My Friend Joe.

        Friendship is a strange thing, while living it you never think of missing it, it's something that is there on tap, and as they say, "You never miss the water until the well runs dry". More than 40 years of friendship with the last 16 or so years meeting once a week in some pub for a soup, coffee and a good old blether, where nothing was off the agenda. Everything from natural disasters to the latest medical advances, some weird recipe to political corruption, wild life to music, it didn't matter, we always had something to say about it. Joe's stories from his very varied and at times very hard life, were material for a multitude of movies and books, some tragic and other hilarious, sadly they were never recorded. Even yet, things come into my mind, and I think "Oh, I must tell Joe about that", but of course I can't. Joe died from prostrate cancer February 7th 2019, and it left a very large hole in my life. Like some old mine shaft that just can't be filled. Joe, a well known folk singer, but that was just a fragment of the man.

Friendship.

True friendship has many things
anger, annoyance, even squabbles,
there are times, now and again
it falters, wavers, even wobbles
but sure as fate, up it gets
with a smile on it hobbles:
with it comes comfort, warmth, love,
laughter at its foibles.
the longer it lasts the stronger it gets,
any flaw it finds it cobbles.

         This was filmed in his sister's home, a couple of weeks before Joe died, he moved to his sister house as he could no longer make the stairs of his own flat.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk  

Farewell To Joe.

      Just lost a dear friend of more than 40 years, my mate Joe, aged 82, died of prostrate cancer February 7th. Joe was known to many, many people, a folk singer, he had sang in pubs, clubs, gigs and festivals across the country, including Ireland. Always friendly, always with a smile, if you walked with him through the city it was only a matter of time before someone came by with “Hi Joe”, his reply was usual “Good to see you m’man.”. To the thousands that knew Joe he was a folk singer and a friend, to me he was much much more. After the death a mutual friend Ian who died of mesothelioma, Joe suggested that we meet for “a bite and a blether” at lunch time, this we done every week for the next sixteen years. It was during those soup and coffee lunches that I really got to know Joe, and found the folk singer’s range of interests spanned the world. An expert of Scottish and Irish history, and folklore, and a considerable knowledge about Scotland’s wild life. However his interests spanned much more than that. During these soup episodes we would discuss everything from politics to climate change, from natural disasters to world conflicts, the latest financial crisis, poverty and corruption. He had a fascination for nature studies and wild life videos and articles. He was eager to discus the latest science and medical advances, engineering, astronomy and inventions, nothing was outside his span of interest.
      Joe also had a very colourful and at times very harsh life, it dealt him many vicious blows, but he always come through and kept his friendly personality. On one occasion in the Scotia, he was asked to come up and sing, as he got up I said, "Joe, sing an angry song", he just smiled, of course he didn't, Joe was never an angry man. During his life he mixed with the “good and the bad” but none of it taint that loyal, friendly personality. Naturally with that very mixed and colourful life he had a wealth of stories, some sad, but most outrageously hilarious that had us laughing out loud over our soup. I used to say, “Joe we need to get these stories down on record, they are a book in them selves”, it is now a deep regret that we didn’t. He could mix in any company and be welcomed back.
     So Joe the folk singer, to me is a rather weak description of the man, in my life he was a unique. wonderfully loyal, considerate and fascinating friend. There is now a large hole in my life.
Recorded at his sister Margaret's house about week or so before he died. He stayed at Margaret's as he could no longer make the stairs at his own flat.

Visit ann arky's home at radicalglasgow.me.uk

Robb Johnson.

Robb Johnson Friday 26th April
Partick Folk Club, St Peter's Hall, 66 Chancellor Street, Partick, Glasgow G11 5PS (map)  bring own booze. No bar. Doors 7.45. 8pm start. £8, Concession £6 - includes free home-made soup.

http://www.robbjohnson.co.uk/mp3/index.html

Guitar - Sololibertarian socialist

"his songs are incisive and clever and witty and you can sing them on your way to work." Boff, Chumbawamba

He has played pubs, clubs, pavements, pickets & benefits, arts centres & festivals, local radio, BBC Radio 3 & 4, Belgian Radio 1, Nicaraguan TV & Channel 4, the Albert Hole in Bristol &, as part of Roy Bailey’s 1998 concert, the Albert Hall in London. In February 2006 Robb appeared at the Barbican as part of the prestigious BBC “Folk Britannia” series, where “for the encore, Robb Johnson leads all the artists (and the audience) in the World War I song (‘Hanging On The Old Barbed Wire’)” (BBC Folk Britannia website) in a concert that was screened later that month on BBC4. Earlier this year Robb was the featured guest on Andy Kershaw’s Radio 3 programme. Robb also plays extensively in Belgium, Holland & Germany, & he has toured Britain supporting Chumbawamba, & the US with David Rovics (who is playng Saturday, May 25th Glad Cafe 1006A Pollokshaws Rd Glasgow, G41 2HG).

ann arky's home.

THE FRUITS OF CAPITALISM!!

         Capitalism is certainly filled with stories of misery, heartache, frustration, deprivation, and exploitation and we are fortunate that there are those who can record some of this human struggle to survive in a repressive system. Yes there are those who have made a fortune and those who have lived comfortably, but the majority never get beyond the struggling stage. Music and art can be a powerful way to record the injustices of the system. This does it in a simple but poignant way.

ann arky's home.