Has anyone seen Home Service this year?

Subject: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 11:19 AM

4 gigs so far, 2 at the Half Moon Putney, Cambridge and Sidmouth - can anyone report on their degree of excellence?

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,David Owen
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 12:06 PM

It was dreadful. So unimaginably tedious and horrendous I can hardly find enough adjectives.... It should have stayed in the 25 year old vault it was dusted down from. Like Christian Rock. Only worse.
Sorry. Bur you did ask. I was at Cambridge. That's how bad it was.
:(

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: ClaireBear
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 12:53 PM

Oh dear, that's quite a dire review. Second opinion?

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 03:09 PM

Horses for courses David.I enjoyed the cambridge set very much.Yeah,nothing new, nothing groundbreaking,but good solid folk rock of the finest kind.Loved it.John Tams voice and personality is good enough for me in anylive situation.Each to his own though...

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,Dom
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 03:10 PM

sorry,last post was me..

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 04:07 PM

"It was dreadful. So unimaginably tedious and horrendous I can hardly find enough adjectives.... It should have stayed in the 25 year old vault it was dusted down from. Like Christian Rock. Only worse.
Sorry. Bur you did ask. I was at Cambridge. That's how bad it was.
:( "

Yes, but it's heavy folk music - just how it should be played!! I can't imagine some tinkly tinkly trad folk group playing for The Mysteries, can you????

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,Joe Cundy
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 04:14 PM

At Sidmouth - they were excellent

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,dom
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 04:16 PM

true enough bonzo.don't think there were any new songs in there ,but lay me low and rose of allendale were solid.just as you would expect,nothing more and nothing less

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,Joe G
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 05:33 PM

I'm hoping it is going to be the highlight of my year so was worried about the original response! Presumably David you weren't keen on them in the first place - I can't imagine John Tams turning in a less than superb performance.

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: kendall
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 08:11 PM

What the hell is Heavy Folk Music?

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 08:35 PM

I was set to ask the same question, in my own words.

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: ClaireBear
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 09:08 PM

Lost of brass in this band, and cello, and electric guitar and bass. Brilliant arrangements that segue seamlessly from composed to traditional and back. My favorite is Tams' "Sorrow Once Again" into the Dies Irae on electric instruments into a gloriously harmonized "Babylon Is Fallen."

Sadly, in the two recent YouTube clips I could find (July, at the Half Moon, Putney), the band seem a bit out of voice. Maybe this appearance was just after a big festival?

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: johnadams
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 09:46 PM

The Half Moon gigs were just shakedown gigs to get them going. So far they've only done Cambridge and Sidmouth.

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 02:54 AM

"What the hell is Heavy Folk Music?"

Well, folk music done in the stylings of heavy rock and played loud - as are in my opinion, elements of "early music" and Baroquezvous!!!

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 04:28 AM

After listening to Gotan Project on the way to work this morning and their electronic tango stylings, I look forward to electronic Peter Bellamy - now that would be something!!!

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,David Owen
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 04:37 AM

"Sadly, in the two recent YouTube clips I could find (July, at the Half Moon, Putney), the band seem a bit out of voice. Maybe this appearance was just after a big festival?"

The answer to that question is NO - that's how rubbish they were.

Who loads up a clip onto Youtube of a rubbish performance ? If you're uploading material surely it should be of your best performance...

Don't get me wrong. I do admire and respect John Tams - he's done some great stuff, written some great songs, he has a great voice.
But just because something is heartfelt and worthy doesn't excuse it. I don't care if it's "heavy folk" or "folk rock" or any other sub-genre you want to invent to try and excuse it - if it's shit, it's shit.

I sense a slight case of 'Emperors New Clothes' here - everybody seems too willing to say it was good just because it's John Tams - but I think you'll find it was neither folk nor rock, it was 25 years out of date, it didn't inspire or uplift or excite - if you'd wandered aimlessly into some pub and some average pub rock band were performing that, you'd ask for your money back. I can hear guitar solo's like that in any guitar shop on a Saturday afternoon.
I stand by my original criticism. Dreadful.

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 05:25 AM

You can hear guitar "solos" too!!!!!

Well, I'm unable to give any judgement until I've heard for myself.

Did you see the mighty Grandson of Morris On show at Sidmouth in 2002? If so, what did you think of that?

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 10:34 AM

"I can hear guitar solo's like that in any guitar shop on a Saturday afternoon." Guitar shops must be a notable exception to declining standards today!

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,JeremyRS
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 10:53 AM

I was at the first Putney gig and Cambridge and it's probably fair to say that David Owen's opinion is a minority one, possibly a minority of one.

It's also worth pointing out that AFAIK the Putney Youtube clips weren't uploaded by the band and appear to have been filmed on a not particularly good phone so are a bit misleading.

As for his "Emperor's New Clothes" comment, the songs are the same so if they were good then, and they were, they're good now. Alright Jack, Walk My Way and the rest are as relevant now as ever. As for the performances, Putney was better, probably as a result of it being a small room, most things are better in small rooms, but Cambridge was good. The brass section is epic, and yes, there are guitar solos, and yes there is a sense of community singing at times when the audience joins in, but I don't find that a bad thing, particularly the latter.

For me, it was astoundingly good and a very long way indeed from "shit".

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 11:46 AM

There is always a sense of community singing when John Tams hits the stage - and jolly good too.

It's a great shame that poor Howard Evans is no longer with us to take his place in the brass section - and for whatever reason Bill Caddick, without whom neither "Down on the Western Railway" nor "Never be a cowboy now" would have been performed back in the 1980s set.

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,dom
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 11:47 AM

all subjective.some people enjoy this years home service,some (notably David)obviously do not.We could argue,is it good,or is it not till the cow comes home and prove nothing.who is to say what is what? eye ,or more apropriatly,ear of the beholder and all that...what music floats your boat then David? maybe some would dare to dislike that.if so,fair play..one mans meat...

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Edthefolkie
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 04:06 PM

Just listened in to the Home Service performing "Lewk Up, Lewk Up" on the Light Programme (I do hope that Harding chap had a dinner jacket on while announcing the "groups" but I doubt it).

I hesitate to disagree with the omniscient Mr Owen, who clearly has his finger on what's out of date and what's not, but I thought it was pretty bloody good. Rather better than the Mysteries version if anything (oh sh*t, that was MORE than 25 years ago).

Anyway, must lend a careful ear to them at Cropredy. If I spot any boring guitar solo or pub rock tendencies I'll write a letter of complaint to Mr Tams (in green ink, naturally).

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 04:27 PM

Rather better than the Mysteries version if anything (oh sh*t, that was MORE than 25 years ago).

No, could have been 11 years ago as it was revived in 1999/2000.

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 04:43 PM

Like this??

http://www.4shared.com/audio/nI6KR9hq/Lewk_Up.html

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 04:59 PM

Of course David Owen - the name sounds familiar - is entitled to his opinion. However, his comments did go rather beyond the subjective. You don't suppose he was simply trying to wind us up, do you?

I'm always worried when I go to see my heroes - will they live up to their reputation? I too heard the Highlights from Cambridge Folk Festival and I'm delighted to say that I was impressed.

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 04 Aug 11 - 11:35 AM

Six more chances to catch the tour - and hear Graeme Taylor's searing guitar.

07/Aug/2011 Broadstairs Folk Week - Broadstairs, Kent 01843 604080
11/Aug/2011 Cropredy Festival - Cropredy, Oxfordshire   
26/Aug/2011 Towersey Folk Festival - Towersey, Oxfordshire   
27/Aug/2011 Shrewsbury Folk Festival - Shrewsbury, Shropshire   
09/Oct/2011 Derby Assembly Rooms - Derby 01773 853428
23/Oct/2011 Canterbury Festival - Canterbury

In addition, there's the newly-released CD Live 1986 of the recently-discovered tapes.

BBC Review

Back in the 20th century, long before The Unthanks and Mumford & Sons, Home Service really did seem to offer a fresh way forward for the long-overdue folk revival. Rising out of the ashes of The Albion Band, the eight-piece outfit were strong on politics, performance and a bracing brand of music which sounds as strong and exhilarating today as it did on these performances from 1986.

There were so many elements which made them special: the songwriting skills of John Tams; the fiery guitar of Graeme Taylor; the impeccable choice of material. Yet what really elevated Home Service from the folk-rock rut was their innovative brass section. On disc, the late Howard Evans (trumpet), Andy Findon (flute) and Roger Williams (trombone) propel the music with vigour. But it's the very Englishness which made the band stand out: this is not the funky brass of the Memphis Horns, rather a stately procession, born out of Salvation Army and colliery brass bands.

Back together for the first time in 25 years, the 'star' of Home Service is Tams, familiar for his trio of solo albums, TV appearances in Sharpe and as the musical force behind War Horse. But here, Tams is very much a team player, his songs nailed by the rock-hard rhythm section of Michael Gregory and Jonathan Davie. And what songs they are, among the best the anthemic Walk My Way and Alright Jack, which call for unity and camaraderie. Scarecrow stands as one of the most striking of all anti-war songs, while the medley of Sorrow and Babylon is even more inspiring in its depiction of a world run riot. But it is the ineffably poignant Rose of Allendale which is perhaps the outstanding performance.

I doubt if you will hear music as committed and heartfelt as this from any genre this year - and it's ironic that it comes from the much-maligned folk tradition, and from a bunch of geezers old enough to know better. It would be criminal to let them slip away again. Home Service are back, and you are wholeheartedly recommended to tune in.

--Patrick Humphries

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 04 Aug 11 - 11:40 AM

.........not forgetting the very fine Bill Caddick who handled John Tams' vocals when the Mysteries moved to the Lyceum in 1985, and his own when he fronted the band in a 1992 reunion.

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 04 Aug 11 - 12:17 PM

For whatever reasons I can't recall now,
I stopped paying much attention to 'folk' for most of the 80' & 90's.
So this Band is news to me and definitely worth investigating further....

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 04 Aug 11 - 12:26 PM

"After listening to Gotan Project on the way to work this morning and their electronic tango stylings, I look forward to electronic Peter Bellamy - now that would be something!!!"

Try the second sound clip on the top right of this page...

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 04 Aug 11 - 02:18 PM

Tam and Bill Caddick actually shared vocals in the band for a while, though I don't think they sang together very much.

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 04 Aug 11 - 03:50 PM

Well this old Home Service fan is very envious of everyone who's going to get to see them on these reunion dates, and hopes they do some more sometime.

The recently released 1986 live recording is a real reminder of just how damn good they were in their pomp - and I'm not usually a great folkrock fan.

All power to them sez I.

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 05 Aug 11 - 02:52 AM

Lewk Up sounded wonderful at Cambridge - and so it did at the Lyceum!

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 05 Aug 11 - 08:42 PM

Broadstairs tomorrow. Anyone going to see them?

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 06 Aug 11 - 10:40 AM

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/what-s-on/sidmouth_folkweek_s_home_service_show_a_sell_out_1_983404

For any doubting Erics - Roger Tams??? Can't these local rag reporters get names right??

Subject: RE: Has anyone seen Home Service this year?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 06 Aug 11 - 11:53 AM

Bill Caddick with Home Service at the Lyceum????

http://www.4shared.com/audio/GAZQL2LE/lewkup_caddick.html