In front of a very-limited-ticket audience
of perhaps 150 family, friends, and lucky intrepid fans on this
icy December night, Mostly Autumn turned out what, for it's intimacy,
was the Gig of the Year, at the remote Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge
in the Yorkshire Moors, recognized as their Spiritual Home.
From the start, with Heather and Angela's unaccompanied opening lines of the Christmas carol 'Silent Night', which drew a quiet, true Yorkshire "Bloody Hell!" from our host Paul Crossland squatted in the front row beside me, we sat spellbound.
The resulting applause and warmth from us all enveloped the group, who recognized they were home again after an exhausting and draining marathon year of two big promotional tours, not only for them, but for some of us!
The girls, in black evening dresses, soon discarded their shawls as the night warmed up, Classic Rock Guitarist of the Year Bryan drawing the band through a familiar repertoire of 'Night Sky', 'Winter Mountain', 'Spirit II', 'Evergreen', 'Last Climb', 'Out of the Inn', and 'Half the Mountain', amid much banter between him and Heather as usual, and also from the audience.
My eye caught Bryan's during 'The Last Climb', and he smiled, recognizing my love for this song voiced to him many gigs ago.
This first set culminated in a special treat of a cover of Greg Lake's 'I Believe in Father Christmas' sung by Bryan immensely popular!
Ten minutes later, drinks recharged for audience and group alike, the second set was launched, consisting of 'Close My Eyes', 'Shenanigans', Heather doing her usual trick in recent gigs of indulging in high-spirited banter and then realizing she has to settle down and sing a serious song 'Shrinking Violet', the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl's 'Fairytale of New York', a hilarious snowball fight between group and audience using handfuls of cotton-wool, 'Shindig', Liam leading us all in singing Slade's 'Merry Christmas' (with a guest guitarist in his place), 'Never the Rainbow', and 'Heroes Never Die'.
The amount of audience participation, singing along especially to 'Spirit of Autumn Past II' and 'Heroes Never Die', was obviously as emotional an experience for the band as it was a tribute to them by the audience, and it probably produced the highlights of the night.
Rather than go off before the encore, which would have required clambering over the front of the audience again as there was no exit stage left or right, they just paused with more banter and some confusion as to what was happening next, and then brought on a couple of friends as guest singers to help with John Lennon's 'War is Over' song for Peace. Damian Wilson, who had given us a short support set, sang alongside Heather they are obviously close, and make a lovely couple it has to be said!
The gig had to end with the epic 'Mother Nature' of course, as usual dedicated to Bryan's mother Jean who was sat up on a seat behind me, and her motherly loving inspiration is obvious even in the little I know her.
I'm sure I must have missed important bits out of this review of the gig possibly even an impromptu song or two please remind me by email and I'll see about getting a more accurate review put up here for posterity !
Most of the band hung around for a long, long, long time after, which was great for those of us with a room for the night in this very accommodating hostelry ! Thanks Paul !
Trevor Pocknell.
1st January 2003.
Sing-a-long-a-Mostly Autumn
Nothing in my Christmas stocking? Sack full of cinders? Frankly my dear I don't give a damn, as all my Christmases came early last night at the Blakey!!
From the beautiful rendition of Silent night through to Mother Nature and passing on the way singalong versions of "Heroes never die"... (the highlight (if that's possible) of my night), Christmas classics like "Fairytale of New York", Liam giving it rice for Slades "Merry Christmas Everybody", a snowball(ahem) fight, top class banter between Heather and Bryan and a superb audience who obviously appreciated the bands music it was a Buckswivvler(TM) of a night!!
Thanks also to Paul at Blakey, without his christmas spirit I would've missed it all.
Jim
Just to say thanks for such a brill night. Haven't enjoyed myself so much since the summerfest. Such a great atmosphere and the beer was spot on(as usual). Pity I couldn't stay for the party afterwards, 3 hours in front of the speakers gave me a mega migrain.
As Bryan said, the Lion has a very special spirit and for me Wednesday night was what Christmas is all about.
Let us know the summerfest date asap as i need to get summer leave booked asap in Jan/Feb.
See you soon.
Cheers
Steve
Fantastic Day - Mostly Autumn 18th Dec 2002
Hello Paul,
Another visit to the Lion Inn which was full of wonder and magic,
surely the place cannot have seen many better nights.
As ever you and your staff ably played your parts in helping create
the magic.
Many thanks to you all.
Good luck with everything in the new year.
See you soon.
Paul Turner
Hi Paul,
Thanks for a mint evening, Mostly Autumn were brilliant!
Hope you and your family have a lovely Christmas.
See you soon,
Clare and Dave
Mostly Autumn Christmas Gig
Just to say many thanks to Mostly Autumn for a fantastic evening (and morning) at Blakey on Wednesday. The best I've seen so far and in fact the best night out I've ever had! (Not an overstatement).
Antony Stringfellow
Halifax
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