The siblings Mike, Lal and Norma Waterson, and her husband Martin Carthy, kick-started the 60’s folk revival, and Martin and Norma’s daughter Eliza Carthy is the hidden engine of English Traditional music’s current resurgence. All participated in an augmented line-up of the Waterson clan, minus the late Lal, standing twelve strong along the lip of the Royal Albert Hall Stage in an evening that veered wildly from impossible intimacy to a strange stiff formality. There’s a weight of expectation now around The Watersons, the genre’s standard-bearers, and everyone needs to be seen to bathe in the first family of English Folk’s healing river of song.
Mike Morris of the English Folk Dance And Song Society opened the evening with a proprietory speech, bashing Kim Howells, the Clarkson-brained junior minister for Culture, who desribed folk singers as his idea of hell during a debate on live music. The former Undertone and current Government Live Music Czar Feargal Sharkey arrived to tell the John Peel anecdote he reserves for special occassions. Norma Waterson, however, cleared away all this clutter with an unforced between-song banter and easy attitude, that made the RAH’s cavernous interior feel like the Hull folks clubs she first frequented forty-five years ago.
When the family sing unaccompanied as one, indefinable, instinctive harmonies buzz your inner ear and your internal organs shift position. And when Eliza Carthy’s fiddle soars and scrapes behind her father Martin’s vocal on The Bonny Bows Of London the hall’s often antagonistic acoustics somehow enhance the claustrophobic tension. Two songs from Mike and Lal’s initially derided 1972 masterpiece, Bright Phoebus, show the current crop of Wyrd-folkies how to mainline visionary mysticism. And Martin Carthy’s horn-enhanced quartet Brass Monkey play their party piece, The Maid And The Palmer, forging a fantastic Colliery band-jazz-folk fusion.
Meanwhile that same night, in far away Finland, our nation was represented by four excitable youngsters crowbaring suggestive references to oral sex into a song about an imaginary British air line.
That’s my idea of hell.
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012