Keith Christmas

Subject: Keith Christmas UK
From: okthen
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 06:14 AM

Just thought I'd do an old school chum a favour and mention that after some years absence from the scene Keith Christmas is releasing his old albums and thinking of doing some live performances.

more info at www.keithchristmas.co.uk

Subject: RE: Keith Christmas
From: cockney
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 08:54 AM

Good to hear that! I saw him at the Beckenham Arts Festival Free Concert in 1969 and a year or so later at the Roundhouse Chalk Farm.
He played acoustic Guitar and wore a headband - never had any of his records - He sang something about Friar Tucker the F***er. I remember he was very entertaining.

Subject: RE: Keith Christmas
From: breezy
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 09:33 AM

I'll give him a floor spot if no-one else will.

Subject: RE: Keith Christmas
From: okthen
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 01:09 PM

Thank-you, to whoever turned that into a link, I tried but it didn't happen for me.

Subject: RE: Keith Christmas
From: RolyH
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 02:24 PM

He also did a song called "Robin Head" about a spaced out Robin Hood.

Subject: RE: Keith Christmas
From: alanabit
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 02:42 PM

That was the one with the old f§&§er in.

"Twas in the Foest of Shirewood
In the year twelve hundred and ten
Lived a famous dealer named Robin Head -
And his band of very merry men
They lived on nuts and berries
And occasional blue deer
Doing their macrobaiotic thing
And dispensing much good cheer

The sound of merry laughter
Echoed through the forest green
There was old Friar Tucker - the old motherfucker
And Marion the acid queen
Said Little John, "Let's have some mead"
Said Robin, "What's the point
I'm tired of doing that venison thing
Let's go and roll a joint."

Just then there burst upon the scene
A band of the sherriff's men
Who said, "Allo Allo Allo
What's all this here then?
I'm afraid you'll have to come with us
To the palace of the king!"
Said Robin, "Don't be so uptight man
I'm only doing my thing"

So Robin bade a sad farewell
And to Marion gave a kiss
And went with certain substances
For further analysis
And the new all spread throughout the land
And the people came to see
For the man who always gave big deals
Was of great popularity

So Robin was dragged before the throne
Of Nottingham's terrible king
Who said, "For years I've ben after you
And now you're going to swing!
But first before I sentence you
For the evils what you've done
Tell me, what's this weed you grow in the woods?
I think that I'll try some."

So several minutes they passed bye
And the air grew dense and thick
And the sheriff said, "Look at all the colours man
But I feel a little sick."
And here our story has to end
More happily than it began
For Robin deals for the countryside
And the sheriff does Nottingham.

I wonder who will be quicker than me to post this? It is good news that Keith Christmas is back though. I liked "Getting Religion" too.

Subject: RE: Keith Christmas
From: Dartford Warbler
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 07:55 PM

Has anyone else seen Keith in his rejuvinated form as of 2006?

Caught him at Broadstairs Folk Week and he appears to have emerged from the doldrums on the live stage. He went a bit mad with electronic gadgetry a couple of years back. But now it is just him and two guitars and a simple(?) effect/switch box.

He also has a cracking new CD called Light of Dawn.

Keith Christmas Website

Subject: RE: Keith Christmas
From: ClaireBear
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 08:08 PM

Do I recall correctly that he wrote that odd song Martin Carthy sings about the woman who grows wings? Ah yes -- Fable of the Wings. Lovely though incomprehensible thing, that.

Subject: RE: Keith Christmas
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 09:14 PM

me and the mrs saw him do a Saturday evening gig
in a small seafront pub
at last weekends Burnham-on-Sea free mini folkfest..


excellent performance..

we were well impressed by his singing and guitar playing..

real depth of experience and expression in his songs..

and.. i dont usually get too enthusiastic about solo singer-songwriters..


but i was proper cidered up by then
[the fest was a 12 hour endurance pub crawl..]
and couldn't have asked for a better
soundtrack to my happily drunken state of mind.

every now and then he'd tell-off members of the audience
who were talking too much while he was playing..

total respect to him for that


fully intended going to see him again in the outdoor gig
in the park Sunday afternoon
and probably buy his new CD..

but me and the mrs were not fit enough to get out of bed
in time to catch his early afternoon performance..

oh well..

Subject: RE: Keith Christmas
From: woodsie
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 06:01 AM

He is brilliant. He played on Bowie's Space Oddity and loads of other stuff.

Subject: RE: Keith Christmas
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 12:40 PM

just spent time listening to audio samples at the official website
[see 1st post in this thread]

even stone cold sober as i am right now..

i still think the songs on the new CD
are the strongest [grittiest..] work
i've heard from a solo singer-songwriter
for bloody ages..

excellent powerfull driving rythmic guitar and slide playing..
i can learn a lot from listening to that.
..and wish i could sing as good as him..

definitely buying this CD then.



and perhaps the early 90's Bluesband CD..

errrmm.. but there is a hint of prissy chorus FX on some guitar parts..
[i wish that ***** pedal had never been invented !!!!]

have to think about that one then..


anyway..
wish i'd been awake to see how he dealt with a distracing
Sunday afternoon
family and kids audience....

Subject: RE: Keith Christmas
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 09 Sep 06 - 03:16 AM

I remember seeing Keith in that folk club in the crypt of the church in Trafalgar Square, London ( St Martin's?) some 30 odd years ago. I recall that he used to tape his fingerpicks to his fingers(to prevent them flying off!)

Subject: RE: Keith Christmas
From: woodsie
Date: 09 Sep 06 - 09:56 AM

I used to go there!

We used to buy a bottle of cheapo wine and listen to some great music for free. I remember Eclection playing there.

I also saw Keith at the Beckenham arts festival in 1969.