One of the most instantly recognisable voices in the folk world (and a bloomin' good guitarist too), Bob Fox gave us our first concert of 2024. In his 50th year as a performer, Bob was in great form and took us on a musical journey through some of the highlights of his career. With every song there was a fascinating story, of course.
There were traditional folk songs (Bob's preference at the start of his singing career) such as 'The Galway Shawl' and 'Dance to Your Daddy', but Bob's strength is that he can put his own stamp on the songs of great songwriters, using his rich voice and inventive guitar playing to make them his own. We were treated to songs by, among others, Chris Leslie (My Love is in America); Jez Lowe (Greek Lightning); Benny Graham (Have a Game for the Crack); Andy M Stewart (The Rambling Rover); and Ewan MacColl (Champion at Keeping Them Rolling, and a song from the 1958 Radio Ballads 'Ballad of John Axon).
Absolute highlights were John Tams' 'Snow Falls (The Year Turns Round Again) from Bob's time as 'Songman' in the National Theatre's War Horse production; and two songs by the Tyneside songwriter Joe Wilson: 'The Bonny Gateshead Lass' and the absolutely gorgeous 'Sally Wheatley'.
During the soundcheck, Bob had said that he has a habit of 'going on a bit' and running late. Well, we had the best part of two hours of great singing, playing and storytelling - and nobody in the capacity audience was complaining! It's a great skill to be able to keep an audience enthralled for that long with just voice and guitar, and Bob Fox has that skill in spades. We had a great night!
As usual, each half was got underway with a song from our regular singaround performers, and this time we heard from Chris Morris and Norman Randall - many thanks guys, and well done.
And so the annual event that is the Poppy Folk Day had arrived, and by 11.30am the Poppy Committee were setting up the room for the musical marathon ahead.
A long time friend of the Poppy, Sheila started by getting the audience to sing along with 'The Last Trip Home' by Davy Steele which set the tone for the day. Mostly accompanying herself on guitar she interspersed a couple of unaccompanied songs. Songs included Steve Knightley’s 'Exile' and the self-penned 'Any Heart Will Do'. A lovely start to the day.
More long term friends of the Poppy and regulars at our music nights, the Particles took us from Nottingham to Scandinavia to Ireland and back again. Taking it in turns to perform lead vocals songs included 'Just as the Tide was a-Flowing', 'Gates of Nottingham' -a gazetteer of our own fair city- and 'Farewell to the Gold' which brought further audience participation. They were in fine form, we really need to get a bigger stage!
To headline the early afternoon concert we welcomed Yorkshire lass Bella Gaffney for a solo performance of folk and americana. Accompanying herself on acoustic and electric guitars and banjo Bella played a mixture of self-penned songs and more traditional material, including 'Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard' and 'Gallows Pole'. With a humorous and engaging stage presence and excellent musicianship Bella had the audience in the palm of her hand: A great way to finish the first concert.
After a quick break to re-arrange the chairs, it was on to the second event of the day. Part talk part performance, Steve played the Carolan guitar he helped to devise- an acoustic instrument that tells its own story. With tunes, visuals and the use of Artificial Intelligence, notably on 'The Butterfly' featuring virtual flute as accompaniment, this was a fascinating hour spent exploring the traditional and the modern.
Next the room was vacated in order to set up for the evening concert whilst the music continued in the bar downstairs. There assorted musicians assembled for a music session led by another friend of the Poppy Folk Club, Jim Hellewell. A good time was had by all!
For the final concert of the day we welcomed Sam Kelly and Jamie Francis who had previously performed at the Poppy as part of the Sam Kelly Trio. We had a song from the floor by Ally and Jez, then it was into the main event. Sam is an excellent singer and guitarist and was accompanied by Jamie on banjo and acoustic guitar. They first started playing together at University and treated us to two fabulous sets of folk songs and self written material interspersed with tunes written by Jamie. Too many highlights to list them all, but songs in the first half included 'If I were a Blackbird', 'Angeline the Baker' and 'Eyes of Men', the first song that they wrote together. After a short break to refill glasses we started the second half with a song from the floor from Dan Kittmer- Stan Rogers' 'The Mary Ellen Carter'- then Sam and Jamie gave us another splendid set. This included the well-known 'The Golden Vanity', a brand new song by Sam and Jamie 'Till Sleep Comes Calling', and a cover of Dire Straits 'Sultans of Swing' without which apparently they would not have got their breakfast the next morning! All good things come to an end and the guys left us with 'My Lagan Love' and 'Greenland Whale'. An excellent way to finish the day, except…
...we weren’t quite done….
A bunch of hardy souls (or folk with no homes to go to) stayed on for another hour and a quarter of songs and tunes for a final session.
We had contributions from the Poppy’s own Mary, Dave, Ian, Ally (with daughter Ruby) and AJAR, and also Dave Martin, Chris Morris, Jenny Bell, Wil Walker, Dan Kittmer and first-time visitors Rachel and Daniil. Sam and Jamie joined us and sang 'The Keeper', and we had a couple of sets of tunes from the entire company, including Sam and Jamie who should probably claimed overtime, before Dave led the room in the Poppy signature song 'Sing John Ball'
And that, finally, was that! An excellent day. Thanks to all of the guests, the audience, Jim Hellewell for leading the bar session, and Nick Murphy and Dave Martin for help with the PA.
