Live review: Peter Knight’s Gigspanner at Attwood Theatre, Bexhill 11/11/26

Folk music, Hastings music scene, Live reviews, , , , , ,

It’s coming up to fifteen years since I first booked a ticket to see Gigspanner in concert. I had little idea what to expect, other than knowing they were the (then) side-project of long-time Steeleye Span fiddle-player, Peter Knight. From the moment, I saw them perform, however, I was utterly, utterly captivated.

Yes, there was some folk in there but many other influences besides. Alongside the English folk songs and Irish fiddle tunes, there were African rhythms, jazz influences, avante garde and much more besides. Since that first magical night, I’ve seen Gigspanner many times over the years, both in their original trio format and in their expanded ‘big band’ format. Although the latter brings in a whole new collection of influences and sounds, there’s still something perfectly magical about the stripped-back basic trio format. This has particularly been the case since a slight rejiggle in the line-up saw the induction of the hugely talented percussionist, Sacha Trochet, into the band. His playing brought Gigspanner’s already infectious rhythms to a whole new level and his performance at any gig is utterly mesmerising from start to finish.

That’s alongside, of course, the virtuoso fiddle-playing of folk legend Peter Knight and the enormously impressive semi-acoustic guitar playing of Roger Flack. The trio are something of an East Sussex institution, having been formed down the road in Hastings, so it’s lovely seeing them playing to a packed house in Bexhill tonight.

The set included some old favourites that I’ve become very familiar with over the years. However, there was plenty of new material, too (or at least the trio’s highly unique reworkings of some very old material). Old favourites included the always lovely-to-hear ‘Seagull’ and the breathtakingly beautiful ‘Butterfly’ while the new additions to the set included the jaunty ‘Sussex Waltz’ and a thrillingly sombre rendition of English folk staple, ‘John Barleycorn’.

One of the fascinating things about Gigspanner is that they most definitely have a trademark sound. You can tell instantly who it is even with completely unfamiliar material, yet the range of different influences and different musical textures that their performances can encompass from one song to the next can vary so dramatically.

Anyway, it seems as if we might be treated to a new album before too long, given the amount of stunning new material on offer tonight. Things began drawing to a close in more familiar fashion with that perennial Gigspanner/Steeleye Span favourite ‘Hard Times of Old England’ followed by a brilliantly other-worldly rendition of ‘King of the Faeries’, with an epic percussion workout from Trochet. A well-deserved encore came in the shape of another familiar favourite ‘Sharp Goes Walkabout’, described by Knight as what might have happened had Edwardian song collector, Cecil Sharp, gone looking for songs in Australia and ended up hooking up with a bunch of dope-smoking hippies. Another spectacular Gigspanner gig that, musically, can take you to places you’d never dreamed of going.

https://www.gigspanner.com

Related posts:

Album review – Gigspanner Big Band ‘Turnstone’

New book out this summer: ‘Steeleye Span 1970 to 1989 On Track: Every Album, Every Song’

Folk: album review – Peter Knight & John Spiers ‘Both In A Tune’

Gigspanner at Hastings 2021

Gigspanner Big Band ‘Natural Invention’ album

Peter Knight’s Gigspanner ‘The Wife Of Urban Law’ album

Gigspanner at Hastings 2017

Gigspanner Big Band at Hastings 2016

Gigspanner ‘Layers of Ages’ album

Gigspanner at Hastings 2015

Gigspanner at Whitstable 2014

Live review: Francis Rossi at De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill 10/11/26

Hastings music scene, Live reviews, Rock music, , , , , ,

Turning his back on the big Status Quo tours, Francis Rossi now seems in his element touring UK theatres with his succession of solo shows. I saw him three years ago at Hastings White Rock Theatre on his ‘Tunes & Chat’ tour and we’re at Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion to see him on the last night of his ‘Quo Song Book: Past, Present, Future’ tour.

The format is pretty much the same. Rossi, his musical collaborator and guitar tech, Andy Brook, two plush red armchairs and a selection of acoustic guitars. There does seem to be a bit less chat on this tour and, after some opening thoughts on the musical backdrop in the 1950s home of a London-based Italian family and his enduring love for the boogie shuffle, the focus is firmly on the music.

