Call to ban his 'offensive' songs

Two regulars have threatened to call in police about Roger Platfoot, who performs a tribute act to the ukulele-strumming Lancastrian comedian of the Thirties.

Keith and Cate Ryan say his rendition of vintage songs such as I'm The Husband Of The Wife Of Mr Wu and Wunga Bunga Boo are unacceptable.

They have complained to bosses at the Kelso Folk and Live Music Club in the Scottish borders, but say they have not been taken seriously.

Mr Ryan said: ‘There should be zero tolerance. We felt saddened that this racism happens in Kelso and is considered acceptable. What next? Songs about the disabled, gays or some other easy-to-target group?

‘Informing the police is not a road anyone wants to go down but, if it happens again, then we would have no hesitation.’

In Wunga Bunga Boo, Fomby sings about being shipwrecked on a ‘Zulu’ isle inhabited by cannibals and features lines such as: ‘The last white meat we had to eat was an old man lean and bald/When cooked, we found that he didn’t go round so we’re very glad you called.’

And The Husband And Wife OF Mr Wu – which seems to confuse Chinese and Japanese stereotypes - contains such lines as ‘said a geisha serving tea, “me likey you”/A tasty dish she brought and made love too’ and ‘Then a girl said, "I intend to marry you/Of little chinks we'll soon have twenty two”.’

But Mr Platfoot, 65, told The Times: ‘They're certainly not racist. All the stuff I play are a reflection of what was done at the time. The songs go down very well with others at the club.’

And club chairman David Kilpatrick added that the row between an ‘eccentric character’ and a “politically conscious New Age” couple had been exaggerated.

He said: ‘They are not to everyone's taste, but the racist language was innocent, the songs sketching slightly risqué ethnic caricatures in a humorous and affectionate manner. If we ban non-PC songs, 200 years of material including Dixie minstrel, delta blues and music hall would go.’

There is also a suggestion the dispute has a personal edge, as Mr Platfoot and the Ryans are near neighbours.

Here is Wunga Bunga Boo:

Published: 2 May 2008