Tamworth Folk Club
February 2010 Guest Night Review

Jezz Lowe

The last time I reviewed Jezz Lowe was when he appeared at The Gamecock in 2003.  We were all a little younger then, well some of us, don’t forget ageing is compulsory, growing up is optional.

When I arrived at Bolehall Manor Stephen Edkins was busy setting up the PA with Richard, which gave him a last minute chance for a quick rehearsal as he and Malcolm Robinson were to be the support act, not that he needs it. The room quickly filled with many of the clubs regular audience and a few fresh faces all eager to pay the entrance fee for the night.  I did not know Stephen and Malcolm had such a fan club!

The night started with them producing some great songs and tunes which were improved with the PA system, and even I could hear every word sitting at the back of the room. Steve introduced Jezz at the end of their set and he started his performance with one of his many self penned songs ‘Will of the People’.

There has been a lot written about Jezz but I will give you a short history, in fact it is copied from my first review back in 2003, well we now have the technology to copy and paste, so why waste it, you lazy devil.

“What can one say about our main guest for the evening, well a great deal if you were to delve back into his musical past. Jez Lowe was borne in 1955 and came from an Irish background, and was brought up in County Durham. He was always interested in pop music, but soon was steering towards blues and folk. After visiting a local folk club in 1973 to hear Martin Carthy, he was playing a mixture of Dylan, traditional, contemporary and original material with a school friend Ged Foley, later of Patrick Street and The House Band.
Jez went solo at the end of the 70's and recorded four albums in the 1980's. These songs were about working class life in the North and his reputation was set upon the worlds folk stages over the next few years. It was not until 1990 that the backing group was to appear , and The Bad Pennies remain with him up to the present day.”

The songs just kept coming to the delight of the audience, songs like:- Small Coals, Bare Knuckle, Taking on Men, Another Mans Wife, Gulls Eye and I wish I Had Never Been Borne. You have to listen to the words of these songs to appreciate the thoughts and feelings that have gone into them. It was all too soon for the break and raffle, but it did give the chance for people to depart with their money for a chance to win the fantastic prizes of a bottle of wine which undoubtedly would be useful as a windscreen de-icer as the temperature outside was below freezing, or the box of chocolates which we can all enjoy, new visitors never experienced such a raffle.

The second half began with Steve and Malcolm once again, but this time each performing a solo which was well received, and a further couple of songs and tunes, well done. Jezz again took to the stage and continued to excite us with more songs, such as Vikings, Judas Bus, We Will Hunt Him Down, Not Make Old Bones, Tenter Hooks and Durham Goal. He was not allowed to go without an encore of High Part of Town, which sent the audience home very pleased with the £5.00 they had invested in a great evening.

RDC 2010