Tag Archives: folk rock

Interview: MADDY PRIOR (STEELEYE SPAN)

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Steeleye Span embark on UK tour in November and December to promote their latest album, Conflict. We recently caught up with Steeleye Span’s Maddy Prior to discuss the new album, tour, her solo work and more… A Steeleye Span special … Continue reading

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Gig review: NORDA MULLEN – Half Moon, Putney, London, 21 September 2025

NORDA MULLEN- Half Moon, Putney, London, 21 September 2025

For 15 years, American musician Norda Mullen toured the world with the Moody Blues as a flute player and multi-instrumentalist after Ray Thomas’ retirement. Though she guested with John Lodge on his solo tour earlier this year, she leads a … Continue reading

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Album review: FAIRPORT CONVENTION – Gladys’ Leap

FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Gladys' Leap

Talking Elephant [Release date 04.08.25] In 1979 Fairport Convention decided to call it a day, not least because their mainman violinist Dave Swarbrick had serious hearing difficulties. It would be another six years before they reformed, apparently buoyed up by … Continue reading

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Album review – WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN : Story Of US Folk Music 1963-69

STORY 150 OF US FOLK

Cherry Red [Release date 29.08.25] The transition of folk music into chart-aimed rock and pop accelerated through the sixties, especially in the USA. This 4 CD set is cleverly constructed to show that evolution, disc by disc. So, on Disc … Continue reading

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Gig review: NEIL YOUNG AND THE CHROME HEARTS – British Summer Time, Hyde Park, London, 11 July 2025

NEIL YOUNG AND THE CHROME HEARTS- British Summer Time, Hyde Park, London, 11 July 2025

With the exception of Bob Dylan, there aren’t many rock stars who can divide opinion quite as much as Neil Young. For every person (including some on this website) that cannot abide him, there are others who hang on the … Continue reading

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News: Albums of the Month (April – June 2025)

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A quarterly feature highlighting album releases rated highly by the GRTR! review team and worthy of your investigation. We try and pick out a cross-section of albums that reflect the range of genres reviewed at the website.  The star rating … Continue reading

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Album review: HORSLIPS – At The BBC (4-CD/DVD)

HORSLIPS - At The BBC

Madfish [Release date 04.07.25] As some might have it, Horslips didn’t invent the genre of ‘Celtic Rock’ but they were early proponents. Before their debut album, released in late-1972, there had been the groundbreaking Frenchman Alan Stivell who had blazed … Continue reading

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Album review: STEELEYE SPAN – Conflict

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Park Records [Release date 23.05.25] Always good to have a new album from folk rockers Steeleye Span and this is their 24th studio album. Still led by singer Maddy Prior, the rest of the band consists of Julian Littman (guitar, mandolin, vocals), … Continue reading

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Gig review: ROGER DALTREY – London Palladium, 21 April 2025

ROGER DALTREY- London Palladium, 21 April 2025

Roger Daltrey may have retired from heading up the Teenage Cancer Trust concerts but at 81 is showing no sign of putting his feet up. Not long after the Who’s Royal Albert Hall performances (and the notorious in/out saga of … Continue reading

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Album review: FOLKLAW – Catch The Sun

FOLKLAW – Catch the Sun

Fiddle of 8 Records [Release date 25.04.25] FolkLaw are a Nottinghamshire-based folk-rock band led by founder Nick Gibbs (fiddle, vocals), Bryn Williams (vocals, guitar, bodhran), Martin Vogwell (vocals, mandolin, banjo, guitars), Gaz Hunt (drums, percussion, vocals), Helen Harper (flute) and … Continue reading

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Album review: GIGSPANNER BIG BAND – Turnstone

gigspanner big band

Website [Release date 11.04.25] Peter Knight’s Gigspanner Big Band is a folk supergroup, consisting of Peter Knight (violin, vocals), a fixture of Steeleye Span’s classic 1970s lineup and he has collaborated with countless other luminaries of the scene, founder-member of … Continue reading

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Feature: Box Sets are for life, not just for Christmas…(December 2024)

BLACK SABBATH - Anno Domini 1989-1995

The reissues and recycling still come thick and fast, not least in the unashamed “reissue” of vinyl – another income stream for the record labels designed to extract more wedge from our hard-pressed wallets. Here is our round-up of recommended … Continue reading

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Album review: GRYPHON – Gryphon Live ‘A Sonic Tonic’

