North East Folk Music: Reviews, News and What's On with Jez Lowe. Folk Music Gig Listings

IN a week that started with the glitz and glamour of the Oscars, folk fans now get a chance to see one of the more offthe- wall British films of the last few years at Darlington Arts Centre next Monday.

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March 4, 2010

11:00am Thursday 4th March 2010

THERE’S a lively week of folk activity in store for us in the region, as ever, with highlights that include current hot favourite Seth Lakeman at Gateshead’s Sage on Saturday evening.

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February 25, 2010

11:19am Thursday 25th February 2010

FOLK music jumped back into the mainstream last week, with an early morning appearance by serial BBC Folk Award winners Show of Hands on Breakfast TV, and then bbc Radio 2 DJ Simon Mayo trumpeting his love of all things folk in the columns of the Daily Telegraph.

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February 18, 2010

12:04pm Thursday 18th February 2010

FOLK fans are well served this week with the usual varied list of performers visiting the area – varied in styles but never in quality and entertainment value. A popular group who have taken to describing themselves as a “folk boyband”, Maukin-Causley are in the region for concerts at Stockton’s Arc tonight and Washington’s Davy Lamp on Saturday. Also tonight, Skelton’s Duke William has The Otterby band as their main attraction, while tomorrow night my fellow Bad Penny Kate Bramley is centre stage at Guisborough’s Cricket Club. Saturday’s choice also includes Bob Fox and George Welch at Tyneside’s new regular folk venue The Saville Exchange in North Shields, and an all-star line up at Sedgefield Cricket Club featuring The Haley Sisters and The John Wrightson Band. Monday at Stockton’s Sun Inn features a pairing of Richard Grainger and Chris Parkinson for a night of local songs and tunes. Meanwhile, we have our first festival of the year, the Winter Warmer Weekend at Kirkby Fleetham, just off the A1 in North Yorkshire. The impressive line-up includes Ruth Notman, the Hall Brothers, Brian Peters, Dave Gibb and Hamish Currie, plus a huge cast of local singers and dancers to keep the whole thing going from Friday night and beyond. Finally, next Wednesday, Gateshead’s Sage is host to Fairport Convention as part of their annual tour, with the added spice of a support slot from Flossie Maliaville and Keith Donnelly. I’m travelling far and wide as usual, but can be contacted at jez@jezlowe.com for all the folk that’s fit to print.

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February 11, 2010

11:08am Thursday 11th February 2010

THIS week we get the chance to hear some of the region’s finest yet often unheralded folk acts, as they take the spotlight around the clubs. Tonight Steve Dawes and Helen Pitt are at Darlington Arts Centre, with a wide selection of traditional songs, and tomorrow we have a choice of innovative multiinstrumentalist Jon Loomes at Henshaw’s in Knaresborough and a great double bill at Reeth’s Memorial Hall featuring Northumbrian duo Landermason and Tyneside songwriter Gareth Davies- Jones.