Shocking Truth! Dept. - The Secret Scandal That Nearly Destroyed Pentangle!

Contemporary photograph shows a crazed Danny Thompson lunging for Bert Jansch as Jacqui McShee recoils in terror!

Pioneering UK folk-jazz group Pentangle's civilised acoustic arrangements of Trad Arr's beloved songs belie the dangerous passions behind their formation! Famed fatstring fiddler Danny Thompson, visiting th' IoF© on his Bucket List tour, revealed yesterday how they came close to never playing a note together! We relax poolside while th' Danster tells the shocking truth for the first time as a FoamExclusive™, and Kreemé serves her signature frothing stoups of mead.

Thompson, yesterday

DT It was like this, Farq, and incidentally what a buxom wench Kreemé is. Phwoar doesn't do her justice. If I were sixty years younger I'd ...

FT3 Yes, it's ironic that when you're old enough to know what it's all about, you're too old to do anything about it. Thank you Jesus, right? But let's get back on topic.

DT Right. Which was?

FT3 Pre-gig fisticuffs.

DT Right! First time I played with the Pents, that would be at Nether Scrotum, in Frottinghamshire, a pub called The Witch's Sleeve it was, gone now, don't look for it, they told me to sit down? I could not believe it. They were all sitting down, see, it's the folkie tradition. And there was me standing with my bull fiddle, tuning up, and Bert [Jansch, rhythm guitarist - Ed.] says, "okay Dannyboy sit down please and thank you. No showbiz grandstanding on our stage thank you very much". So I thought maybe he was joking, laughed, okay Bert haha. There were no lols back then, we only had hahas. So Terry [Cox, tambourine, backing vox - Ed.] chimes in with, "something funny, mate? We 're all sitting down. The audience is sitting down. You sit down". And I'm wondering what I've got myself into. Jacqui [McShee, synth, gong - Ed.] goes, "show some respect, you fat cunt". Quiet, like, polite, but she's not smiling. John [Renbourn, Chapman stick - Ed.], he leans over, like, and spits on me shoe. Big greenie, hawks it right up on the toe of me shoe. I'm still tightening the top string, doyng doyng doyng, I'm confused, and Bert shouts SIT DOWN! and the string snaps, DOYYYNNNGGGG! and so do I. I've had enough of this bunch of weirdos, and I lunge for Bert, punch him right in the nose, easy target haha, and they all pile in on top of me, Jacqui kicks me in the nads, wearing fucking clogs ... fuck me, what a fracas!

FT3 Unbelievable! So! How did the matter resolve itself?

DT (drains stoup of foaming mead, belches roundly) Well, Bert's throttling me, blood pouring out of his nose, and suddenly he starts laughing? And everyone falls away and they're all just laughing, can't stand up it's so funny. I get my breath back and the audience is laughing and everyone's killing themselves except me because I think my ankle's fucked, and John comes over and pats my cheek, like, and says, "it was a joke! A JOKE!" and everyone helps me to my feet and the audience is applauding. So naturally I see the funny side of it. Years later. Yesterday.

FT3 They let you stand up, though.

DT I couldn't. Jacqui's clog bust my ankle.

FT3 So the joke was on them, then. 

DT (laughs) Any chance of Kreemé getting me another foaming stoup of mead?

FT3 Did you bring a Nalbum?

DT (produces album from Afghan shoulder bag) It's a Very Special Edition of our first album, @192. It's from the box set, with slewage of extra tracks. Uh - Kreemé?

 

 

This story is the first in what is sure to become a much-loved regular FoamFeature©! Look for more Shocking Truths right here! Or not!