tony did his usual cracking job as MC and there were a select number of floor spots. It was nice to hear a couple of songs from the FAF CD done live (Keith and Steve) and a song beautifully sung by FAF debutant, Jacqui.
6/3/2015
Tickets for the Jez Lowe gig on March 10th have sold out!
24/2/2015
A quieter FAF night, but with the usual eclectic mix. Hosted by 'Pondlife' Pete, we saw fine performances from Steve, Jo doing T-Rex, story telling from Gary and a mix of philosophy and classic songs from Roger. Amid some interesting tuning issues, Grace got her washboard out! Tickets for Jez Lowe were selling well and there are now only a few left.
20/2/2015
Jez Lowe is coming to FAF soon and we are delighted that he has been nominated for two BBC Folk Awards - Folk Singer of the Year and Best Original Song (The Pitmen Poets). Good luck to Jez on 22nd April.
10/2/2015
A cracking FAF night, busy and full of quality with lots of regulars. MC was Andy who did a splendid job. Nice to see Joss again, who made his first appearance last time and lowered the average age! Richard and Colin were the new 'super duo' with Colin showing us his percussion skills. Love was in the air with Valentine's Day approaching and there were a fine selection of love songs, including Tony's version of Angels and Pondlife doing It Must Be Love. Tickets went on sale for the Jez Lowe gig and sold well - get yours fast to avoid disappointment.