As anyone who has attended an Illbillys show within the last year or so knows, everything comes to a screeching halt just before the last song of their second set; time for "Mule Train."
Ever since JB hand-crafted their professional-grade Clapper Thing (used to make a concussive noise reminiscent of a whipcrack), it has become absolutely imperative that some chick volunteer to come up onstage and utilize this device for the duration of "Mule Train." Sometimes whistling up a volunteer is easy, but sometimes, as was the case here, it takes a lot of whining and coaxing from the band to get anyone to make the leap into immortality.
Fortunately for the Illbillys, Francine was walking in the general direction of the stage area through a serendipitous desire to ask the band if they played any Bon Jovi, as one of their previously performed songs, "Superman," had made her think of Bon Jovi (?!) ("but not any bad Bon Jovi," she assured Peter); the noisemaking device was thrust into her hands, and the song was thankfully permitted to commence.
Ever since JB hand-crafted their professional-grade Clapper Thing (used to make a concussive noise reminiscent of a whipcrack), it has become absolutely imperative that some chick volunteer to come up onstage and utilize this device for the duration of "Mule Train." Sometimes whistling up a volunteer is easy, but sometimes, as was the case here, it takes a lot of whining and coaxing from the band to get anyone to make the leap into immortality.
Fortunately for the Illbillys, Francine was walking in the general direction of the stage area through a serendipitous desire to ask the band if they played any Bon Jovi, as one of their previously performed songs, "Superman," had made her think of Bon Jovi (?!) ("but not any bad Bon Jovi," she assured Peter); the noisemaking device was thrust into her hands, and the song was thankfully permitted to commence.