Thursday, 05 April 2012 10:01
 Review by Mark Salter of the concert held at Lowdham Village Hall on Saturday 24th March 2012. Photos: Ed Herington “BLIMEY this is like looking out on an airport runway,” exclaimed Phil Beer peering out at the rows of tea lights in Lowdham Village Hall, adding, “Where’s my Dakota?” Beer is a towering presence in the British music scene and Warthog Promotions pulled off quite a coup attracting him back to Lowdham. Beer has performed previously as part of Show of Hands who are due to play the Albert Hall for the fourth time on 7th April. “Monday will be bedlam. We’re doing the publicity round for the Albert Hall gig. That’s why tonight is so great.”
Beer's repertoire centred on folk and referenced such luminaries as Nic Jones, Bert Jansch, Davy Graham, Steve Ashley, Ralph McTell, Reg Meuross and Johnny Coppin.
During the evening Beer charts his route from a disastrous first performance at a PTA school event when he was pulled off-stage in the middle of a rendition of Cocaine Blues, via his involvement in folk clubs in Gloucester to the current Albert Hall booking for Show of Hands. In the process he regaled the audience with songs like Fire and Wine, The Warlike Lads of Russia, and The Innocents
But a Phil Beer solo gig is far more than a folk concert. He recounts a raft of fantastic anecdotes. One outlined how a far too technical electronic keyboard had been installed in a Methodist church. This burst forth with a heavy and loud ‘rap style’ drum back-beat during a funeral service. Further panic ensued as the old lady keyboardist hit every button in sight whilst trying to silence the drumbeat.
In addition, Beer visited a range of American musical greats. These included Hoyt Axton, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle and two blues legends, Reverend Gary Davis and Blind Willie Dixon. Axton is a particular favourite of Beer’s and this concert featured two of his numbers, Blind Fiddler and Gypsy Moth. Beer also admits never being drawn to Billy Joel until hearing Downeaster Alexa which he played with a tenor guitar backing.
In amongst the musical excellence was a mini ukulele workshop, with Beer demonstrating the versatility of the instrument. For this he used George Harrison’s Here Comes the Sun, Irish Harp and dance tunes, and a version of Tom Lehrer’s satirical Vatican Rag.
The evening was rounded off by a poignant First World War medley with an instrumental of Flowers of the Forest segued into The Holy Brook, a Frank Mansell poem set to music by Beer’s friend Johnny Coppin, and finally trenches song, When This Bloody War is Over. Beer’s own Falmouth Packet was the encore that brought things to a close.
Monday, 13 December 2010 10:37
ACORN FOLK CLUB REVIEW
(with thanks to Eileen and the AcornFolk Club: www.acornfolkclub.co.uk for sending this through) The Acorn Folk Club presented an Extra Special Guest Night, hosting PHIL BEER, ambassador of Folk Roots Music, on Saturday 10th December in the Pier Room at The Old Ship Aground. Phil, as part of the duo Show of Hands, won best duo and best song in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2010, and they have filled the Albert Hall three times. However, Phil is such a genuine musician and charming person that he is truly delighted to fill the Acorn's regular venue with some 70 people, and to sing and play acoustically using two guitars, tenor guitar, ukelele and fiddle, this last being the instrument for which he is perhaps best known. He opened his two marvellous sets with "Jack Frost Away" (Steve Ashley) - very appropriate as we were blessed with a mild evening, going on to "In Young's Town" (Bruce Springstein) with tenor guitar, and then fiddle for "The Devil's Right Hand" - immediately taking the audience with him to sing the choruses. He then introduced the ukelele as being an important branch of musical history, using it in a unique way to play O'Neill's Irish tunes, Beatles numbers and O'Carolan harp tunes! His program included the blues "Cocaine" influenced by David Graham, and the amusing "I Hold Your Hand in Mine" (Tom Lehrer). Phil told us of sailing on the "Pegasus" with the late much-loved folk musician, Tony Rose's son Didgery, and of how they had sung into the early hours, then giving us "Pleasant and Delightful" (trad) and filling the Acorn with song - a very moving experience. Throughout Phil spoke so naturally. describing his musical research and connected journeys, and mentioning Charles Causley (Devon) and Johnny Coppin (Songwriter). There were 10 much appreciated floor spots to support this fabulous evening, including rousing carol singing from the Acorn Crew. Eileen Ann Moore and Jim Parham, Club organisers, who sing as a duo, enjoyed the greatest privelege when Phil picked up his fiddle and accompanied their singing of the Dorset traditional "Blue Cockade". Phil finished the evening with a medley, which featured the work of the Gloucestershire poet Frank Mansell "This War is Over" which brought tears to the eyes, and like his opening, was so appropriate to what is happening in the world today, when we all wish for "Peace and Tranquility" from Eileen Ann's Song "Peace in Minehead" with which she opened the whole evening. Thanks to Steve Pledger who played soft guitar tunes for some twenty minutes as people were arriving, which created a very nice atmosphere. Called back for an encore, Phil Beer, famous himself, enthused about playing "Alice" (Neville Brothers) with Little Feet at Trowbridge Festival, and said that he had loved being here at the Acorn Folk Club and would be pleased to come again. YES is the answer to that! Thanks to all who performed and attended and to Brenda Freshwater, landlady, her daughter Melanie and staff for the use of the great venue, so festively decorated for the season. AD
Tuesday, 16 November 2010 15:33
"Many people will mainly know of Phil Beer through his work with Steve Knightley over the last twenty years in BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards "Best Duo" and "Best Live Act" Show of Hands. However, Phil's musical career is much wider and longer than that and spans some 40 years, with all sorts of collaborations along the way. This box set is intended to be part of a series documenting the extensive body of work outside Show of Hands, although a few Show of Hands rarities are included.
