Best ever folk gig

Subject: Best ever folk gig
From: Colin Randall
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 10:28 AM

What is the best folk gig you ever attended?

My total joy at the Liege and Lief show at Cropredy the other night got me thinking (I've been to only two, but has there ever been a better stand-in for Sandy Denny, unthinkable as the concept seems, than Chris While?).

L&L will certainly rank among my own list of best evers.

I'd add Touchstone and De Dannan (with Mary Black) at a club in Bristol in the mid-1980s, De Dannan (with MB plus Dolores Keane) on the South Bank a little later, the odd Johnny Handle/High Level Ranters/Northern Front folk club slot, the Doonan Family at Cheddar Folk festival (1980s again), Susana Seivane at the Celtic Connections festival club (2004?) and the Johnstons at two clubs I ran in Darlington and Bishop Auckland circa 1970.

But best ever?

Difficult to get away from the night I knew Tony Capstick was coming to Bishop Auckland, and got a call from Christy Moore to say he was waiting to be picked up at the bus station (on my reckoning, but not his, a week late). As I have mentioned elsewhere we upped the admission price and promised Christy every cent after Tony's fee had been covered. And we got a full house and an evening I'll never forget.

Christy recalls the same occasion on his website but relocates it to West Hartlepool. Magical, wherever it happened.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: brassy sharman
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 10:31 AM

Blue Murder at Sidmouth 2004 it was like the best folk club atmosphere ever with around 3000 people at it!

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Wesley S
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 10:36 AM

There's no such thing as one best ever. But I've got fond memories of sitting on the front row of a John Hammond Jr concert. He was working so hard the sweat landed on my table. Tom Rush put on a damn fine show too.That was just a few months ago. The John Hammond show was sometime in the early 90's.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,Ay Up
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 10:36 AM

Show of Hands at the Kensington Folk Club, The Royal Albert Hall at Easter this year, with a myriad of brilliant guests helping them out. An amazing and unforgettable evening.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 10:39 AM

Sadly enough, it was a memorial 'do' for Rod Shearman at Cecil Sharp House. What seemed to be millions of folkies and family members all singing together - the line-up for the first shanty included Tony & Pearl O'Neil, Johnny Collins, Dave and Annie Fentiman and about a dozen others - so many amazing singers and even more amazing family stories. Truly a great send off.

LTS

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 10:52 AM

1)Steve Knightley in Pocklington a couple of months ago.
2)The Sensational Alex Harvey Band at the ABC in Hull 1975
3) Mike Harding at New Theatre, Hull 1980.
No, I don't get out much!

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Leadfingers
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 10:55 AM

MY best gig ever has to be six months in an English Pub restaurant in Hamilton , Bermuda back in the seventies !

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,Ay Up
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 11:16 AM

Oh and James Keelaghan and Oliver Shcroer at Dartmouth last year.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 11:21 AM

Incredible String Band at the Komedia in Brighton a couple of years back. Runrig, with Donny Munroe, at Manchester Apollo. Battlefield Band at the main concert, Fylde Festival, many years ago. Every time I see Anthony John Clarke:-)

Best other gigs have to include Jethro Tull (Both past and present), Fleetwood Mac in the Peter Green days and the Proclaimers come back at T in the park around 2000/2001 I think.

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 12:26 PM


Christy recalls the same occasion on his website but relocates it to West Hartlepool

Funny that.

Jean Oglesby/Davenport (who once upon a time before becoming the musbiz mogul that she was) used to describe Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger ascending the stairs at Hartlepool a week early. They'd driven back specially from Denmark too. Fortunately, Jean had a copy of the contract and Ewan & Peggy had to return a week later.

Best ever?

Well, you don't know till afterwards. One was Jon Rennard and Stefan Sobell at the Troubadour. Only weeks later came the phone call that Jon had died in a car crash.

Then there was trying to remember when I'd last seen Peter Bellamy when the news of his death came through.

But maybe it was Sandy Denny at Roy Guest's Howff in Chalk Farm, again not long before she died too. So many people were there, but it becomes somehow mingled with memories of Dingles, the Florence, the Empress of Russia and the Enterprise. Mainly downstairs, as it goes.

