Category: Live Reviews

Live Reviews, News

After 20 groundbreaking albums, Martin is still the undisputed champion

by Micktems • 21st September 2017 • 0 Comments

MARTIN SIMPSON: Roots Unearthed, L3 Lounge, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, September 19, 2017 There’s one thing better than a Martin Simpson long-awaited album, and that is seeing him performing live – in the flesh, alone, with no safety net. The L3 Lounge was packed out in the first of the Roots Unearthed autumn, winter and…

Josienne, Ben and the Mavrons make such beautiful music together

by Micktems • 19th September 2017 • 0 Comments

JOSIENNE CLARKE & BEN WALKER, THE MAVRON QUARTET: Folk Prom, Roots Unearthed, L3 Lounge, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, July 24, 2017 It was the annual Summer Proms at St David’s Hall, and the Roots Unearthed series staged a very special and unique Monday night concert: the mesmerising voice and songwriting of Josienne Clarke and Ben…

Stacey, Helina and Jordan: A match made in heaven

by Micktems • 15th August 2017 • 0 Comments

ELFEN: Llantrisant Folk Club, Pontyclun Athletic Club, July 26, 2017 It’s Summer and the folk scene’s Silly Season, and most clubs go on their extended holidays and don’t start again until September – which makes it all the more remarkable that spectacular trio Elfen played to a crowded room, and Llantrisant Folk Club organisers had…

Hats off to the wonderful Spooky Men, and a chorus of praise for Taberner

by Micktems • 26th July 2017 • 0 Comments

THE SPOOKY MEN’S CHORALE: St David’s Hall, Cardiff, July 12, 2017 Sometimes it seems to me that there is something in my subconscious that, when going to gigs for review, says: “Do that one – traffic will be a nightmare that day”. In the past I’ve tried to get to Bristol on the day a…

Hey, Rachel: Please come back again…

by Micktems • 29th June 2017 • 0 Comments

THE RACHEL NEWTON BAND: Roots Unearthed, L3 Lounge, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, June 27, 2017 Folk Awards multi-winner Rachel Newton has chalked up many impressive plaudits as a founder member of all-woman band The Shee and harper with The Furrow Collective and The Emily Portman Trio, so she’s not a stranger to South Wales. However,…

It’s the end of a glittering road for Barry, Jim and Lester

by Micktems • 11th May 2017 • 0 Comments

COOPE BOYES AND SIMPSON: Roots Unearthed, Lefel 3, St David’s Hall, Cardiff: May 9, 2017 Barry Coope, Jim Boyes and Lester Simpson – three Yorkshire and Derbyshire singers with names that resembled a firm of solicitors – came together in 1990, the core of the Derby-based ceilidh band Ramsbottom; they sing close-harmony acapela in an…

Homecoming celebration for The Queen Of Harps and The Kora King

by Micktems • 30th April 2017 • 0 Comments

CATRIN FINCH & SECKOU KEITA: Acapela Studio, Pentyrch, April 28, 2017 They have toured in Wales, the United Kingdom, Europe and all the world over, clinching the fRoots Album Of The Year award for Clychau Dibon and being nominated as Best Duo and Best Traditional Track in the Radio 2 Folk Awards; international harpist Catrin…

Nancy’s special style has the fans calling for more

by Micktems • 27th April 2017 • 0 Comments

NANCY KERR & THE SWEET VISITOR BAND: Roots Unearthed, Lefel 3, St David’s Hall, April 25, 2017 Nancy Kerr is a visionary songwriter and an exciting, effervescent fiddle musician, who is the proud possessor of a mesmerising voice. She is the daughter of London-born singer-songwriter Sandra Kerr and Northumbrian piper Ron Elliott, and she inherited…

Máire and Chris serve up sheer gold of the highest quality

by Micktems • 17th April 2017 • 0 Comments

MÁIRE NÍ CHATHASAIGH & CHRIS NEWMAN: Llantrisant Folk Club, Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club, March 15, 2017 One of my greatest regrets was that I missed a rare appearance of the The Casey Sisters at this year’s The Gathering Irish traditional festival in Killarney; circumstances conspired against us, and we remained in South Wales while Máire,…

Gigspanner: an amazing unique concert to relish and remember

by Micktems • 19th March 2017 • 0 Comments

PETER KNIGHT’S GIGSPANNER: Rumney Folk Club, March 17, 2017 Peter Knight is an absolutely phenomenal player on the violin. For all these years, Peter and the successful, storming Steeleye Span were inseparably linked; but since he left Steeleye six years ago, Peter has dreamed of leading a compact trio which could explore and experiment with…