“Before there was carolling, there was wassailing, where seasonal songs were exchanged for money, food and ale.” Such is the world of Eliza Carthy and Jon Boden. Eliza comes with impeccable folk pedigree credentials. She is, of course, the daughter of Martin Carthy who many now look up to as the father of British folk, having inherited the title from the late great Ewan MacColl. I have been lucky enough to see Martin Carthy twice, once many years ago when he was a founding member of Steeleye Span and they supported Jethro Tull in 1971 and more recently at the Durham Launderette.
She is also the daughter of Norma Waterston, of the famous Waterston family, who also pioneered British folk. Like her parents, she is a collector of stories and travels the country singing traditional folk songs and seeking out the original versions, sometimes meeting the descendants of the original songwriters. So, the evening was a beautiful blend of traditional Christmas songs sung by Eliza and Jon, each of them sometimes playing violin and accordion.
The Fire Station was suitably decked out in Christmas lights and nice bright Christmas trees on the stage. This resulted in Eliza and Jon performing in front of a full house and in a wonderful Christmas venue. The songs all blended in, aided by a pint of Guinness before the show and a double Jack Daniels during the interval. I do remember “In The Bleak Midwinter” and the closing song dedicated very appropriately to Shane McGowan “Fairytale of New York”.
A very appropriate and pleasant run-up to Christmas performance by two performers who carry on the great tradition of British folk. Jan and I both enjoyed our pre-Christmas evening and our first experience of Eliza and Jon. Many thanks to Jan for the photographs and to Chris and Elaine for helping us manoeuvre the site.
From The Fire Station site: In November/December 2023, Eliza Carthy and Jon Boden combine their considerable talents and reputations within the UK folk scene, for the first time ever touring as a duo for a nationwide wassail across key venues. Presenting seasonal, traditional material on a stage decorated for the occasion, they will take audiences back to some of the oldest songs in the English canon, telling Christmas tales, spreading good cheer and lighting up the darkest days of the year, ahead of Christmas Day itself.”
Jon Boden: “One half of Spiers & Boden, lead singer of the mighty Bellowhead and with his own successful career as a soloist and with Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings and Jon Boden & The Remnant Strings, Jon has been a major name in English folk music for over twenty years with more BBC Folk Awards than any other artist. Add in a performance in the Hollywood movie About Time, his role singing/playing the theme tunes of both the BBC Radio 2 Folk show and The Archers, and his place as a respected singer songwriter for both theatre and the folk scene, with his soon-to-be-released the third and final album, ‘Last Mile Home’, in his post-apocalyptic trilogy, Jon is a musical force to be reckoned with. Jon, together with John Spiers, also did a stint in The Ratcatchers, the backing band for Eliza Carthy in the mid-noughties, so has a long association and friendship with Eliza that has led naturally to this very special show.”
‘The stand out performer of his generation’ – The Guardian
‘Alone, Boden still has the energy of a twelve piece band’ – EDS Magazine
Eliza Carthy: “Twice nominated for the Mercury Prize and winner of innumerable other accolades over a 20 year career, Eliza has performed and recorded with a diverse array of artists including, Paul Weller, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Patrick Wolf and Bob Neuwirth. Eliza grew up immersed in the world of traditional music. She still divides her time between touring and recording with her legendary parents, Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson as well as engaging in numerous pioneering solo and band projects. Eliza has co-presented the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards, been a regular guest-presenter on the BBC Radio 2 Mark Radcliffe Show and has made many appearances on BBC TV’s ‘Later…with Jools Holland’.
‘Eliza Carthy is one of the figureheads of the English folk revival.’ – Evening Standard
‘Brave and anything but predictable’ – **** The Guardian
(courtesy of the Union Chapel website, and venue in London in which Eliza and Jon performed earlier in the year)
Apologies for all the quotations this time but I wanted to be sure of my folk facts!
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