OCCUPIED COUNTRY

As I Walked Out One Bright May Morning....

Let's talk about Folk Music.

I've got to confess, I'm not one of the 'finger-in-t'ear' brigade, but I do like a bit of fal-de-ra and fol-de-rol - periodically. I especially adore it when it doesn't attempt to pretend it's not about sex, death, war and entrails which, as we all should be aware, is *exactly* what it IS about. I also adore it when it's performed with sensitivity and musicianship. (Note to self: Make damn sure your auto-biography, when it's written is called 'Sensitivity and Musicianship')

After returning from the recently re-installed-in-our-social-calendar Friday night 'Early Doors', we tuned into BBC4 as we shared a Chinese takeaway. Friday night on the Beeb's flagship Arts channel generally focuses on 'roots' music of some description - African, Eastern and Western European and North and South American. Ry Cooder, Salif Keita, Martin Carthy, Emmylou Harris, John Martyn have all appeared recently. A muso's paradise.

Tonight we were offered the 'saccharine-ised' Irish-folk-twaddle of Brian Kennedy and Cara Dillon with a full orchestra. Result? Well it sounds like something you may buy your Gran for her birthday before wising up and getting something much more racy like a.....Barbara Cartland 'novel'.

God-awful it was, absolutely God-awful. Everything folk music shouldn't be.

Later we had Kate Rusby and her band. Exquisite playing and singing. Harmonies that enhanced, light and shade and playing you would sell your soul to emulate. I like her - in relatively small doses though. I want some earth and grit in my music. Blood, snot and shagging. (Note to self: Make damn sure your auto-biography, when it's written is called 'Blood, Snot and Shagging'). Kate hits the spot in a gentle, snuggly, secreting bodily fluids kind of way but sometimes, just sometimes you require a Pogues or a Clash ex-member to come along and 'punk it up' a bit.

Tomorrow night Dearest and I are having to don Dinner Suits and Posh Frocks to watch Traditional Ukrainian music and dancing! WTF? I hope it sounds more like The Pogues than Peter, Paul and Mary. I've got a feeling those Balalaikas will be reverbed to easy-listening heaven though.

I can understand why the Ukrainians, Poles, Irish and the rest cling to their indigenous musics. It's an expression of your cultural heritage in the face of Imperial occupation - be it Great Britain, Russia, the Soviet Union (Imperial in all but name), Napoleon's French version or America's Coca-Cola-nisation. The same argument, for me, explains the emasculation of English folk music. We have had no need to utilise our heritage in the face of foreign invasion.

I would love to find out if there was a boom in English Folk and dance during the dark days of WW2 though.

Where am I going with this? Fuck knows but it's been grand discussing it as I listen to:-

The Band - Acadian Driftwood
R L Burnside - Got Messed Up
Steve Earle - Amerika v6.00
Nick Drake - River Man
Dan Ar Bras - Spike Island Lasses
Old Blind Dogs - Johnny O'Braidislee
etc., etc., etc.,

---

Dearest was recounting a day when she used to work in Manchester City Centre - as opposed to Altrincham where she now has to travel miles to get to. She fell asleep on the bus as she journeyed. At the time she had a coat that sported anorak-like cords with toggles on the end. Given the ridiculous design of this, her favourite coat, these toggles probably amounted to six or eight.

Anyway, to cut a long story.......etc........etc.

As she woke - still in the fug of deep sleep - she looked down, saw the toggles and screamed. This frightened the Bejasus out of everyone else on the top of deck of the number 76.

Later, when she had calmed down, she explained that she had woken up, looked down and convinced herself that she had:-

"A Kneeful of Bees"

Her eyes have never been 20-20.

(Note to self: Make damn sure your auto-biography, when it's written is called '"A Kneeful of Bees"')