Brooks Williams | Cast Theatre, Doncaster | 04.03.21 I’ve always considered it odd, if not nigh on impossible, to review a live gig if you’re not actually there, yet in these wildly extraordinary times, this is precisely the way it goes.  Under normal circumstances, just prior to a show, there would be the mandatory swift … Continue reading Live | 2021

Steve Tilston and Reg Meuross | CAST Theatre, Doncaster | 22.01.20 Three things spring to mind when sitting before such a pairing as Steve Tilston and Reg Meuross, two highly accomplished British singer songwriters; first admiration, followed by satisfaction and then chronic envy. I have great admiration for these two musicians, first and foremost for … Continue reading Live | 2020

Blackbird & Crow | Ailm | Album Review | MIG Music | 04.01.20 We tend to talk a lot about darkness in folk music, as if it was a prerequisite to reflect our current feelings, which are a little on the bleak side, but often the question arises “how dark?”  The opening couple of songs … Continue reading Music Reviews | 2020

Frank Carline | Roots Music Club, Doncaster | 11.01.19 With the last scraps of turkey (or your own particular veggie option) well and truly disposed of and the multitude of tree pines almost completely swept up, together with those resolutions made and broken within minutes of one another, we step tentatively into the New Year … Continue reading Live | 2019

Joe Pisto and Fausto Beccalossi | Interplay | Album Review | Belfagor | 21.01.19 A sort of ‘meeting of the spirits’ featuring Joe Pisto’s informed guitar playing and Fausto Beccalossi’s enchanting accordion flurries. Predominantly instrumental with a few moments of scat vocals, Interplay is a delightful experience, which I imagine could be enjoyed in a … Continue reading Music Reviews | 2019

Martin Hayes Quartet | Howard Assembly Room, Leeds | 27.01.18 It was with a spot of unfortunate programming that I first experienced the gentle music of Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, which happened shortly after the debut appearance of the Afro Celt Sound System at the Cambridge Folk Festival back in 1997.  With ill foresight, … Continue reading Live | 2018

Midnight Skyracer | Fire | Album Review | Self Release | 01.01.18 I was well aware as I faffed about with the settings on my Nikon D5100 that we were steadily losing light on the opening night of the 2017 Cambridge Folk Festival, just after Midnight Skyracer left the club tent, following their rather tastefully … Continue reading Music Reviews | 2018

Normafest 2017 | Whitby Pavilion, Whitby | 07.01.17 A blanket of thick fog hovered above the meandering hillside road leading down to Whitby on Friday afternoon, giving the cliff top’s ancient Abbey an eerie atmosphere that its reputation very much deserves.  The hazy Gothic silhouette majestically peered through the mist as the little seaside town … Continue reading Live | 2017

Aurelio | Darandi | Album Review | Real World Records | 09.01.17 During his thirty-year career in music, Honduras-born musician Aurelio Martinez has become known as the master of Garifuna music, specifically the style known as paranda, which is imbued with infectious and inviting dance rhythms.  His fourth album to date, Darandi, once again features … Continue reading Music Reviews | 2017

The Pitmen Poets | Cast Theatre, Doncaster | 26.01.16 The Cast Theatre in Doncaster provided an ideal venue for this the thirteenth date of the Pitmen Poets’ current eighteen date UK tour, which brings together the combined songs, stories, poems and reminiscences of four noted singers and musicians from the North East of England.  With … Continue reading Live | 2016