Status: Single
Country: UK
Signup Date: 11/30/2005
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Monday, June 22, 2009
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Category: Music
Curtis Eller
FRIDAY
It doesn't take long to acclimatise yourself to the Beverley and East Riding Folk Festival once you've got yourself suitably accustomed to the handful of minor changes from the previous year. This year for instance, a new Concert Marquee was to be found on the Festival Village site, which replaces the usual Memorial Hall across town, currently closed for refurbishment. All the main concerts could therefore be accessed within a short walking distance, making those of us suffering from chronic idleness grin like a kindle of Cheshire kittens. The parking therefore had to be separated from the camp site, in order to make extra room on the festival site itself. This was really no hardship at all as the car park was located just over the road from the main site gates.
Despite the blustery wind that blew across the camping field on Friday afternoon, the weather was fine when most of the festival goers arrived and the sun was out, which helped to create a good festival atmosphere before a single note had been plucked or a box had been squeezed. The staff were friendly, helpful and on hand to assist those struggling with their tents. My little helper arrived just at the point when I thought the wind was about to scoop up my old tent and wrap it unceremoniously around the Minster tower. Thank you that steward.
Jeni and Billy
Notable in this years' handsome programme was the inclusion of a handful of American visitors going under the 'Americana' banner. Jeni Hankins and Billy Kemp were there promptly at 7.30pm to perform the first concert of their very first UK visit and the organisers decided it might just as well be a good place to start proceedings for this years' festival. After a short introduction by David Elvidge the Mayor of Beverley, resplendent in his official regalia, Jeni and Billy, by their own account 'the smiliest Americans in the world' smiled their way through a fine opening set of songs from the Appalachians including the a cappella "Miner's Reward" and the title track from their new album "Jewel Ridge Coal", opening with their own endearing introductions reaffirming to all that they are each other's true love.
Steve Tilston
Over in the Club Room, which is part of the main Leisure Complex, singer songwriter and guitarist, Steve Tilston was busy sound checking in preparation for his appearance on Friday night. Steve told me that he was 'a last minute bolt on, a late addition to the line up'. Playing an intimate set of songs that span an almost 40 year career, which will be celebrated next year with an appearance at the Purcell Room in February, Steve appeared relaxed and cheerful whilst performing familiar songs such as "The Road When I Was Young", "Weeping Willow Blues" and finally "Slip Jigs And Reels" preceded by a beautiful tune that I still can't remember the name of, if indeed I ever knew the name of it in the first place.
Coal Porters
Whilst Billy Bragg was preparing to headline on the Main Stage in the nearby Leisure Complex, following opening support spots by Paul Liddell and Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow, former Long Ryders front man Sid Griffin was at the helm of The Coal Porters, who headlined the Americana Concert in the Concert Marquee. Smartly suited, the band played a storming set of bluegrass songs and tunes including "Like a Hurricane", "Road Kill Breakdown" and "Mr Guthrie".
Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg appearances often carry with them the air of a political rally, with a clear emphasis on his own personal commitment to current political issues. At times like these, it's particularly easy to get an audience on your side, and the room was frequently filled with feverish applause. Songs like "Hard Times in Old England" and "All You Fascists are bound to lose" soon had fists in the air in solidarity. The most surreal moment of the set however, was when the Barking Bard had the Beverley audience crooning in unison (communal singing at the same pitch, not the trade union), to The Carpenters' "Superstar", before launching into Dylan's anthemic "Don't Think Twice It's Alright".
Henry Priestman
One of the most delightful aspects of the Beverley Festival is the late night sessions held in the Wold Top Marquee, where after hours revelers congregate for some impromptu performances by some of the main headlining guests, who pop onto the stage between lesser known acts, bringing a real sense of community amongst the singers and musicians who attend the festival. Presided over by compere Miles Cain, the carpeted boudoir has become a popular place for all late night festival goers, who just don't want the music to end. Billy Bragg could be found on this stage in the early hours of Saturday morning, joining the likes of Henry Priestman and Peter Donegan as well as a handful of singers and musicians not to be found anywhere else in the programme.
SATURDAY
Sid Griffin
On Saturday morning I spoke at length to Sid Griffin of the Coal Porters, about such things as Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan and Habitat for Humanity, a re-housing project in New Orleans, which his sister is heavily involved in. As the author of Gram Parsons: Fallen Angel, I asked him what the man's legacy means to him in 2009 and how relevant his music is today. "It doesn't mean a lot to me personally, I mean I've played it, done it, been there, bought the t shirt. I play bluegrass now but I notice he's a big hero for alt country and alternative young acts of the day. He wasn't twenty-five years ago. When I was a youngster playing alt country and alternative indie music, no one knew who he was, particularly in the UK. We'd come over here and be interviewed by Sounds and Melody Maker and the NME and you'd say 'Gram Parsons' and they had no idea who you meant, they'd always say Graham Parker.. no, no! He's certainly a name to drop now in the way Alex Chilton was a few years ago. I don't think you can throw a rock and hit an alt country or indie band that didn't kowtow to the great force that was Gram Parsons."
Sid's other passion is the work of Bob Dylan and he was at the festival for the dual purpose of playing some slick bluegrass with the Coal Porters on Friday but also to present an informative talk centered around his book "Million Dollar Bash: Bob Dylan, The Band and The Basement Tapes" in the Concert Marquee on Saturday morning. The talk, which was both informative and enlightening, was illustrated by a few verses from a handful of Basement Tapes period Dylan songs, sung and played by Sid with the aid of his handy twelve string guitar. Backstage Sid chatted candidly about the subject of his book. "We've never had an artist of Dylan's stature or commercial success, voluntarily withdraw from the limelight as he did back then, so it's hard to believe when you look at Dylan's career and all the weird things he's done that here's a guy at the top of his game in late '66 that voluntarily withdraws from the scene for about fifteen months, and while we think he's doing nothing, we years later find out he was actually recording all the time albeit informally with his friends, and that he was having a bit of a purple patch, turning out things like This Wheel's On Fire, You Ain't Going Nowhere, Nothing Was Delivered and so on and so forth".
Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow
After being all Dylan'd out by lunchtime, I wandered over to the Club Room to catch Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow's second set of the festival, having already played their first set, opening for Billy Bragg on Friday night. Their Saturday lunchtime set was probably a much more relaxed and intimate affair, with the two women performing a handful of familiar songs, peppered with good humour. With songs as diverse as Belinda's "Moon Over Water", "Blackbird" and the achingly sad "Whitethorn", together with T'Pau's "China in Your Hand" coupled seamlessly with Richard Thompson's "When I Get to the Border", the couple maintained a great rapport with their audience throughout their hour long set. I spoke to Belinda and Heidi after the gig and asked them about opening for Mr Bragg. "It was great; we weren't sure how it was going to be, we were quite nervous about it, we knew it would be packed because people were coming to see Billy Bragg but we didn't know how it would go, but the audience was very warm and we felt it went very very well".
I thought enough time had lapsed to ask slightly awkward questions about Belinda's work with Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, a band I was pleased to see in the very same room exactly one year before. I was particularly interested in asking how Belinda felt about the Mercury nomination for 'The Bairns' and her crucial contribution to that acclaimed album. "There was a combination of feelings for me on that day, I celebrated that night with Heidi and we watched the programme together and we had a bottle of Champaign ready, we still drank it, we both hoped that it would win. I felt both sadness and pride; it would've been nice to have been there to share in that celebration with the rest of the Winterset, but I've also been on a journey myself with the album and with the whole process of being with the band and I've come out.. I don't know if I've fully come out the other side yet, but I am very very proud of what we all did on that album, and I do listen to it, it's on my ipod and when it comes on I always turn it up and listen to it and think, wow, it's pretty good that".
Gandalf Murphy and The Slambovian Circus of Dreams
Saturday afternoon was pretty much taken up entirely with the concert billed as the 'American Party' in the Concert Marquee, one of the highlights being the impressive Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, one of the surprises of the festival who provided the unsuspecting audience with a set filled with their own unique blend of rock infused Americana. Speaking backstage with the self styled 'Hillbilly Pink Floyd' front man Joziah Longo, who also revealed that someone had addressed the band as 'David Bowie made Hunky Dory with The Band in the Basement of Big Pink', and guitarist Sharkey McEwen, I had to ask them about their curious name. "You know it was just like a revelation. We live right near Sleepy Hollow right along the Hudson (River) and I used to walk in the woods there and this name popped into my head. We were a little afraid of it at first but we stuck with it and it's been very good for us.. gets us a lot of press".
Curtis Eller
There was a curious presence at this years' festival that couldn't be missed. Wherever you found yourself on the site, you would soon be aware of the presence of a tall, slim, mustachioed minstrel, with baggy pin-striped trousers, held up by comic braces, hidden beneath a white vest, complete with a cluster of daisies pinned to his waistcoat, providing the only spot of colour to this otherwise black and white silent movie yodeling banjo player from New York. Curtis Eller was due to play just about everywhere throughout the weekend and our first glimpse of him was during the American Party on Saturday afternoon. Performing songs from his two albums 'Taking Up Serpents Again' and 'Wirewalkers and Assassins', the unique entertainer brought a sense of the burlesque to Beverley. I spoke to Curtis backstage just before his show and asked him how he would describe himself. "Well, it's hard to describe but easy to understand; it's just that old show business thing, it's like a song and dance routine more or less. I think so many modern performers have got a little lazy with their presentation, nobody knows how to dance like Al Jolson anymore".
Curtis Eller's songwriting draws on many historical characters and events, from key silent movie stars, assassins, boxing giants and circus people, but manages to maintain a contemporary feel. His high kicking antics, frequent smooching with his beloved banjo and penchant for balancing awkwardly on the front row chairs, whilst the audience maintained a safe distance near the bar, Eller could be credited as the single most engaging act of the entire festival.
There was lots going on around the festival village throughout Saturday afternoon with The Transatlantic Connection Concert in the Main Hall of the Leisure Complex with Bruce Molsky and Lunasa, an afternoon concert in the Club Room featuring Jess Bannister, Farino, The Hall Brothers and John Carey, as well as a final appearance by Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow. Skavolution were providing their blend of Jamaican rhythms out in the sunshine, whilst various other community events were taking place in all the marquees scattered around the village, all helped along by the inviting smells of the ample food stall concession stands.
Rounding off the American Party concert was the family band known as The Alley Cats, bringing to its climax a memorable afternoon of fun and music with their own blend of old timey bluegrass and roots music featuring dad Pete on guitar, mum Janey on double bass and daughter Polly on some very tasty mandolin.
