Well that was good!

Last night was dubbed "The Monkey Hanger Special" as both acts and (it seemed) half the audience originated from Hartlepool. The Village Hall was packed, standing room only!

Becks was first up....... she started a bit nervously but soon got into her stride. She started on fiddle, moved to guitar and then accordion. A mixture of her own, trad and some carefully selected covers. With help fom her husband Lee, on guitar and brother Ben on vocals Damien Rice's "Volcano" was probably the highlight of her first set..... she claimed it isn't a folk song, the audience loved it anyway.

The Young'Uns, what can you say? They're really known for the superlative unaccompanied work (in their quieter moments they sound like Coope, Boyes & Simpson with b*lls, in their louder moments they sound like a full shanty crew!).....superb harmonies and a wide repertoire of traditional and quasi trad songs. They have develpped 2 new dimensions.... Sean's writing some great songs and they are using more instrumentation. Oh, and they seem to have added a 4th part time member, another one called Ben.

Interval came around quickly and Becks was up for her second set. She was in her stride from the off this time around, with the audience singing along to "Duty Bound" (her prize winning song of unrequited love) and generally captivated by every note she played or sung. She finished her set with her superlative cover of Richard Thompson's "Beeswing".... and then became only the 2nd support act in KFFC history to earn an encore! Lovely stuff.

The Young'Uns invited "The Old'Uns" (Keepers Fold) up on stage for the start of their second set. The volume and qulaity of harmonies the 5 of them generated .... well you really had to be there. Beautiful, in a totally manly kind of a way.

The boys then lead us through all the moods of folk song from raucous shanties, a bouncy "Twa Recruitin' Sergeants" some beautiful sad stuff, including a great song (I think written by Sean.... hopefully he'll correct me and add the title!) about the bambardment of Hartlepool during the First World War from a childs point of view. Two encores followed..... we went well over time meaning the after show singaround was cancelled, but I got the distinct impression that nobody minded.

I continually hear that the folk scene is dying...... on last night's evidence it is very much alive and singing loudly. I love it when it is like this.

Lots of new faces in last night as well as the old crowd. All smiling by the end of the night as well!

Superb.

Paul