Starting at the very early days with ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’ the classic Quo material comes thick and fast. And just to prove a point about just how durable that famous boogie shuffle proved to be over the years, we have an extended medley of ‘The Wanderer’, ‘Railroad, ‘Rollin’ Home’, ‘Dear John’ and ‘Hold You Back’. For all the ridicule that Quo received for sticking to their trademark formula over the decades, the stripped-down format does allow you to really appreciate the simple beauty of those classic songs. The theatre-show format clearly suits Rossi at this stage in life and is an entertaining way of celebrating Quo’s music in a live setting.

After a short interval the second half kicks off with the 1980 hit ‘What You’re Proposing’. A significant milestone for me as this single definitely marked the point at which Status Quo went from being a familiar sound of my childhood, pumping out of my dad’s stereo, to a band that I became a dedicated, record-buying fan of in my own right.

As well familiar hits like ‘Marguerita Time’ and some celebrated album tracks like ‘Dirty Water’ and ‘Roll Over Lay Down’, Rossi announces the second half is also the place for “what the PR people call deep cuts” and he gives us ‘Someone Show Me Home’ from the If You Can’t Stand the Heat album and ‘Tongue Tied’ from the In Search of the Fourth Chord album.

Although there’s less emphasis on the chat with this tour, there’s still the occasional nugget of hilarious homespun wisdom. Noting that his eldest son is gay, Rossi expressed bafflement when others would tell him they weren’t sure how they’d be able to handle it:

“What’s the problem? It’s not going to be your knob he’s using is it?”

So there’s definitely a few laughs along the way, but no shortage of really great songs. Things draw to a close with a triumvirate of big Quo hits and the chance for a big communal sing-along to ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’, ‘Down Down’ and ‘Caroline’, with the audience implored to sing along to the guitar parts, not just the words. Of course, we all did.

Set-list:

First half:

Pictures of Matchstick Men
In My Chair
Spinning Wheel Blues
Wild Side of Life
The Wanderer / Railroad / Rollin’ Home / Dear John / Hold You Back
Gerdundula
Don’t Waste My Time
Rock ‘n’ Roll
Burning Bridges (On and Off and on Again)

Second half:

What You’re Proposing
Dirty Water
Marguerita Time
Someone Show Me Home
Tongue Tied
Roll Over Lay Down
Rockin’ All Over the World
Down Down
Caroline

https://www.francisrossi.com

Related posts:

Francis Rossi – ‘Tunes & Chat’ at White Rock Theatre, Hastings 2023

Status Quo – Aquostic at Hammersmith Apollo 26/4/15

Status Quo at Hammersmith Apollo 28/3/14

Live review: Anvil at The Carlisle, Hastings 6/11/26

Hastings music scene, Live reviews, Rock music, , , , , , ,

Canada’s and the world’s favourite heavy metal underdogs were back in Hastings again, two years after their storming gig at The Crypt. This time they are at The Carlisle and if that legendary but compact sounds on the small side for a band like Anvil, it is reassuringly ram-packed when I walk in.

First up are the Belgian heavy metal power trio, Killer. Formed in 1980 and still fronted by guitarist/vocalist Paul Van Camp, they are part of the NWOBHM (New Wave Of Belgian Heavy Metal) I suppose. Some great songs and heavy riffs, they proved a highly entertaining show opener and worth exploring for vintage metal fans who aren’t familiar with them.

Then it’s not long to wait until Anvil themselves take the stage. Although as far as Anvil legend and frontman Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow is concerned he doesn’t take the stage for long as he’s out in the crowd, blasting out the entire first number ‘March of the Crabs’ from the floor. His unadulterated enthusiasm for playing and his instant rapport with an audience are always immediately infectious and that doesn’t dissipate for the entire show.

With no new album to promote at the current time (the last One and Only came out two years ago), this tour is very much about celebrating the band’s early years with the vast bulk of the set-list being taken from the first four Anvil albums: Metal On Metal, Forged in Fire, Hard & Heavy and Strength of Steel. It means pretty much everyone gets a chance to hear their favourites from the band’s classic years and Anvil are on fine form with a line-up that’s now been in place some twelve years. Joining the inimitable duo of founder members, Steve Kudlow and Robb Reiner, is long-time bass-player Chris Robertson and the three make an impregnable trio as they blast through those early classics.

