2021 Gigs

HOME 2021 FAMILY CORONAVIRUS LAKES NORFOLK PROJECTS GIGS MISCELLANEOUS

At the start of 2021 we were still in lockdown, so all our gigs were streaming events. But in June we felt we were protected enough from our second vaccination to be able to risk going to gigs again. Amazing. The first one was the Rheingans Sisters, and then the one day Folk By The Oak Festival. The first gig back was really emotional, particularly just as the house lights went down!

During the first half of the year we watched loads of paid online gigs, to try and help artists struggling with loss of earnings. We saw many of our favouries: Trish Clowes, Lucy Farrell, Leveret, The Askew Sisters, Jim Moray, Lady Maisery, Karine Polwart - to name but a few. We also discovered some new names. After watching the online Celtic Connections we discovered Rachel Sermanni and Katherine Priddy, both amazing songwriters, and at Folk By The Oak we were really impressed with Kitty MacFarlane. We have CDs now from all of them, and a new CD shelf had to be built!

Once we started going out to gigs we saw Maz O'Connor, Kitty MacFarlane again, Karine Polwart, McGoldrick McCusker and Doyle, Cara Dillon, Usher's Island, Katherine Priddy again and Mike managed to get to a special Lucy Farrell gig recording a concert destined as promotion for her new album!

Some of the online gigs were really special. In particular The Orchestra Of The Swan 'Timelapse'concert with Trish Clowes guesting. Amazing! We watched it twice it was so good. Also memorable were Kate Rusby's online 'Hand Me Down' concert, featuring songs from her album of covers, and also This Is The Kit from The Barbican. And Sam Sweeney of course! The list could go on...

Of the live gigs, the most moving were the early ones, particularly Kate Rusby's set at Folk By The Oak where she received a rapturous standing ovation. Tears were shed...

The Rheingans Sisters at The Cambridge Junction. Our first gig since March 2020. Very emotional, especially as the lights went down...

The Folk By The Oak Festival at Hatfield House in July 2021. Our second live gig since the pandemic started.

The 12 Ensemble playing Max Richter's Vivaldi Recomposed.

Andy Cutting and Martin Simpson - streaming. A great combination.

Bella Hardy

Andy Irvine

Cara Dillon - in actual real life! At the Cambridge Junction.

Christy Moore. Amazing as usual.

Breabach

Ben Gibbard - Death Cab For Cutie

Dinosaur, with trumpeter Laura Jurd.

Lovely to see Emily Portman again after so long.

Folk By The Oak.

Kate Rusby at Folk By The Oak. The standing ovation brought tears to our eyes (not just ours).

Queuing safely at Folk By The Oak.

The Folk On Foot "Love" Festival, online. Look at that lineup!

Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts.

Rob Harbron solo!

The Hallé Orchestra with Jess Gillam.

Lady Maisery.

The Sam Sweeney Band on Live To Your Living Room.

Ushers Island, at King's Place. John Doyle, Paddy Glackin, Michael McGoldrick, Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny. Donal Lunny would have happily played all evening.

Jim Moray at Folk By The Oak

Karine Polwart on Live To Your Living Room.

John Kirkpatrick.

Karine Polwart, actually live, in Birmingham.

Kate and Mike at Folk By The Oak. It was very sunny and hot! (Hence the handkerchief)

Kate Rusby at the Hand Me Down streaming gig. She dressed up like The Bangles for 'Manic Monday' (above right)

Reserved seats at The Junction!!

Katherine Priddy at The Junction. It was mainly standing so they reserved sitting places at the back for us old crocks!

Karine Polwart at Celtic Connections

Rowan Rheingans of Lady Maisery.

Lady Maisery.

Leveret - Sam Sweeney, Rob Harbron and Andy Cutting.

Lucy Farrell, streaming from Canada.

Lucy Farrell at her "secret gig" for the filming.

Maz O'Connor at King's Place.

McGoldrick, McCusker and Doyle at The Junction.

Mystery Train's Farewell gig at The Blue Ball, and a tribute to Rob Groves. Surprisingly we could still rock, even if we hadn't played together for 18 months...