Holly Taymar
Another new feature for this years' Beverley Festival was the Acoustic Marquee on the Festival Village site. The marquee was added to provide a platform for drop-in musicians not billed on the main festival line up or in the festival programme, as well as providing comedy and literature events. Holly Taymar was in the marquee on Saturday evening, just as the heavens opened. Her infectious personality once again drew a crowd into the marquee, where she sang a handful of self penned songs such as "Toes", "7am" and "Home" as well as a beautiful rendition of the classic Neil Young song "Birds", to both admiring fans and refugees from the rain alike.
Bruce Molsky
One of the festival favourites this year was the old time fiddler Bruce Molsky who could be seen on the Main Stage of the Leisure Complex on Saturday afternoon as part of the Transatlantic Connections Concert and who also gave an 'old time fiddling from Appalachia' workshop in the Club Room earlier in the morning. Reg Meuross and Karen Tweed both referred to him as 'the real deal' and I caught him on Saturday night in the bar at Hodgson's pub as part of a session entitled 'Not the White Horse Folk Club' where he played to a packed standing room only audience, playing both guitar and fiddle tunes of exceptional quality.
Peter Donegan
Saturday evening brought with it the Midsummer Party and Dance Night Concert in the Main Hall of the Leisure Complex featuring Skavolution, The Lonnie Donegan Band featuring Lonnie's son Peter, looking and sounding spookily like his dad, with an outstanding set featuring some of Lonnie's most loved songs including "Rock Island Line" and an entire back catalogue of crowd pleasing classics from a bygone skiffle era.
Peatbog Faeries
Finally on Saturday evening, an entirely instrumental set by the vibrant Scottish outfit Peatbog Faeries, whilst in the Concert Marquee, the Subterranean Homesick Yorkshire Blues band, Rory Motion and the irrepressible John Hegley, presented an outstanding night of comedy. Other sessions were taking place in the Acoustic Marquee and Hodgson's Pub, and Miriam Backhouse, Farino and Tanglefoot were in the Club Room providing plenty of activity throughout the festival village.
With so much going on, it was impossible to see everything, but with a little help from the team in the Wold Top Marquee, most of the festival artists would once again come along well into the early hours to perform impromptu sets in the aforementioned carpeted boudoir, presided over once again by Miles Cain. Saturday night, early Sunday morning, Skavolution and members of the Peatbog Faeries played late night sets, as well as an a cappella performance by the Canadian band Tanglefoot whose delicious harmonies resounded around the marquee and more than likely filtered out to those sleeping in the nearby tents on the camp site. John Hegley also made an appearance fresh from his hilarious performance in the Concert Marquee with songs accompanied on mandolin such as "Train Spotting", "Guillemot" and "Jesus Isn't Just For Christmas".
SUNDAY
Eliza Carthy
Sunday morning in Beverley has an unmistakable Englishness about it. I walked over to the car park to check on things when at one strategic point, I found myself surrounded by the almost quadraphonic sound of at least three sets of church bells sounding off from three steeples in the vicinity. The sun was shining once again after a day of rain and Curtis Eller was over at The Friary, high kicking off the day with his song writing workshop. The Dominican Friary is one of the most beautiful old buildings in Beverley, situated nearby the Minster, in a quiet and serene corner of the town. Now part of the Youth Hostel Association, The Friary offers a suitable venue in two of its upstairs reading rooms for some of the quieter events such as Jeni and Billy's 'Writing and Accompanying the Contemporary Appalachian Ballad' workshop, 'Harmony Singing from Around The World' with the Beverley Community Choir, 'Discovering American Stories' with the Human Compass Theatre Company, and Cassandra Wye's 'Story Club'. On Sunday Morning though, Curtis Eller was slightly perplexed at the ungodly hour in which his workshop covering 'Subject Matter in Your Songwriting' was scheduled to take place. Over the hour though, the enigmatic songwriter covered some of the many aspects of song writing, delivering an up close and personal talk accompanied by some of his unique songs such as "Buster Keaton" as well as a look at how to adapt traditional songs such as "Mole in the Ground".
Back in the Festival Village, writer Peter Robinson read "The Ferryman's Beautiful Daughter" a short story from a new forthcoming collection entitled The Price Of Love, whilst Eliza Carthy played the fiddle, effectively providing additional drama to the story. Towards the end of this special literature event, Eliza sang a couple of relevant songs such as "Worcester City" and "The Baby Farmer".
Damien Barber and Mike Wilson
During the afternoon, whilst Curtis Eller, The Anna Massie Band and Eric Bogle and John Munro featured in the 'Around The World and Back' concert in the Main Hall, 'The Richard Wastling Memorial Concert' took place in the Concert Marquee featuring the likes of Jez Lowe and Kate Bramley, Miriam Backhouse, Tom Napper, Grace Notes and Damien Barber and Mike Wilson, who brought their own brand of traditional song to Beverley. Damien from the award winning Demon Barbers and Mike from the Teeside family band The Wilson Family, joined forces for a set of songs that included "Onboard a Ninety-Eight" and "The Santa Fe Trail", which soon had the audience participating in full throttle.
Eric Bogle and John Munro
During the afternoon Eric Bogle and John Munro could be seen on both the Concert Marquee stage and the Main Stage in the Leisure Complex, bringing a touch of class to their Beverley audiences. The two Scots both now resident in Australia performed a selection of much loved songs, known throughout the world for their intelligent lyrics and memorable melodies.
Reg Meuross and Karen Tweed
One name that appeared nowhere in the programme or on the publicity posters was singer songwriter Reg Meuross who made an appearance as little more than a visitor to the festival. With a growing reputation as a major league British songwriter, Reg wandered into the café area of the Leisure Complex on Sunday afternoon whilst festival goers enjoyed a bite to eat between concerts and together with Karen Tweed, they played an impromptu set of songs and tunes, seated right there in the lounge area of the café drawing a curious crowd who presumably recognized this unmistakable voice from the previous weeks' Mike Harding show.
Reg and Karen announced that they would be playing later in the afternoon over at The Friary, which ensured a well attended audience for an un-billed act. "Fool's Gold", "Lizzie Loved a Highwayman", "And Jesus Wept" as well as a few tunes from Karen Tweed were all enthusiastically received by those fortunate enough to attend the concert and would I imagine, warrant a full and proper booking for next year's festival.
Speaking to Reg in the garden outside The Friary on a very pleasant Sunday evening in the shadow of Beverley Minster, I asked him how he had found himself performing unannounced at the festival. "I found that me and Karen were going to be in the area, I was doing some rural touring up in Cumbria doing some village halls solo and Karen was going to be around anyway. We'd done some recording on Friday with Bruce Molsky, the three of us. Karen's doing a solo album and Bruce was over to do the festival and Karen had booked a church in Blyth in Nottinghamshire where we did some recording and we decided to come up to the festival having called Chris Wade asking if it was okay to maybe do some stuff whilst we were here, basically as late additions".
Reg is genuinely pleasant to chat to and in such surroundings it was easy to chat away without actually realising the Friary room above our heads had filled with his awaiting audience. Reg spoke of his work with his musical peers such as Bruce Molsky and Karen Tweed but also the young fiddler Jackie Oates "I heard her in a folk club pretty much before anybody knew who she was probably, a few years ago now, and I just thought she had a sound, a really authentic sound; I love what Jackie does, it's so pure, her voice, her playing, there's no artifice about it, you know, there's no attitude to what she does, she just does it and I thought I would love to work with her one day but I always thought how does someone like me with that whole background in pop music, rock music, singer songwriter, American folk music, how do we bridge that gap and it was really Phil Beer who achieved that". Reg and Karen finished their set with the title song to his current album the acclaimed "Dragonfly", which features Jackie Oates on the recording.
As the sun settled over the imposing Minster and Beverley festival drew to a close and as the concessions stands began closing up for another year, most of the festival goers congregated in the Main Hall for the finale concert featuring Seth Lakeman, The Anna Massie Band and former Christians song writer, the Hull Born now resident of Liverpool, Henry Priestman, who was also celebrating his birthday, blowing out an undisclosed number of candles on the cake he was presented with up onstage. Henry performed songs from his debut solo album The Chronicles of Modern Life such as "Don't You Love Me No More" and "Old" as well as throwing in one of the big hits from his erstwhile pop bands' glory days with "Ideal World".
Seth Lakeman
Outside the main festival site, the roads appeared almost grid locked as excited fans from across the county diverged on the festival village for a performance by the current poster boy of the folk world Seth Lakeman and his band, who delivered their trademark energetic and crowd pleasing set featuring selections from all four of Seth's solo albums, including the songs "Soloman Brown", "The Hurlers" and kicking off with "The Storm".
For a little picturesque town in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Beverley sure knows how to put on a heck of a show, and one that has lasted twenty-six years and is still going strong. I was curious to know how Beverley has managed to change with the times but maintain its appeal and I finally spoke to broadcaster Henry Ayrton, who has been coming to the festival from the start. "You've got to take your cue from people who are perceived to be on the front line of this sort of thing, people who are attracting the audiences. You would say what are they doing what we aren't doing and that's when I think people who are running festivals had to decide that what we've always thought of as being folk music is not quite the same as what the public - that we must attract - thinks of what folk music is; it's a compromise that's worth making and for survival it's essential to make".
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky
Village Voices
By Liam Wilkinson
Rory Motion
Community spirit is alive and well at the Beverley Folk Festival. Once you've arrived in town, passed the majestic Minster, crossed the railway line and entered the grounds of the Leisure Complex, you find yourself in what has been dubbed the 'Festival Village'. It's not far removed from the village of Midsomer, but instead of the quiet rows of cottages, there are tents and marquees buzzing to the sound of guitars, squeezeboxes and fiddles, or full to the brim with the aroma of spicy festival food. And in place of Midsomer's periodic bouts of quaint English murder, there are plenty of folk incidents, episodes of verse and spells of comedy.
This year the village has been extended to include a cosy Acoustic Marquee and an impressively spacious Concert Marquee. It becomes apparent, as I stand in the middle of the village with my official programme and pint of Festival Ale, that I probably won't be spending as much time in the Leisure Complex as I have in previous years. Scanning the schedule, I note the smart planning that has been put in place to ensure that all wrist-banded festival goers get exactly what they want out of this, the twenty-sixth Beverley Folk Festival. How easy it would be, I think, to get from Friday to Sunday without even hearing a fiddle.
For those of us who are looking for a bit of spoken word in our 2009 fest, it's a delight to open the programme and find the likes of Chris Brooker, Mike Wilkinson, Dan Antopolski, Cassandra Wye and Miles Cain lurking on the first page of the schedule – all highly respectable wordsmiths and chatterboxes who, even before the sun sets on the first day of the festival, provide several hours of quality entertainment without the need for a guitar tuner. I note the appearance of big names such as Billy Bragg, Steve Tilston, Seth Lakeman and Peatbog Faeries, all of whom are due to perform in the Leisure Complex this weekend, but can’t help but be tempted away from the main stage by the Village poets.
