Seth Lakeman, The Robin 2 Club, Bilston, Wolverhampton, 15/10/2013.

As has previously been mentioned on these web-pages I first “discovered” Seth Lakeman’s music way back in 2004 when the then up and coming young folk artist appeared at the Courtyard Arts Centre in Hereford as part of a trio led by Oysterband’s lead vocalist John Jones. The now legendary trio tour also featured Benji Kirkpatrick, later of Bellowhead and a regular contributor to Lakeman’s later albums and tours.

Astute readers will have noted that this was long before Lakeman’s Mercury Music Prize nomination for his second album “Kitty Jay” helped to establish him as the “poster boy of British Folk” and almost catapulted him into the mainstream. “Kitty Jay” had just been released before the Hereford appearance and I recall that this was the first time I witnessed Lakeman performing the title track live, a mesmerising solo feature for voice, violin and stomp box. The tune remains a vital component of Lakeman’s live shows to this day and continues to thrill audiences up and down the land. I also remember buying “Kitty Jay” and the earlier “The Punch Bowl” and have felt rather proprietorial about young Mr. Lakeman ever since, keeping an eye on subsequent albums and enjoying several other live performances at the Big Session Festival, Brecon Jazz Fringe Festival and other local gigs at Brecon and Gloucester.

Around this time last year I reviewed Lakeman’s show at Warwick Arts Centre, a performance that saw his regular touring band of brother Sean Lakeman (guitars, mandola), Ben Nicholls (double bass, banjo, concertina, Jew’s harp) and Cormac Byrne (bodhran, cajon, percussion) augmented by the singing and playing of guest artist Lisbee Stainton. 

Stainton opened for Lakeman on his European tour in 2011 and had made such an impression that she was invited back to perform WITH the Lakeman group rather than merely supporting them. Stainton is an accomplished singer, guitarist and songwriter herself, something of a rising star with three solo albums already under her belt and a fourth, “Word Games”,  due for release in November 2013.  Once again my thanks go to Lisbee’s father and manager Clive Stainton for arranging my tickets for tonight’s event.

On this tour I was torn between attending the shows at Bilston and Brecon, the latter in the town’s excellent Theatr Brycheiniog, a venue at which I’d attended a Lakeman show back in 2010. Ultimately I decided on the Robin, having experienced a theatre show at Warwick last time out I felt that the energy that so typifies a Seth Lakeman performance would be better served by the genuine rock club ambience of the Bilston venue with the musicians playing in front of a standing audience. This proved to be a good call, the event was well attended with an enthusiastic audience of music fans proving to be refreshingly immune to the rival temptations of England’s World Cup qualifying match with Poland. (I’m a fan really, I just watched the recorded highlights of a 2-0 England victory before writing this).

Also this turned out to be arguably the best of all the Lakeman shows that I’ve seen over the years, well paced and with a greater sense of dynamic range and emotional light and shade than has sometimes been present in the past. Also the live sound was excellent, this was my third show at the Robin this year, the others being throwbacks to my prog rock past, gigs by Caravan and Van Der Graaf Generator which I attended as a paying punter.  The point is that the sound at all these events was pretty much immaculate, which hasn’t always been the case here in the past. Either the Robin has upgraded its acoustics or the sound men have upped their game, but whatever the reason well done everybody.

Fast forward a year from the Warwick show and it’s clear that the Lakeman band have kicked on with singer and multi instrumentalist Stainton becoming more fully integrated into the group sound. Also Lakeman has a new album, “Word Of Mouth”, scheduled for release in February 2014.  We were offered a preview of several of the songs from this project tonight and on the evidence of what we heard the new album promises to be bit of a corker. Yes, we heard plenty of Seth’s “hits” too but overall this was a significantly different show to the one at Warwick, Lakeman isn’t one of those artists who is prepared to churn out the same set year after year although I think the set list was probably much the same on every night of this particular tour.   

Lakeman’s most recent album, the entirely self played “Tales From The Barrel House” released on his own Honour Oak Records imprint, represented a return to his folk roots after the rock leanings of the earlier “Hearts & Minds” (2010). To these ears “Tales..” also represented something of a return to form, an impression confirmed by the Warwick show. The album is a celebration of the lost occupations and crafts of Lakeman’s native West Country and tonight’s show began with the evocative sounds of “The Blacksmith’s Prayer” with Seth on mandola and Sean on guitar as Byrne replicated the sound of hammer on anvil and Nicholls contributed grainy, eerily bowed bass. 

