Frenchay Village Hall was our comforting beacon as we strode across the common on a wet and windy Friday night, inside ablaze with twinkling fairy lights and packed to the gunnels with friendly faces as a warm aromatic mist rose above the throng, consisting mainly of local ales, cider and indulgent chocolate brownies.
For anyone who has ever had the chance of seeing O'HOOLEY & TIDOW live (including their previous visits to our locality), they would already know that they were in for one of the best musical experiences on the scene, and if new to this duo’s already classic back catalogue, then it would not have taken more than just a few clicks to discover we had some top notch, critically acclaimed, award-winning musical talent in the house.
This turned out to be an evening of journeys and the inspiring stories of ordinary people (with a number of frankly tear-inducing songs about animals). This is what folk music is truly about... us, me and you and the joys and travails of daily life.
They visited us not long in to their new tour (after a recent stint as part of folky super group COVEN) opening their set and very much setting out their creative stall with a tale of gentrification, The Hum. A story of everyday life in a working community, this was about “the sound of the people”... “a group is a heart is a mind is a voice is the hum”. Belinda and Heidi create harmonies that you emotionally float away on and all held together by Belinda’s faultless piano playing, each track delivered as if they were singing just to you in your living room at home.
Colne Valley Hearts talked of their community, a place of “smog stained stone” that “makes us know we’re home”; such a timely song about how welcoming our communities can be to new people, all people, with the line “cold hands, warm hearts” summing up a set of values with the power of their lyrics. Blanket left me and my friends in bits, with tears soaking the floor of the hall; this tale of orphaned elephants at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi was both a vocal harmonic masterpiece and a catalyst to unabashed blubbing. It’s a good thing that they countered this melancholic mood with a rousing song of drinking beer that included a marvellous kazoo set (I say more kazoos!) with the whole audience joyously joining in with the chorus.
There was also a moment of what they described as “Morris Pride”, reaching out to the much maligned morris dancing community in The Pixie. Their song Beryl has received much praise including from the award winning actor Maxine Peake who recently described it as “beautiful and brilliant”, and after hearing this rendition, we all agree with Maxine. Made In England shone a spotlight on our country and its contradictions (“ruby murray, kebab in a hurry”) and challenged head on a rise in bigotry and hate and was met with supportive cheers and whoops from the assembled proletariat. When Belinda played a track from her new solo piano album you could hear a pin drop, inspired by her own Irish heritage, if you weren’t a fan by this stage of the gig you had no soul!
One of the highlights of any O’Hooley & Tidow gig is Gentleman Jack and this was no exception. And to top it off, it’s soon to be the soundtrack for the forthcoming Sally Wainwright BBC/HBO drama starring Suranne Jones.
Our support act for the evening was MIKE WEAVER, who beautifully set the scene for our forthcoming delights early on pricking our tear-ducts with a poignant tale of a dying dog (Chasing Squirrels In The Sky). He, like the main act, gave us touching songs of daily life from a daughter leaving for university to memories of his family Summer holidays in West Wales (Pembrokeshire Fair), all finely accompanied by Mike’s skilful guitar playing.
What an evening in a little hall near Frenchay common… passion, lyrics and music honed by true artisans at the top of their game, and an evening where you laughed your socks off, cried your eyes out and sang at the top of your voice. You can’t ask for more than that.
Words: Nick Smith
Photo: Chris Dobson
Never before has the announcement of a returning act been met with such excitement by South Gloucestershire’s music-lovers as was the news that BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-nominated duo O'HOOLEY & TIDOW would be back at Downend Folk Club in March.
With a personal invite from Billy Bragg to play Glastonbury, sessions on BBC 6 Music and Radio 2, five star reviews and a feature in The Guardian, the songwriting, voice and piano partnership of Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow is regarded as “one of British folk music’s mightiest combinations” (MOJO).