Journalist, former editor of Time Out magazine, founder and editor of TradFolk.co and contributor to The Guardian Jon Wilks is a superb fingerpicking guitarist and singer of English folk songs (especially songs from the Midlands - he was born in Solihull). Jon has lived in a number of countries, particularly as a child, but finally returned to England in 2011, after which his interest in English folk music began to take root. You can read more of Jon's fascinating story at https://jonwilks.online/about
Known for his guitar technique and style, the majority of Jon's songs were, inevitably, accompanied by exquisite playing in a variety of styles. As a journalist (and a generally interesting person) we were also treated to some fascinating stories and history about the songs he sang.
For example, we learned the writer of the opening song (The Sandgate Dandling) was Robert Nunn, a slater by trade. He fell from a roof and was blinded, and began making a living playing fiddle in pubs and for miners' meetings. The tune he used was the Tyneside favourite 'Dollia' and Cilla Black based her 'Liverpool Lullaby' on the song. All interesting stuff!
The traditional 'Lofty Tall Ships' was, we learned, the song that inspired Martin Carthy to take up folk singing! Jon gave us his version, along with another Carthy inspiration: 'Napoleon's Farewell to Paris'.
While much of the music was inspired by Jon's love of English Folk Song, we heard music from a variety of sources in a range of styles, including a clever bit of blues - Shake it and Break it but don't let it fall, written by Charley Patton; and a humorous old Black Country pub song - 'The Tramp's Philosophy' - collected by Phil Drabble (of 'One man and his dog' fame!).
Jon has made a specialist subject of songs and singers from the Birmingham area, so we heard a broadside ballad about 'wife selling' (apparently it was a 'thing' in 18th Century cities) and a lament about the changing face of Birmingham written almost 200 years ago (in 1828) by James Dobbs - 'I Can't Find Brummagem'.
Bringing us into more recent times, Jon sang a beautiful version of Robin Williamson's 'October Song' (Incredible String Band) which Jon had learned after researching the history of the London venue and melting pot of folk and blues music in the 1960s, Les Cousins (for which Jon received a mention in the sleeve notes for the recently released CD box-set of music from the Les Cousins era).
Then it was right up to date with the tune 'Gallons of Brandy' (by Jackie Oates and Jon Spiers), and Jon's own song 'Greek Street' - my favourite song on Jon's recent and excellent CD 'Before I knew what had begun, I had already lost'.
An entertaining and informative night of superb music.
A big thank you to our two friends who started each half with a song: Paul Carbuncle and Martin Smalley.
On a night when the Euros game might have kept quite a few at home (or downstairs in the pub, where alternating cheers and jeers were coming from) we had another full house upstairs in the Poppy Folk Club where we were superbly entertained by our June concert guests, Gnoss.
The young four-piece band have been making it big-time recently, with nominations at the Scots Trad Music Awards and sellout concerts at Celtic Connections festival (no wonder we sold out too!). Their music is a beautifully assembled and layered combination of instruments played by musicians of great quality, almost entirely of their own composition, and gives a real feeling for the Highlands and Islands of their native Scotland.
Aidan Moodie (acoustic guitar and vocals) and Graham Rorie (fiddle and electric tenor guitar) were born in the Orkney Islands and there is a distinct flavour of Orcadian music permeating through Gnoss's tunes. Graham told the story of his and Aidan's first trip off the islands to visit the 'deep dark south' (Kendal!) by train: "We'd never seen a train; trains were mythical things - buses on rails". (They failed to get off the train, not knowing you had to operate the doors yourself!).
Connor Sinclair (whistle, flute and synth - and award winning bagpipe player!) from Crieff wrote the brisk-paced whistle tune we heard early in the show which he had called ... 'Good Crieff!'. Connor composed several of the bands' tunes and his playing was a big part of the band's sound.
The whole show was full of warmth and humour. Craig Baxter (bodhran and other percussion) gave us an anecdote-filled demonstration of some of the sounds that could be produced from his Stomp Box - "It's a box, and you stomp on it!" - but also demonstrated, throughout the concert, his terrific skill on the bodhran.
There were several references to the tunes they had written as gifts ("it's cheap") for family and friends' birthdays. Graham told how he was now a proud uncle and had decided "the best gift a new baby girl could ever want was a B flat Strathspey". And so, the lovely tune 'Audrey's' was born.
The set was a really nicely balanced mix of tunes and songs. The tunes - some fast and driven, some beautiful and lilting, showed off the musicians' excellent skills. The songs, led by Aidan with the others providing harmonies, were skilfully written. Some had a serious tale to tell - the song 'God's Land' was about the prison ship 'The Crown of London' which sank off Orkney after the captain had locked the hold - he would be paid if prisoners died, but not if they escaped! Other songs spoke of the landscape and of love ('Honey Dew' was written to tell of romance in the morning dew ... before Aidan realised that Honey Dew was a type of melon!)
Gnoss were, to be honest, bloomin' lovely. The audience were clearly delighted. If you missed the concert and get the chance to see Gnoss, you really shouldn't miss them!
Thanks to Juliet Woodin and Rick Dizon for the pre-concert tunes, and Dave Walters and David Martin for their songs to start each half of the night.
Thanks also to Poppy Friend Dave Downs for the PA, and Gnoss' very talented Sound Engineer, Scott Turnbull.
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