Posted by John McCart
Folk and Tumble
The Black Box, Belfast15th March 2019 This show sold out weeks in advance and it was a packed room that awaited the long-awaited return to Belfast of Rhiannon Giddens. In fact, legend has it that her first appearance outside of the USA was a Real Music Club Show in The Errigle, Belfast several years ago. […]
Posted by John McCart
Folk and Tumble
Tom Russell is a bit of a legend in these parts. His shows in the Errigle Inn and Flowefield Arts Centre live long in the memories of those who were lucky enough to catch him killing packed houses with his top drawer song writing and captivating stage presence. It’s sometimes difficult to bottle the essence […]
Posted by John McCart
Folk and Tumble
Sunday 17th February 2019 Another hugely successful and enjoyable night for Anthony Toner in the Lyric. He is on a roll. Mr Toner is a man of many talents and is currently available in a number of formats. Sometimes playing two handed alongside the poet Frank Ormsby, then switching to strutting a mean slide guitar […]
Posted by John McCart
Folk and Tumble
Come back Bert Jansch. Jason misses you. London based Jason McNiff delivers a homage to Bert Jansch and the “golden era of the coffeehouse troubadour” on ‘Joy and Independence’ his 6th album. It’s a stripped back work; vocals, guitar and a little bit of keyboard interspersed with sparse fiddle here and there. ‘Joy and Independence’ consists of twelve […]
Posted by John McCart
Folk and Tumble
‘The Joy of Living’ by Jackie Oates is indeed a joy from first note to last. This is the seventh album from the English folk singer, who’s probably best known for her work as a member of the folk collective The Imagined Village. The album emerged from a mix of joyful and difficult personal circumstances. […]
Posted by John McCart
Folk and Tumble
Eastside Arts Festival Big Top Saturday 11th August 2018 Is there something about performing in tents in Belfast which appeals to Camille O’Sullivan? In May this year, she played the Custom House Square Marquee as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. Further back, many still have fond memories of an outstanding night in the […]
Posted by John McCart
Folk and Tumble
This is a proper record. In every sense. Acclaimed singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters released ‘Dancing With The Beast’ in late May. It follows on from ‘Blackbirds’, which was rightly hailed as an outstanding recording. ‘Dancing With The Beast’ equals or maybe even surpasses her previous work. It isn’t a bundle of laughs or full of catchy […]
Posted by John McCart
Folk and Tumble
At the risk of being accused of pretentiousness, is there a touch of the Paddy Kavanagh developing in Matt McGinn, the rural Irish artist commenting on both local and world events and finding them interlinked. Kavanagh’s March Ditch reflections on a local boundary dispute while Nation States carve up Europe might not be out of […]
Posted by John McCart
Folk and Tumble
This is very interesting work. Mary Gauthier is rightly regarded as one of the major contemporary singer-songwriters. Don’t take my word for it, Bob Dylan, who knows a thing or two about the subject, rates her as a serious operator. Songs such as ‘I Drink’ and ‘Mercy Now are timeless masterpieces with not a spare […]