Categories: uncategorized
Date: 10 April 2006 11:02:51
As Jen mentioned, last night we went to see Show of Hands in a lovely little venue in Cardiff Bay. I was introduced to Steve and Phil (aka SoH) in my first year in swansea by another folkie friend, and have loved them ever since. They're one of those bands where you'd think, from looking at the instruments set up, that there were about 10 members, not two! Multi-talented doesn't come into it!
Anyway, last night they were on top form- with as many jokes and laughs as there were songs, and, as always, obviously enjoying playing as much as we enjoyed watching. There's something about watching people singing/playing/whatever when you can tell they're so involved in their music, and so passionate about it, that the outisde world almost doesn't matter any more. It's virtually impossible for me to describe the thrill of listening to such music, although it has been suggested by some that I should try, and one day maybe I will.
One of the songs they played (from their new album 'Witness') was called Roots, and describes the importance of our musical heritage, and why we must hang on to it, and the sadness of the fact that many of these traditional 'english' styles of music are being lost. Inspired by the comment of an MP who, when questionned about the effects of licensing laws on live music, said that "his vision of hell, was three folk singers in a pub near Wells", the song not only highlights the importance of traditional music, but also of our 'roots' in future growth of 'english' music.
"A minister said his vision of hell
is three folk singers in a pub near Wells
Well I've got a vision of urban sprawl
it's pubs where no one ever sings at all
And everyone stares at a great big screen
over-paid soccer stars, prancing teens
Australian soap, american rap
estuary english, baseball caps
And we learn to be ashamed before we walk
of the way we look and the way we talk
Without our stories or our songs
how will we know where we've come from?
...we've lost more than we'll ever know,
round the rocky shores of England!"
From 'Roots', Steve Knightly.