Reviews 2023

Woodman Folk Club - Reviews
Other Roads

Woody* 17 Feb 2023

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Hi everyone Woody here again with the review of another fabulous night at the Woodman Folk Club; and as the chimes of Left Bank Two by the Noveltones faded into the distance… Except they didn’t. Other Roads - our guests for the evening came replete with their own sound system which meant – no Derry on sound and no access to our opening music. Not to be outdone by this minor detail, the tune was vocalised by Derry and Chris Irving. (Named by Bryn as The Wobbletones). I am only pleased that our guests have been here before and know we are not all completely round the bend. That said the evening was opened more formerly by our MC, Mr. Bryn Phillips, and as seems to be the thing these days we were induced to sing “Happy Birthday” to our support act for the evening Dick Woodhouse.

After he got over the embarrassment Dick gave us a wonderful opening set consisting of: two Jake Thackray songs – “The Cactus” being the first song Dick ever sang in public in 1968 he believes and “Worried Brown Eyes”. Michael Peter Smith composed “The Dutchman” beautifully performed by Dick and of which more later. Dick slipped into a double dropped D tuning to perform his rendition of the traditional song “The Constant Lovers” which he heard from Steve Tilston. He stayed in that tuning to finish with an old club favourite the Joe Wilson music hall song “Sally Wheatley” which lends itself to the Bob Fox version perhaps. An excellent set. I have heard Dick perform many times in the last 10 years or so and I believe that tonight was probably the best set I have heard from him in that time.

Other Roads are (In no particular order) – Gregor Borland, Fiddle, Bass, Mandolin, and backing vocals; Dave Walmisley, Vocals, Guitar, Gazouki, Mandolin, and backing vocals; Pete Abbott, Vocals, Guitar, and backing vocals. Pete and Gregor played together as part of the John Wright Band until his demise in 2008. Later that year they were joined by Dave and played together as “John Wright’s Band”, but later changed to “Other Roads” which had been the title of a John Wright album. They have been touring and recording ever since, in this country and Europe. They are particularly popular in The Netherlands. Again there will be more later. They write many but not exclusively all the songs they perform and are to use the musical phrase and no other, tight as performers. They are most of all very good friends and took “the micky” out of each other mercilessly throughout the evening. (e.g. The feedback which stopped rehearsals for half an hour which was caused by the mobile in Pete’s back pocket; The numerous times – when Dave was tuning up – he was mocked by Gregor playing “Another One Bites The Dust” on his bass and Pete playing a selection of first lines to popular folk songs, both causing much hilarity and audience participation. Not all by any means but a flavour). That said they also have profound respect for each other’s abilities and it shows.

Set One;
“Lighthouse” from The Long Way Round. “Photographs” from the album of the same name, as was “Chase Those Blues Away”. Fiddle tunes from Gregor included “The Maid That Tends The Goats” and “The High Drive” from Gordon Duncan. “Pray” from the Green Light album. The exquisite “Rosemary’s Garden” and dedicated to Dave’s mom whose garden it was. The final song of the set was Pete’s song “Gone” – I cannot track down if this has been recorded but it should be. Before this however Pete led the band firstly in thanking Dick for his set and then in a rendition of the chorus to “The Dutchman” in Dutch – see I told you there would be more. At this point we all adjourned to the bar, to buy raffle tickets and hopefully suggested the band to buy their cds.
There was a raffle – I didn’t win again so I bought the latest cd with real money.

Set Two;
I don’t know whether it was coincidence or encouragement but four of the first five songs in this half were from the new album “The Streets Of Everywhere”. “Night Train To Munich” from the pen of Al Stewart; “A Precious New Thing”, Pete’s song for his three grandchildren but mainly for Isabel. Dave’s poignant song “On Butterflies Wings”, expressed Dave’s feeling that the land of your birth holds deep memories which get stronger with age. “Where Are You Now?” was Pete’s way of asking for the ethos of the hippy to return because we need it. Between the last two Gregor had played two gigs and two reels, one entitled “The Panda” again by Gordon Duncan who said that without his dad’s Fiat panda he would not have travelled to all the pipe championships he did and would never have been the man he was. “For All The Times” from the Green Light album was “difficult” according to Pete which is why they do not perform it live that often. Starting as solo acapella and developing firstly in a three part harmony before the introduction of instruments for the finale, it was superb. When Pete said the next song was from The Bushbury Mountain Daredevils I felt sure it would be Eddie Morton’s “London Road” but I couldn’t have been more wrong since it was from The New Bushbury Mountain Daredevil’s album Bushbury Mountain, and entitled “That’s The Way Of The World” so there. The “last” song of the set and of the evening was the first song they recorded as Other Roads from The Angels Share - the haunting “The Hillcrest Mine”. It was a wonderful end to the set; however, as you have already guessed there was more to be had. At the request of someone in the audience we were treated to “Windy Harbour” from the Long Way Round album. And that really was the end.

For all the usual reasons we had not seen Other Roads since 2019. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait so long for the next visit since 2027 is too far away. Having read this review you may say – “Why did Woody name all the albums from which the songs came. The reason is so you can go away and find them for yourselves, I am only making it easier.
And so, another evening came to an end and the audience wended their way home to return another day.

I shall conclude as normal by saying.

A Wonderful Night Was Had by All.
Here’s to The Next One. 


* Notes taken by Les Jones, who also typed up the review, but the views expressed are
those of Woody, the club mascot.