Lakeman’s music is often intensely rhythmic with deep folk grooves generated by the leader’s tenor guitar augmented by brother Sean’s insistent chording, Nicholls’ deep bass resonances and Byrne’s hard driving bodhran, cajon and percussion. “Take No Rogues” from Seth’s “Freedom Fields” album upped the energy levels and incorporated a succinct Nicholl’s bass solo, just for a minute I thought I was at a jazz gig!

Seth summoned Lisbee Stainton to the stage and the pair shared the singing on the lovely ballad “The Sender” from the new “Tales…” album. The song is sung from the point of view of letters exchanged between two lovers. Stainton’s evocative harmony vocals have become an increasingly important part of the band sound and her presence shed new light on a number of Seth’s songs. Here the harmonising of the two singers was enhanced by the atmospheric sound of Nicholls’ bowed bass.

“Solomon Browne”, an account of the Penlee lifeboat disaster of 1981 has long been a staple of Lakeman’s live sets. It’s intriguing to hear a folk song that relates to a relatively contemporary event, something still within living memory. Lakeman has been accused of insensitivity and of somehow “cashing in” on the disaster. It’s not a view I subscribe to, songwriters should be free to tackle uncomfortable subjects, for me popular song should be more confrontational and less “moon in June”, and besides Lakeman has played fund raising gigs for the RNLI. As I’ve observed previously Lakeman is not an overtly political songwriter but there’s a subtle left wing agenda about many of his songs, particularly on those that celebrate the lives, skills and labours of the working men and women of the West Country and beyond. Here Seth played mandola with Stainton augmenting the group on banjo and harmony vocals.

Seth’s solo fiddle and voice set pieces have always been central to his live performances. The fast and furious “Lady Of The Sea” and “Kitty Jay” were to appear later in the set but the new “Portrait Of My Wife” offered a different perspective on the form. Scheduled to appear on the forthcoming “Word Of Mouth” album this was a brooding lament that depicted Lakeman at his most sensitive and vulnerable. The audience listened with rapt attention and obviously loved it.

Also from the forthcoming album “The Courier” , a kind of road song, which featured the drones of Stainton’s harmonium and Nicholls’ concertina, the music driven by Byrne at his battery of drums.

The “White Hare”, a former single and a perennially popular Lakeman song returned us to more familiar territory as Lakeman on tenor guitar and vocal and Stainton on banjo and vocal duetted delightfully. This proved to be the sweetener for another new song, the sinister “The Tiger” with its harmonium drones and hypnotic double bass and drum rhythms, the lyrics appearing to address an incident in the Second World War,

The core quartet romped their way through the energetic “The Hurlers” with Seth leading the way on violin. However in a show that was finely judged in terms of contrasts and variations of pace Lakeman slowed things down again to perform “Apple Of His Eye” on pizzicato violin accompanied by the now familiar drone of harmonium and concertina, the lyrics an affectionate paean to the art of cider making.

“The Last Rider” represented the last item from the forthcoming album, another strong song that saw Byrne’s percussion imitating hoof beats and which closed with the rousing harmony singing of Lakeman, Stainton and Nicholls.

From now on in it was pretty much a string of “hits”, proven crowd pleasers from the Lakeman back catalogue. The powerful and sinister “Blood Red Sky” from “Poor Man’s Heaven” represented a re-telling of the Reynardine myth.

From “Freedom Fields” “The Colliers” told the tale of the 1934 Gresford Mining Disaster in North Wales. Adopted from a broadsheet ballad versions of the song have also been recorded by Ewan McColl, Alex Campbell, The Hennessys and the Albion Band. In Lakeman’s hands like the similar “Solomon Brown” it has become an audience participation number, the “Hold You Fire” chorus an easy one for the audience to take command of.

“Lady Of The Sea” proved to be a duet with Seth’s violin,vocal and stomp box offered added rhythmic impetus by Byrne’s bodhran. The tune mutated into “High Street Rose”, a kind of hoe down as the rest of the band returned with Stainton on banjo and with this section crowned by an explosive Byrne percussion feature. The impish Irishman was allegedly fighting the effects of a hangover but you’d never have noticed.