Within Show of Hands, Phil is mostly to be heard adding richness to the vocals and intricacy to the instrumentals of the Steve Knightley and Traditional songs ("decorating" as The Dark One so aptly describes it). Here, in his own box, The Fair One gets to roam far and wide off-piste and away from the that particular sound and those constraints, and in particular to be much more in control of what he is choosing to sing. The material throughout this set reflects his own very wide tastes and ranges from traditional folk songs such as the old shanty Spanish Maidens and hymns to covers of Bruce Springsteen (Youngstown), Graham Gouldman (Bus Stop) and Lowell George (Willin').
There are 3 CDs and one DVD in the box, together with extensive and thoughtful sleeve notes about how each recording came about and often why the particular song was chosen. At least there are when PB can actually remember!
CD1 is described as "Archive" and kick's off its musical journey with a school recording of Phil and friends from 1968, then progresses through the Folk Duos OddFolk, Downes & Beer, the folk combo the Arizona Smoke Revue, the Albion Band and finally arrives at Show of Hands, with various Phil Beer solo diversions along the way.
CD2 is described as "Live" and contains some fine examples of live recordings between the 1970s and present day made with various bands and friends. CD3 is described as "Studio". The collaborators on both these CDs include inter alia Mike Oldfield, Deb Sandland, Chris While, Julie Matthews, Miranda Sykes, Alianza, Jackie Oates, Jim Causley and Ashley Hutchings.
The DVD has an eclectic mix of films, ranging from a 45 minute set of the Phil Beer Band in action on a tour in the early noughties to a TV appearance with Ralph McTell at the Minack Theatre and various pieces of film from various outdoor and backstage locations.
It is a marvelously varied Jambalaya of material, voices, and arrangements. Some of it may not be to every taste, but with so much to choose from there is much to appeal to many. Highly recommended."
Review of Phil Beer Box Set 1 on amazon, courtesy of keithofchester
Tuesday, 02 November 2010 16:31
Phil Beer at The Rock at Maltby Reproduced with kind permission: http://paperbackrioter.wordpress.com "I have talked before in Musical Mondays of Show of Hands, a truly marvellous folk duo (though really a trio now) from Devon. One half (third?) was playing a solo gig at the Rock in Maltby, which is a former Wesleyan Church that now plays host to a musical night every Friday. It was great to see Phil on stage after spending some time in hospital earlier this year. He writes very few songs, and instead specialises in reinterpreting both English traditional folk songs and more modern American songs. These included Steve Earle's The Devil's Right Hand and this cracking version of Bruce Springsteen's Youngstown
Beer is a child of the 1960s and lots of the music he played in two fifty minute sets are from that era. I really liked his version of the Hollies' Bus Stop, for instance, while this short Tom Lehrer ditty was a favourite of mine. This song reminded me that I really need to listen to more of Tom Lehrer's stuff, since I share his warped sense of humour. He is best known for his fiddle playing, and the following video shows why: Phil Beer is a very genial performer and a very talented instrumentalist. One review I read of his said that he could make a decent sound of a cheese roll. I don't doubt that. He is touring now with Show of Hands for the next couple of months, so if you haven't seen them live before, make sure you do." If you have a review of Phil, and are happy for it to be published on his website, then please email it to vicky.
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