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Reviews
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Katy Moffatt
Cramlington Folk Club, Northumberland (June
7th)
Last Tuesday legendary Americana/Country singer Katy Moffat was on
stage. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Katy has toured with Charlie Daniels,
Warren Zevon, Muddy Waters, and Steve Martin, and with Leo Kottke. She
has also worked with Willie Nelson and Andrew Gold, appeared with Poco
and John Prine. She has released over 17 albums and her songs have been
covered by many artists.
Singing songs straight out of South West Texas and her own Border
country Katy, accompanying herself on some finely played guitar, wowed
the audience in her ninety minute set. Katy has a strong sense of
justice which was represented in her more recent songs like Ordinary
Housewife about the lack of justice battered women receive in the
states. But it was her strong covers and her classics that went down a
storm, especially her own hit Walking On The Moon and
Evangaline Hotel. With her strong and emotive voice allied to a
good sense of humour the audience were treated to an excellent
performance.
Well done to the foresight of Cramlington Folk Club for booking Miss
Moffatt. Bob Fox is there next week (June 21st). I suggest
you get along and support this excellently run club.
John Jobling
Ewen Carruthers Tribute Night
Tuesday 25th January 2011 was a very special evening at Cramlington Folk
Club. That night the club hosted a tribute evening to Ewen Carruthers
who died unexpectedly from a heart condition, in October 2010. The entry
fee was donations. Ewen was a well respected singer and songwriter, a
great friend of the club and a popular choice of guest for many years.
We were pleased to welcome many of Ewen’s friends who had come to sing,
play, listen and most of all reminisce about their times with him;
friends from many parts of the country like Pat and John Haswell and
Peter Arkle of Pipe Dream who had come from Sunderland; Malcolm
(Bishop) and Sam who had travelled from Windermere to be here and
another great friend of the club, Mike Silver, who had travelled from
Cornwall to join in our evening. As Pete Dodds, one of Ewen’s oldest
friends said, it was a mark of the respect in which Ewen was held that
people had made such efforts to be there. Pat of Pipe Dreams recalled
how they had met Ewen and gone on to record some of his songs, Malcolm
recalled the many venues he had travelled to to see Ewen perform.
We were delighted that Ewen’s son, David, although working in London,
was also able to attend.
The MC for the evening was Keith Taylor who himself has many memories
and stories to tell of when Ewen stayed with him and Audrey on his
visits to the club. Keith began the night by reminding us that it was
also Burns Night and invited Allan Savage (one of our Scottish club
members and a resident singer) to sing a Burns song.
The first half was a mixture of residents and guests who all in turn
sang and played songs written by Ewen, and who all gave their own
tribute to him. They included Pete Dodds, Keith Clark, Malcolm, Pipe
Dreams, Jimmy and Carol Powells, John Redpath, Allan Savage, Ken Cross
and Terry Fletcher. Among the songs sung were ‘Sweet Dreams, Mr
Anderson’, ‘Lord Have Mercy’, ‘Was it You’, ‘A Little Bit of Me’,
‘Pierre Auguste Renoir’, ‘Rubinstein Remembers’ and ‘Peach Orchard’; the
Cramlington choir truly enjoyed singing along to all these classic
Carruther’s songs.
The second half saw Mike Silver paying his own tribute to Ewen. He told
us how he had first introduced Ewen to Cramlington Folk Club and how he
had gone on to have a lifetime friendship with him. He recalled that
Ewen had been staying with him the week before he died and had given his
last public performance at the Wellington Pub, Boscastle. He described
him as ‘a true poet’ and had been pleased to collaborate with him on a
couple of songs ‘Reaching Out for Love’ and ‘The Power’, both of which
he sang for us. He went on to sing a mixture of his own and Carruther’s
songs including ‘Niago and Irvana’, a Ewen Carruther’s song which Mike
had recorded. He ended with the second of Ewen’s songs that he had
recorded ‘Sailors All’ and invited all those who had sung that night to
join him. This seemed a really fitting end to the evening.
Huge respect goes to Mike Silver who made his set all about Ewen when,
given his own charisma and great popularity at the club, it could so
easily have become about him.
During the evening David Carruthers spoke a few words about his father.
He said that it felt very emotional hearing his father’s songs sung and
he thanked those who took part for making the effort. He thanked Keith
and Audrey for organising the tribute night and the audience for sharing
in the evening. He also thanked everyone for their donations which
amounted to £160, to be used to further Ewen’s memory and legacy of
songs. It was clear that David had great affection for his father and
pride in his work.
I’m sure we all have our own personal memories of Ewen Carruthers (I
know I do). Let’s keep on remembering Ewen and singing his songs.
Finally, as Keith said, “Thanks to Davey (Page) for coping with all the
demands from the many singers”.
Jane
Cross |