The dildo comes out…

As we come up to an epic rendition of ‘Forged in Fire’ I sense things are starting to draw to a close and it wouldn’t be long before the trademark vibrating dildo comes out for a thunderously fast and furious ‘Mothra’. Then, in the night’s one departure from the early years, Kudlow announces that next up would be ‘Swing Thing’ the big-band-meets-heavy-metal track from the 2011 Juggernaut of Justice album which serves as a showcase for an insanely energetic extended solo by Reiner.

The night is brought to a close with an encore of ‘Jackhammer’ and, of course, that 100% bona-fide, all-time heavy metal anthem ‘Metal on Metal’. Anvil well and truly blew the proverbial roof off the Carlisle this evening.

Related post:

Live review: Anvil at The Crypt, Hastings 15/10/24

Metal: album review – Anvil ‘Pounding The Pavement’

Live review: Anvil / Burnt Out Wreck / VOiD at The Underworld, Camden 6/2/18

Live review: Dave Hill, album launch for Dirty Foot Lane at Mount Hotel, Wolverhampton 29/10/26

Album reviews, Glam rock, Live reviews, Music culture & history, Rock music, , , , , , , ,

It’s not the usual sort of venue I’ve seen him at over the years but one of the function rooms in the rather plush surroundings of the Mount Country Manor Hotel on the outskirts of Wolverhampton is the setting for the official launch event  for Dave Hill’s first ever solo album, Dirty Foot Lane.

With a mix of music and chat, Hill is questioned by TV presenter and long-time Slade fan, Nick Owen, together with a specially-assembled band playing a selection of songs from the album and an old Slade hit to finish. Except it isn’t Nick Owen to start with as he has the wrong night in his diary (!) so a member of the organising crew ably fills in until Owen hurriedly makes his way over to the venue.

Just as Hill’s surprisingly thoughtful autobiography (So Here It Is! released back in 2017) was not simply a well-rehearsed selection of ’70s glam-era anecdotes, but delved into stark class tensions in Hill’s wider family background, his late mother’s long-running mental health battles as well as his own similar struggles, this highly-personal debut solo album can be seen as something as a companion piece to the autobiography. Hill pays tribute to his mother during the Q&A as he talks movingly about ‘Sweet and Tender’ – one of the songs on the album, which was written in her memory.

Although it isn’t one of the songs performed live this evening, Hill also talks about the inspiration for the album’s title track, ‘Dirty Foot Lane’. A country lane on the Wolverhampton/South Staffordshire border that the young Hill would wander up and down with his mom, dad and sister, Carol, (and would later visit with his own wife and children) Slade geeks will be aware that the song celebrating those times first appeared on Keep on Rockin’, the 1994 album from the post-Holder/Lea version of Slade. Three decades on it’s been given a complete makeover by album producer, Django Holder, about whom Hill is also very generous in his praise tonight.

And if that name has a ring of familiarity about it, Django is, indeed, the son of Noddy Holder and his novelist wife, Suzanne. It was on Noddy Holder’s recommendation that Django Holder, now a noted record producer, took on the production duties for the album. “He’s very quiet,” reveals Hill, noting the obvious contrast with his two larger-than-life parents. Nonetheless, Hill credits him with bringing a wide palette of musical influences to the album, citing Neil Young and Tom Petty to name two. Hill also reveals that he and Noddy Holder are now “closer than ever” – which may warm the hearts of many fans, given some of the well-documented tensions in the Slade camp since the original band split in the early ‘90s.

Musically, we are treated to a live performance of ‘Thanks for the Good Times’, Hill’s affectionate and heartfelt tribute to all the happy memories of working with Noddy Holder, Jim Lea and Don Powell and manager/producer, Chas Chandler. On a less optimistic but nevertheless moving note, there’s also a rendition of ‘She Had a Troubled Heart’, another song from the album. Based on a true story, it deals with a broken heart that couldn’t be fixed and the ultimately tragic consequences of that. While not an autobiographical song per se, it clearly means a lot to Hill and he speaks of his ambassadorial work with the Black Country Mental Health charity who are represented at the launch event tonight.