Belinda and Heidi’s boundless songwriting has been described by The Guardian as “exceptional" and The Independent as “defiant, robust, northern, poetical, political folk music for the times we live in.” From an emotionally charged song about an elephant orphanage in Nairobi, to a joyous celebration of the Leeds cycling champion Beryl Burton, they explore, consider and connect subjects and stories in a distinctive, inventive and memorable way.
Having the originality and skill to invite comparison with the most celebrated harmony duos, from early Simon and Garfunkel to the iconic Kate and Anna McGarrigle, 6 Music’s Tom Robinson says “they sing together in the way families do. Normally, you only get that closeness in the voices with family bands like The Coppers or The Watersons.”
Opening the evening’s entertainment will be another friend of the club, MIKE WEAVER. Mike is a singer-songwriter originally from Cheltenham but now living in Worcestershire. He is a writer and illustrator by day, and an acoustic performer by night, and has been compared to James Taylor, Jim Croce and Ralph McTell; thoughtful, lyric-based folk with a mellow hint of country.
Tickets for the event, which takes place at Frenchay Village Hall on Friday 15th March 2019, are available from MELANIE'S KITCHEN in Downend or online HERE. They are priced at £12 each in advance (£10 for members), or £14 on the door. There will be a full bar, stocking Severn Cider, soft drinks, wine, hot drinks and locally-brewed real ale from Hambrook-based GREAT WESTERN BREWING CO., and also locally-made NAUGHTY BROWNIES. There will be a raffle with prizes including CDs, gift boxes of beer and sweet treats. You are encouraged to bring your own glass/mug/tankard/bucket, as well as reusable bottles for water, as part of our drive to be more environmentally aware.
Most of our events sell out, and this one is selling particularly quickly, so please do buy your tickets in advance.
For further information, please find us on FACEBOOK, TWITTER or INSTAGRAM, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
We are thrilled to reveal our rather excellent programme for Summer 2019.
We’ve got something for everyone on the third Friday of every month between May and July. We’ve ticked every box in the broad church that is the folk genre, from astute observational song-writing right through to traditional English folk songs and tunes.
Kicking off the programme on Friday 17th May, is THE DOVETAIL TRIO. Presenting England's traditional songs with a bold and fresh approach, the band explores familiar narratives with infectious energy and a passion for musical heritage. This collaboration effortlessly combines the distinctive voices and acclaimed instrumental talents of BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominee Jamie Roberts, BBC Performing Arts Award winner Rosie Hood, and Newcastle Folk Degree alumnus Matt Quinn. They release their second album this May. The evening's entertainment will get underway with a set from fast-rising local four-piece ROAD NOT TAKEN.
Our June event, on Friday 21st, will be headlined by KITTY MACFARLANE, one of the most exciting singers to emerge on the scene in recent years. Kitty, who has twice performed the support slot at Downend Folk Club, is a songwriter and guitarist from Somerset, whose music is rich with visual imagery and written with an eco-eye. Her highly anticipated debut album Namer Of Clouds, released last September, gathers inspiration from the sky to the seabed. Opening for Kitty will be hotly-tipped Bath-based guitarist and singer LOUIS CAMPBELL.
Rounding off our Summer programme, on Friday 19th July, will be JACK RUTTER. Sheffield-based Jack first graced our stage in January 2017 as part of Moore, Moss, Rutter, but since then his solo career has really taken off and we're thrilled to welcome him back. Still in his mid-20s, Jack is a highly respected singer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist making music within the British folk tradition. His debut solo album Hills, which is a collection of eleven traditional folk songs, has been received with across the board acclaim and recognition. Getting the evening underway will be up-and-coming Bristol-based singer-songwriter ELLIE GOWERS.
Each concert takes place at Frenchay Village Hall, starting at 8.00pm. Doors open at 7.30pm. Tickets are on-sale now HERE. We're also offering the Season Ticket option again, which means you can buy tickets for all three gigs in one go and avoid those pesky booking fees. You can also get tickets from MELANIE'S KITCHEN in Downend.
For any further information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Page 5 of 55