Richard Hawley

The Railsplitters supported by Bakerfield. First up were local duo Bakerfield - Loraine Baker and her husband Pete Wakefield have been playing music for yonks - I know them through our paths crossing many times on the Cajun scene and the fact that they live locally and attend quite a few of the Biddulph gigs. Their set is a polished mixture of roots and singer-songwriter covers and originals. Pete's retiring from the police in 6 weeks so hopefully they'll be able to gig more:

The whole gig was broadcast live over the internet by Fat Pigeon Live in cooperation with Biddulph Up In Arms, which meant that there was an audience much wider than the sold out upstairs room of the Biddulph Arms. As seems to be de-rigeur with bluegrass players the band were absolutely top notch vocalists and musicians - add to that Lauren Stovall's fine, distinctive vocals and a well-paced set and it was a superb night out.
Here's the whole thing:


Pics:




If you fancy an acoustic gig with us Mr H....?

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..and then I took in a local gig with The King's Pistol (gothic-folk-noir-rock-ish) and Don't call me Ishmael (Just good).

The King's Pistol

Don't call Me Ishmael

Then it was off to snowy Munich to see the Mavericks:



The Freiheiz is a cracking venue - an old factory with great acoustics, in a new-build/reclaimed area of the city. After the gig I ended up in a nearby hotel with some newly made German and American friends and The Mavericks' lead singer Raul Malo, until the early hours...

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Morrissey in Newcastle last night, mostly the new material, not much Smiths, a bit of previous solo work, still puts on a good show, not very chatty but seemed to enjoy it.

Yes - I saw Moz too. A competent performance with little audience banter. It was enjoyable and the band were superb, but I've experienced better atmosphere at his gigs.

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Last Gig Morrissey at the Glasgow Hydro, next gig Bryan Ferry at the Usher Hall Edinburgh

I was on photo duty for Edgelarks (Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin) in Biddulph last night. Another live internet streaming with too!

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Last night it was "Get off my tree!" at Sheffield City Hall ballroom. Left Sheffield at 5am this morning to go to The Photography Show in Birmingham. Tomorrow - rail cancellations notwithstanding - I'm off to Leeds to see Dale Watson & the Lone Stars.

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Rod Picott in Biddulph last night with support from Hope in High water:

Rod said hi to Andrew, Craig and Maggie!

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That Rod Picott - nuthin' but trouble - we had him play in the cage at the Davenham International Indoor Arena

So, after Rod Picott on Wednesday, I took in local musical friends Wilcox:Hulse on Thursday, followed by Emily Capell on Friday in Manchester, the Boss Caine album launch in York on Saturday and Hannah & Stewart Johnson at the Roebuck in Leek on Sunday... five gigs in five days.

Wilcox:Hulse at the Artisan Tap, Newcastle-under-Lyme

Emily Capell at Jimmy's in Manchester (I really like how this came out)

Boss Caine at the Crescent Community Centre in York

And Hannah & Stewart Johnson at the Roebuck in Leek...


Next - Bob Log lll at the Foxlowe in leek on Wednesday.

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Bob Log lll - a guy wearing a sparkly onesie, a crash helmet with an old phone receiver as a microphone playing thrashy, distorted punky blues might well be the best midweek night out you could have in a local arts centre. Mad as a brush but an incredible showman. Proper outsider stuff. Support from Thomas Truax - he invents instruments and creates weird - I suppose what you would label "anti-folk" music. Bizarre, but accessible.





After that, I played a private party with my band, Elvis Fontenot down in Cambridge and tomorrow we're on at Nantwich jazz and Blues Festival. After that, it's Jarvis Cocker in Liverpool on Wednesday.

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After not gigging for nearly three months it was good to blow the cobwebs off the Marc Savoy accordion and Tee Don Landry frottoir....

Friday we played a private do in Cambridge then easter Sunday we played Nantwich jazz & Blues Festival. I managed to get a few shots of my friends in the Jake Leg Jug band -they play swing, hokum, ragtime type jazz. (I've depped with them a couple of times)



Next for me, in the never-ending pursuit of music is Jarvis Cocker in Liverpool.

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Bit late (eleven years late) with this, but I found some files on my hard drive that i hadn't processed from the 30th August 2007 show at the Sugarmill in Stoke:

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Jarvis Cocker at Williamson Tunnels in Liverpool - 10 songs + 1 encore, loads of banter and a very entertaining night in a bizarre venue. There was a sign saying no phones or photos, but I genuinely didn't see it until after the gig...


Next - Orphan Colours at the Artisan Tap Newcastle-under-Lyme, followed by the Rambling Roots Revue in High Wycombe this weekend.

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Had a great weekend with friends old and new at the Ramblin' Roots Festival of country/Americana and roots music in High Wycombe. Highlights for me were Felix Holt & the Radicals and Bennett Wilson Poole, who are basically the Byrds reincarnated.

Big Steve of The Arlenes:

Tony Poole of Bennett, Wilson, Poole:

Saturday's headliners, Danny & the Champions of the World:

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