Blog

Occasional observations, insights, ramblings and reporting

Bandoggs – Forgotten Favourites #7

An occasional series on buried treasure for the ears The memory haunts me still. 1979, a Friday evening, at The General Elliot in South Hinksey — a folk club that, in the few years I loitered there, foster-parented Jumpleads, Magpie Lane, The Mellstock Band, and...

Moving Hearts – Forgotten favourites #5

I do like a big band. Nothing quite like one for rousing the blood, when the brass section kicks in and the fiddles all march in time. Home Service, Eliza Carthy’s Wayward Band, Salsa Celtica, Bellowhead.  And the Irish one, Moving Hearts. The Hearts came together in...

Battle of the Field — Forgotten favourites #4

An occasional series on rediscovered treasures Recorded in 1973 -- but the band broke up as soon as it was finished, the members going separate ways to new projects. It was eventually released (slightly modified) three years later, by which time it had acquired Lost...

Hand of Kindness – Forgotten favourites #3

An occasional series on rediscovered treasures 1983’s Hand of Kindness is the second of Richard Thompson’s first solo albums; Henry the Human Fly after he left Fairport, this one after the break-up with wife Linda. It’s hard to pick a favourite RT — so many mean so...

Past, Present & Future — Forgotten favourites #1

An occasional series on rediscovered treasuresSomehow the old favourites fell short; too familiar for unfamiliar times. Crown of horn (Martin Carthy); Penguin eggs (Nic Jones); Handful of earth (Dick Gaughan); Led Zeppelin’s Four symbols. Not even Sergeant Pepper or...

My first folk club

Originally printed in Tykes’ News, Spring 2019 Folk music discovered me just before The Sex Pistols; by the time they arrived, I was lost in a world of angular tunes and collarless shirts. I started to go to folk clubs while at university, so there are three that I...

Vital vinyl

First printed in Keighley News, on behalf of Airedale Writers’ Circle, August 2018 Highlight of a busy Saturday at Bradford Literary Festival was a talk by the music journalist David Hepworth, long-time familiar face from the much-missedThe Old Grey Whistle Test. OGWT...

Listen carefully (I shall say this only once)

I play in a band, sometimes. Clogiron. We only do two or three gigs a year: fund-raisers, parties and such-like; and we play stuff Dads can dance to. It’s terrific. Get together with a bunch of mates, strap on the Telecaster, turn it up loud, and pretend to be 17 all...