Saturday, 10 December 2016

AN EVENING AT SPRING BANK ARTS

AN EVENING AT SPRING BANK ARTS

There were words and music and glee and delight
At Spring Bank Arts centre on a Friday night
With Luke Carver Goss and the Bard of Barnsley
That's Ian McMillan between you and me

On a dark December evening, we ventured out
To finally see Mister M about that have no doubt
I've followed his feed on Twitter for quite some time
To get to see him in person was an idea quite sublime

I’ve read about these gigs - they always sound such fun
Could not imagine that I would ever get to actually see one
No one who would get me out ever comes round here
Looking at the listings that Bard never comes that near

Hold on, though - on his website - what is this I see…?
There’s an event in December just up the road from me
Emails were exchanged and precious tickets were reserved
Would the universe intervene in a manner quite absurd?

Arriving bang on seven, my soggy rain-soaked cap
Was admired in the doorway by a white haired chap
Though it’s that sort of season, this was not some festive elf
I was rather surprised to see that it was the Bard himself

We settled in our seats and bought some glasses of wine
Not yet quite sure how this night would fill our time
The whole thing was a joy; we shouldn’t have had doubts
Because that boy McMillan is an enthusiasm powerhouse

There are comic introductions and introductions introduce
Mesmeric haunting tunes only an accordion can produce
Tales of signs and Barnsley folk; songs of drinks machines
A beautiful song about work’s end made folk quite serene

The whole room finds it’s singing about that mystery door
Now the whole world knows where the coffee float is stored
We’ve all learned it’s an ambry, not a cupboard, or a niche
But it’s not the sort of place you’d want to store your quiche

In the interval I’m outed as a loyal Twitter follower
And getting that signed book’s a bargain for a fiver
Some people say that it’s better not to meet admired folk
But Ian and Luke do seem to be a lovely pair of blokes

The second half then starts off just as delightfully mad
There’s a beautiful performance of that poem about his dad
Boiled eggs and science clubs then contribute, as they might
To some astonishing Improv based on Saturday night fights

The night came to a close with a song about Trainspotting
It’s a catchy little number and got the whole room singing
An evening too soon over, I’m still glad I shook Ian’s hand
We headed out into the night thinking “Ee, that were grand!”


Martin A W Holmes, Dec 2016


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