Folk Music

Keep forgetting to tag you. ^

Anyone on-here frequent the Lantern Society? Friend took me there quite a few months ago and I really enjoyed the vibe.

No, but it looks right up my street, both as a spectator and potentially keen to play. what's the vibe and standard like?

Standard is mixed, saw some pretty cringy poetry but that might just have been me as everyone else seemed into it. Mixture of people paying a 'set' of a few songs and others trying out new compositions. There is a central crew who take turns in being the lead organiser I think but the vibe stays consistent. My experience has felt like being round at a relaxed house party where those with talent get up and do their thing. Last one I attended turned into a proper knees up while the last act (a young dude with a rock-folk style) played. Also has a bit of a salon feel- good conversations and discussions to be had.

Cheers for this, sounds great, will definitely try and head down to the next one and check it out. On the look out for good folk clubs/sessions etc as would love to find a violinist who's up for playing some folk/bluegrass...

Skulls thanks for posting this did not know about the New Cross Folk Club and was looking for something near since the demise of the Glad.

I see from the Facebook page that Leon Rosselson is ill but Grace Petrie is playing instead

3 words

William
Elliot
Whitmore

Thanks, Gave him a listen. He's ok

Thanks for the heads-up, Adam. I hope Leon gets better soon and can play some other time. Have a good time if you're going!

Hi Zebs thanks for posting that. Think I'll go anyway.

Just remembered this thread. I completely forgot to post here--sorry, in light of the above. I saw Leon Rosselson play at the Poetry Café tonight, a totally lovely evening.

not folk but love it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo-CCYzm_SQ

Off to see This is The Kit tomorrow. She's pretty minimal but mesmerising. My friend Jane's sister.
https://youtu.be/8FY2EO9wjiw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvqvTLKr4_o

It's the Bermondsey Folk Festival today, with the main stage in the Market Square off Southwark Park Road. Free entry. Martin Carthy's playing.

https://www.bermondseyfolkfestival.co.uk/

I should probably have posted this a few days ago.

Anyway, I'll be heading down in a bit. Anyone else going?

Good line up. Lisa Knapp has a lovely voice, Circulus are as mad as a box of frogs, and Martin Carthy, well, he's Martin Carthy.
Off to see Sam Lee next month, and Stick in the Wheel in November. Very much looking forward to both gigs.

Had forgotten this thread. Went to Sidmouth early Aug on hols without realising the folk fest was on.

The torch parade & fireworks finale was fun!

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Good line up. Lisa Knapp has a lovely voice, Circulus are as mad as a box of frogs, and Martin Carthy, well, he's Martin Carthy.

Unfortunately owing to general uselessness in getting going I missed Lisa Knapp and Circulus. I was able to verify that Martin Carthy is indeed Martin Carthy, so all is well with the world.

Then Leon Rosselson in the evening at The Cellar Upstairs--lovely day.

Off to see Sam Lee next month, and Stick in the Wheel in November. Very much looking forward to both gigs.

I saw Sam Lee (& Friends) at Unamplifire in June, the first time I'd seen them, and I thought it was a superb performance.

I've been avoiding Stick in the Wheel, can't think why now.

My band (the embers) played at the after party for Bermondsey Folk Fest at the shortwave cafe. Was a nice little event but I didn't realise Leon Rosselson was playing locally - that wasn't advertised as part of the event, presume it was separate? I saw him at the goose is out in Nunhead earlier this year - always great!

Also, highly recommend Son of Town Hall, who are playing on the 20th at the Old Queen's Head. If you can look past the affected outfits there are some lovely songs/harmonies going on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptlYV068RQM

Aha. Were you in the main room or in the little side room? You weren't the duo (seemingly meant to be a trio but only two were playing at first) whose guitarist broke a string? I was there very briefly but my friends didn't want to stay and I then had to get up to the Calthorpe (where Leon Rosselson was playing)--not exactly local to Bermondsey, but all of 20 minutes by bike.

Did you see Leon at the memorial event for Dave Swarbrick? I missed that, I think I was ill.

Ha, I am the guitarist who broke a string! We were playing with 4 of us (there were two singers) but usually we're 5 - double bass wasn't there.

No, I missed that as well - I saw him as a standalone gig in March I think? So good. Gutted that I had a ticket for Martin Simpson in a couple of weeks but something has come up meaning I'll have to miss it. Always so good! How was Leon on saturday?

Nice coincidence. You sounded good for the brief snatch I was able to watch.

Leon was very good--very politically-minded, talking a lot about Labour, Israel, and Palestine. He played a new song relating to all that, which was excellent. He was also very funny: 'A woman came up to me and asked me to play my song "Penny for the Guy". I'd never written a song called "Penny for the Guy", though. But then she showed me this CD, "Rosselsongs", and there it was. I'd forgotten all about it.'

Leon had some trouble with remembering the lyrics at times but given how many songs he has written and must know and how wordy many of them are, his memory is holding up very well--if I remember this well when I'm his age, I'll be very happy. Martin Carthy forgets lyrics, too, but both of them have more than earned the right.

He can put such excellent sets together without repeating himself much because of his repertoire of good songs. One of my favourite songs of his ('Fair's Fair') is on his latest record (2016). 'Active Ageing' is also very good. He played that when I saw him at the Poetry Café last year.

He does say on the record sleeve that at 81 it's his final recording--that was two years ago. Given that there's already at least one new song and he doesn't really look as if he's in a mood to retire, I really hope it's not his last, after all.

Anyway, I'll make sure to look out for Embers gigs! Unfortunately, I can't make Wednesday--will you be doing anything else in London soon?

Aye, I thought you could really see the years on Martin Carthy during his set on Saturday (especially with his guitar playing, which has always been so certain, staccato and accurate), but exactly as you say, they’ve earned a lot of leeway and still a joy to see them perform now! I’ll keep an eye out for LR’s next gigs…

Ah, no other London plans beyond Wednesday at the moment, we’ve actually had a really busy summer and we want to take some time to finish up and record an EP’s worth of our own stuff before getting back out there….

Haven't been on this thread much in the five years since I discovered Penguin Eggs on teh previous page (I was dooks in a previous life).

Recently stopped playing in a folky band myself having moved out of London. The town i've landed up in, has loads of folk going on but most of it very trad.

I put on a charity gig last year with these dudes who are from here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6KMYthw-38