And then there was Oak (Rod & Danny Stradling, Peta Webb & Tony Engle) playing in a million Islington bars. And all the other session musicians whose names I might have forgotten or never even knew. Really, it's the music that we made rather than the actual gigs which are only moments in time.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Stu
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 12:29 PM

Bellowhead at Buxton earlier this year - for managing to communicate the pure joy of folk music unlike anyone else I've ever seen.

Andy Irvine in Biddulp last year - because it was just incredible to watch a genius at work.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 12:50 PM

Couldn't agree more Diane. I can't pick out just one band or individual. That stuff was the best thing that ever happened to me. All of it - even the crap nights.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 12:56 PM

LTS - that was Rod's wake, in July 2000, wasn't it? There's a chap at Whitby festival who donates a significant amount to the Whitby lifeboat collection (in Jim Mageean's maritime singarounds in the Endeavour) each year to hear Jim sing London River.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 01:08 PM

The Herga folk club in the 70s - with floor singers including Johnny Collins, Jim Mageean, Anni Fentiman, Steve Danby, Mick Pearce, Tim Edwards, Hugh Diamond - was probably the best ever folk gig most weeks!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,Crazy Man Michael
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 02:19 PM

"but has there ever been a better stand-in for Sandy Denny, unthinkable as the concept seems, than Chris While?"

Yes...Vikki Clayton

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,Crazy Man Michael
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 02:29 PM

Fairport Convention and Nick Drake, the Royal Festival Hall 1969 (for those old enough to remember that gig...*LOL*)

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 02:37 PM

Hillary and her friend who's name I have forgotten Princes Hotel '64

Leon Rosselson, Birkenhaed 65, Dave Brooks and Bernard Wriggley 65, Carthy many times, Harry Boardman endlessly, Steeleye 69, Mr Fox same year, Peter Bellamy, Hedghog Pie, Bob Davenport, Swan Arcade Watersons Leeds 71 - 2, Pete and Chris Coe, 73, Seamus Cray and Jackie Daley Bath 74, Boys of the Lough, Canny Fettle, Gorton Tank, Tom Shepley's Band 78 - 83,

Sorry this could go on all night, but Duncan McFarland Band, The Boat Band, Da Dannan recently.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: the button
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 02:48 PM

The Copper Family at Nellies, some point in the early/mid-80s.

It was a filthy night, thick snow everywhere, and they'd got separated in their cars on the way. So it started off with just a couple of them, and as the other ones arrived they started joining in with the songs as they walked up the stairs and into that little room with the open fire.

Also, John James inviting people up for a jam as his encore (even though I was shitting myself), but that's more of a personal one.

Some of my best "gigs" are actually stand-out performances from floor singers at singers & musicians' nights. A really shy bloke with a 5-string banjo who wouldn't even tell the compere his name, but was absolutely amazing. And two visitors from the USA who sang 3 songs unaccompanied, with those belting harmonies from the American tradition. The norm for singers' nights was 2 songs, but they were that good they got an encore. Jim & Lynette Eldon turning up occasionally and just doing a couple of songs as floor singers.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Crazy_Man_Michael (inactive)
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 03:35 PM

here's a gig I would love to have seen.....

"And we did a bit of busking in Winchester, next to the Cathedral. We discovered that we had an unpaid milk bill: £15, which seemed like a fortune. It was, 'Who's got £15?' 'Nobody.' 'Let's go and busk for it.' All of us piled off, and we played in the Cathedral close; the whole band! We raised about £30 in an hour - made a donation to the Cathedral restoration fund, paid the milk bill, and got a couple of rounds at the pub out of it."

This from Richard Thompson talking about Liege and Lief in this interview
John Harris hears the story of Liege & Lief

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 05:33 PM

Tim O'Brien Penistone 2004 or was it 2005? Magic
Cyril Tawney Memorial in April 2007 Cecil Sharpe House-Tim Van Eyken, Martin Wyndham Read Tim Laycock
Sandy Denny many many years ago with Fairport-can't remember where but my favourite female singer of all time.
More recently The Wilsons at Saddleworth-you had to be there!

