`natural' form; it can be sharp or flat, but there is no `natural'. All of this points to the phrase F Natural being a really good name for a band! And if that band is as good as the one I saw on Saturday night at the Old Colony Club, then who cares about rules anyway? The truth is, I showed up at the club at around 8 p.m. expecting a one-time performance by Bermuda's latest band of gypsies. What I found was a regular gathering of the Bermuda Folk Club, and an entire evening of revelry and fun.

Michael Keats was the resident entertainment director and carried himself with a quiet exuberance that projected itself onto the crowd just seconds after he appeared on stage.

The crowd itself was a healthy one, filling all but a few seats on the outskirts of the just-the-right-sized hall. There were technical problems from the start, but the light mood deflected those concerns with little complaint heard. And the show went on.

First up to the stage was a duet of guitar and vocal, handled respectively by Peter McKiernan and the stunning Michelle Morgan. They wooed us with smooth renditions `I'm Leaving', `Heart of Gold' and `Wild World' before they exited to the gentle rain of appreciative applause.

Next up was a regular at the Folk Club, Mr. Richard Lettington, who was greeted like an old friend. Richard took the stage armed only with his guitar and a catalogue of folk standards from Bob Dylan (`Don't Think Twice'), Leonard Cohen (`Famous Blue Raincoat') and Janis Joplin (`Me and Bobby McGhee'). His performance was more than competent, and the audience responded in kind, showering their old friend with admiration and pride.

Then there was F Natural. This was undoubtedly the highlight of the evening, not only because they were a full six member band, but because they performed all original songs, and also because they were really good! Folk club offers a night of fun and surprises The band itself was an eclectic mix of guitar (Michael Keats), bass (Aran McKittrick), violin (Krisia Haynes) and percussion (Robb Worthington), with Alan Smith and Andra Simons laying down the cool, cool vocals. They did a full set, which consisted of six excellent original songs and lasted around half an hour. To try and describe their style would be to attempt to define the concept of love.

Alan wowed us with a singing style that we felt as well as heard and lyrics that floated into our consciousness with the impact of a tornado. `To Bring You My Love' and `Aglow' were jaw-dropping warm-ups, with the second song bouncing along to the sounds of an audacious reggae-tinged beat. Next came `Tied', a smooth, quiet storm of a song, which featured lead vocals by Krisia and some sweet harmonising by Alan and Andra. `Island in the City' was a tour de force! This song was a spoken word opus backed by a ridiculously funky beat that sounded like it was fresh out of the sixties. Alan was amazing again, and Andra was simply explosive! The next song was the only entirely solo effort of the set, with Alan laying some Terrence Trent D'arby sounding vocals heavily on our heads, as he delivered the powerful `The Love I Feel'.

And finally there was the last explosion, and this time Jackie Worthington joined the band to shake the shakers with some serious style! `She' was Andra's time to shine -- and shine he did! He pushed sounds through the microphone that none of us believed he could make (I've known Andra for years and I've never heard those sounds) as the band jammed behind him with the thickness of an impenetrable wall of sound. The applause were deafening (and very deservedly so!) F Natural gained more than a few fans on Saturday night, and hopefully they will continue to perform and develop as a band. I think that they can go as far as they want to. If you don't believe me, check them out for yourself.

Their style is not clear, but they will impress you. Funk, Jazz, Blues, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Folk, Alternative, Classical, you name it and they've absorbed and integrated it into their repertoire! Don't miss them.

After a somewhat lengthy break, the festivities continued when an angel with a golden voice called Joy appeared before us. Joy sang two songs without musical accompaniment because she had been asked to perform after she arrived. And even unprepared she was spectacular! Acapella renditions of Bonnie Raitt's `I Can't Make You Love Me' and Mariah Carey's `Vanishing' never sounded so good! The audience's appreciation was emphatic.

Then the second half of this impromptu act jumped up on stage and delivered three Ani DiFranco poems with more than a little punch. Laurel dropped `Tip-toeing', `IQ' and `The Slant' directly onto our unsuspecting senses ...

and we loved it! Then there was Phil, who I never really heard. I think he did `Louie Louie', but there's no way to be really sure. You can be sure, however, that Paul Gibbons is a darn good folk singer! Paul closed the evening, and it was immediately apparent that he was another regular at the Bermuda Folk Club. He played the melodies to instantly recognisable hits from such stalwarts as The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and The Stones (as in Rolling Stones), and sang with the quiet confidence of a veteran. Jimi's `The Wind Cries Mary' and The Beatles `Here Comes the Sun' were my favourites, along with Paul's very special encore: none other than the venerable Otis Redding's `Dock of the Bay'. And then we left.

In the end, the evening was one of good fun and quite a few pleasant surprises. The mood was light and laughter was never inappropriate. F Natural enjoyed an extremely successful debut performance, Joy wowed the crowd with some phenomenal vocals and the regulars did what they do on a regular basis -- killing us softly with their songs.

The Bermuda Folk Club meets at the Old Colony Club on the first Saturday of every month. The evening kicks off at around 8pm and it costs just $5 to get in.

Also, for all you hard core folk fans, the classic sounds of the legendary Fairwood Convention will grace the stage at the Old Colony Club on the 27th and 28th of October. I'd imagine that you wouldn't want to miss it! Vejay Steede ENTERTAINMENT ENT REVIEW REV