That’s not to say there aren’t some lighter moments during the evening as well. At one point, Hill’s own sister, Carol, is brought up on stage to recall the youthful excitement she felt on tuning into the radio and first hearing her brother had made it to number one in the charts.

The formal part of the evening ends in suitably upbeat fashion with a sing-along rendition of Slade’s ‘Far Far Away’. Then it’s a lengthy but good-natured queue at the signing desk as those present wait to get their CD’s, books and records signed and get their photos taken with the man himself.

Dirty Foot Lane is released on 13 November 2026

Related posts:

Book: ‘Slade In The 1970s’ by Darren Johnson

Interview with Slade legend Don Powell

Interview with former Slade legend Jim Lea

Jim Lea at the Robin 2, Bilston 2017

Before glam: the debut 60s singles of Bowie, Bolan, Slade, Mud and Sweet

Slade, strikes and the three-day week: the story of the greatest Christmas record ever made

Slade at Donnington 1981

Slade at White Rock Theatre, Hastings 2015

Giants of Rock, Minehead 26-29 January 2018

Slade at Brighton 2019

Slade at Hastings 2025

Folk: album review – Bird in the Belly ‘Only Dogs as Friends’

Album reviews, Folk music, , , , ,

In spite of the resultant buzz around Bird in the Belly’s 2018 debut album, The Crowing, the Sussex-based four-piece didn’t appear on my radar until the following year when the follow-up, Neighbours and Sisters, was released and immediately announced itself to me as one of the stand-out folk albums of the year. Another well-received follow-up, After the City, was released in 2022 and now, some four years later, we have their long-awaited follow-up.

With their typically forensic approach to unearthing compelling historical tales, Only Dogs as Friends tackles the theme of criminality and features a gruesome cast of notorious villains across its twelve songs which are drawn from a mixture of traditional broadsides, published poems and original compositions, all set to newly-composed melodies.

Ben ‘Jinwoo’ Webb: “We wanted to focus on outsiders – people who have been feared or were fearful. As always, we tried to find overlooked stories and songs and this album is very character driven.”

Highlights include the thrillingly dark title track, which tells the tale of a burglar who was shot dead in the Sussex coastal town of Shoreham-by-Sea but only identified when a stray dog came into the pub were his body was being held and immediately recognised it’s felonious former master.

Once again, Bird in the Belly’s trademark contrasting vocals of Ben Webb and Laura Ward are ably backed by the immensely talented duo of multi-instrumentalist Tom Prior and percussionist, Adam Ronchetti.

Gripping story-telling, enchanting harmonies and beautifully-composed melodies, Only Dogs as Friends maintains the achingly high standards that Bird in the Belly have continued to set for themselves and is an utterly compelling album.

Released: 30 October 2026 https://www.birdinthebelly.com/

Related review:

Album review – Bird in the Belly ‘After the City’

Album review – Bird In The Belly ‘Neighbours and Sisters’

Live review: Stray at the Carlisle, Hastings 16/10/26

Hastings music scene, Live reviews, Rock music, , , , , ,

Stray are possibly not the only band of a certain vintage to have played Hastings Pier in their 1970s heyday and then returned to play to an enthusiastic crowd at the Carlisle rock pub down the road some fifty years later. But after a very successful gig last Autumn (which, sadly I missed because I was at the White Rock down the road for Dave Hill and Slade), the irrepressible Del Bromham and his band are back to rally the troops for another Hastings gig.

Following an impressive solo performance from guitarist Dylan Gers (son of Iron Maiden legend, Janick), Stray took to the stage and launched into an exhilarating ‘Time Machine’ from the band’s 1970 debut album. Although I was still too young to see Stray in the 1970s (at Hastings Pier or anywhere else for that matter), I have seen various incarnations of the band on the live music circuit and at various festivals over the years, going back to the early ‘90s.

This current formation, however, is made particularly special with the inclusion of second guitarist/vocalist, Pete Dyer (who originally joined the band in the mid ‘70s), as well as the addition of keyboardist, Simon Rinaldo, whose studied take on that classic 1970s-era Hammond-driven sound brings a whole extra dimension to Stray.

