tallfolk

Johnny Flynn & Robert MacFarlane – Bristol Beacon – May

Assumptions are funny things. You might assume that an evening with Johnny Flynn, actor and singer of The Detectorists theme, and Robert MacFarlane, acclaimed nature writer, would be all sun dappled, golden-hued gentleness. You might assume that there would be perfect crop circles and lazy dust motes. At the end of their 90-minute Prog-Folk suite, full ofContinue reading “Johnny Flynn & Robert MacFarlane – Bristol Beacon – May”

Bristol Folk Festival – St Georges – May

What is folk music? Dr Anna Rutherford, Bristol’s busiest polymath and Creative Director of the folk festival, reckons it’s about a feeling, she says that it makes being alive feel better. This weekend Bristol Folk Festival makes that statement impossible to argue with. The sun shone (most of the time) and life felt demonstrably better. Continue reading “Bristol Folk Festival – St Georges – May”

Holy Youth Movement – Strange Brew – May

All of the best rock & roll bands do their homework. Think The Manics and their geek love for The Clash and McCarthy. Think The Ramones’ worship of Nuggets and countless 60s girl groups. Think The Stones paying homage to the Delta. Add to that list Bristol’s Holy Youth Movement, playing their biggest hometown show so far andContinue reading “Holy Youth Movement – Strange Brew – May”

Katherine Priddy – Strange Brew – May

There’s probably some kind of a law that says that you must go and see some folk music on May Day. If there’s not, there should be. It’s fortunate then that Birmingham-born singer-songwriter Katherine Priddy starts her tour on May Day, in Bristol. Her latest album, The Pendulum Swing, is a glorious thing and the combinationContinue reading “Katherine Priddy – Strange Brew – May”

Eliza Carthy and Jennifer Reid – The Folk House – April

Folk music is built on a babble of voices. From storytellers to political orators. From heavenly serenaders to the earthy burr of honesty. From barroom celebrants to diaphanous fairy children. Voices are the thing. Eliza Carthy and Jennifer Reid, playing to a packed Folk House, have two of the finest folk voices that you’ll everContinue reading “Eliza Carthy and Jennifer Reid – The Folk House – April”

Christina Alden & Alex Patterson – Downend Folk & Roots – April

There is something undeniably lovely about the quiet voice that has important things to say. On the first properly Spring-like evening of the year, two fantastic bands were gently insistent and spoke of the beauty around us. Christina Alden, Alex Patterson and The Lost Trades effortlessly showed the best of contemporary folk song. The LostContinue reading “Christina Alden & Alex Patterson – Downend Folk & Roots – April”

The Wandering Hearts – The Fleece – April

Bristol loves a bit of Americana, especially when it comes complete with brilliant songs, beautifully sung. UK Country stars, The Wandering Hearts, and Californian Pearl Charles give a packed Fleece plenty to hold to our hearts. Initially Charles is everything you’d expect a 70s influenced hippy to be. There’s a battered acoustic guitar, a wonderfullyContinue reading “The Wandering Hearts – The Fleece – April”

Longest Johns – Bristol Beacon – April

You can just feel it. The excitement, the anticipation, the jubilation. The Longest Johns are back home and the queue is snaking through the venue, chatting, laughing, drinking. There are people dressed as pirates, there’s a light-up-duck-hat down the front (as usual), there are palm trees on the stage. Bristol Beacon is up for a huge sea-shanty partyContinue reading “Longest Johns – Bristol Beacon – April”

Gadarene – The Folk House – April

Bristol based Folk-dub-jazz-almost-everything-else-in-the-world five piece, Gadarene, are massive festival favourites. It’s not hard to see why. They play infectious, wildly upbeat, wholly instrumental dance tunes that cause feet to twitch, smiles to widen. You’d be forgiven for thinking that a set of sixteenth and seventeenth century instrumentals, featuring fiddle and flute, might be a little bitContinue reading “Gadarene – The Folk House – April”

Hannah James and Toby Kuhn – Downend Folk & Roots – March

Of all the brilliant musicians that have played this wonderful place over the last ten years, there can’t be many who are as constantly, determinedly creative as Hannah James. From extraordinary vocal trio, Lady Maisery, to innovative new-folk with Sam Sweeney, from her Jigdoll Ensemble to an album of accordion and clog dancing with Swedish-Estonian musician TuuklikkiContinue reading “Hannah James and Toby Kuhn – Downend Folk & Roots – March”