GRYPHON - Gryphon Live 'A Sonic Tonic'

Talking Elephant [Release date 06.09.24] It’s some 50 years since Gryphon donned doublet and hose and became something of a media sensation with their blend of medieval folk rock. This is the band’s first ever live album although some of … Continue reading

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Gig review: NORDA MULLEN- The Half Moon, Putney, London, 28 April 2024

NORDA MULLEN- The Half Moon, Putney, London, 28 April 2024

With heritage bands augmenting their touring line-ups with additional musicians, there is a category of highly talented musicians good enough to play with the best, yet virtually unknown to the wider world. One such is Norda Mullen, who for over … Continue reading

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Gig review: FAIRPORT CONVENTION – The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, Tuesday 13 February 2024

Fairport Convention, Cropredy - 9 August 2014

“We became big fish in a very small pond” Simon Nicol says with usual modesty about Fairport Convention’s leap from the nascent folk band to suddenly becoming the poster children of the flourishing folk rock movement, brought about by a … Continue reading

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Album review: STEELEYE SPAN – The Green Man Collection

steeleye span the green man

Park Records [Release date 01.12.23] Steeleye Span went into the studio in September of this year to record four new tracks for inclusion on this collection, which also includes two newly recorded studio tracks from 2019, six songs selected from … Continue reading

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Album review: SHOW OF HANDS – Roots 2

Show Of Hands

Hands On Music [Release date 06.11.23] Show Of Hands, who have been around since 1986, are stopping touring “for an indefinite break”, after a trio tour this year (when Miranda Sykes joins them) and shows as a duo early next … Continue reading

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Gig review: FAIRPORT CONVENTION – The Junction, Cambridge, 31 October 2023

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They started off as a band in 1967 but now, more than ever, Fairport Convention are a family, the sense of community between not just the musicians themselves but the fans too something that’s vital and heart-warming. Eternally set squarely … Continue reading

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Album review: DANDELION CHARM – Scream Inside The Tear

DANDELION CHARM - Scream Inside The Tear

Bandcamp [Release date 20.10.23] Dandelion Charm, the husband and wife team consisting of Clare Fowler (vocals) and John Fowler (vocals, acoustic drums, guitars, bass, keys & producer), have seemingly been quiet release wise since releasing their excellent ‘Maybe Dreamers’ back … Continue reading

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EP review: CULANN – Songs of Saints & Reivers

CULANN - Songs of Saints & Reivers

Bandcamp [Release date 15.09.23] Ayrshire based Culann have been around since 2008, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2012, followed by their second album, ‘The Great Ecumene‘, in 2019. Now Cullan – who consist of PJ Kelly (Vocals, Guitar), Sean Kelly (Drums), … Continue reading

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Gig review: GRAHAM NASH – Theatre Royal, London, 11 September 2023

GRAHAM NASH- Theatre Royal, London, 11 September 2023

The sad loss of David Crosby earlier this year was a reminder that the number of stars from the first wave of classic rock still alive, or at least active, diminishes by the year. That in part was my motivation … Continue reading

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Album review: MILTON HIDE – The Holloway

Website [Release date 31.03.23] Milton Hide (AKA husband and wife Jim and Josie Tipler) release their second album, ‘The Holloway’, following on from 2o21′s most enjoyable ‘Temperature’s Rising’. Since then they have played many a show up and down the … Continue reading

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Album review: TRIALS OF CATO – Gog Magog

TRIALS OF CATO - Gog Magog

Website [Release date 25.11.22] Trials Of Cato have been building a healthy following alongside rave reviews from the likes of Mark Radcliffe and John Davis of Metropolois Studios, who has dubbed them ‘”the Sex Pistols of folk”. Will Addison left … Continue reading

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Album review: STEELEYE SPAN – Live At The Rainbow Theatre 1974

STEELEYE SPAN – Live At The Rainbow Theatre 1974

Chrysalis Records  [Release date 07.10.22] A vinyl only (double LP in old money!) of a classic concert from Steeleye Span that has never been released in full before. A handful of tracks from the concert have popped up down the … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE PORTRAITS & DOM PRAG, Harwell Village Hall, Friday 18 March 2022

THE PORTRAITS - For Our Times

Another lovely little venue literally on my doorstep, where Big Ginger Tom Music have been putting on monthly folk themed gigs for a few years now. Of course the pandemic brought a halt to these, but credit to the husband … Continue reading

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