From Aces to Angels

Jolly Raincoats  
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  Again I didn't leave Pat's group just to draw the Bru,' for just a week previous to my departure I was offered another job. I can't remember by whom, but one night while dancing in the Mem, someone invited me to join the resident band. They were called 'The Merry Macs,' a horrible name for a band I thought, but without hesitation, I took up the offer. I'd heard them a few times and in spite of their name, I thought they were quite good.                                           
  They were managed by a man called Frankie Mc Bride (not the singer from Omagh, and who wasn't actually a member of the band) and played two or three nights a week in the Mem. They also did the odd gig here and there on a Sunday night.
  While Paddy Canney's band specialised in old standards and traditional jazz ( usually abb. to 'trad' and fairly popular at that time), the Merry Mac's or the 'Jolly Raincoats' (get it?) as I called them, were more a pop, rock 'n' roll orientated outfit (although they played a few jazz standards as well). This was more up my street and I looked forward to joining them.
  The band when I joined included Bobby Brown (jun.) on trumpet, John Friel (drums), Seamus Creagh (trombone), 'Wee' Pat Mc Crea on piano, Johnny 'Jumpin' Johnny Lee' Stewart, rhythm guitar and vocals, and Eileen Brown (sister of Bobby and both brother and sister of Dana), one of the few females in Derry showbands, also vocalising. Johnny sang the more up-tempo R'n'R numbers while Eileen usually sang the more melodic ballads.
  I was straight in at the deep end, for without any rehearsals I was on stage with the Merry Macs. I had watched 'Jumpin' Johnny' from the dance floor,' but being on stage with him was a completely new ball game. The stage shook as he gyrated and bounced all over the place like a man possessed.
  I remember thinking, 'This boy's better than Elvis,' as he powered his way through numbers like, 'Blue Suede Shoes' and 'High School Confidential.' The crowd also loved it as they gathered round the stage and applauded. It was my first time also to be on stage with a female vocalist who sang pop songs, and I remember remarking that she had a beautiful voice.
  Then it was my turn to shine. Before you could say 'Great balls of Fire' Johnny had shoved the microphone against my amp and was bawling at me to take a solo. As I mentioned earlier, I had learned a couple of simple R'n'R riffs, but never actually got the chance to play them in Paddy Canney's band. Now I had no choice. With trembling legs (which I tried to pretend was part of my act) and fumbling fingers I played a jumble of notes that to me sounded like a complete mess, but when Johnny gave me the thumbs up, I felt like Chuck Berry.
  At this stage I still had my Hagstrom guitar but had progressed to a twenty watt Selmer 'Truvoice' amp (which by today's standards was still pretty light). But Johnny liked it loud and heavy so every time thereafter when I took a solo, (except the times when he got completely carried away with his frenetic stage act) he gave me the mic. treatment.
  Over the next few weeks my confidence grew and my solos became a little more cohesive (except for one disaster which I will reluctantly elaborate on later). I was now even playing my old guitar instrumentals with feeling and thought I was Hank Marvin. My head got even bigger when later my girl friend told me that an English sailor she'd been dancing with, thought I was brilliant. I must admit though, that I still had a bit of trouble following the chord sequence of some of the big ballads that Eileen sang, but over time I learnt those as well.
  Unlike today, in 1961 I knew very little about the Apprentice Boys, except that they were Protestant and they marched in August. I also heard a rumour that they didn't take too kindly to Catholics. Nevertheless, that didn't stop the hordes of taigs from converging on the Mem on Friday and Saturday nights. There was the odd occasion when I even thought to myself (I was a wee bit religious at that time), that maybe if I continue to dance here I'll end up in hell.
  Although there were very few, if any, Apprentice Boys who actually attended the Mem (other than to be initiated), and the Protestant patronage generally was in a minority, as far as I can recall, there were never any rows of a sectarian nature. Most, if not all of the fights were the usual ones between the locals and the sailors, who they perceived as stealing all the girls. I'll say a bit more about religion and the bands theselves later on.

  I always thought (with tongue in cheek of course) that the Mem clientele were the sort of 'in-betweenies,' too sophisticated for the Crit and not high brow enough for the Embassy or the Corinthian

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  On a few occasions Bobby, or 'Robbie,' as he was sometimes called, invited me up to his house in Greenwalk to listen to a few jazz records. He was heavily into either Myles Davis or Dizzy Gillespie, and to be quite honest, on my first introduction to modern jazz I wasn't too keen, for I just couldn't understand what it was all about. Then he played me a record by guitar virtuoso Wes Montgomery and I was very impressed, especially when he played a
couple of bluesy numbers.

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  I knew I probably would never be able to play like Wes Montgomery but at least it got me listening and wanting to have a bash. I went out and bought myself a 'Jazz Guitar Chord Encyclopaedia' which on first look I couldn't make head nor tail of. I couldn't even pronounce some of the names of the chords in that book let alone play them.
  Nevertheless even though I didn't understand fully what I was playing, I did manage to get my fingers round a few. I eventually put the book away with the intention of coming back to it another day.
  I spent about three or four months in the 'Macs' and enjoyed the experience. It was another corner turned on the road of my musical development. Much as I enjoyed it, I looked forward to getting away on a Sunday night as playing in a resident band could be a bit tedious at times. The only thing I didn't look forward too was, after the gig on Saturday nights, carrying the gear down the steep staircase at the back of the Mem and loading up Frankie Mc Bride's car. Then the following Friday carrying it back up again.

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