Newcastle Party Girls

I saw Bellowhead on telly recently knocking out New York Girls at some festival for the umpteenth time – everyone waving and bopping like a load of teenies. Seems there are two main criteria for headline ‘folk’ acts these days – especially at festivals – that they should be loud and, preferably, have had a mainstream hit at some time (even if that was a lifetime ago). Do I sound bitter? I guess organisers feel the need to keep the crowd happy, knowing that many aren’t hardcore fans and accept any band with the odd acoustic instrument as being folk. Actually, though I’ve listened mainly to acoustic music for over fifty years, I’m not bothered what style or genre any music is if its good.

Anyway – Speirs and Boden. I looked up New York Girls to find the origins of that song – apparently it’s about an English sailor brushed off by a New York whore who finally decides he’d be better off rounding Cape Horn than bothering with the likes of her. I thought I’d update the story and replaced the Jack Tar with a visiting trucker who dreams of picking up a beautiful hitch-hiker but instead lands up in jail, getting assaulted by a fat female cop along the way. The last verse goes:

So me boys take warning if a trucker you must be,

Beware of violations from the New York State P.D.

Or mabe you’d be better off up north by the old A1,

At least you know those Geordie girls only want to have fun.

As a post-script, my wife and I went into the Toon for some late night shopping last Saturday around 5.30 pm and already there were crowds of lads and lasses raring to go. Many were hen and stag parties, judging by the rude tee shirts, and almost all the girls dressed in as little as possible. My wife was suitably disgusted but I’m afraid I saw it differently. I don’t doubt if I was their age I’d be doing the same. For a few years as a young man I chased after girls, parties and fun, getting drunk as quickly as possible on every occasion. Of course I grew out of it with no harm done – as most people do. Having said that, I do feel sorry for the police, medical staff and, sometimes, families who have to pick up the pieces.