Subterranean Homesick Yorkshire Blues
Saturday night presents a real treat for all of us wordaholics with the Concert Marquee's Comedy Night. Kicking off the show are Yorkshire-based poets and musicians Helen Burke, Miles Cain, Paul Coleman, Dave Gough and Oz Hardwick – collectively known as Department Bob. Their show, Subterranean Homesick Yorkshire Blues has already been successfully performed at various folk festivals and the occasional theatre stage, but seems somehow at home in front of this appreciative Beverley crowd.
The format is simple – five writers, five microphones and five decades of pure genius from a man named Zimmerman. And yet, in mingling poetry and songs inspired by Bob Dylan, the show seems to offer much more than a celebration of Dylan's unwavering influence - it's more an example of how our many forms of artistic expression can intertwine to create a fine tapestry. When Paul Coleman's finger-picked blues guitar is fused with the evocative poetry of Oz Hardwick, a perfect picture of Bob and early-sixties New York emerges from the weave. "Sleek and knowing, hanging cool, the cats of Greenwich Village chill…" opens Oz, and soon the sidewalk of Bleaker and the neon Café Wah sign flicker into view.
Dave Gough's deadpan poetic parodies of Dylan songs bring a subtle humour to the show that has the crowd giggling and groaning in equal measure; and, though his compositions often lean towards the northern wit of Les Barker, Dave can be more suitably described as the Yorkshire folk scene’s answer to US poet, Billy Collins.
Helen Burke is rooted in the same poetic soil as Dave Gough, but where Dave's poems are delivered with a restrained, pensive yet comical voice, Helen's are uninhibited word-paintings that hit the crowd like Pollock's oils. Her parody of Bob's Subterranean Homesick Blues, that charges through the mayhem of modern British society, complete with Dylan-style cue-cards strewn across the stage, is worthy of the appreciative applause it receives, as is her biting satire of our celebrity-obsessed culture – the brilliant Bob Dylan's Toenail.
The backbone of the show, however, is provided by Miles Cain, whose seemingly interminable energy is in abundance throughout the entire weekend, running his popular late-night sessions in the Wold Top Marquee on all three nights of the festival. Tonight, however, he's bringing it all back home with fine interpretations of Dylan's best songs. The show closes with Miles's rendition of All Along the Watchtower, a powerfully performed version that brings this unique and enjoyable ensemble piece to a close.
As the five microphones are carried into the darkness, a tall bespectacled figure emerges from the back of the stage. It’s Rory Motion – a man described as a singer-songwriter, poet and tree-impressionist – who has been performing on the folk and comedy scene for the last two decades. Despite looking like a bored headmaster who has come along to give another dreadfully dull assembly, Rory sits in the spotlight, crosses his legs and embarks on a surreal trundle along the B-roads of his mind, taking us happily with him. "I come from York" he begins, "so crap they named it once!" Soon, he's up on his feet, demonstrating the subtle difference between a Sikkim Spruce and a Norway Spruce – just two of his hilarious, though remarkably accurate, tree impressions. His short, blissfully wacky poems manage to delight adults and children alike, as do his meandering monologues and comedy songs. But it's perhaps his stories and songs about his dad, the kind of Yorkshireman who would smoke coal and believed that Geoffrey Boycott "came out of the sea off Bridlington on a golden chariot, pulled by seven golden whippets", that leave the sides of this Beverley audience well and truly split.
John Hegley
With only a few minutes gap, there's hardly time to recover before John Hegley appears on stage with his trademark glasses and mandolin. For those who are familiar with Britain's foremost performance poet, it's no surprise that Hegley seems somewhat miffed to be here. He delivers his poems and songs like a cantankerous postman, unsure why he's even doing this job at all. He treats the audience, photographers and hecklers like annoying kids at a birthday party, and yet the audience is spellbound, often too busy guffawing at the last quip to catch the next. You're never clear as to whether the poems and songs are meant for children, adults or the child inside every adult, but it soon seems entirely reasonable to be laughing at poems about blancmange, octopuses who visit doctorpuses and Pancake Man. Indeed, after an hour of John Hegley, you emerge from the muggy marquee unnerved at the fact that you might just have to return to the pest that is the real world. Luckily, the buzz of the Beverley Festival Village ensures that the return trip is a comfortable and enjoyable one.
Peter Robinson
On Sunday, the crime writer Peter Robinson appears in the Concert Marquee to read a recently published short story. He's backed by Eliza Carthy, whose haunting fiddle tunes and murder ballads perfectly complement Robinson's fiction. It's becoming something of a trend for folk musicians and novelists to come together on stage for a mutual performance – Ian Rankin and Jackie Leven have been delighting audiences with their shared shows for some time. If someone were to drop a pin in the marquee this afternoon, you'd be forgiven for mistaking it for the Beverley Minster bell, striking the hour as a couple of hundred people are completely absorbed by this superb exhibition of two art forms colliding. What better way to spend the last afternoon of the festival than in the company of Robinson/Carthy and a grizzly little story of murder and the sea? It’s a credit to the festival organisers, and to John Godber, playwright and patron of the festival, that I leave Beverley this year having enjoyed a heady mixture of words and music, complete with the excitement that next year may bring more of the same.
Liam Wilkinson
Northern Sky
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Monday, June 15, 2009
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Category: Music
Holly Taymar - Waking Up Is Hard To Do (GenieCake)
I first came across Holly Taymar in York one night doing one of the three showcase support spots for visiting Americans Rod Picott and Amanda Shires. I was knocked out by her songs then and I've continued to watch her progress with keen interest. I think this is because Holly sings the sort of songs I like. I've always been more interested in songs about everyday mundane subjects such as waking up in a morning, not being able to feel ones toes of a frosty morning or cutting down old bushes that have outstayed their welcome. The interesting thing about these songs though, is not the actual subject itself, but how Holly manages to transform such wistful thoughts into such beautiful songs.
A few of the songs here have been tried out and tested on audiences in the ensuing months since I first saw her that night in the Basement Bar, and to have them finally down on disc for posterity is a good thing indeed. Joining Holly on this collection of songs is regular guitar player Carl Hetherington who was also responsible for production, piano and 'random percussion etc.', with other contributions from Mark Mellack and Dave Hartley. On stage Holly and Carl remind me of 'Hokey Pokey' period Richard and Linda Thompson, with Carl hunched over his guitar whilst Holly delivers each song with no small measure of confidence and an abundance of self assurance.
"Toes" stands out as another one of Holly's gems, alongside "Home" from her previous album 'Before I Know', which incidentally has been generously handed out at gigs as a free supplement to the current CD, being the best bargain since Radiohead started flogging their albums for, oh you know, whatever. A beautiful song in its own right, "Toes" is given a tasteful arrangement with additional piano and glockenspiel, which adds to the gentle ambience of the song. There's no clutter on 'Waking Up Is Hard To Do' in terms of over-arrangement or over-instrumentation, it's all pleasantly balanced to bring these songs to life in the way they were intended.
With yet another nod to her home, Holly has packed her new collection of songs into a sleeve featuring a cover photograph showing a housing estate in York, with a contemplative Holly seated at the bottom of a bed, whilst her musical companion stands in the distance, resting his guitar upon his shoulder; both seemingly lost in thought. The songs on this album have the same sort of dreamy quality. An absolutely delightful album, which should be filed next to your James Taylors and Jonis.
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky
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Monday, June 15, 2009
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Category: Music
 Nancy Wallace - Old Stories (Midwich) Nancy Wallace has once again managed to turn out a spellbinding performance this time in her own right. Her work with The Memory Band on their albums 'The Memory Band' and 'Apron Strings' could almost be seen as a mere apprenticeship for what was to follow and what may very well continue to develop into a promising career. Originally from Suffolk, now based in London, Nancy played her trump card by releasing an EP of folked-up disco/soul classics including "Young Hearts Run Free" and "You're The First, The Last, My Everything", which bears little resemblance to the old Barry White hit, and in doing so, reached a wider audience, but without detaching herself at all from her folk roots. Her voice on 'Old Stories' once again sounds effortless as she weaves in and out of her own compositions and traditional songs with seamless fluidity. "Sleeping Sickness" invites us into this fine collection, and once in, there's no hurry to escape, not until the very last note of the final song, the traditional "Drowned Lover", which Nancy re-tells with conviction and maturity, augmented by some sensitive violin arrangements courtesy of Jennymay Logan, which goes perfectly well with Richard Lewis's accordion, hurdy gurdy and banjo. The urge to escape is present in "Many Years", where Nancy anticipates an imminent journey 'where the wind won't find me' and 'where the seas lie calm'. The contrasting themes of hope and joy, waiting for love and parting, dovetail neatly together with fine arrangements and generous accompaniment. You tend to want to listen to 'Old Stories' in one sitting rather than separate the individual tracks, and the whole thing has a calming effect. It's the purity of Nancy's voice that makes everything she touches turn to gold; a voice that sounds as if it's steeped in the tradition but speaks to more contemporary ears. 'Old Stories' could quite possibly open the gates for another generation of emerging folk lovers, eager to embrace the beautiful cohesion that lies between traditional and contemporary song. Once again, it's rewarding to be present at the start of something special. Allan Wilkinson Northern Sky
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Friday, June 12, 2009
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Category: Music
Ezio
Even though Ezio cross many musical boundaries with their adrenaline infused acoustic rock, the duo still maintain they are just a 'folk music band from Cambridge'. Together since 1990, singer songwriter Ezio Lunedei and guitarist Mark 'Booga' Fowell, have steadily built up a strong fan base both as a duo or together with a larger band consisting of Lidia Cascarino on bass, 'The Reverend' Lee Russell on a variety of instruments including steel guitar and percussion and finally Alex Reeves on drums. Tonight at the Duchess, it was just the two original members who came along to play some new songs as well as the obligatory handful of crowd pleasers.
The Duchess had been prepared in advance and was well equipped to handle the potential deluge of admiring fans who were about to flood the front stage area, but on a fine warm Friday night in the city of York, who could possibly know how many would show up? Before the show, whilst Booga took care of the concessions stand, I had a few words backstage with Ezio who said 'this is the point, they haven't arrived yet so I've no idea how many will come or how many tickets have been sold, this is my panic moment, will anyone show up? However, he went on to say rather reassuringly, 'whoever is there, we will play for them'.
Ezio was relaxed backstage, slumped in a chair with his hands stretched out on the table before him. Support artist Aimie J Ryan, appeared slightly more on edge in the corner, awaiting her turn in the spotlight, which was coming shortly. I asked Ezio whether he prefers to be onstage with the full band or just with the original duo?
