Eliza Carthy et al 5 April 2026

This was supposed to be a farewell tour for Martin Carthy featuring daughter Eliza but it turned out too late for the 84 year old who wasn't well enough to tour so it was Eliza plus friends playing songs of his. We like Eliza who is an excellent fiddle player and she ran the show which had a complement of six musicians and different line ups for each song. Some of it was bit too hardcore folky for me but Eliza was great throughout. I liked a Waterson:Carthy track whose title I didn't catch and the tunes they played and Tim Van Eyken on melodeon, guitar and vocals was good, Nock Hart was an excellent singer and all in all it was an interesting and enjoyable gig.

David Byrne - 2 March 2026

It is nearly eight years since David Byrne brought his 'Utopia' show to the UK - which was a very different gig ouevre in that all the musicians were untethered and constantly on the move, there were dancers/backing vocalists and the stage was empty of equipment. This show was on the same lines with thirteen performers and the main difference was a huge backdrop video screen(s) adding relevant images. The set list was a nice mixture of songs from the new album and Talking Heads classics. The first song that particularly struck me anew was 'And she was' which was third track in. 'This must be the place', 'Slippery People' and 'The apartment is my friend' (the video was of his apartment in New York) also struck home. The finish was barnstorming stuff - 'Psycho Killer', 'Life During Wartime', 'Once in a lifetime', 'Everybody's Coming to My House' and finally best of all 'Burning Down the House'. Special mention for the long-haired drummer (Tim Keiper? who was also on the 2018 Utopia band), the bassist (Kely Pinheiro?), and dancers/vocalists HannahStraney and Tendayi Kuumba. Vids of ICE terrorising American protesters during 'Life During Wartime' was also spot on. Awesome gig

Marshall Gilmour Webbs - 27 February 2026

I was wondering whether I had been sensible to get tickets for this given that driving to the Acapela on a Friday evening in sheeting rain is not fun but they were outstanding and interestingly different to most bands. All four women are accomplished vocalists in their own right and the inclusion of two harps in the band is always a plus. We saw the impressive Webb sisters when they were backing vocalists (and occasional instrument players ) for Leonard Cohen. Louise Marshall has worked with a list of people way too long to include but most recently as a backing vocalist for Dave Gilmour which is where she got together with the Webbs and with Romany Gilmour. The vocals and harmonies whether acapela or to Hattie Webbs and Romany's harps or Charley Webb's guitar or Louise's keyboards or all of the above were incredible. I don't know the names of most of the songs and there doesn't seem to be a setlist so it's difficult to single out tracks but all were excellent. I did of course recognise 'Great Gig in the Sky' which was much more raucus and full-on compared to the Floyd version and 'Between two points' from David Gilmour's recent album. This track was thge highpoint for me, Romany's voice is perfect for this haunting song and as for the whole gig the harmonies and backing vocals were also perfect. I am really glad we made the effort.

Lucinda Williams - 4 Feb 2026

First gig of the year with good second row seats at The Beacon. Support was Ben de la Cour, a singer songwriter with some darkish themes and a pithy sense of humour. I liked his stuff - his guitar playing was crisp and whilst his singing was mostly subdued he let rip on a song ' The devil went down to Silverlake' and it was good track. I was shocked when Lucindda came on stage as she couldn't walk properly unaided and her left arm was pretty useless and checking later she had a stroke a few years ago. So no guitar this time around (we last saw her in 2016) but just vocals (and songwriting of course) from her. The band was excellent - a guitarist who managed various styles effortlessly (blues, slide, reggae, EC in 'while my guitar...), a spot-on drummer and a seamless bassist. The set featured half a dozen songs from the new album ' World's Gone Wrong'. Of those I really enjoyed 'Low life', 'Black Tears' (a blues number) and 'How much did you get for your soul'. The vibe was quite downbeat which is evident from the titles but that's alt-country for you. Also outstanding of older songs was 'Pineola', 'Drunken Angel' and 'Lake Charles; and without rambling on she also explqained the origin of these and other songs which was interesting. 'Righteously' the final track before the encore was also good and I enjoyed the covers which included 'While my guitar Gently weeps' which the guitarist channeled EC for the solo, and 'Keep on Rockin' in the free World' which finished the gig on a positive note. An excellent gig and I think the last time we'll see LW touring here. That's the fourth time I've seen her over a 17 year period and I've enjoyed all of them immensely.

Jack Hancher - 13 November 2025

Not our usual type of gig but we were given tickets to a classical guitar gig by Jack Hancher, a lunchtime gig at St Georges. His programme was a series of pieces written for the piano translated to guitar pieces but he did end with an actual Spanish guitar composition, Sonata for Guitar by Jose. The other piece I really liked was I think Homenaje Le Tombeau de Claude Debussey by De Falla. An interesting and enjoyable change.

Nosferatu + live music - 5 November 2025

A second version of this magnificent film with live music - this time with various guitars and similar stringed instruments and the occasional harmonica. Chris Green was the musician and he did a brilliant job. He had a well organised array of instruments and projection links and the arts centre in the old chapel was a good place to see it

Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings - 25 October 2025

We've not been to as many gigs as usual this year but having these two (this and Larkin Poe) in the space of a week has been extremely joyful. We'd made the trek to Manchester because this was the first tour they have done in the UK since we last saw them fourteen years ago. From start to finish the gig was exquisite, Dave Rawlings is an extraordinary guitar player and Gillian Welch writes amazing songs and sings and plays guitar and it is a recipe for a great gig. They also had a double bass player on the majority of songs. The first set included 'Empty Trainload of Sky', a beuatiful version of 'North Country', a Ryan Adams cover (To be young (is to be sad, is to be high)), a version of 'Ruby' with supreme guitar playing The second set started off with 'Lawman' from the recent album and that was one of those cases where a song has real impact live and you realise how much you like it for the first time. Actually a couple of tracks later and the trick was more or less repeated with 'Hard Times' It's perhaps mostly that they deliver a live version, paced and subtle that is somehow an improvement on the recording. The penultimate song of the second set was 'I hear them all' segueing into 'This Land is Your Land' which they also did in 2011. The encores were special - the first comprised 'Elvis Presley Blues' and a great version of 'Look at Miss Ohio'. The second started with 'Revelator' which I realised I very much wanted to hear as soon as they started and they threw in a final 'extra', I think based on audience enthusiasm of 'White Rabbit'. Great gig - very glad we made the effort.