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 06:55 PM

The best gig of all time bar none took place in the Barn Bar at The Tree Inn, in Stratton, Cornwall on October 1 1993. 'Twas Ron Kavana and friends and what a blast it was. On this occasion the "friends" were just a box-player and a fiddle player (Ron's missus). They went on for hours past the pub's closing time, and that gig is still talked about today by those who were fortunate enough to have been there.   Kudos to John Maughan, the Boscastle Busker, for fixing it up!

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 01:59 AM

when Martin Wyndham-Read wouldn't stop singing at my folk club one night a few years back!

Finally at 11.55 I decided we'd better stop as one of my predecessors had told me that we had a complaining neighbour nearby who could make trouble if we were too loud/late etc. Within 15 mins the hall was cleared & we were all away!

Turned out a couple of year later when I met the said neighbour she was a lovely person & all the bad feeling was on my predecessor's side.

fooey, we could have had a lot more of Martyn & Iris & John.

Iris had given workshops on accompanying at the National Folk Festival the week before, and our concert was the occasion I really understood what accompanying was about because every note Iris & John played enhanced Martyn's performance. I also had a lovely time talking to them that night.

sandra

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 02:06 AM

Yes Kitty - Rod's Wake... Thanks for reminding me of Jim's name, that was one I'd forgotten but had made a huge contribution to the day.

LTS

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,CEILI HOUSE
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 04:16 AM

Not an Irish venue in sight.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,old git
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 06:10 AM

So, "the button"...I gather from your posts that you were a regular at Nellie's..do I know you??
geoff turner

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,edthefolkie
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 06:34 AM

Sandy Denny at the Howff and at Merlins about 2 weeks later.

Blue Tapestry at Cropredy a few years ago - Chris While was flying.

Pete Bellamy (at the Enterprise?) - singing many songs from The Transports before it had been recorded. He had a little book with them all written down - where is that now?!!

Liege and Lief last week. Iain Matthews last week.

Early Fairport, Cropredy 2002

Steve Ashley's 60th in Cheltenham last year

Swarb's Lazarus first gig.

Oh God, there are loads more.....

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: the button
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 06:36 AM

Hmmm... I'm terrible with names, Geoff.

I went almost every week from about 1984 to 1988 (when I went to university) then occasionally thereafter. 3-row ADG box, occasional guitar. I was about 14 when I started going.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,buspassed
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 11:08 AM

The Waterson family at the Beverley festival 2 or 3 years ago performing in the Minster, did they rattle the ancient fabric of that beautiful building that night. After a full-on version of 'The Good Old Way' I think the Dean had serious worries about losing his vaulted ceiling!

Again at the Albert Hall earlier this year the massed family raised the roof again with all those wonderful songs and then when they sang Lal's 'Some Old Salty', well that was it for me [an old Hull exile],Kleenex everywhere!

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,old git
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 11:45 AM

the button...just missed you....stopped going regularly in 1983 when I moved over to Grimsby.

as far as best gig...does performing count?
The Roaring Forties "did" Orkney fest in 2005 and the whole thing was great...great performers...great craic...and the place itself is just awesome...up to then the best had been at Portpatrick maritime festival.....standing out near the lifeboat station,singing across the harbour/marina to people on the other side and hearing your voices bounce back from the sides of the valley...gives me a shiver just thinking of it. The other one that sticks out was at the first Plymouth Maritime festival (a pity this fest was so short lived)
The Roaring Forties and Roy Clinging, having finished their afternoon stint stood on the quayside alongside The Grand Turk and had a "private" sing. Other groups gradually joined in until there were about 50 or 60 of us giving it some welly. The highlight of the festival for me.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 01:23 PM

well i did say i wasn't going to single anybody out. but as no one else is going to mention them, Brownsville Banned. they made me laugh harder and longer than any other act in the 1970's. It used to pain me to miss a gig. I just loved them.