'it's really nice to improvise a lot. When you're working on new material it's really nice as a duo because you're freer and there's a lot less chance of it going wrong. We've worked that long together that it's second nature'
'I've known Booga a long time, twenty-odd years. I'm considerably older than he is and I remember him as a larger than life fifteen year-old with a big afro, who used to come to my gigs. I was playing in a rock band at the time, playing lead guitar and he came to watch that, he was a very precocious and talented guitar player'
Ezio have a loyal following who appear to know every lyric to every song. On songs like "Deeper", it sometimes becomes easier for Ezio to just stop singing and let the crowd take over. I asked Ezio if he felt that having such a strong, almost cult following, was rewarding or not?
'We're just not trendy enough or good looking enough to have casual fans, it's a bit of a commitment, they have to struggle a bit to see us, they're either not interested or completely rabid. When we go to another country or perhaps a town we've never been to before and they sing all the words it is rewarding, it really is'
Ezio appeared to have no set list to speak of when the duo took to the stage, relying instead on fans' suggested songs, not by shouting them out, but by texting messages using the mobile phone number blue-tacked to the pillars around the venue. Occasionally during the set, Ezio would reach for his mobile phone and check new messages. 'Steal Away? ... could do; Cinderella please? ... maybe; Deeper? ...'
I asked Ezio whether he felt it was more difficult to introduce new songs into the live repertoire, and how different the reaction is compared with the more familiar material?
'You don't get the same reaction, but it's important to keep doing it, otherwise you start turning into your own tribute band, just trotting out the same thing as we're all getting older. I think it's important and vital to try and present new things. It's what I'm trying to do now, I'm trying to ease things into the set and because it's not as slick and not as played-in and perhaps a bit more clumsy in some ways, it doesn't get that euphoric thing, but sometimes you mean it so much that they end up being the best ever versions'
There's a remarkable synergy that goes on between these two musicians, with each knowing instinctively his part in the musical relationship. The two guitarists cooperate advantageously, with neither stealing the limelight for one single second. Booga's extraordinary dexterity on both electric and acoustic guitars provides the colour to Ezio's rhythmic base. Familiar songs such as "Steal Away" and "Saxon Street" provided the audience with the reward they came for, whilst some of the newer songs provided the audience with what they may be singing along to very soon.
On that subject, I finally asked Ezio when the band is likely to release a follow up to their 2006 album 'Ten Thousand Bars'.
'I need to, it's time now. I've got a back log of new material and there's a couple already recorded... I'm in good shape to now'
For the encore, Ezio gave the audience the choice of three possibilities. 'You can have a vote here, democracy at work, you can have "59 Yards", to which a female voice called out from the back of the room... 'I like that one'; "The Further We Stretch" ... or "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles" it's up to you...'
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky
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Wednesday, May 27, 2009
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Category: Music
The Lipstick and Guitars tour, originally advertised as featuring four exceptionally gifted female singer songwriters, those being specifically Nell Bryden, Kat Flint, Lana and Lizzyspit, arrived in Nottingham tonight with one of those main ingredients missing. Lizzyspit was replaced at short notice by Gabby Young, who immediately won the hearts of those present with her infectious personality and a hell of an amazing voice to match. Appearing at The Maze, the small cavernous music venue located to the rear of the Forest Tavern along Mansfield Road near Nottingham city centre, the red headed songstress provided an excellent opening spot accompanied by her regular guitar player Stephen Ellis who she had brought along from her regular eight-piece band Other Animals. 
Gabby Young
Classically trained, but picking up a broad musical taste along the way, that includes rock, pop, folk, jazz, funk and experimental music, the seated Gabby refrained from sharing with the audience the details of her unfortunate knocks over the years, most notably the fact that she beat thyroid cancer at the age of 22, but instead cheerfully delivered a spellbinding opening set, which attracted a respectful silence from the audience throughout, interspersed with enthusiastic applause in all the right places. Kicking off with "Um", Gabby presented a set of remarkable and memorable self-penned songs, each one with its own authentic sound utilising acoustic guitars and at one point the banjo, but it was Gabby's voice that caught the attention of the audience from the start. Siting Jeff Buckley as a major influence, it has to be said that Gabby's use of vocal pyrotechnics bears an astonishing resemblance to that of her late hero, whose real legacy was of an artist who used his voice to maximum effect. During "Ladies of the Lake", Gabby hit an unfeasibly high note reminiscent of the highest pitch you might squeeze out of a musical saw, which had more than one jaw on the floor tonight.
Kat Flint
Aberdeen singer songwriter Kat Flint's debut album has been out for a little while now and I was pleased to hear some of the songs from the album performed live at last. The former Gingergreen singer, who was born in Barbados and raised in Aberdeen, has now found London to be a conducive place to write songs, some of which have materialised on this remarkable Dirty Birds CD, which she says relates to the dirty birds of many forms including 'pigeons and prostitutes, black crows and bomber jets'.
Appearing on the same bill as three flamboyant performers, each with their own autonomous character, whether it be the Amy Winehouse style theatrics of Lana, the ethereal flame headed beauty of Gabby Young or the uncompromising confidence of Nell Bryden, who incidentally referred to me as 'dear' when dedicating (quite unexpectedly) "Helen's Requiem" to me from the stage, Kat Flint came over even more shyly-spoken and studious than ever before. Kat is imbued with an unassuming presence and a calm demeanor on and off stage, which is both comforting and rewarding at the same time. Should a fire have suddenly broken out during the evening, I would probably have gone directly to her for instructions of what to do.
During "Go Faster Stripes" Kat utilised a kazoo for the instrumental break, which had been concealed somewhere about her person for easy access. After the instrumental break, the kazoo was discarded with one blow, the insipid little metal object hitting the stage with a resounding clunk. 'It took me a while to figure out an elegant way of producing the kazoo' Kat explained, 'I've yet to work out an elegant way of disposing of it'.
Lana
With an impressive musical background that includes spells with the Bluefoot Project, Doctor Octopus, Kabin Fever, the drum and bass outfit Virtigo and jazz/hip hop collective Thelonious, to name but a few, Lana was the only singer who appeared tonight with a band. With the addition of double bass and drums, together with her own semi-acoustic guitar, Lana's uptempo set successfully bridged the gap between Kat Flint's cool, calm and collected set of acoustic songs and what was to be the climax of the night, Nell Bryden's headlining set.
Playing gigs mainly in London, but also spreading herself around the globe, taking in some of the abundance of Summer festivals, Lana joined the Lipstick and Guitars tour, and in doing so, brought with her some of the originality of her charismatic stage presence together with a bunch of infectious songs including "Don't Call Me Baby" and "Trippy Kind of Love".
Nell Bryden
I spoke to Nell Bryden before she took to the stage tonight, about her new album 'What Does It Take' and about her recent tour of army bases in Iraq. We chatted casually and pleasantly for a few moments and later it struck me that nowhere during our conversation did I detect for a single moment, the sheer power that resided somewhere within her, that went towards delivering one of the most outstanding sets I've seen on a British stage in quite some time.
On "Not Like Loving You", which is every bit as good as any of the Otis Redding or Aretha Franklin classics you might have on your jukebox, Nell Bryden used her entire body to convey the message, whilst pounding her vintage semi-acoustic guitar to within an inch of its life. The song provides the basis for optimal soulful outpouring, which Nell handles with expert confidence and once again you find that you have to remind yourself that this is a Nell Bryden original and not a Stax classic.
Based in New York, Nell is currently touring the UK and Ireland and tonight saw her headlining the Lipstick and Guitar show in Nottingham. During the other sets of the evening, Nell stayed pretty much front of stage all night, offering support to her fellow songwriters as they performed and then mingled freely with the Nottingham audience. After some well intentioned heckling by a young male member of the audience, Nell simply responded with 'I think you're very cute, but I can't understand a word'.
Nell currently has her feet in several camps and tackles each genre with the justice it deserves, whether pouring her soul out on the aforementioned "Not Like Loving You" and "Helen's Requiem" or going for the more country-tinged ballads such as "Only Life I Know" or even venturing into the uptempo rockabilly of "That's Alright Mama" and "Second Time Around", With the distinctly vintage design of the new album sleeve, Nell Bryden could almost be seen as a throwback to the 1950s, which she encapsulates with remarkable ease both on record and in live performance.
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky
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Monday, May 25, 2009
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Category: Music
It's been a while since the last Wombwell Mad-Fest, the last one being about five years ago, but it came back to us with a resounding thumbs up over the bank holiday weekend and brought with it the first flurry of good weather of the festival season. The programme for the 7th Wombwell Mad-Fest was probably its most diverse to date, taking in music from all around the world; from Canada to Sweden, Ireland to Africa and Nashville to Barnsley. A little corner of WOMAD was introduced to the small South Yorkshire town in the form of Baka Beyond on Friday night, whose rich musical textures from around the world, were received with no small measure of enthusiasm and a good deal of audience participation on the small but functional dance floor.
Baka Beyond
Although the little South Yorkshire town of Wombwell appears to be a world away from the rainforests of South-East Cameroon, Martin Cradick and Su Hart's original intention to capture the sounds and the traditional music of the Baka Pygmies and bring those sounds to a wider audience worked well here in the heart of the Dearne Valley. The multicultural tour-de-force that began as a group of predominantly British musicians, but which has now evolved to include within its ranks musicians from Brittany, Cameroon, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Ghana, performed a couple of sets filled with the authentic sounds of the rainforests that could not fail to bring the festival alive with their memorable and exciting stage show. An inspired choice of acts to really get this little festival off the ground.
Guy Maile
Earlier in the evening the festival got underway with singer songwriter activist and self confessed 'Enemy of the State' Guy Maile, opening the festival with a selection of songs from his own pen as well as throwing in a couple of well known covers such as Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" for instance, which was preceded by some prog rock guitar pyrotechnics. Guy Maile soon became a familiar face around the festival and also stuck around to run one of the two singers and musicians sessions in the neighbouring Conservative Club on Saturday afternoon.
Kim Richey and Katriona Gilmore
Sandwiched in the middle of the evening between Guy Maile and Baka Beyond was Nashville songstress, Kim Richey. Originally from Zanesville, Ohio, Kim brought a taste of Nashville to Wombwell, with a set filled with superbly crafted yet accessible songs. Kicking off with "Those Words We Said", a song recorded by country star Trisha Yearwood, Kim played with the assurance of an artist steeped in American music, providing song after song of excellence and maturity. Joining Kim on stage towards the end of her set, which culminated in "A Place Called Home", which incidentally featured in an episode of the hit TV series 'Angel', was fiddler Katriona Gilmore, whose five minute backstage rehearsal proved to be all that was necessary to come up with a finale that was as polished as one would expect from months of practice.
