The last time I had the pleasure of being in the company of Martin Carthy was when I saw him, then a member of folk rock band Steeleye Span, supporting Jethro Tull at Sunderland Empire in 1971. Roll on 52 years and I am once again witnessing a performance by a man who has, quite rightly in my view, earned the title of “the Father of British folk music”.
The Durham Launderette is a quirky, exquisite venue. It is by day an ordinary launderette, used by the public to bring along their bags of washing. By evening it transforms into an intimate venue, which hosts concerts by folk artists and others. It cannot hold more than 60 or so people. My daughter, Laura, has performed there twice with her band the Shining Levels.
The Laundrette announced the concert thus: “For more than 50 years Martin Carthy has been one of folk music’s greatest innovators, one of its best loved, most enthusiastic and, at times, most quietly controversial of figures. His skill, stage presence and natural charm have won him many admirers…….Trailblazing musical partnerships with, amongst others, Steeleye Span, Dave Swarbrick and his award-winning wife (Norma Waterson) and daughter Eliza Carthy have resulted in more than 40 albums… [Including]… 10 solo albums. [He has]…influenced a generation of artists, including Bob Dylan and Paul Simon.”
“Arguably the greatest English folk song performer, writer…… of them all’ Q Magazine
“Carthy is a master of the ballad of substance, songs that tell stories, whether they are traditional, his own or from contemporary writers.’ The Telegraph
And so it was that my carer Elaine and I joined a packed house of Carthy fans and devotees to see a folk legend in the first of two nights at the venue. Martin was supported by a young lady who had come over from the Netherlands to study at Newcastle University on their highly regarded Masters in Traditional Folk Music. She has since stayed on as a performer of traditional English folk. She performed (to my shame her name escapes me) some lovely songs including an exquisite version of “The Sparrow”.
Martin looked great wearing a brightly coloured shirt, a red scarf which he removed and placed on his guitar case, and two gold earrings in his left ear. He is a great storyteller, starting each song with a prolonged introduction setting the scene for the tale which would unfold in the song, and explaining to us from where, and from whom, the song originated. Sometimes he might have to think a little in order to remember the names of the songs origins, but hey, respect to the guy who is now in his early 80s. Each song comes from a poem, an old folktale, or an ancient ballad. He crafts each one carefully. He includes the traditional “Scarborough fair” which features on his first, early 1960s, album and was since made famous by Simon and Garfunkel, Paul Simon probably having picked up the song from Martin when he toured the UK folk clubs in the 1960s.
Other tales included “Napoleon’s Dream” a traditional song with a long, interesting history: “Gale Huntington… commented: “This is another of the songs that show so clearly the strength of the Napoleonic myth. The line, “From that land of your fathers who boast they are free,” seems to indicate that this particular Napoleon song is American. But most of the song has the feel of an Irish lament.” (From the website: Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music). Martin spent a lot of time telling us about Napoleon, his life and ultimate downfall. Fascinating stuff from a masterful storyteller.
Another song was about Bendigo: “The Noble Fox-Hunting, also known as Dido Bendigo and The Duke’s Hunt, is a hunting song from England. English folk song collector A.L. Lloyd describes the song: “A stirring old hunting song known all over England from Cumberland to Cornwall.…… and, though the name of the sporting Duke may vary, the list of hounds stays much the same. Country people must have loved to roll the grandiloquent syllables of names like Dido and Bendigo around their mouths… The song has had a long life and still flourishes.” …… “Dido Bendigo describes the excitement of a noble fox hunt: the Duke of Wellington and some of his noble friends set out with their brave fox hounds, and each fox meets with a dreaded fate as they try to escape.” (From Traditional.org site). Again, Martin spent time explaining the story, its history and origin and the name of the guy who originally “gave it to him”. Another major lesson in storytelling both in word, song and music.
Martin treated us to two sets with a short interval. Quite unlike me, but hey I enjoyed it, I had a bottle of Budweiser at the start of the evening, a large glass of red after the young lady’s set and a gin and tonic during Martin’s interval. My head was reeling by the end of the evening. I am not sure how much of this was from the power of the stories and how much was down to the alcohol!
Sadly, our taxi was awaiting us, so we had to sneak out before the end, which was a shame. A wonderful evening, with the legend, folk singer, storyteller and lovely gentleman that is Martin Carthy.
