The Unthanks have been the darlings of the English
folk scene for some time now... and rightly so.
They've produced several amazingly good studio albums, notably the Mercury Prize nominated, The Bairns, and Here's the Tender Coming. They've also gone off and done leftfield projects such as a live album with Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band, plus an album of traditional folk songs from the Tyne shipyards.
They've produced several amazingly good studio albums, notably the Mercury Prize nominated, The Bairns, and Here's the Tender Coming. They've also gone off and done leftfield projects such as a live album with Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band, plus an album of traditional folk songs from the Tyne shipyards.
Meanwhile, singing sisters Becky and Rachel Unthank have both taken part in outside projects; Becky contributing vocals on Martin Green's haunting Crow's Bones deserves a worthy mention here. And they host regular singing weekends and there's clog dancing in there, too. What's not to like? No… Really? What's not to like?
Home Gathering on 22 August was the culmination of their ambition to host their own boutique festival and it was an intimate and engaging affair. The venue was the Stephenson Boiler Workshop in Central Newcastle, a link with the city's industrial past now reshaped as an atmospheric arts space.
Twelfth Day, Rob Heron's Tea Pad Orchestra, Alasdair Roberts and The Baghdaddies all provided excellent support, while a side stage featured guest singers as the bands were clearing the main stage and setting up. But it was The Unthanks who were the stars of the show.
Fronted by Becky and Rachel, The Unthanks delivered a cracking and intoxicating performance, with highlights including crowd favourite The King of Rome, the haunting Magpie, and the title track from their latest album, Mount the Air. The whole collective are wonderful and inspiring performers and, if there’s a finer sound than the group in full flight as they perform the insistent and heartbreaking Testimony of Patience Kershaw, then I’ve yet to hear it in 30-plus-years of gig-going.
The Unthanks kick all sorts of arse. In an age where commodification and making a fast buck at the expense of quality and sustainability is almost a government dictat, they continue to do their own thing on their own terms. And they do it with an authenticity and love that is all too rare. They remain an act to treasure.
Picture: The Unthanks Website
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