Albert Lee - 21 October 2021

Another chance to see Albert Lee at our local old theatre The Savoy so absolutely not to be missed even in pandemic times. Having seen him in 2017 and 2019 it seems he is on a two year touring cycle despite the fact he will be 78 in December. He came on looking his age and trying to sort out his guitar and setlist. I was wondering about him but as soon as his fingers starting whizzing up and down the frets I relaxed. His set from memory was pretty much unchanged from the last time we saw him here, 'Wheels' and the impeccable 'Luxury Liner' from Gram Parsons, a couple of Rodney Crowell songs, a couple of Crickets songs ('Well All Right' and 'Rocking with Ollie Vee'), 'Tear Stained Letter' from Richard Thompson, 'Highwayman' from Jimmy webb (at the keyboards). Basically he played songs from all the people he had worked with and he had an astonishing career from playing in bars with Don Everley to his time with The Crickets, The Everley Brothers, Gram Parsons and Emmy-Lou Harris and on and on. The only time he seemed less than happy about was the five years touring with Clapton but he let off a brief phrase from Layla at one point as he finished a song. The band were a bassist and drummer whose names I didn't catch and his son Wayne Lee on keyboards ' for the last two weeks of the tour' apparently. All were good but of course the star of the show was Albert and in particular when he let loose in his inimitable fast picking style on 'Luxury Liner', 'Leave My Woman Alone' (Ray Charles), 'Tear Stained Letter', Tear it up' and of course 'Country Boy'. Classy gig - for his age unbelievable.

Karine Polwart - 13 October 2021

Our second of the normally distanced postponed gigs, following Kathryn Tickell and after giving Eddie Reader a miss. As with the last time we saw here she played in a trio with Steven Polwart on guitar and Inge Thompson on Accordion plus a range of other small instruments from electric drums to triangles. The music was somehow both complex and gently soothing at the same time. A blend of simple instrument sounds and voices blended beautifully. The set list was varied and interesting - a lot of songs that Karine wrote or co-wrote but also some covers including a song (probably called 'Heavenly Shore') from Michael Marra, a Scot Hutchinson, Frightened Rabbit song , 'Swim until you can't see Land' and a stupendous version of 'Video Killed the Radio Stars'. The song that most hit home to me was her version of the Sydney Carter classic 'The Crow on the Cradle'. Of her songs 'Follow the Heron Home' was brilliant and she did a 'cover version' of Bruce Molsky's cover version of her own song 'Daisy' which was lovely. Inge's strange solo song was also very enjoyable a mixture of a song featuring unusual singing and voices and a sort of reel or jig. All in all very enjoyable.

Kathryn Tickell - 29 March 2007

I remember the feel of the gig which was very much based on traditional Northumbrian music, I remember the village hall in Wymesold, Leicestershire and I remember her brother, Peter, was in the band as he was wearing a Newcastle shirt but I couldn't place any individual tunes. Kathryn played Norhtumbrian Pipes and also fiddle, Peter played fiddle and guitar and it was a very enjoyable gig. That is all I can say at 14 years distance although I liked it enough to go and see her new band at St Georges a couple of days ago and in that it served me very well.

Kathryn Tickell and the Darkening - 30 September 2021

A first venture to a normally distanced gig after eighteen months of no live music except for the distanced Catrin Finch/Seckou Keita gig in June. More interesting musically than I expected - my previous Kathryn Tickell gig back in 2007 in a village hall in Leicestershire was much more traditional Northumbrian music. At the same time the influences were clearly deeply Northumbrian with much made of her current obsession with Hadrian's Wall and her playing the majority of the tunes on her pipes with a fair amount of fiddle thrown in. The band were excellent and it was a great musical line-up. Amy Thatcher on accordion (and clogs) was outstanding and Steph Conner on keyboards, lyres and vocals had a great voice for the music despite being a late recruitment for the tour. It was impressive how she was integrated into the band with her distinctive approach and also range of lyres. The guitarist/ lute player Kieran Szifris and drummer Joe Trusswell kept up the standard but in essence the gig was centred on the three women concocting a heady mix of ancient and modern Northumbrian influenced music. Memorable songs included Old Stones / Holy Island Jig,O-U-T spells out with its harmonising vocals, Nemesis, a ancient inspired song and also an eighties-style poppy song whose title I forget. And of course the clog dancing which we could really appreciate from the front row just a few short feet away from the action. Not forgetting the beautiful sound of the Northumbrian pipes which much as I love the Scottish bagpipes is in the end the better sounding instrument, unless you're marching off to war.