The set-list is a good mix of material from the classic early to mid ‘70s albums alongside a generous sprinkling of songs from their acclaimed late-period renaissance albums (Valhalla from 2010 and About Time from 2023).

Stray may not be one of the biggest names from the world of heavy rock but they are certainly one of the most resilient and tonight they delivered an absolute masterclass of a performance with powerful riffs, great melodies and classic songs. Well over 50 years since they first formed and well over 30 years since I first caught sight of them, Stray are one of those bands who just seem to keep on getting better and better each time I see them.

Related posts:

Rock and Roll Survivor: interview with Del Bromham of Stray

Live Review – Giants of Rock, Minehead 26-29 January 2018

Live Review – The Great British Rock & Blues Festival – Skegness 19-22 January 2018

This week’s featured artist: James Kerry Trio – latest album ‘Tributaries’

Album reviews, Folk music, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

From Kent, and an established member of the modern English folk scene, James Kerry is well known for his passionate, rhythmic playing rooted in folk dance tradition. Having begun his musical journey at a young age he quickly progressed and has since played extensively in the Morris and ceilidh circuits and performed with many bands and groups including Foot Down, and the Hilltop Ceilidh Band, both of which he is a founding member of.

As was the case for so many of us, the Covid pandemic of 2020-21 saw Kerry with a fair degree of extra time on his hands. That opportunity gave rise to a creative burst where he was able to explore his own playing, writing and arranging and, ultimately, led to the release of his debut album – Source (reviewed here in 2023).

Inspired by a love of rivers and nature and the countryside, and given added impetus by a recent move to living on a boat, the name relates to the beginning of a river, of course, but also to the beginning of Kerry’s career as a solo artist. The rivers/waterways theme was then continued with the follow-up album, Tributaries which was released in October 2025.

Commenting on the release of Tributaries, James Kerry said:

“Tributaries is our second studio album, a follow-up to Source. This one draws from all sorts of places — old tunes I’ve loved for years, new ones I’ve written along the way, and everything in between. Some are wild and full of energy, others quieter and more reflective, but all of them are rooted in the folk tradition that continues to inspire me.”

While Tributaries brings together two of the main contributors who played alongside Kerry on Source, that collaborative approach is consolidated with the project now formalised as a trio.

The James Kerry Trio are:

• James Kerry (Melodeon): Known for his rhythmic, dance-inspired style and deep roots in the English tradition, Kerry provides the melodic heart of the album. His original tunes on this record showcase a maturing compositional voice that respects tradition while pushing into contemporary territory.

• Tom Kitching (Fiddle & Mandolin): A powerhouse of the English folk scene, Kitching’s contribution is vital to the album’s texture. Bringing his signature “gritty and honest” style, his fiddle playing acts as a sophisticated counterpoint to the melodeon.

• Danny Tonks (Guitar): Providing the engine room for the trio, Tonks’ percussive fingerstyle guitar and nuanced harmonic foundations bind the melodic instruments together, creating a full, resonant ensemble sound.

While the trio remains firmly grounded in the English tradition, for this second album there is a greater emphasis on original material with a number of tunes composed by Kerry, alongside a couple from Kitching in addition to the trio’s own arrangements of traditional tunes as well as an adaption of a contemporary piece by Simon Care.

Fresh-sounding and exhilarating and bursting with energy, inventiveness and creativity, lovers of traditional tunes will find plenty to like in the James Kerry Trio’s Tributaries.

Released: 1 October 2025 https://jameskerrymusic.com/

Related posts:

Album review – James Kerry ‘Source’

Album review – Tom Kitching ‘Seasons of Change’

Book review: ‘Seasons of Change – Busking England’ by Tom Kitching

Folk: album review – Spell Songs ‘In Thin Air’

Album reviews, Folk music, , , , , , , ,

Originally commissioned by the organisers of the Folk By The Oak festival, the Spell Songs project was initially conceived as a one-off project but are now onto their third album.

Spell Songs brought together seven outstanding musicians and comprises Karine Polwart (tenor guitar/vocals), Julie Fowlis (whistles/vocals), Seckou Keita (kora/percussion/vocals), Kris Drever (guitars/bass/vocals), Rachel Newton (electroharp/viola/vocals), Beth Porter (cello/ukulele/vocals) and Jim Molyneux (piano/keyboards/drums/percussion/vocals).