Nicholls’ solo bass introduced the penultimate song which I think was “The Mariners” from Lakeman’s very first album “The Punch Bowl”, from way back in 2002. Inevitably the set ended with “Kitty Jay”, the intro and outro given a fresh twist but with the body of the song still provoking the crazed audience reaction of yore.

This had been an excellent show delivered by a group of musicians fully on top of their game and an encore was inevitable. First the quartet returned to play “Blood Upon Copper”, with Seth on fiddle and Nicholls on banjo. Stainton then returned to provide banjo on a fast and furious “Race To Be King” as Nicholl’s switched to Jew’s harp.

After all these years I’ve still not tired of the Seth Lakeman live experience. A force of nature Lakeman adds energy and passion to impressive vocal and instrumental skills and he has a trusted and well drilled band who are fully attuned to his vision and are playing better than ever with Stainton adding a welcome new voice to many of the songs.. Band members may drift on and off stage but Seth is a constant presence throughout, a model of full on commitment for the hour and half he graces centre stage. If the England football team demonstrate the same levels of skill, commitment and stamina in Brazil next summer we’ll do alright. 

Earlier in the evening support was provided by the acoustic duo Winter Mountain. Part of the Lakeman extended family they’ve supported Seth in the past and are signed to Charcoal Records , the label run by Sam Lakeman and Cara Dillon. Sam Lakeman produced their eponymous début album and following this tour they’re set to go out on the road supporting Cara Dillon.

Winter Mountain is comprised of guitarist/vocalist Joe Francis from St. Agnes, Cornwall, and Marty Smyth from Donegal, Ireland. Rather improbably they met in Chicago when both were back packing around America, struck up an instant musical friendship and have been writing and performing songs ever since. Smyth’s Irish roots led to the connection with Cara Dillon, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Francis and Smyth write quality original material and their vocal harmonies make them sound like a Celtic Simon and Garfunkel, an influence they openly acknowledge alongside that of the Everley Brothers, the Beatles, Crosby, Stills & Nash and other acts noted for their harmony singing. With the tall Smyth solely on vocals and with the shorter Francis on voice and guitar they even look a little like S & G.

Their set mixed tracks from the album with newer songs and included “The Storm”, “Sweet River”  and the euphoric new composition “We Are The Lucky Ones”. The duo were at pains to point out that the highly romantic album track “Stronger When You Hold Me” has been played as a first dance at numerous weddings. They signed off with the album’s “Shed A Little Light”, an arresting, anthemic song that actually kick starts the album.

Overall I was very impressed with the singing and playing of Winter Mountain who got the evening off to a fine start. The rest of the crowd enjoyed them too and there were even a few scattered shouts for an encore, which in fairness they probably deserved. I had feared that they’d be playing to next to nobody as everyone crammed into the bar to watch the football but instead a large, appreciative and attentive crowd gave them a very good reception. These support slots will bring them to the attention of a lot of people and will give their confidence a considerable boost. I predict a bright future for Winter Mountain but it’s likely to be a long term process rather than an overnight success. 

Remaining dates on the Seth Lakeman tour are;

17.10.2013 BEDFORD The Corn Exchange
18.10.2013 BURY Drill Hall
25.01.2014 DUBLIN The Temple Bar TradFest
31.01.2014 GLASGOW Celtic Connections

Meanwhile Lisbee Stainton will be touring the UK with her band in November 2013 in support of the impending album “Word Games”. Tour dates are listed below;

07NOV13
BROMSGROVE
Artrix Theatre
(with special guest
Eleanor McEvoy)

08NOV13
DURHAM
Gala Theatre
(with special guest
Eleanor McEvoy)

09NOV13
LEEDS
City Varieties Music Hall
(with special guest
Eleanor McEvoy)

10NOV13
CANTERBURY
The Gulbenkian Theatre
(with special guest
Eleanor McEvoy)

12NOV13
HEREFORD
The Courtyard
(with special guest
Eleanor McEvoy)

13NOV13
BURY ST EDMUNDS
The Apex
(with special guest
Eleanor McEvoy)

14NOV13
CHESHAM
The Elgiva Theatre
(with special guest
Eleanor McEvoy)

15NOV13
SOUTHPORT
The Atkinson
(with special guest
Eleanor McEvoy)

19NOV13
LONDON
Cecil Sharp House
(with special guest
Eleanor McEvoy

blog comments powered by Disqus