MaW’s Blog

Well I just got back from seeing Steeleye Span on their 35th anniversary tour at the Cambridge Corn Exchange. And they were good. They were very good.

Actually, they were better than that.

Having an audience made up of people of many different ages who clearly are mostly rabid Steeleye fans probably helps with the atmosphere, of course. Everyone knows the classic songs, everyone’s eager to hear the new ones, half the audience can probably sing along with virtually all of them.

Peter Knight is as good on the violin as is said. Yes, he sounds good on their CDs, but seeing him do the same kind of thing live really proves that he can do it. Maddy Prior has an incredible singing voice unlike any other. Surprisingly this evening it didn’t degenerate into wailing as it sometimes does on the recordings — maybe she was being careful to maintain her singing voice until the end. Which she did, of course. May I note that her dancing around the stage during the instrumental parts of the songs was most entertaining.

Ken Nichol, a relative newcomer to the band, was on guitar and vocals, and definitely a good addition to the lineup. He’s good. Enough said.

Oh, except that the things he does with his eyebrows when he’s singing have to be seen to be truly appreciated.

Rick Kemp, of course, is unspeakably good on the bass guitar. He only sang one lead vocal, but that was excellent. He should do more, but then they’d have to have a longer concert. Not that this would be a bad thing in the slightest.

Liam Genockey, the drummer with the beard. Good drummer, very interesting beard indeed. It’s not often that you see one that’s plaited down to the navel.

Steeleye Span are definitely to be recommended for live performances. I shall have to go and see them again. In the mean time I’ve got an obscene number of their albums (and more to get), so I shall have to be content for the time being.

Irritatingly, I found out this evening that Jim Moray is touring as support with someone else I’ve never heard of, and that they’re performing in Cambridge tomorrow evening when I’m on call. Poo.

I shall have to see if Jim’s doing the folk festival.

Ah yes, he is, and there are still tickets for the Sunday, and my Tai Chi teacher’s doing Chi Kung sessions there!

I sense a plan coming on.