Kathryn Tickell and Superfolkus @ Lindisfarne Village Hall – July 16.

Kathryn Tickell (Northumberland pipes, fiddle), Sophie (fiddle, guitar), Scott (guitar, piano, mandolin), Michael (accordion), Will (percussion, mandolin).

Guests: Abby, Mike Tickell (voice), Rory (piano). 

(Review by Steve T.)

When the tide comes in Holy Island is another country, they do things different there. One lady told us that the pubs stay open late in summer but close early in the middle of July. I hoped the Wicker Man would be on the box to really spook Mrs T. Whether summer or mid-July, headline acts play in the afternoon so the queer folk who cross the causeway don't get stuck.  

Bebop Spoken Here is a North East Jazz site and many will claim Ms. Tickell has nothing to do with Jazz and I wouldn't totally disagree, despite her exploratory nature, her experimenting with unusual (for folk) instruments, room for improvisation in the frequent jigs and no small amount of virtuosity.

She has also written, recorded and performed with British jazz sax ace Andy Sheppard which remains in her set, whether Superfolkus or the Side.

Chatting with Jazz North East ace photographer Ken Drew a few weeks ago, we both agreed we aren't generally that much bothered by folk music but do love Kathryn Tickell. He told me of a discussion he had with another photographer about catching a shot of her when she's lost in music, and anyone who's seen her will know this. This strikes me as another Jazz thing.

If a connection between her and jazz is tenuous, she more than makes up for it in her relevance to the North East. If she isn't a national treasure - and I think she probably is - she's a North East treasure of the highest order.

This was the first time I'd seen her with this band and format though Mrs T saw them at Ushaw last year. While it's mostly the full band, you also get an accordion/guitar duo, a fiddle duo, this afternoon, two Geordie songs from eleven-year old singer Abby during each set, a mash-up from guest pianist Rory and a Cushy Butterfield singalong led by her father. This reminded my soft southern puff wife of when my mother gave her pease pudding and she thought she was trying to poison her.

Apart from the percussionist, the band are all music students under twenty, some from Glasgow Conservatoire and all very impressive. Having said that, my preference is for her other band the Side, featuring all ladies playing harp, cello and accordion who did Ushaw this year and two years ago. The Superfolkus format is a bit more talent-show, but with talent.  

Either way, like Djangologie, Santana, Show of Hands and Maze, once is never enough, so anyone who hasn't seen Kathryn Tickell should.

Steve T