Boards
anyone know anything about Show of Hands?
last Sunday, my mum dragged me to a folk gig at the Royal Albert Hall. Not Devendra Banhart folk type stuff, real proper English folk, with BEARDS and FAT MEN and VIOLINS and songs about the countryside and the sea and stuff.
Firstly, I found it astounding that this band has been going for 20 years, can fill the Albert Hall, and I'd never heard of them. Am I alone in this?
Secondly, it was actually pretty great. They had beautiful voices, and the songs were ace, especially the one about Kim Howells and the law preventing performances in pubs without a licence. They had special guests including Tom Robinson, and apparently Nick Cave was in the audience. There were lots of opportunities for clapping and singing along, which was fun, and I didn't feel too out of place despite all the middle-aged teachers and excitingly bearded folkies in the audience. I think I've almost been converted.
So yes. Genuinely uncool English folk, anyone?