The show started with a jugband song. Then one of the guys would stop playing and light a primus stove, then another would come over and help him butter some bread - and without it being announced - all three guys would be eating an egg sandwich they had just cooked and prepared on the ide of the stage. But the music continued - they had been miming - but miming very skillfully.

then they would go into a routine. One of the most popular was torturing Sooty. the evil docor would torture a glove puppet of Sooty with a pair of pliars. "What's that Sooty... it really hurt?" then there would a really false ingratiating smile to the audience.

Then there was the dance where the doctor naked except for gas mask over his genitals with a tube coming out of the front, would do a silly dance.

There were topical characters like Norman Mills, the club singer who sang Spanish Eyes just that little bit out of tune, and Vic Vomit - the punk rocker.

All three alongside Bernard Wrigley, appeared on the cover of Bob Williamson's first album for Joe Stead's Sweet Folk and Country label. Downes and Beer were on the same label.

A few years ago, I met up with Bob Williamson and asked him about Brownsville. Apparently they used to die awful deaths anywhere apart from folk clubs - they really needed that hip appreciative audience. that was another very sad by product of the narrow factionalism. set them beside Cosmotheka and you could see very clearly that strand of music hall tradition that is so much fun, and so much a part of the Northern English psyche.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 04:36 PM

Oh yeh, and their final number for the night was called Let's Bugger Off Out Of Here!

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 07:26 PM

For me the best ever folk gig had to be the one that lasted for TEN full years. Five months a year---every other day---from Memorial Day to Halloween playing on the Steamboat Julia Belle Swain and also on the Twilight on the Mississippi River.------- That dovetailed perfectly with my second "best" gig that lasted TWENTY-TWO YEARS. I played that length of time in the many schools within the eight counties surrounding Chicago and Cook County, Illinois---USA--(K through grade 12)

THIRD BEST GIG: While doing those above jobs, I played 37 years at the No Exit Cafe And Gallery, the coffeehouse in Chicago. Never for the money. There wasn't much of that rare stuff there.

Also, got our son, Chris, through college with nobody owing anything!!
If I sound proud o' that, it's 'cause I guess I am!! ;-) ;-) ;-)

Art

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 07:35 PM

Well, I just saw this thread and jumped in without reading it first. I really thought you wanted MY personal gig/gigs. Sorry for the thread creep then!

But now I also see that this is only for British Isles and allied industries etc. etc. ;-)

I'll leave now...

Art

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 07:58 PM

no Art you're welcome on any thread!

Total respect!

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: johnross
Date: 18 Aug 07 - 12:32 AM

Fairport at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Saturday afternoon in 1970. Ten thousand people in an enormous ring dance to their extended medley of reels. The first time they had played in front of a big folk audience, rather than a Fleetwood Mac audience, or so they said while packing up after the show.

Baby Gramps at the Northwest Folklife Festival in 1977, with Larry Vanover (Mr. Jugs) wailing on an epic version of "Teddy Bear's Picnic."

An unaccompanied ballad singer named Naneen at the Arkansas Folk Festival in Mountain View, 1971. Made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Compton
Date: 18 Aug 07 - 05:03 AM

A ninety minute set at the MAC, Birmingham with the original line up of La Bottine Souriante does it for me.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Banjiman
Date: 18 Aug 07 - 09:08 AM

Eric Bogle in a barn behind the Tanhill Inn in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales (allegedly the highest pub in England). About 100 people and (genuinely) 2 sheepdogs and a sheep with a cross of St George sprayed on its back.

Went for a smoke at the break and so did Eric, just spent 10 mins chewing the fat while surveying the stunning view over North Yorkshire, into County Durham ......perfect music, perfect place, perfect company....perfect evening.

This was only last year.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: mattkeen
Date: 18 Aug 07 - 10:05 AM

English Acoustic Collective at Compton Verney a couple of winters ago


Watersons Albert Hall this May


Four Men and a Dog 10 years ago Chipping Norton

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Declan
Date: 18 Aug 07 - 10:59 AM

So many great gigs its hard to pick out one. But the first time I saw The Bothy Band live at Ballisodare Folk Festival in 1978 has to be right up there.