And thank you Martin for signing my ticket which I will treasure.
Now this guy is a bit of an enigma. I guess you would say he has a very dedicated cult following. And rightly so. However, everyone I told I was going to see 
The last time I saw Richard Hawley was probably over 10 years ago when he was the support act for one of my personal heroes (and his apparently), Nancy Sinatra at the Sage Gateshead. I have missed the last few times he has been in the north-east and I thought it was about time that I picked up on him again, particularly when the show was local and in such an intimate, new, lovely, purpose-built concert venue. We arrived in time to catch the support act 
“Uk progressive folk singer-songwriter & guitarist. And using the words of others: 
But there is much, much more to this guy than a simple 50s/60s influenced singer. Sure you can hear those influences now and then, but Hawley has his own style transcends easy description and blends rockabilly, 60s music and blues, with more modern sounds. 
Now with collaborators like that, you really can’t go wrong, can you? The only song I really know is “Tonight the Streets Are Ours “, but the rest of the set is excellent. Hawley has surrounded himself with an excellent band including a second guitarist who complements Richard’s own style and a great blues harp player who emerges from the side of the stage at various times to add his rasping harmonica. Some of the songs are quite dark and the lighting in the venue is set up well to emphasise this. My carer for the evening, Jackie, sees some of Nick Cave in Hawley. I don’t disagree. Hawley, like his support act, is a true northern guy, wearing his Sheffield style and accent proudly on his chest.
On the way out I buy some merchandise which is also quite individual and quirky. As you can see, I get a tea towel, a couple of badges and a natty little musical box which, when turned, plays a Richard Hawley tune (you can choose which one). No programme or T-shirt for this guy. Too conventional, I guess! A great show by a wonderful artist whose cult following is no doubt growing and at one stage we may see him break through to the mainstream. But maybe Richard Hawley is just fine the way with things the way they are.
“I do what no man before me has ever done, I kiss the hands of the man who killed my son,” declares Priam when he prostrates himself before Achilles begging for Hector’s body. “And I do what countless women before me have been forced to do,” Briseis thinks bitterly, “I spread my legs for the man who killed my husband and my brothers.”
The Durham Launderette is a quirky venue which is, yes, a real launderette in Durham which features bands on the evening playing in front of the washing machines! It sounds crazy but it works well. 
. Pat Barker herself approached the group suggesting they give her novel a similar treatment, very much enjoying the synergy of music and literature.”
Now Pat Barker is a pretty famous local author so to have recorded an album to accompany her book is a major achievement for the band. The book is described as: “The Silence of the Girls is an electrifying revision of The Iliad which for the first time gives voice to the women enslaved by the Greek army headed by the god-like warrior Achilles, through the main character Briseis.”
We arrived early and took our seats close to the front for a good view. The music of the Shining Levels is difficult to categorise. They blend folk, world music and roots in a “sprawling soundscape of songs ranging from the orchestral through psychedelic pop and ethereal pastoral ballads and beyond, tipping its hat to a myriad of musical influences and styles. All delivered with the drama and exquisite vocal harmonies The Shining Levels are known for.”
The evening was a mixture of songs by the band further illustrated by some readings from the book, which I found quite harrowing in the graphic descriptions of female abuse by the men in the Greek army.
The album The Silence of the Girls has just been released by the Butterfly Effect label. In fact, the albums arrived at the venue hot off the press and we bought one of the first copies, getting the inner sleeve signed by the entire band.
The Shining Levels are: Laura Smith – Lead vocalists and looper extraordinaire; Christina Cuthbertson – Vocals, flute and percussion; Jenny Clewes – Vocal and violin; Dan Coggins – Songwriter/Producer – bass, guitars, keyboards, weird noises and vocals and Davey J – Songwriter, bass, guitars, keyboards, piano and vocals.
The great song “American Pie” is etched in my memory for reasons, which sleep after time I will explain below. 
American Pie was recorded in May 1971 and a month later received its first radio airplay. Thirty years later, it was voted number 5 in a poll of the 365 “Songs of the Century” compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. Issued as a double A-side single in November 1971 and charted within a month. Interest from the media and public sent the single to #1 in the USA and Don to international superstardom. Every line of the song was analysed time and time again to find the real meaning. Don refused to sanction any of the many interpretations, so adding to its mystery” (Sage Gateshead website).
