Old folkies

This week we’ve seen 90th birthday celebrations for Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan, a mere youth at 68, is at number one in the UK album charts.

I also caught Dylan’s concert at Edinburgh Playhouse last Sunday night, and a most enjoyable experience it was too.

Sounding like a cross between Muddy Waters and Eartha Kitt, and playing his guitar and organ as if he’d only recently been formally introduced to both, he nevertheless gave a thrilling performance to a capacity crowd.

It’s every credit to a man who sang for Woody Guthrie, marched with Martin Luther King, partied with John Lennon, and inspired so many of us to take our first strum, that he’s still out there every night doing it for a live audience.

Long may his stone keep rolling.

There are some hardy campaigners doing it for local folk audiences in the week ahead as well, starting tonight with the evergreen Johnny Silvo at Darlington Arts Centre, and a choice tomorrow between the equally evergreen Ed Pickford at Haswell Wayfarers Club and a new pairing of ace guitarist and songwriter Clive Gregson and classy singer Patsy Matheson at The Station in Loftus. Saturday brings Shearwater to Mickleton folk club, Tom Kitchin and Gren Bartley to Washington’s Davy Lamp, and a veritable feast of Celtic folk at Stockton’s Arc, with Eddi Reader, John McCusker, Heidi Talbot and Boo Hewerdine.

Wendy Arrowsmith is at Northallerton’s Tythe Barn on Sunday, and on Monday Spindrift are at Newcastle’s Bridge Hotel.

Tuesday’s choice is between The Bram Taylor Band at Newton Aycliffe’s Candlelight Club, Adrian Nation at Cramlington’s Hind Club, and fiddle wizard Chris Stout at Gateshead’s Sage. A fine week for folkies, young and old.