Also a few great Planxty gigs - one in O Connell's School Hall (when I was a pupil there) in about 1974 and later for two nights in a row in "The Meeting Place" in Dublin in 1978 just before their "After the Break" Tour.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Rasener
Date: 18 Aug 07 - 11:25 AM

One folk gig I really enjoyed (and there are many), was at Cottingham Live last year. It was at there lovely new venue.

Real Time were on and their gig was superb and blended perfectly with the ambience of the venue.

I bet Linda Kelly will agree :-)

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 18 Aug 07 - 05:31 PM

Jim Page at the View Two Gallery in Liverpool last month.

Oh, all right. I'll shut up about it now.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 19 Aug 07 - 12:34 AM

One of the best folk club gigs I ever saw was on my 21st birthday. I was an exchange student in London and went to the Enterprise to see Nic Jones (1975) I allowed myself to sit in the front row and had a blast. In the US some of the best folk gigs I ever saw were Art Thieme at Juciy John Pink's. Another highlight was catching the David Bromberg Band twice in one week and noticing that they only played four of the same songs on the second gig.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: alanabit
Date: 19 Aug 07 - 04:02 AM

I have raved about Paul Downes and Phil Beer here before. The first time I saw them was a stunning display of instrumental virtuosity, harmony singing and fun. I was spoilt though. In the mid seventies I saw so many wonderful acts - rarely costing more than a pound.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: patriot1314
Date: 19 Aug 07 - 07:36 AM

Frances Black at the Celtic Connections festival club 2006 was hard to beat

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: bubblyrat
Date: 19 Aug 07 - 07:39 AM

I have not experienced one yet --luckily !! Otherwise, there would be nothing to look forward to, would there ??

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Colin Randall
Date: 19 Aug 07 - 12:55 PM

To the Guest poster who bemoaned a lack of Irish venues, I am happy to add to my list of next-bests two from the north - whichever city centre pub Sreve Cooney and Seamus Begley played in (fringe event during a Belfaat, ie Queens, folk festival) probably 15 years ago, and - not seeking to annoy the pro censorship lobby - Vin Garbutt at Downpatrick folk club a few years afterwards.
And I did see the Dubliners in great form, with Luke kelly I am glad to say, in Tralee many more years ago.
But the Christy/Capstick accidental double bill still beats the lot for me.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: Barry Finn
Date: 19 Aug 07 - 11:00 PM

Must've been the mid 80's downtown Boston at the Black Rose, not the usual venue for concerts mostly for bar bands but this one afternoon they put on DeDannan, it was a freak not much advance notice & not much advertisment either but it was jammed, half way into their set they asked some of their friends to come up on stage to sing, the Watersons sang a couple songs then they invited another friend of theirs to come up & sing, Lou Killen & that's it, DeDannen joining in the singing while backing up the Watersons & Lou & the whole crowd belting out the choruses.

Barry

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,Bobby
Date: 20 Aug 07 - 09:18 PM

Best Folk Club gig ever? Frogmorton at The Black Horse Folk Club, Amberley in the mid-70s. Also the first Show of Hands show at the Royal Albert Hall.

Worst ever? Julie Felix at The Railway Folk Club in Portsmouth (thanks for the memories of great shows in the past but this one just showed some artists should retire while the going is good).

Best Festival gig ever? Shows too numerous to mention at Towersey and Cropredy, also Broadstairs and Chippenham.

Worst ever? The Ham Marquee at Sidmouth this year. That straw on the ground stank and I don't like having loads of flies around my feet when I've paid a lot of money for my ticket. Sidmouth sessions are still grand but the concerts are not.

Subject: RE: Best ever folk gig
From: GUEST,Captain Banjo
Date: 21 Aug 07 - 09:07 PM

My best-ever gig was by Five Hand Reel in Edinburgh years ago.

My worst was this summer when I had the misfortune to suffer an absolutely ghastly celtic pub band by the name of Kelly's Tattoo from Hampshire.

If anyone knows them can you tell me if the banjo player is always out-of-tune or did I just catch them on a bad night?