The Lincoln Festival had a magnificent lineup with Rod Stewart and the Faces, the Beach boys, Rory Gallagher, Humble Pie (now Steve Marriot was definitely a boy), Genesis, Strawbs, Status Quo, Joe Cocker, Monty Python!, Stone The Crows with Maggie Bell, Lindisfarne, Nazareth, Atomic Rooster, Slade and many others. Anyway, appearing on the Sunday afternoon, as I recall, was a guy called Don Maclean sandwiched between excellent performances by Status Quo (who were busy transitioning from a pop band to the number one boogie machine) and the magnificent Humble Pie (with Steve Marriot excelling himself as a great soul and blues singer “my skin is white, but my soul is black”). “American Pie” had just been in the UK singles chart and was, by then, a global hit with its very enigmatic lyrics, which we all know now are loosely based around the death of Buddy Holly, a hero of Don McLean. The festival had been plagued by showers of torrential rain but, just at the point Don started singing “American Pie” the rain stopped and the sun came out. It was a truly magical moment and we all stood up (the boys singing and dancing on the top of our hay barn). From that point on I was a fan and I went to see Don McLean several times after that at Newcastle City Hall. He went on to have many other hits including the beautiful “Vincent” about Vincent Van Gough.
So roll forward 50 years and my carer Jan and I are seated at the back of the Sage waiting to see Don McLean. This was Jan’s first Don McLean concert and for me, it was probably around 40 years since I last saw him. I lost touch with him, sadly, along the way. Support act was 
Thanks to Jan for her photographic skills.
Seeger in concert. Her track “I’m Gonna be an Engineer” had been a favourite in our house, featuring on a family play-list we’d created for my daughter. The obvious feminist messages of this track had sparked my interest and made me intrigued to hear more of Seeger’s output. So, when Dad told us of the up-coming Sage concert, both Dale and I were keen to go. Baby-sitter secured, Dale and I headed to the Sage where we met up with Dad and his carer Jackie.
Seeger “saw folk music as inherently political” referring to it as “the expressions and artistry of people who are not in power.” (Freedman, 2017) It was evident from this concert that Seeger’s performance was not just a musical expression but more-over an externalising of a set of beliefs.
“And O how the sea she roars with laughter
On why he has decided to tour again, Harper said: “Partly because many of the things I wrote about in McGoohan’s Blues in 1968 are still very relevant 50 years later, and partly because my third record was a watershed moment in my recording life, it’s been long in my mind that I should dust it off and bring it on tour again.”
sing “I Hate the White Man” but, hey, you can’t always get what you want. Jackie my carer is now a Roy Harper convert, which is great. Me, I had a lovely evening, spent with an old friend.
The 
So I turned up on a cold winter’s night in my taxi, with Jackie my carer, which dropped me off right at the door of Durham Cathedral. I was greeted inside by my friends Norman, his sister Barbara and our old friend Doug. Now Durham Cathedral is a wonderful venue for a concert. “Durham Cathedral is a Norman church in England, designed under the direction of the first Bishop of Durham, William of Calais. It was built to house the remains of St. Cuthbert, but also to show off the might of the new Norman rulers. Construction began in 1093 and lasted 40 years.” (
The concert was in two halves; the first set opening with festive classics “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” followed by “Gaudete” made famous by 
Ian was on great form all evening, entertaining us with his usual anecdotes and some excellent flute playing. I can’t think of a better way of spending a cold Christmas evening than one with old friends, festive music and Ian Anderson and his band playing Jethro Tull classics. A great start to Christmas.
I have many happy memories of the sadly missed 
I first got to see Julie Felix live at a 
This was my second 
“Benjamin Myers was born in Durham, UK, in 1976. He is an author and journalist, translated into several languages. Published in May 2017 and now in its 9th print run, The Gallows Pole won the Walter Scott Prize – the world’s biggest award for historical fiction – was recipient of a Roger Deakin Award and longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize. It has been optioned for film/TV by Element Pictures and also available on Audible.”(
time dark and powerful, their sounds can be.
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