Following the success of the initial album The Lost Words Spell Songs in 2019 and its follow-up Let The Light In in 2021, In Thin Air is released as a musical companion to the acclaimed work by artist, Jackie Morris, and conservation writer, Robert Macfarlane, whose The Book of Birds was published earlier this year.

As I look onto our communal back-garden here on the south coast with its abundance of blackberries and newly-installed bird bath, I like to pride myself on how many feathered visitors we get in a typical day. Should that lull me into a false sense of security, however, both the book and the album are a timely reminder of the threats to our natural bird population and the 49 bird species it celebrates are all on the RSPB’s Amber or Red List. An enduring presence in folksong, as Polwart reminds us, birds inhabit “our languages and stories, our art and folklore, and our individual and cultural memories.” We lose them at our peril.

Featuring twelve tracks that lean heavily on the seven key themes in the book – nest, egg, beak, song, feather, flight and migration – the album  is a stunning celebration of the life-cycle of the bird. Highlights include the title track which gently opens the album to the sound of birdsong and soft whisperings; ‘Najan (Nest)’ with its African rhythms and reminding us of the truly international flavour of some of our favourite avian visitors; and ‘Flight’ which takes us on a magical journey with its delicate melodies and sumptuous vocals.

An ambitious project that’s beautifully executed, and drawing on a captivating juxtaposition of musical influences, In Thin Air is another triumph for this hugely creative and talented seven-piece.

Released: 4 September 2026 https://www.thelostwords.org/spell-songs/

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2026

Folk music, Live reviews, Rock music, , , , , , , , , , , ,

As we headed towards our usual rendezvous point in a Banbury layby so that our assembled group could drive in together and set up camp next to one another, there were two niggles on my mind. Would we cope with the heat during this latest heatwave? And would there  be an easy Plan B in place if the new-fangled ticket app didn’t work on my phone in the middle of a field with poor mobile reception?

The latter proved to be a doddle. Although the ticket app wasn’t loading properly, I gave my order details to a special helpdesk at the wristband exchange and they printed off old-fashioned tickets for me so we could pick up our wristbands. Phew!

Cropredy 2026 (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

As for the heat. It was bloody hot. Even when I’m abroad laying by a pool I prefer to be ‘sun adjacent’ and avoid direct sunlight by finding myself a large sunshade and, ideally, a big cluster of palm trees to plonk myself under. There were none of those at Cropredy, of course. On the plus side, I think we’ve got better at adapting to life at the festival in the middle of a heatwave: copious amounts of fresh water alongside all the beer and cider, hats, umbrellas, Factor 50, time spent standing at the front by the stage (which was naturally in shadow throughout the day) and not being afraid of giving some of the acts a miss and heading back to the campsite to sit under the awning if it all got a bit too much.

Fairport pride themselves on running a pet-friendly festival (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

This was the second year of the new slimmed-down version of Cropredy, now with a maximum cap of 6,500 on ticket sales and the line-up focused more on folk scene favourites and less on big-name headliners from the world of rock and pop. It’s working. There’s still a nice mix between the familiar and the not-so-familiar. Crucially, it’s ensured that the festival remains financially viable with a predictable income stream and a budget based around that.

Looking at the music, the new discoveries, for me, included the entertaining and highly energetic Banter; the rock-country-soul crossover band, Danny the Champions of the World (yes I know have been around almost 20 years now but it was my first time seeing them); and the Celtic folk band, The Haar, who performed breathtakingly unique version of traditional folk standards.

Danny the Champions of the World (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

More familiar favourites included Turin Brakes whose particular brand of laid-back, melodic, indie rock which went down so well when they last played Cropredy back in 2022 and was equally well-received this time. They’ve clearly built a special rapport with the Cropredy audience, partly because of the excellent music but also because of the lifelong connection to the festival that their drummer, Rob Allum, has – he told us been coming to Cropredy since he was a toddler.

Turin Brakes (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

Another set of familiar faces was the French Canadian Celtic folk group Le Vent Du Nord, who have never failed to woo the crowd with their fantastic musicianship and energetic performances at every festival I’ve seen them at over the years and Cropredy was no exception, as did Breabach.

