NEWPORT: folk-on festival finger-picking a way back

The concensus among many writers on-line who attended the event seems to be that the Sunday highlight was an evening of black female artists curated by singer, songwriter, poet and activist Allison Russell

A HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARTY for Richard Thompson

We’d already enjoyed the concert of a lifetime as the final half-hour approached and still, this event had more aces up its sleeve.

when RICHARD THOMPSON planned his party

It was totally revolutionary at the time. Rock music with an element of British traditional music in it was pretty much our innovation, and I’m very proud of that.

A NUBIYAN TWIST IN THE TALE + news of a Clare Teal gig

´By bringing those rich stories together, we hope that Freedom Fables serves as a metaphor for the life we’re all living.´

ENGAGED ART

´The islands are very fragile and we live on tourism´, Marco reminded Yaiza Te Informatia recently. ´What are we going to offer the tourists if our sea is all full of rubbish?"

LORDY, LORDY, LORDE

the album is not “my big climate change record”. “I’m not a climate activist, I’m a pop star. I stoke the fire of a giant machine, spitting out emissions as I go. There is a lot I don’t know.”

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS & BRONTË TRAILS

Stewart offers as much a literary guide as a walk through the lives of the Brontës, and a fascinating exploration of the changes that were wrought on this part of West Yorkshire during the Victorian period, Walking The Invisible is an essential companion on any visit to the beautiful countryside around Haworth´.

GORDON LIGHTFOOT a career to celebrate

There are still recording stars dipping into his song-catalogue and there are still devoted folkies like Pete Benbow in this world performing in UK folk clubs and perpetuating Lightfoot´s legacy for him.

SNARKY PUPPY: its all right, its only music.

The calls for an encore were irresistible and the lads loped out in laid back fashion, demonstrated some incredibly complex hand clap rhythms to us and asked for our backing.