Long long ago when the world was flat and so was the beer, the original Rival folk was formed consisting of Jim Grundy (Jonathan's Dad), Geoff and Biddy Fowler (Jims Mum and Dad).
They played many a working mans club, from The Talk of The North, The Embassy Club and The Royal Palladium to the famous Wheel Tapers and Shunters Club. North West success led to many an award, one of which was the best cabaret band in the North West competition - held at the afore mentioned Talk of The North Club in Eccles! The Rival Folk won first prize and were supposed to Headline the event, eventually having the honour of accepting the award from The Prime minister - Mr Harold Wilson.
Unfortunately things went proper tits up because Mary Grundy - Jim Grundy’s wife rather inconsiderately went into labour, but as Jim said - "the show must go on..!!", The Rival Folk went on 1st and was presented the award by Albert Tatlock and Hilda Ogden of Coronation Street fame.An hour later and after calling at The Red Lion in Swinton for several half glasses of mild and a pickled egg, Jim Grundy arrived at Hope Hospital In the nick of time as just 23 and a half hours later, Jonathan Jeffrey Eugene Grundy was born and is now a member of The newly formed Rival Folk featured on this page.Several years later during a horrific sand storm in Walkden, Geoff and Biddy had been experimenting with mind altering substances including lentils, carrot cake, viscount biscuits and Vimto and later that night Jim was conceived.
Only 8 months later whilst running for the number 36 bus Biddy Fowler went into labour outside Gregg’s bakery and James Archibald Fowler was born and is now also a member of the newly formed Rival Folk featured on this page.Jim and Jonathan spent a lot of their childhood together and when old enough they started writing songs and drinking Carling Black Label into the wee hours annoying the neighbours with drunken singing, swearing, guitar and piano playing.After several evictions and law suits for plagiarism involving the Houghton Weavers, Jonathan bought a barge on the Bridgewater canal which became The Rival Folks floating studio and rum palace. The songs you can hear on this site were written produced and recorded on this very same vessel known as the good ship 'Dove' the first of which was 'My Magic Boot' Where Jim played the drums on a pan and mixing bowl and Jon used a spatula to run along the ridges of a radiator. Have a listen and see if you can hear their genius inspired by the lack of drum kit and fueled by Captain Morgan’s Navy rum.
Several boozy doo's and party crashes later, The Rival folk awoke one early afternoon in Leigh moored up conveniently next to a pub and curry house and after a heady concoction of Bitter, chicken madras and valium and being a long way from home they Recorded Sunny Salford.At approximately 4am and feeling some what home sick in the midst of a mad rock and roll haze, they decided to cast off and make a mad dash back to Worsley. Hearing that The Rival Folk were on the move and flouting the 5 miles per hour speed limit the police decided to give them a police helicopter escort for several miles thus assuring their safe passage back to their home town of Salford.Unfortunately during the great freeze of 2005 whilst navigating the treturas waters of the Bridgewater canal, disaster struck when the good ship Dove hit an ice burg just outside Lymn in Cheshire thus causing her to capsize and finally sink where she still resides to this day in the mercy depths of Davie Jones's locker. Some say on a cold winters evening, ghostly singing and drunken guitar playing can be heard on the lonely stretch of canal between Lymn and Grappenhall. Could this be the haunting sounds of the lost crew of the good ship Dove or simply the long life batteries still powering the Roland vs1680 studio which remarkably unknown to Roland is strangely waterproof and stuck on repeat??Though currently in retirement and living in warden controlled sheltered accommodation in Levenshulme, rumors have been heard that The Newly formed Rival Folk will shortly be embarking on a whirlwind come back tour. So watch this space and remember it’s not my space it’s your space! Boomshanka and may the seed of your loin be fruitful in the belly of your Woman.
BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!! DANNY SHORT IS NOW OFFICIALY A MEMBER OF THE NEWLY FORMED RIVAL FOLK FEATURED ON THIS PAGE! HE IS AS MAD AS A BOX OF FROGS AND CAN IMPERSONATE EVERYTHING ESPECIALLY FRANK SIDE BOTTOM!!!!!........... Danny Short a recent recruit and general bounder and philanthropist is able to play any instrument within 5 minutes of picking up, his most recent conquest involved an inflated buffalo bladder with an antelope horn mouth piece and after only 3 minutes and 56 seconds he was able to perform Handles water music in the key of C in front of a packed audience at Manchesters Bridgewater halls .
"True? That is not "- added Chief Petty Officer Jim!
"Cap'n Jon - I see something strange off the starboard of the good ship Dove" (now called good ship Mick Jagger's lips) it's hairy and ginger!!"
"Hooper steers the boat!" shouted Cap'n Jon.
"Who's Hooper?" Inquired Chief Petty Officer Jim ( Jim's the name - inquirings the game).
"What is that ginger womans vaginal hair type thing floating around near our vessel!!" Shouted the cap'n, forgetting about Hooper.
Chief Petty Officer Jim looked closley at the strange object.
"It's a sponge Cap'n! It's only known in these waters. It's proper name is ""Cilla Black's sponge or Bonnie Langford's muff""
"HELP" shouted a big ginger thing from the aft!
"Ludo! give me your hand" shouted Cap'n Jon and pulled the 7 foot beast onto the ocean dwelling. It was Daniel "Chewbacca" Short.
They all lived happilly ever after apart from Noel who got shot.
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