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.
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter