Flaming June and Fire Up Mary

Over the last couple of years I’ve been getting back into the habit of seeing live music. But most of the gigs I’ve seen recently have been at relatively large venues. I haven’t been going to places like Wembley Arena, but I’ve seen a lot of gigs at places like the Union Chapel and the… Continue reading Flaming June and Fire Up Mary

BBC Four

The always excellent BBC Four has been excelling itself over the last couple of weeks. First there was the Folk Britannia season which looks at the history of British folk music since the 1950s. Then there was Lefties – a series of three programmes about people involved in left wing politics in the 70s and… Continue reading BBC Four

Folk is Cool Again

Well, at least, it is according to an article in today’s Observer. One of the new names to watch that they list is Sheila Chandra. I’m not sure I’d describe her as a new name though. I first heard of her in 1982 when she was the lead singer on Monsoon’s hit single “Ever So… Continue reading Folk is Cool Again

Cambridge Folk Festival

Strange how your priorities change. Ten years ago I’d never have missed the Cambridge Folk Festival. This year I didn’t even register that it was happening. The BBC review makes it sound like it was a lot of fun. And maybe I did subconsciously realise that it was taking place as I’ve been listening to… Continue reading Cambridge Folk Festival