The setting for the Wombwell Mad-Fest was the Church Hall tucked around the back of St Michael's Church on the main road through Wombwell. The secluded car park was filled with camper vans, the only real method of camping over the weekend, unless you wanted to bend your tent pegs in the car park concrete. Just over the road is the Wombwell Conservative Club, which played host to the two singaround sessions of the weekend, bridging the gap between the afternoon and evening concerts in the main hall. All pretty close together and not too far from the main town amenities.
Saturday provided the first full day of music which included sets in the afternoon by artists as diverse as Holly Taymar, The Carrivick Sisters, Sarah McDougall and Elbow Jane, whilst the evening concert featured Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts, Kieran Halpin, Rachel Harrington and Zak Borden and Los Pistoleros. Hedley Jones, the festival organiser, almost insists there are no headliners nor support slots in the programme, but that each act is treated equally and takes their place as an integral part of the carefully selected programme. It also doesn't go unnoticed that at a bargain price of just £30 for a weekend ticket, each act costs under £1.50 each. So presumably that's why they call it Wombwell MAD-Fest?
Holly Taymar
Opening the Saturday afternoon concert with a delightful set of self-penned songs was York-based singer songwriter Holly Taymar, who appears to be just as comfortable opening an afternoon festival concert as closing late night basement bars in York. There's a tangible warmth to a Holly Taymar performance wherever she plays; who appears to be at ease with both folk and jazz audiences alike and who draws from the influences of James Taylor and Carole King. With relative ease, Holly matches her peers measure for measure and the only reason I can think of as to why Holly is still doing opening and support spots around York, is that she is still going through the tiresome process of waiting for people to catch up. Guitar player Carl Hetherington caught up some time ago and the pair make a formidable team as they revealed some of Holly's finest gems such as "Toes", "Home" and "7am".
The Carrivick Sisters
South Devon siblings Laura and Charlotte Carrivick brought an astonishing level of musicianship to the Wombwell stage on Saturday afternoon with a set of predominantly bluegrass based songs and tunes. When the dobro was added to their fiddle, mandolin and guitar based repertoire, their musical tastes changed and they have subsequently gone on to capture the musical dexterity of bluegrass but place it within the context of their English roots. "The Dartmoor Witches" and "The Flowers She Picked For Jamie" are specifically localised songs from their Devon home, but have a distinct Kentucky bluegrass feel to them. The standard of playing is staggeringly complex for musicians so young, but they deliver the goods as seasoned professionals.
Sarah MacDougall
Swedish/Canadian songwriter, Sarah MacDougall was given a rapturous welcome as she took to the Wombwell stage on Saturday afternoon. Accompanied by guitar/dobro player Tim Tweedale, Sarah opened with a set of country-tinged songs starting with "Headed For the Hills" and at one point encouraged the audience to imitate a pack of wolves as a preface to "Cry Wolf". The audience was in the mood to oblige, which may have had the rest of Wombwell wondering what on earth was going on in their local community hall. The mixture of country tales with a folk sensibility, seasoned with a Scandinavian sense of melancholy and kitted out in a distinctly Woody Guthrie wardrobe, Sarah proved to be every bit the folk troubadour we initially anticipated.
Elbow Jane
Merseyside's Elbow Jane may well have the look of a re-formed boy band, and their music could very easily lean more towards the pop side of folk, but as a tight acoustic band with infectious melodies and an abundance of warmth in the personality stakes, this band come in very definitely at second to none. Playing a selection of songs from their '3 Side Island' album, preceded by an explanation that their stomping ground of Ellesmere Port (a peninsula - therefore an island with just three sides), the band launched into the anthemic “Long May You Stand” with its new country CMT feel good delivery and continued with a string of timeless classics such as Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years", George Harrison's "Something" and an encore of the enduring McGuinness Flint number, "When I'm Dead and Gone".
The music continued over the road at the Conservative Club, where Guy Maile ran the first of two afternoon singaround sessions for those who were not ready to take a break from the music, and which also offered a place for those without a ticket to go and participate in the festival. One or two festival guests joined in including Kip Winter and Dave Wilson, whose beautiful songs raised the game in the pub lounge as chips were bought in by pub staff; another sign of fine Wombwell hospitality.
Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts
Local duo Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts have pretty much established themselves as one of the most outstanding duos in the area, with Kat’s fiddle and mandolin playing and Jamie’s unique guitar technique. The couple opened the evening concert with a selection from their new album 'Shadows and Half Light', including the infectious instrumental "Middle of May/Big Nige", Jamie's touching "So Long" and Katriona's mysterious "Hunter Man".
Kieran Halpin
Kieran Halpin played a selection from a seemingly bottomless well of songs, hand picked from a 35 year career and nineteen album back catalogue. Many of his songs are familiar in both folk clubs and at festivals having been sung by the likes of Vin Garbutt, Dolores Keane, Tom McConville and The Battlefield Band but it is rewarding to hear them sung in their original form. His impassioned tribute to his friend, the late John Wright in the song “So Long John” is testament to his song writing credentials and his set was well received by the enthusiastic Wombwell audience.
Rachel Harrington and Zak Borden
Seattle-based duo Rachel Harrington and Zak Borden returned to South Yorkshire for the third time in just about as many months, once again delivering their own blend of back woods Americana. Rachel was back on form after having been knocked back earlier in their current tour with a particularly bad cold, singing better than ever with songs from each of her two albums 'The Bootlegger’s Daughter' and 'City of Refuge' including "Sunshine Girl", "Carver" and "Under the Big Top" as well as throwing in a couple of Zak Borden originals which included "The Greener Side" and the odd cover such as Laura Viers' haunting "Up The River". Once again Katriona Gilmore was asked to come up and infiltrate the duo's music with some tasty fiddle, which once again proved to be the cherry on top of the set with the old gospel standard "I Don't Want To Get Adjusted To This World".
Los Pistoleros
Finishing the first full day of music was a lively performance by Bobby Valentino, the self-styled Clark Gable of western swing, leading his band Los Pistoleros in an exciting and energetic final set for Saturday. Opening with "Rose of San Antone", the veteran fiddler delivered a set filled with the best of country ballads and rockabilly dance tunes, effectively transforming this little corner of South Yorkshire into a dusty Southern honky tonk, where it would be quite easy to imagine rolling tumbleweed and an old battered station wagon parked outside. Although regular pedal steel maestro BJ Cole was absent through illness, guitarist Martin Belmont kept things pretty much together with the rest of the band, providing an outstanding set, which broke the late night curfew by a good margin. Their unique blend of original Rhythm and Blues, Tex-Mex, Rock 'n' Roll, Country and Swing, seemed to encompass all the musical styles not yet covered by other artists at the festival, and therefore became a completist's dream finisher for Saturday night. Bobby is still remembered as the fiddle player who provided the infectious riff that runs throughout The Bluebell's No 1 hit "Young At Heart", but his roots are much deeper grounded. No stranger to the world's biggest stages, Valentino has worked with a who's who catalogue of giants such as Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Shania Twain and Mark Knofler and although we hesitate to use the term 'headliner', Los Pistoleros was the obvious choice to finish off such a great day of music.
The sun was out in force on Sunday lunchtime and potentially threatened audience attendance in the Wombwell Church Hall during the afternoon. No one could be blamed for choosing a day in the sun over an afternoon indoors but surprisingly, the audience were enjoying the continual stream of quality acts at the festival so much, they showed up in force. Sunday's impressive line up included the song writing talents of Reg Meuross, Winter Wilson and Emily Slade, the musical dexterity of Uiscedwr, Chris Sherburn and Denny Bartley and Phil Beer and topped off with some good old British Folk Rock courtesy of Little Johnny England.
Winter Wilson
Winter Wilson opened both the Sunday afternoon and evening concerts with a couple of sets filled with well written and thought provoking songs, each featuring great melodies and delicious harmonies before Emily Slade made a welcome return to Wombwell with a set of intelligent songs from one of the most captivating performers in the country.
Emily Slade
Chris Sherburn and Denny Bartley returned to their original duo form for an outstanding set of songs and tunes peppered with Sherburn's ever-present charismatic wit. Last Night's Fun may have called it a day but this duo can still deliver some of the onstage magic of one of the best live bands of the last couple of decades, not least in their beautiful rendition of "Roseville Fair".
Chris Sherburn and Denny Bartley
Closing Sunday afternoon's concert was the outstanding Uiscedwr. Fiddler Anna Esslemont and percussionist Cormac Byrne were joined for the first time by guitarist James Hickman for a set of songs and tunes by arguably one of the most engaging of contemporary folk bands in Britain today. Equally at home with jazz, Latin, blues and klezmer tunes as they are with traditional folk music, Uiscedwr brought their own distinct taste of world Music to Wombwell, which was well received by a very appreciative audience.
Uiscedwr
Once again bridging the gap between the afternoon and evening concerts, Lou Marriott led a singaround in the bar of the Conservative Club, where a small gathering of musicians and song writers had gathered to share songs or play favourites from the likes of Bob Dylan, Ray Davies and Steve Tilston, whilst a portrait of The Queen looked down, wondering the same thing as me, what catastrophe in politics would have led to folkies entering a Conservative Club? What do you reckon Mr Brown? These thoughts were evaporated as soon as the sandwiches arrived, once again courtesy of the staff.
Singaround Session
During the session, Reg Meuross and Karen Tweed walked in for a quick listen. Meuross cut his musical teeth as one half of the popular duo The Panic Brothers with Richard Morton in the mid Eighties but has more recently established himself as one of the foremost singer songwriters in the UK today. Described by Hank Wangford as having 'The best high tenor voice this side of the Atlantic', Meuross kicked off his Sunday evening appearance at the festival with a series of beautiful songs from a couple of his most recent albums 'Dragonfly' and 'Still', including "Lizzie Loved A Highwayman", "William Brewster Dreams Of America" and the thoroughly engaging "And Jesus Wept" before being joined on stage by Phil Beer and Karen Tweed for more of the same.
Reg Meuross
Karen Tweed
Phil Beer's own set, which followed soon after, was made up of an eclectic mix of songs from some of the Devon musician's many influences from Little Feat ("Willin"), Robbie Robertson ("Acadian Driftwood") and surprisingly The Hollies, with his superb take on the classic hit "Bus Stop", proving once again that a stripped down acoustic version of a familiar hit record always brings out the essence of the song.
Phil Beer
Finishing Sunday night and the 2009 festival was the all out no stops barred folk rock of Little Johnny England. Referred to by Phil Beer as 'the only real folk rock band in the world', P.J. Wright and his band of folk rockers, culled from such notable outfits as the Steve Gibbons Band, The Dylan Project, The Albion Band, Clarion, The Vikki Clayton Band, Dansaul and Tickled Pink, played one of the loudest and most energetic sets of the festival, once again encompassing genres from around the world including Cajun, Celtic and Eastern European influences.
