The Smokin’ Spitfires have been bringing their mix of self-written songs and classic soul and rhythm and blues to the Cluny on the first Sunday afternoon of the month, in support of the Bubble Foundation for over ten years now and have raised tens of thousands of pounds for the foundation. And naturally enough every December, the event becomes one big Christmas party.
So it was that on 7 December, the Smokin’ Spitfires put on another show that was one big party for all involved.
The Spitfires’ first set, as is the custom, consisted of self-penned favourites including the infectious ‘Dancing in the Spotlight’ and nostalgic ‘Kissing in the Rain’.
The set also included the powerful song, ‘Face it Where it Stands’, an anthem to standing up to injustice and discrimination wherever they rear their ugly heads.
Following this set, support band Kissed, took the stage in the middle of the gig, singing songs by people like Tina Turner and Carole King. They provided a supportive audience with a mixture of powerful and gentle melodies aided by precise harmonies.
The Bubble Foundation
Next up was the traditional Christmas raffle and a few words from Charlie Hardwick, famous for playing Val Pollard on Emmerdale and who is a patron of the Bubble Foundation
Charlie told us that everything for the Bubble Foundation has to be funded, outside of funding from the NHS and that the Christmas party was the 130th Sunday gig by the Spitfires, raising money.
As the Bubble Foundation suggest, this money is to help children with life-threatening immune conditions have the best possible chance of a full recovery so making life a little easier for families trying to find their way through the trauma of caring for a poorly child.
Charlie gave a heartfelt thanks to the Smokin’ Spitfires for all their efforts over a period of more than ten years.
The second set
Then came the piece de resistance, the second set by the Smokin’ Spitfires. Now, normally, this would lots of the crowd dancing, but on this occasion that didn’t really happen. And why was that? Was the band not up to its normal high standard of musicianship? Of course it was… It was just that the crowd at the Cluny was so huge that there wasn’t a lot of space for people to dance in. But people still did their best!
As ever, the set was a glorious mix of soul and rhythm and blues standards, including ‘How Sweet it is to be Loved by You’, originally done by Marvin Gaye and then Junior Walker and the Allstars, ‘I can’t get Next to You’, originally by the Temptations and ‘Higher and Higher’, the old Jackie Wilson classic.
There was also a heartfelt tribute to Steve Cropper from Booker T and the MGs, the house band at Stax, who had died a few days earlier, just before one of the songs for which Cropper had played on the original.
Other songs included ‘Hold back the Night’, a top five hit for the Trammps in 1975 as well as a host of other crowd favourites, which were as well received as ever
The Spitfires finished with ‘On Such a Night as This’, a song replete with memories and nostalgia… Which was appropriate for those of us among the large crowd who had first seen Neil Hunter and Terry O’ Hern the trombone player in the East Side Torpedoes, over four decades ago.
A great day
Smokin’ Spitfires lead singer Neil Hunter commented after the gig: “A great day for The Bubble Foundation.loads of folks coming to see The Mighty Smokin Spitfires, Kissed and of course to support the Bubble (working for bairns born without an immune system). Thanks go to all who came and of course Gill Wheeldon (whose idea it was a hundred and thirty gigs ago)and all at The Cluny…..thank you!!!”
How sweet it was
To paraphrase Junior Walker, how sweet it was and it certainly was a great day at the Cluny, with a huge crowd being superbly entertained and a lot more money raised again for the Bubble Foundation. It really did seem to be an awfully good way to spend an afternoon… and something you can do every first Sunday of the month from about 12.30 at the Cluny in Newcastle, except for September.
To donate to the Bubble Foundation please see here and to learn more about the Bubble Foundation please see here.
Your support can help to save lives.