Braebach (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

Hayseed Dixie, also made a welcome return to Cropredy with their tongue-in-cheek but hugely entertaining selection of Bluegrass arrangements of heavy metal classics.

Hayseed Dixie (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

And then we get to the perennial Cropredy icons: Namely, Richard Thompson, who headlined on the Friday night with a stunning set of solo acoustic RT classics, followed by an equally stunning electric set with some of his old Fairport bandmates. And then, headlining on the Saturday, of course, Fairport Convention themselves.

Fairport Convention – Dave Pegg (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

There has been no new studio album for some while now (2020’s Shuffle and Go) being the last. But the band’s huge back-catalogue of albums and total lack of Top 20 singles means there’s plenty of scope for varying the set-list. It was wonderful to hear a couple of songs from Rising For The Moon  (the band’s final album with Sandy Denny) and Festival Bell (my favourite Fairport album of the modern era).

Ralph McTell (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

While it was a shame Richard Thompson wasn’t available to return the favour from the previous night and do a guest slot with his former bandmates, I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of him next year when it’s the band’s 60th anniversary.

Vikki Clayton (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

In the meantime, we had guest spots from Steve Ashley, Ralph McTell, Vikki Clayton, Jen Butterworth and Anna Ryder to enjoy and by the time ‘Matty Groves’ and ‘Meet on the Ledge’ came we’d had a wonderfully varied delve into Fairport’s eclectic back catalogue.

Til the same time next year!

Fairport Convention – Simon Nicol (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

Related posts:

Interview with Chris Leslie 2026

Interview with Ric Sanders 2025

Interview with Dave Pegg 2025

Interview with Simon Nicol 2024

Live review: Fairport Convention at Union Chapel 2025

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2025

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2024

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2023

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2022

Book review: ‘On Track: Fairport Convention – every album, every song’ by Kevan Furbank

Fairport Convention at Bexhill 2020

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2018

Fairport Convention at Cropredy 2017

Album review – Fairport Convention ‘Come All Ye: The First Ten Years’

Fairport Convention – 50th anniversary gig at Union Chapel 2017

Fairport Convention at Cropredy 2014

Fairport Convention at Union Chapel 2014

Folk: album review – Jon Loomes ‘Dust in the Sun’

Album reviews, Folk music, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

Dust in the Sun by Jon Loomes is presented as a ‘lost’ English folk album, recorded in the long hot summer of 1976.

According to the press blurb: “A troubled artist made a remarkable folk album whose creation was beset by difficulties. Almost immediately, the label collapsed into insolvency. A pressing plant fire destroyed almost the entire original run, after which the album slipped into rumour and half-memory, after which the album slipped into rumour and half memory. Dust in the Sun was long thought lost forever. Miraculously, a single copy arrived into the present day, and the album has now been reissued to mark its fiftieth anniversary.”

This is an all an elaborate scene-setting fiction, of course. Unlike yours truly I doubt Loomes was even old enough to be spending the summer of ’76 tearing around the streets on a chopper bike, let alone recording long lost folk albums.

What the album does do, however, is authentically capture the ambience and repertoire of some of the great folk albums of that era, with an affectionate nod to artists such as Martin Carthy and Nic Jones.

There’s plenty of tried and tested classics from the Trad. Arr. repertoire that seasoned folk fans will be more than familiar with (‘Bonnie Bunch of Roses’, ‘Maid on the Shore’ ‘The Female Drummer’ et al). Yet in spite of the luridly tongue-in-cheek nature of the album’s back-story there is a sincerity and a passion behind Loomes’ interpretations that immediately brings the songs, and their vivid story-telling, to life.

https://jonloomes.bandcamp.com/track/bonnie-bunch-of-roses

Add in some authentic period production, some beautiful accompaniment to Loomes’ vocals and guitar (Rachel Crowther – bass; Tom Kitching – fiddle; Trolsynx – side drum; Rakoczy – English pipes; recorder, concertina; Gill Loomes-Quinn – Dulcimer; and Becky Turner – Uillean pipes) and you have the makings of a genuinely compelling folk album. And for those who are intrigued to find out more about the album’s fictional back-story, there’s even an accompanying novel.

Released: June 2026 https://jon-loomes.com/home