Little Johnny England
On the national festival circuit, Wombwell Mad-Fest is a relatively small family affair, organised by Hedley Jones and his immediate family, with a handful of good friends willing to help out in any way possible; even the bar staff are volunteers whose weekend takings are ploughed directly back into the festival. As a weekend of pure entertainment and quality, Wombwell Mad-Fest is up there with its peers. No question.
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Tuesday, May 19, 2009
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Category: Music
There's a couple of young musicians who live down the lane in the self-contained village of Shepley, almost hidden amongst the rolling meadows of the Pennine fringe just to the south of Huddersfield. You imagine Jack Rutter and Lydia Noble would be delighted to have the opportunity to develop their craft each Spring without travelling much further than their own doorsteps. These two young multi-instrumentalists are but two of a handful of musicians fortunate enough to share a stage with some of the best known names on the national and international folk scene, and still be home in time for tea.
For three consecutive years now Shepley has played host to one of the most talked about festivals on the folk music calendar and its reputation grows each year as one of the friendliest, most exciting and vibrant musical events in the country. Word of mouth brought me to Shepley this year and I was pleased that those words - from very reliable mouths I might add - turned out to be true. An impressive cast had been assembled for the weekend, with one or two special events thrown in for good measure, and I was keen to see why so many people would brave the elements at this time of year to camp out in what could potentially be a hostile environment in terms of the mid-May climate. For those who are fond of the smell of rain, me included here, Shepley is a veritable boudoir of seasonal delights, and it soon became clear to me that no one seemed to care one single jot whether it rained or shined. Young Jack and Lydia are probably used to it.
Frumptarn Guggenband
The temporary festival village works in tandem with the permanent village just down the lane, whose streets are filled with colour and music throughout the weekend. Outside the Farmer's Boy pub, you are more than likely to find a bunch of Beefeaters, resplendent in their red and black tunics, stopping off for a beer or two on their way to the next pub down the lane. The Frumptarn Guggenband's brass instruments would no doubt be taking temporary shelter from a shower, whilst a strange bowler-hatted troupe - La Goulee D'Ev - march down the lane, proudly carrying their flag on high like Liberty herself in one of those Neo-Classical paintings hanging in the Louvre. A long way from Shepley methinks. Even the distant drums of the Mighty Zulu Nation, presumably coming from the Black Bull, don't seem out of place here at all.
The short walk from the festival site at the top of the hill down through the attractive village, would be accompanied by the sound of several pairs of clogs hitting the ground, a host of wooden sticks colliding in mid-air and the clattering of swords and the sight of several dance teams only distinguishable by their contrasting colourful costumes, and all accompanied by the ever present fiddle or melodeon, or both.
Ella Edmondson
The festival got off to a good start on Friday evening with a performance by a young emerging singer songwriter with a familiar name. Ella Edmondson made her second appearance at the festival with her own small trio performing songs from her new album 'Hold Your Horses' including the haunting "Fold" and the potential radio hit "Hunger".
Belshazzar's Feast
For sheer musical dexterity, Belshazzar's Feast provided their first set of the weekend, incorporating classical baroque influences with traditional folk tunes as Bellowhead's Paul Sartin alternated between fiddle and oboe, whilst at one point emptying the contents of his briefcase out on stage, whilst playmate Paul Hutchinson provided ample pyrotechnics on his accordion, all peppered with lashings of sardonic wit and banter-a-plenty.
Martin Simpson
Martin Simpson's name has become synonymous with quality and class, specifically within the realms of handful of truly great guitar players to have emerged over the last couple of decades or so. Joined by Andy Cutting and Andy Seward on melodeon and double bass respectively, the trio performed a set of well chosen and eclectic songs such as Chris Wood's "Come Down Jehovah" and Roly Salley's touching "Killing The Blues" recently revived by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for their Mercury nominated collaboration album Raising Sand.
Edward II
Whilst Welsh band Mabon performed a lively set to bring the Friday night concert to a close on the main stage, the newly reformed Edward II delighted a packed dance tent with some familiar favourites from their back catalogue. A perfect end to the opening night of the festival.
The Navvy's Wife
On Saturday lunchtime, Mick Ryan presented a special event in the church hall, re-named 'The Acoustic Cafe' just for the weekend, where you could pick up some good old homemade cake and sandwiches and a cup of coffee or a beer, whilst enjoying some of the fringe events in the comfort of possibly the warmest place in Shepley.
'The Navvy's Wife' chronicles the hardships and triumphs of the ordinary people who helped carve out our roads, canals and railways from the time of the industrial revolution, performed in a seamless organic flow of words and music by an impressive cast assembled by Mick Ryan himself, including singers Heather Bradford, Judy Dunlop and Jackie Oates, and musicians Paul Downes and Roger Watson. The two hour production held the audience spellbound, as the stories unfolded with both humour and heart-wrenching sadness in equal measure. When I asked Mick how long it took him to write the piece, he casually replied 'oh about four days'. I imagine the research took a good deal longer. The big surprise for me was the hidden talents of one Paul Downes. If ever he tires of his music career, he wouldn't half make a great character actor. One waits in anticipation for the next BBC Dickens adaptation.
Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow
Local singer songwriter Belinda O'Hooley together with partner Heidi Tidow had the unenviable task of finishing off the Saturday afternoon concert on the main stage only to return a couple of hours later to kick off the evening concert, which would feature one of the headlining acts of the festival, Show of Hands. Belinda is a rare figure on the current folk scene, being the only self-confessed Bonnie Tyler fan I can think of at the moment, whose songs can be heard amongst other pop tunes during her day job, that of entertaining the elderly in care homes. Whilst the achingly painful "Whitethorn" sent shivers, the contrasting medley of Abba's "Money Money Money" coupled with Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero” was a complete hoot, a perfect start to the evening concert.
Chris Sherburn and Denny Bartley
With the disbandment of one of the most exciting live acts to have emerged over the last decade or so, two former Last Night's Fun members made a welcome return to form, with a set filled with great songs and tunes, sung in crystal clear fashion by the gentle Denny Bartley, whilst being teased relentlessly by his buddy, the charismatic English concertina wizard Chris Sherburn.
Genticorum
Bridging the gap between two outstanding acts from this side of the pond, were the popular traditional Québécois trio Genticorum, whose energetic rhythms resounded around the main concert marquee as the seated fiddler Pascal Gemme kept an almost constant beat with his feet, whilst guitarist Yann Falquet showed us how a Jew's harp should really be played and Alexandre de Grosbois-Garand fluently lipped his flute and provided the bottom end on electric bass, all topped off with delicious French Canadian harmonies.
Show Of Hands
Consummate professionals Show of Hands, now joined by double bassist Miranda Sykes, provided precisely what was expected of them; an outstanding Saturday night set of well crafted songs from one of England's most enduring musical partnerships, Steve Knightley and Phil Beer.
Jackie Oates
On Sunday morning I felt rather privileged to have spent an hour or so in the company of Jackie Oates, one of the busiest musicians on the folk scene today. Jackie's fiddle workshop was attended by just the one fiddle player who was treated to what turned out to be essentially a free hour-long master class lesson, where the young Devon fiddler went through a few Cornish tunes in the much more tranquil surroundings of Cliffe House, a short walk from the festival site. A joy to watch.
Jiggawatt's Sarah
One of the most important things on the Shepley Festival agenda is the provision of a platform to showcase young emerging performers. The Shepley Springboard provides such a platform and as the name suggests, helps launch younger artists such as the aforementioned Jack Rutter and Lydia Noble as well as the likes of Jonny Kearney and Lucy Farrell, which potentially gives each of the young performers a well deserved helping hand in their respective endeavours. Young folk quartet Jiggawatt could be seen on most of the festival stages during the weekend showcasing the outstanding talents of fiddler Sarah who appears equally at home with the traditional "Lark in the Morning" as well as the challenging cool jazz groove of Brubeck's "Take Five".
Maz O'Connor
Sunday evening got underway in the main concert marquee with the young unaccompanied traditional singer Maz O'Connor, whose command over traditional song was both assured and confident as well as touching and compelling. At just 18, the Cumbria-based singer has already received accolades such as winning the Fred Jordan Memorial Singing Competition at the Bromyard Folk Festival in 2007 and being a finalist in this years BBC Young Folk Awards.
Bryony Griffith and Will Hampson
Two fine musicians from the ranks of the Demon Barbers, fiddler Bryony Griffith and melodeon player Will Hampson stormed through one of the most exciting sets of the weekend. At no other point during the three days was there a more tangible family connection, as family and friends gathered to witness the infectious personalities of Bryony and Will as they took to the Shepley main stage for the first time as a duo. Normally backed up and supported by the mighty Demon Barbers, the duo played with the same intensity and appeared to lose none of the power associated with the rightful winners of this years BBC Folk Award for best live act. Bryony's vocal prowess is reminiscent of a young Norma Waterson, you know the one we remember in black and white, together with a touch of Margaret Barry's assertive projection. Bryony is a singer whose singing means business.
Bob Fox
Bringing a touch of class to Shepley this year was Bob Fox whose voice has become one of the best loved on the folk scene. His song choices are now as familiar to us through his interpretation as they originally were by their authors, Jez Lowe's "Taking On Men" for instance. Bob took command of the Shepley main stage and soon had the audience in the palm of his hand.
The Michael McGoldrick Band
Rounding off Sunday night's main stage programme was the Michael McGoldrick Band, whose adventurous Celtic fusion served as just the thing to round off a brilliantly successful third festival. Whilst the band were busily sound checking in the main marquee, and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers were preparing to provide the rhythms for the final highland fling in the dance tent, I took a moment to reflect in the surprisingly calm spring evening air as the pink sky reflected off the imposing Emley Moor mast in the distance. I thought once more of young Jack Rutter and Lydia Noble, who would soon be bidding farewell to all their newfound buddies, before heading off down the lane to their respective homes. I have a feeling they'll all be back to reunite next Spring, and so will I.
