Subject: Review: Steeleye Span From: Dave the Gnome Date: 18 May 04 - 02:18 PM King Georges Hall, Blackburn, 17 May 2004. Fantastic - what else can I say. We were listening to some old stuff in the car on the way. They have neither detracted from what they were or gone stale. High Points? The whole performance! Best song (for me)? Tam Lin. Funny bits? Last song of the last encore of the final gig of the tour was Gaudette - And either Rick or Ken (not sure which) fluffed the opening:-) The audience cracked up. Cheers DtG |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: GUEST,Seaking Date: 18 May 04 - 05:39 PM God, did they ? |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: Dave the Gnome Date: 18 May 04 - 06:49 PM ? |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: GUEST,Penguin Egg Date: 19 May 04 - 05:22 PM Can we not wave goodbye to the failed experiment that was British folk rock, a bastard off-spring if there ever was one. It sapped the enegies of more fine people -Swarb, Hutchings, Prior, etc. - than folk-proper could afford to lose. Everytime I hear a good folk-rock recording -Battle of the Field, Parcel of Rogues, Liege and Lief - I always think how much better it would be if it were being played without electric instruments, drums and bass, etc. |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: Herga Kitty Date: 19 May 04 - 05:48 PM PE - well there's a wind-up, although you're entitled to air an opinion, albeit reminiscent of Ewan MacColl. It wasn't a failed experiment. Folk proper didn't lose Swarb, Hutchings or Prior. Or Carthy or any of the people who played in Fairport, Pentangle, Steeleye, Albion, Brass Monkey. And Battle of the Field and Liege and Lief are still exhilarating to listen to.... |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: Dave Wynn Date: 19 May 04 - 06:50 PM Hear hear Herga. Steelye showed me another horizon. Nothing lost in using power instruments. They individually performed electric and accoustic. Listen to "Individually Collectively Steely Span" if you can find a copy. Where each member played an individual track on one side and together on the other. (Mad Hatter label now out of print). I think I have just about everything they have produced and not all of it is perfect but when was the last time a traditional song with any credence hit the UK Charts as No 1. Steelye Span have two and both were good ambassadors for "folk" music generally. Spot |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: GUEST Date: 20 May 04 - 06:21 AM Penguin egg can have his opinion but he can stuff it up his uptight arse. 25,000 go to the folk rock festival at Croperdy each year, don't think they would agree its a faliure. |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser) Date: 20 May 04 - 06:31 AM A word in support of Penguin Egg. I don't know if folk-rock was a failed experiment but it was a bit of a blind alley, producing a lot of music that wasn't great folk and clearly wasn't convincing rock either. I still feel sorry for the Oyster Band - 15 years trying to be the dangerous, cutting edge of folk music and they still look like five geography teachers at the school disco. For my money, the great British Folk-Rock scare started with 'Liege And Lief' and ended with 'Rise Up Like The Sun'. A few records have come close since, like 'Alright Jack' by the Home Service but it all got so bloody earnest that I simply couldn't be arsed anymore. Plus there were still, until recently, a disturbingly large number of mullets around. As it happens, I still like Steeleye but let's face it, we're talking nostalgia here. Nothing wrong with that, but it is what it is. Nothing more. |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: Dave the Gnome Date: 20 May 04 - 07:46 AM A band that are still popular after 35 years, play to sold out houses every night, still produce lots of new material and update their line up regularly are nothing but nostalgia? Run that one by me again... If that's nostalgia, nostalgia sure ain't what it used to be:-) I guess unaccompanied singing, accoustic guitar and concertina is leading edge then? BTW - I am well turned 50 and Steeleye Span have only just been added to my seen live list which in the last couple of years has included Matchbox 20, Placebo, Star Sailor, The Dandy Warhols and lots more. I also sing unaccompanied and play accoustic guitar and anlo concretina but don't have enough hair left to favour a mullet;-) Cheers DtG |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: GUEST,Penguin Egg Date: 20 May 04 - 08:39 AM I'm not McCall. I fully believe in innovation so long as it works. To my ears, folk-rock does not work. Folk songs (and the style in which it is sung) clashes with rock rhythms. The monotonic style of guitar playing borrowed from the blues and adapted for the use of folk music is a success. It sounds right to my ear. But then, it depends on the ear of the behearer. As far as I'm concerned, rock was incorporated into folk music for purely commercial reasons. |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: Jackie in the Green Date: 20 May 04 - 09:05 AM And what pray is wrong with mullets? They're up there with tank tops, crushed velvet loon pants and kipper ties in the not-to-be-forgotten fashion hall of fame. In defence of folk rock, if I hadn't heard Steeleye Span thirty years ago, I may never have become a fan of folk music at all. Blokes with beards in fair isle sweaters didn't appeal to me as a youngster and neither did going to folk clubs, but going to concerts at large venues did, so I descovered the likes of the wonderful Planxty and the Boy's of the Lough because they supported Steeleye. I then went on to look for other folk rock groups such as the Albion Band and decided I actually prefered the more traditional stuff that they did and so went in search of traditional folk. As I've matured I've seen the error of my youthful ways, and now I love folk clubs and beardey blokes in fair isle sweaters :-) |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: Dave the Gnome Date: 20 May 04 - 01:05 PM Everything is wrong with mullets if you don't have the hair to grow one! Besides, I always thought they were a bit