What’s it all about again?

I went to a live show last night - Bellowhead were playing at Reading Concert Hall - and I’m pretty new to folk music in general, especially these guys (and one girl), but they were absolutely magnificent! 

I was bowled over by the sheer energy they put into their performance, the exquisite blend of so many different sounds, the immense talent of each and every person, and the charisma of their front man Jon Boden.  He looks like he wouldn’t be out of place propping up the bar at your local on a Saturday night, but his voice, and his fiddle playing, and his on-stage persona are all just fascinating… And another thing which really made it for me is that they all looked like they were having enormous fun! The fans were jumping and stomping all around me.  I especially liked the kazoo song!  I’m just not used to music and musicians being so…normal, so available.  We passed three of the group (including Benji Kirkpatrick who is the only one I had heard of before, having seen him on stage with Seth Lakeman) on the stairs on the way out and they seemed perfectly happy to be squeezing through a crowd of sweaty, smiling fans.

This was the first night of the Bellowhead tour and if this show is anything to go by, a great time will be had by all.

There’s something quite slow and sedate about Sundays.  Sometimes it’s quite annoying but more often it’s the height of comfort and contentment.  Having the same routine and seeing the same people each week - I think I would miss it if it were too different. 

When I was younger I used to live for the summer - didn’t we all? - long school holidays, out playing with friends in the warm evenings, so much excitement, so much possibility.  Now that I’m a bit older, I have to admit that I really appreciate the Autumn season a lot more…the beauty of the trees as the leaves turn tawny and red and yellow and detach from the branches like confetti, the early sunsets when you don’t have to be out at a ridiculous time of the day to see the sun glow orange and the sky glow pink.  There is the anticipation of a celebration around the corner, but you’re not close enough to have any of the worry of it…yet.