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky
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Sunday, April 26, 2009
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Category: Music
 Ben TD - Tiny Movements (Lo Five) Australian singer songwriter Ben TD, who is now based in Glasgow, has released his debut album Tiny Movements after serving his apprenticeship in the band Ruby's Grace along with his brother Sam. Since then Ben has made two important decisions, the first being to move to the opposite side of the globe and secondly, to follow the inevitable urge to try his hand at a solo career. In an era of musical 'collectives', Ben has been sought out and hand picked for the Lo-Five roster and has been working with Calum Scott, Lo-Five's resident engineer, the result being a studio album of fine and accessibly melodic songs. With titles such as "Yes I Am A Sky Scraper's Window Cleaner" you imagine you're in for a whimsical ride, but then there are songs like "Lily", an astonishing observation on a family's bigoted reluctance to accept homosexuality. I would recommend this to anyone who has witnessed or suffered at the hands of such an outdated and reactionary viewpoint, but more importantly, those who blindly perpetrate it. The songs on Tiny Movements are instantly accessible, whether they plead to your emotions like for instance in "The Science of Breath" or whether they lend themselves to catchy Badfinger-esque pop, in "Shoes Too Small". Ben TD has made a collection of songs that are memorable, interesting and accessible without deliberately going out of his way to make a hit album. It's almost diary like in its conception, but a diary that he doesn’t mind us all reading, and thoroughly enjoying. Allan Wilkinson Northern Sky
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009
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Category: Music
 Eliza Carthy Eliza Carthy is now in her 34th year, which is making me feel rather old. I was getting on for 'old' when I first encountered the little impish tomboy at the Cambridge Festival sometime in the Nineties, when her natural ebullience and youthful zest was encapsulated, setting a precedence for the hoards who followed in her footsteps; all endowed with a new vision of how this folk music should progress, all with buckets full of talent and rather less importantly, all blessed with extraordinary biblical names such as Seth, Ruth and Saul. Tonight, as we patiently queued up outside The Duchess, on a relatively gorgeous Spring evening, as the sun set over the silhouetted York Minster up the road, a familiar couple to folk audiences throughout the land strolled past, presumably making themselves scarce for a while as their daughter sound checked in the darkened basement below. It's nice that Martin and Norma come along to support Eliza, you get the feeling of real family cohesion in a time when speaking openly about family values seems to border on a criminal offence. Eliza has developed into a force to be reckoned with. She once was bewildered at the reaction of the old guard, who marveled at her youthful vigor on stage. 'But that's what 17-year olds do!' she responded with astonishment. Well she's still doing it, even months after becoming a mum, and still doing it extremely well. I particularly like this current phase of Eliza's development as a songwriter and musician. The use of an electric tenor guitar, the melodeon and the customary fiddle, all offer fitting accompaniment to her songs. The band tonight featured drums, double bass, cello and accordion, and even at one point, during "Oranges and Seasalts", a trombone popped up from out of nowhere, played from the sound desk at the back of the room. I was just at the bar right next to the desk and initially thought it was an over-enthusiastic fan, but alas not. The band had spilt over from the stage and enveloped the entire room with sound. Tonight was by and large given over to the new album 'Dreams of Breathing Underwater', but the performance also included older and more established material such as "Train Song" and "Poor Little Me" from the Angels and Cigarettes period as well as the beautiful "Mohair" from her Rough Music album, showcasing some of the best and most heartfelt singing of the night. Whilst mum and dad watched from the back, Eliza sang with an unequalled assurance. Her humour, often verging on Spike Milligan, has a playful irreverence that helps the anecdotal family tales weave in and out between songs and leaves you with an infectious sense of fun. One of the highlights of the night was a version of Rory McLeod's "Hug You Like A Mountain", which Eliza unexpectedly manages to breath new life into after we were first introduced to the song back in 1986 on Rory's Kicking The Sawdust release. What Eliza manages to capture is the sheer passion found in the original. I imagine Rory is brimming. Allan Wilkinson Northern Sky
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Wednesday, April 15, 2009
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Category: Music
 I don't know about you, but I often feel quite privileged to have lived through the last few decades knowing we've had such contemporaries as Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Miles Davis in our time, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Tonight at the National Centre for Early Music, we were once again in the company of two of the most revered musicians to have sprung up in the Sixties and who have continued to inspire and influence musicians to this day. To some, the Incredible String Band were a bit too weird to fully appreciate, and there was always that hesitation before popping The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter on the dansette, if your folks were in that is. Those records to this day remain an absolutely essential part of my record collection and I no longer worry who hears the songs, however 'very cellular' they are. Once having described himself as the 'genius of this parish', our ISB founder has progressed through decades of activity, mastering a particularly unique and eccentric vocal style, creating astonishingly inventive song writing structures, developing a daring guitar playing technique, beating the unchartered paths of world music (before the term was even coined), only to then re-invent himself as some sort of mystical Celtic bard. I've always been suspicious of any musical instrument that could equally be considered a piece of furniture, but in the hands of Robin Williamson, the harp becomes much more than the incidental instrument in an orchestra, but a point of absolute focus. As an accompaniment for traditional and contemporary songs and tunes, the harp does the job particularly well and gives us a break from the much more commonly used guitar. As a backdrop to some of Robin's lengthy Celtic stories, the harp comes into its own and creates a vast landscape of possibilities. There was no storytelling tonight though, other than the stories we find in songs. I dare say John Renbourn might nod off if he had to sit through "The Voyage of Bran, Son of Febal" night after night, so this evening at the NCEM, Robin and John delivered a bunch of carefully chosen songs and pieces that have meant something to both musicians throughout their respective careers, and more importantly, as Robin reminds us, 'things that we both happen to know'.  Starting with a nod to perhaps the definitive guitar innovator of the folk revival, Davy Graham, who we sadly lost earlier this year, the duo launched into his version of Blind Willie Johnson's "I Just Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes", indicating right from the start how beautifully aligned the Celtic harp and the guitar can be in the hands of such experienced musicians. In addition to this, Robin keeps time with the aid of a metronomic bass drum, which is at his feet throughout. As one of the five prongs of Pentangle, John Renbourn was always a much less heavy handed guitarist than his mate Bert Jansch and often Renbourn provided the lightness of touch that underpinned Jansch's claw hammered attacks. No one bends a note quite like Renbourn, a sound that is very distinctly his own, and fortunately, we got plenty of those tonight. The duo alternated between traditional songs and tunes such as "The Snows They Melt The Soonest", "South Wind/The Blarney Pilgrim" and "Sir Patrick Spens" and also included a couple of more contemporary songs with David Allen Coe's "I Stay Stoned on Your Love" together with a couple of Dylan covers; "Absolutely Sweet Marie" and "Buckets of Rain". Renbourn also wandered into Bahaman slack-key territory delivering a remarkable take on Joseph Spence's "Great Dreams From Heaven", previously explored by Ry Cooder during his 'Jazz' period. Rounding off things nicely with a re-visit to the duo's collaboration album 'Wheel of Fortune', Robin and John concluded with "Lights of Sweet St Annes", which was well received by the sell-out audience in York tonight. The performance was less about the meeting of two experienced borderline rock star folkies, and more about two mates having a bit of fun, doing what they like best. Excellent.  Providing the support tonight was a new incarnation of Beneath The Oak, an established name but with a fresh line up. The trio now consists of mandolin and Cuatro player Paul Wale, singer songwriter Aimie J Ryan on guitar and Mark Waters on bass. Standing huddled together on stage, carefully avoiding Robin Williamson's music shop window display, the trio played a selection of self penned material including "My Eyes Close" and "Grave of Autumn". Allan Wilkinson Northern Sky
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Monday, April 13, 2009
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Category: Music
Nick Harper has a space all his own and those who attend his gigs enter that space at their peril. Harperspace is after all, despite its intergalactic connotations and new hippie sensibility, the charismatic ether surrounding a vibrant musician who simply allows music to take over his entire being. A great singer with an astonishing vocal range as well as virtuoso guitar player, who has clearly explored all possibilities, not only in between the frets but also around the headstock area as well. There's more peg activity going on up there than at a gypsy convention and there appears to be no dusty end to Harper's Lowden.
Although famed for his use of the sampling and looping box of tricks, Nick kept his toys to a minimum tonight as he trawled through his back catalogue with songs from most of his albums including "Crazy Boy" from Seed, "Blood Song" and "Imaginary Friend" from Blood Songs, a couple from Smithereens "Two Way Thing" and "In Our Time" and a whole bunch from his fifth and arguably his best album Harperspace including the frantic "Karmageddon", the autobiographical "Aeroplane", a song about how Roy would swing the lad around by the ankles in earlier days and the soulful "She Rules My World", which almost evokes the vocal range of another famous rock-sprog of the Buckley variety.
Unlike Jeff Buckley though, who clearly had contempt for the father who abandoned him, Nick Harper has maintained a close relationship with his dad and it's actually encouraging to hear him speak so reverently about him. He has a great appreciation of Roy both as a dad and as a musician, as well as the source of all his genetic weirdness it has to be said. If you listen to some of Roy's early albums then you will know it was unavoidable. Coincidentally, Buckley's "Grace" was part of a lively medley, which also included the old Led Zeppelin stomper "Four Sticks", both popping up in the middle of "Love Is Music", Harper's regular string-breaking showpiece, which once again was rewarded by frantic applause from an appreciating audience of Harperspace cadets. Of the newer material, "Blue Sky Thinking" stands out as a Harper masterpiece with its trance-like fluid guitar motif that wouldn't be out of place on any Wyndam Hill collection.
The gig seemed to run over as often is the case with Harper. Once you get into that kind of a groove it's hard to know exactly when to stop and although you always come away with well over your money's worth of entertainment and Harperspaced-out experience, there's always the slight disappointment of not having heard your particular favourites. Tonight it was "The Verse That Time Forgot" and "100 Things" that could've easily substituted ten minutes of "Love Is Music" or the awfully bawdy Zappa toon "Titties and Beer". But there's always a next time eh?
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky
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Saturday, April 11, 2009
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Category: Music
The Barnsley Wheelhouse Concerts are as informal as it gets. The Jones family (Hedley, Lynn and Rory the King Charles Spaniel) are your hosts for the evening and at the bottom of their garden is a wooden cabin, which seats 35 comfortably. The guest artists have to be carefully considered for these occasions as the venue is purpose built for a solo performer. A duo would be more than comfortable, a trio manageable - if they don't turn up with a grand piano or a double bass that is, and it must be said, an orchestra probably goes very much against HSE guidelines, even if the instruments only consist of ukuleles.
Rachel Harrington and Zak Borden fall under the 'comfortable' category and played a superb couple of sets without the aid of either a safety net nor or PA. The Wheelhouse is one of those special venues that doesn't require any form of amplification whatsoever and we were privileged to be given the opportunity to hear these musicians in their raw form. The venue was described variously throughout the inaugural evening as a log cabin, a garden shed and a summerhouse, to specifically 'The Wheelhouse' or 'The Club House'. Zak Borden summed it up simply as 'insanely cute', which is just about right.
The Seattle based duo performed songs from both 'The Bootlegger's Daughter' and the more recent follow up album 'City of Refuge' as well as a couple from Zak's solo album 'The Remedy Sessions'. Kicking off with "Sunshine Girl" the couple soon found their natural volume and were both pleased to find they didn't have to project their voices to any significant discomfort level. Rachel's guitar and Zak's tasteful mandolin accompaniment dovetailed together perfectly well, mirroring these freshly refurbished wooden surroundings.