fishy..:-) |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: Dave the Gnome Date: 20 May 04 - 06:26 PM Oh - just realised the most important bit about what I was on about! Damn the degeneration of brain cells. Just wait until someone invents an alcohol that reverses it and us old fogies will rule the world..;-) Why have I seen all these people live? Because my daughters have been taking me. I have been going to various gigs for 5 years now (since they were 14 - twins btw) Steeleye Span was a complete suprise to me. Daughter #1 is more into folk but I thought she liked trad stuff. Martin Carthy and Maddy Prior / Tim Hart are constantly on the CD player. When I was preseneted with the Steeleye gig I was amazed! Is she going for nostalgia's sake? I think not. The band had been going 16 years before she was born! And I can honestly say I have never tried to influence them. the reverse is more likely:-) Cheers DtG |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: Dave Wynn Date: 20 May 04 - 07:14 PM I have to claim knowledge of the previous poster so anything I say may be rejected as blind support but his daughters have also had me into Goth weekends at Whitby the people and music surprised a real old man like me. Somehow I think "our" genre seems to be the most exclusive by which I mean we do tend to be a little moderate and conservative in our tastes. Steeleye , Fairport are now old but when I first heard them they were leading edge. They havent lost that feel. I would like to see more bands doing the same. Soapbox alert : Trad music as we know it wasn't trad 100 plus years ago. (stay with me I know this is an old chestnut) but the performers from say 1800 onwards used to have very small venues to play. No theater would have them . They had to play in local inns and taverns , occasionally fairs and markets. We now pursue the love of their music but suddenly have very large venues. Think that a modern large folk club holds 100+ This would be an unbelievable venue 200 years ago. Now it's considered small. Hence amplification. So the next step is amplification using modern instruments , synths and processors. Listen to the small pipes from Northumberland , the Melodeon , Concertina et al. They are all the beginnings of a desire for polyphonic sounds. We now have the wherewithall (SP) to easily give sound to audiences of 1000+ . It's a natural progression that the old dead guys would have snatched and given voice to in my humble opinion. Soapbox all clear. I see that trying to deliver a trad song to a massive venue is alien to the roots of the song and singers of their day but it's what we have now. No More Burgundy , Volnay is killing me slowly. Spot |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: GUEST,Anne Croucher Date: 20 May 04 - 07:18 PM I sing folk - the cds in the car are a modern scottish cd about whisky, two Status Quos, Star trek movie music, favourite overtures from light opera, and Phantom of the Opera. I like Queen, and I have various cds and tapes and even vinyl records of all sorts of music which has taken my fancy over the years - but I don't have music on in the house all that often because I sing. I think I sing Tam Linn once in awhile just to make sure that the little grey cells are still in working order - I have never sung it in public in case people get bored - I suspect that I would find it a little tedious to listen to. Folk music is what I do not what I want to experience from an audience point of view. I have probably missed more concerts than most, being at Sidmouth just about every year for 30 years and not going to see any 'names' must be fairly unusual. It is a bit odd now I think about it but I was always too busy or too tired with all the singing and dancing. In my youth I dropped out of Portsmouth poly and bought a knitting machine to make tank tops and fairisle jumpers to sell, - I got quite a few orders from people at the Railway folk club. Sometimes, you know, I get this uneasy feeling of being responsible for more than I realise. Anne |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: JohnB Date: 20 May 04 - 11:49 PM So that's where you were on Monday night then Dave. I was in Swinton with the rest of your friends. I'm home now though, well the other side of the water home anyhow. We saw SS when we were in Rochester, well the bit across the river whose name I now forget (it 's somewhere between 11.40 EST and 4.40 GST as far as my brain is concerned) Anyhow they did exactly the same thing on their second encore which was also Gaudete. We all pissed ourselves, as we have had the same problem on the same song a few times. It makes you wonder if it's part of the act or whether someone has a tin ear. Still though it a good show though, even though the sound could have been better. Chatham, that's the name of the town. It was nostalgia for me to see them again, having seen them three times previously, twice in Manchester at the Free Trade Hall and once in Toronto in a real small dump of a place. Bob Johnson described it as the worlds biggest ashtray with seats, great night though. See you if/when we make it back. JohnB |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: Dave the Gnome Date: 21 May 04 - 04:02 AM Sorry I missed you John. I am heading over the water on Thursday next but a bit further south than you. (Chicago & St Louis primarily) Our son #3 is in New Brunswick at the moment and may end up living there. I am sure we will meet again before long:-) How were the Pace Egg videos? Cheers :D |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: JohnB Date: 21 May 04 - 10:13 PM Hi Dave, not had a chance to look at them yet, if you ever make Ontario let me know. Nice to see SS screw up though, I'm still not sure whether it was the drummer or guitarist who had the wrong note. Any ideas? JohnB |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: GUEST Date: 22 May 04 - 03:39 AM I think it was either Rick Kemp (Bass) or Ken Nichol (Guitar) Liam can'tspellhissurname (Drums) provided the opening note using the keyboard in the show I saw. :D |
Subject: RE: Review: Steeleye Span From: Dave the Gnome Date: 22 May 04 - 09:53 AM That was me above if you hadn't guest (sic):-) |
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