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Even before the now burgeoning summer festival the Lion Inn hosted a sort of Christmas end of year get-together, which in more recent times has become what I have sort-of labelled the Mostly Autumn office Christmas party.
With only 80 places available it is becoming an honour to get a place these days, especially with the much increased profile that Mostly Autumn have gained in the last year or two.
Many of the places go to close family and long time friends of the band and Blakey Ridge, and getting a ticket if you don't fall into either category is very hard. It is not impossible though but if you were a first-timer and you were expecting a slick polished show in the same vein as the previous weeks York or Shepherds Bush show then you would be in for a surprise. The Lion Inn is
about having fun - a lot of it!
That's not saying that the V shows were not about the band or us having fun, they were and we all had a great time at them, but there is a serious side to those shows for the band that any concert at Blakey sheds somewhat.
There is certain unpredictability about any Mostly Autumn concert at Blakey and this one had more than most.
Snowball fights, costume changes (and that was just Bryan - yes you are reading that right), Andy Smith playing on the keyboard and a set list that got more surreal the longer it went.
The gig started after a day greeting friends we hadn't seen since last week with Silent Night. Heather accompanied only by Iain on keys is the usual start of any MA Christmas show. The next hour passed off relatively normally with a set of Mostly Autumn classics. I say relatively as the songs were often punctuated by long gaps between them as band and the assembled people indulged in some lengthy banter between songs, always including a great deal of laughter.
Troy Donockly was on hand to give a stunning solo on the Low Whistle during the Night Sky. He would play a major role in the rest of the evening's proceedings.
Greg Lake's Christmas anthem I believe In Father Christmas ended a jovial first set and we eagerly took a break from the piping hot concert area for a few minutes.
The Last Climb opened set two before Out Of the Inn and Shindig heralded the traditional Blakey snowball fight. We had been asked to prepare a few snowballs of our own this year and I am not sure anyone was prepared for how many people had heeded that. A deluge of fluffy snowballs peppered the stage and "new boy" Andy Jennings proved what a good player he is by steadfastly carrying on playing through the storm, he wasn't a bad shot sending them back either.
Spirit of Autumn Past (part 2) had the crowd singing along, why doesn't this happen at all shows? Before Which Wood? had everyone dancing again as well as more snowballs flying, Andy J's aim was getting pretty deadly by this time.
Dark Before The Dawn and Heroes finished set two, the former drifting at times into an unusual version, which included snippets of Stairway to Heaven. I said it got surreal and it would get more so in set three.
We had to wait a little while which prompted the Judge to come to the mic to say "trust me this will be worth the wait"
What happened next had to be seen to be believed. Mostly Autumn, all wearing shiny gold suits and with Troy in tow, wearing the most hideous blonde wig I have ever seen, came back to the stage. Few noticed the equally strange sight of Andy Smith playing keyboards as Abba's Mamma Mia rang over those of us left with drinks in our hands, the rest had rapidly run to get one from the bar. It was quite hard to sing along to while you were busy choking on the aforementioned beer.
Liam then took over vocals on Merry Christmas Everybody, the Slade Christmas classic. Whether it was the beer or not I don't know but he sounded more like Noddy Holder than ever.
Fairytale of New York, which closed the recent V shows, came next before a terrific Low Whistle solo from Troy filled in while Bryan went to change into some "normal" clothes.
By this stage we should have seen the fact that he returned dressed as Santa coming. I am blaming the drink for the fact that I didn't! Bryan and Troy then went into a duet of The Little Drummer Boy featuring Play Misty for Me as things now got stranger by the minute. At least Troy had thankfully taken off the wig by now.
That finished a three-hour show and we retired to the bar and Troy entertained everyone all night with his magic tricks.
I am not sure if I have adequately described what was an incredible night, perhaps the best ever at Blakey, in the end you just had to have been there. Paul Turner
Set List:
Silent Night/ The Night Sky/ Something in-Between/ Close My Eyes/ Evergreen/ Simple Ways/ Winter Mountain/ I Believe In Father Christmas/ The Last Climb/ Out of the Inn/ Shindig/ The Spirit of Autumn Past part 2/ Which Wood?/ Dark Before The Dawn/ Heroes Never Die/ Mamma Mia/ Merry Christmas Everybody/ Fairytale Of New York/ The Little Drummer Boy.