The duo are travelling 'light' around Europe for the next three months, with just one guitar and a mandolin, therefore Hedley's wall-mounted Gibson came in handy for a few of Zak's own songs including "Greener Side" and "Tennessee Heart" as well as his interpretation of the traditional "Saro Jane".
Rachel chose her songs wisely and included alongside her own compositions such as "Shoeless Joe", "Walk To You" and the more recent "Under The Big Top", Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billie Jo", Bobbie Dylan's "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go", as well as the haunting "Up The River", which is a faithful reading of the Laura Veirs song and therefore just as spellbinding. There was even a Patsy Cline song in there for good measure.
For this, the first of what promises to be a good season of house concerts, we saw two of Americana's rising stars set a remarkably good standard for those to follow. In such surroundings, those who have yet to make an appearance at the Wheelhouse, can be assured that they are half way there already. Finishing off with "Goodbye", a Steve Earle song, we were reminded once again that it was Steve's sister Stacey who was the last guest to appear in this garden back in October, and proves that the standard of musicianship is being maintained here in Wombwell.
Rachel Harrington and Zak Borden will be appearing in the area again as part of their current tour on 2nd May at the Wath Festival and then again on 23rd May at the Wombwell Mad-Fest. Details 07982 658467 (Wath) and 01226 752901 (Wombwell)
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky
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Thursday, March 19, 2009
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Category: Music
Nell Bryden - Live From Iraq (157 Records)
Released not so much as a follow up to the Second Time Around album but more of a token of something to put us on with, until the new studio album comes out later this year, Live From Iraq, gives us a taste of Nell's vibrant and energetic live shows whilst she entertains troops in the Middle East. Updating the efforts of the likes of Dame Vera Lynn, Bob Hope or Marilyn Monroe before her, Bryden appeared to be only too pleased to undertake three weeks of shows at several Forward Operating Bases in Iraq during October 2008.
Bryden is at pains to point out that this tour was not politically motivated, but insists that bringing a bit of rock n roll to people far from home is what it's all about. And so with vague memories of Bill Graham and a handful of dancers jumping out of a chopper into the heart of darkness, bringing a touch of glamour to the nightmare of Apocalypse Now, we are once again at the confluence of entertainment and war.
If I were a soldier out there, fully accustomed to the delights of a bunk room strewn with fellow sweaty souls, hurtling towards the end of yet another 'tour of duty', I would be highly delighted to have Nell Bryden come along and sing in the naffi (which is an acronym for British Navy Army & Air Force Institutes, in case you mis-heard me). Knowing her audience well from the get-go, Nell delight's the American Armed Forces’ complement of grateful deadheads gathered at Camp Falcon just outside Baghdad, with a rip roaring take on the traditional "I Know You Rider", setting out the tone of the show from the start. Commuting between other Forward Operating Bases at Camp's Mahmudiyah, Kalsu and Victory as well as at the Cropper Detention Center, doing for all intents and purposes the same job as Johnny Cash did at San Quentin and Folsom Prison in the Sixties, Bryden chronicles her experiences in a daily 'blog', printed in the accompanying booklet. Life on the road is known to be tough in rock n roll, but Nell Bryden calmly reports on how her trailer 'shakes with the booms of outgoing artillery', literally relocating her bed in the process. Probably better than incoming artillery though, eh Nell?
The most startling thing about the performances on Live From Iraq, is that the band, made up of Brooklyn musicians Eric Lindberg (guitar), Mark Stewart (bass) and Bryan Bisordi (drums), was gathered together as a pick-up outfit on the eve of the tour as her regular band promptly pulled out at the last minute. Determination prevailed and Nell Bryden went on the create an atmosphere of raw and sweaty blues, utilising her trademark alto on ten outstanding songs from a handful of self-penned songs such as "Second Time Around", "Tonight", "Meridian" and "What Does It Take", together with some timely crowd pleasers in "House of the Rising Sun" and "That's Alright Mama". Particular highlights though come in the form of two blues classics, first of all the powerful Muddy Waters composition "Forty Days and Forty Nights" and finally a stripped down solo version of Robert Johnson's "Hellhound on My Trail", giving the boys a break and bringing the set to a close.
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky
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Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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Category: Music
Widely considered the mum and dad of the English folk revival, Norma Waterson and Martin Carthy have recently reached that momentous and delightful right of passage, that of becoming grandparents. I spoke to Martin in the interval this evening who promptly drew a circle with his index finger over the general area of his left pec and confessed that he had 'a very special place right here' for little Florence Daisy. I don't really know Carthy personally at all, even though I did kick young Liam out of his bed one night in order to make way for a 1980s version of Martin Carthy, after a gig in Doncaster, who kept me up half the night to watch his favourite film 'Blade Runner'. Can you imagine that, Martin Carthy and Harrison Ford in the same room? I digress.
For the first of the larger scale Black Swan concerts of the year, as opposed to the smaller club gigs that started in January with an appearance by Grace Notes, the National Centre for Early Music provided the ideal platform for another visit by two of the most enduring singers on the British folk scene. Norma and Martin were joined by Chris Parkinson on accordions (both piano and button) for a couple of sets of songs and tunes culled from one of the largest repertoires in British folk music.
Starting with "Bright Shiny Morning", one of the oldest story tales the couple have, about 'the ever popular venereal disease', which inadvertently caused more than a ripple of giggles throughout the audience tonight, especially when Norma explained that 'she had no idea why it was so popular all over the world ... the song of course, not the disease!' When Norma giggles, there's an infectious ripple that reverberates around the room, not unlike the proverbial Mexican wave. I don't know about you, but whenever I've seen Norma Waterson, either with her husband or with the larger family band Waterson:Carthy, or in the days of the yet even larger family band The Watersons, I still see that young feisty gypsy lass in the old black and white film Travelling For A Living, who captivated my attention back then with the sort of adrenalin I wish I could bottle and save for rainy days.
The variety of songs showcased tonight were diverse in both style and mood. From "Bay of Biscay", which recalls a pre-mobile phone era, when if your man went out to sea, you'd ideally like him back in one piece, rather than seven years later as a ghost, to the jaunty "My Flower, My Companion and Me", which showed a more animated Norma, whose outstretched arms almost pleaded with us all to join in, which we were only too pleased to do.
Martin was given the opportunity to sing some of his own repertoire with the pleading "Georgie", the hilarious "Six Jovial Welshmen", which apparently receives a jovial audience response wherever he sings it, and the sprawling "Clydes Water" a song more familiar to some as "The Drowned Lovers" in the hands of Nic Jones or Kate Rusby depending on your age. I can't recall a Carthy performance since the early Eighties that doesn't include "The Devil and the Feathery Wife" which to this day still brings out the giggles and I never tire of hearing it.
The second set got off to a rousing start with the old music hall song "Don't Go In The Lion's Cage Tonight", which must be the only song in this couple's repertoire that has been recorded by both Julie Andrews and Nic Cave. It don't get more diverse than that.
The poignant "Coal Not Dole" from the pen of Kay Sutcliffe, was presented as the first in a suite of three songs to mark the 25th anniversary of the miners strike, when our communities were divided into two distinct sides of the fence, signified by two helmets, one with a light attached and one of darkest blue, which ultimately led to the destruction of those communities. The two other songs making a respectful nod to those days were Jed Foley's "Pit Stands Idle", courtesy of Chris Parkinson and "Trimdon Grange" from Carthy's classic Sweet Wivelsfield period.
By contrast, Jerry Garcia's "Black Muddy River" and Fred Fisher's "There Ain't No Sweet Man Worth The Salt Of My Tears", show a more contemporary feel to Norma's singing, despite the latter hailing from the Twenties, both of which appeared on Norma's Mercury nominated eponimously titled album of 1996.
Chris Parkinson is much more than an accompanist and provided some excellent songs and tunes in his own right. Mr Isaac's Maggot, which incidentally has nothing to do with fishing, was coupled with a tune I always knew as "Bridge Over the River Ash", but was introduced as something completely different. Such is the confusing world of folk tunes.
With a final encore of "Bold Doherty", the trio completed a well rounded and highly entertaining night, providing a good enough yardstick for others to follow at the NCEM in the months to come.
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky
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Monday, March 02, 2009
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Category: Music
Pamela Wyn Shannon - Courting Autumn (Girlhenge Records)
My initial interest in Pamela Wyn Shannon was sparked by her rumoured return to the annual Nick Drake Gathering in Tanworth-in-Arden in 2007, where she would possibly be performing later that Summer. I found the songs the singer had uploaded onto her website thoroughly engaging and interesting and together with the anticipation of finally visiting the Drake family home of Far Leys, paying my respects at the graveside and learning a few new unfathomable tunings at the workshops, I was really looking forward to bumping into Pamela. Sadly, due to unforeseen circumstances, she missed that particular gathering and I imagined for a moment that our paths might never cross again.
To my astonishment, the November 2008 edition of fRoots magazine featured a full page article on Pamela and once again the magazine justly recognized an American singer songwriter, just as it had done a few months earlier with Devon Sproule and once again I felt less lonely in my appreciation for contemporary song writing for some inexplicable reason.
Courting Autumn, Pamela's follow up to her debut album Nature's Bride, is something of a conceptual album with twelve songs based around the melancholy season, all arranged and presented with an intriguing ambient resonance. At times there's the feeling that this album could quite easily have been recorded in the late Sixties, early Seventies, rubbing sleeves in an old cardboard box in the bedsit with Bridget St John's 'Ask Me No Questions', Vashti Bunyan's 'Just Another Diamond Day' and dare I even suggest Astral Weeks.
You have to enter Pamela's website through a 'mossy portal', which is at once enchanting and spellbinding and somehow lends itself to this particular season. The songs on Courting Autumn have a vague familiarity about them almost like that feeling of déjà vu; you know you haven't heard these songs before, well not in this life at any rate.
Pamela has an assured guitar style reminiscent of Bert Jansch and augments most of the arrangements with fitting accompanying instrumentation, including glockenspiel, harmonium and mountain dulcimer, as well as eliciting the services of Liz Knowles, who brings to the recordings an ethereal quality with her sensitive playing of the violin, viola and cello. On "Wool Gathering", even the sheep of Putney, Vermont get a credit for their bleating! The closing track on the album "Fare-Thee-Forlorn" is a poem set to a musical backing of reversed viola and cello courtesy of Knowles, and spoken in a soft unidentifiable accent that quite possibly is a mixture of Massachusetts, Irish, Welsh and Middle Earth.
Pamela promises to follow up Courting Autumn in due course, with three more albums covering the remaining seasons, which is something of a tall order, especially if the intention is to match the quality of this one. Thoroughly enchanting.
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky
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