Seth Lakeman – The Granite Way on tour: Live Review

By At The Barrier on 25th February 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

Seth Lakeman – Buxton Opera House – Thursday 20th February 2025 / Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury – Monday 24th May

The second date of an eleven date sneak attack finds us in Buxton. The furthest northern date of the tour and we’re (a) front row and centre – Jen and (b) on first three no flash around the back of the stalls – Mike.

ONE YEAR ON

A year to the week has passed since we were at The Stoller Hall for Seth. The Granite Way album is just out. As we pointed out in the best possible taste, not quite reaching the status of elder statesman (it will no doubt come and make us all feel very old…), we’ve been on his trail for a fair portion of the journey.

The usual suspects line up around Seth. In the equivalent of a moveable feast Benji Kirkpatrick is now the go to man for guitar and bouzouki duties and with Archie Churchill-Moss (he’s on The Granite Way) making up an impressive five piece backing. Alex Hart provides her exemplary additional vocals, as well as guitars and shruti box. The first set focuses on the new album and very good it is too, as opening track Louisa kick start the set with a mid tempo easing in.

There are signs of the signature Seth fiddle in excellent The Black Fox – a bit of fiddle borrowed from The Hurlers? – and a hint of the Kitty Jay vibe to Gallows Tree in the staccato lines that sit underneath the vocal and there’s plenty of bodhran and bass bowing to help motor along. Bodhran (and other percussion)? Cormac Byrne, with Ben Nicholls toting the biggest old stand-up bass you have ever seen.

NEW SONG JOY

The new songs are superb. So new that Seth needs a few crib sheets at his feet and has a glance or two down in the wordy Born To The Strain, a Reg Meuross co-write, which handily has a chorus that will soon bed in. A real rustic feel is in the air and any apprehension about playing a clutch of new songs can be shelved. One More Before You Go is a lovely moment with Archie and Alex joining Seth off mic as he occasionally does for a more sensitive take – and the reward for listening to the new songs (hardly a hardship)? And to end? As always – a storming Kitty Jay.

Set 2 is all about the more familiar. Seth and Byrne, on bodhran, kick off with Lady Of The Sea before the Sea Song Sessions reveals Rambling Sailor. The lovely recorded version gets significantly beefed up by the Lakeman band, no doubt boosted by Benji’s recent exploits with Bellowhead, in which it was a set highlight.

Dipping into a very healthy catalogue sees the more recent Side By Side with Benji on RT influenced lead twangs, sitting side by side with a down tempo’d Bold Knight and The Colliers and Take No Rogues from Freedom Fields. Celebrating 20 years next year, don’t be surprised by an 2026 anniversary tour.

ON YER FEET

With the audience coaxed onto their feet the combo of Change and the recent reintroduction of the Scrumpy set for a hoedown ticks the high tempo finale box. It’s clear as the six line up for a bow that there’s much enjoyment between the band in doing what they do. As they belt through Lady Of The Sea after the break, Cormac, who’s always smiling anyway, seems to be remembering a (very funny) joke someone has just told. Any eye contact with Seth and he’s at risk of cracking up. The final bow also sees Alex Hart working at heights, stepping on a box/monitor to gain a few extra cms to everyone’s delight…

Buxton photos by Mike + Jen

The ‘Alex on a box’ moment

MEANWHILE…

Over in Theatre Severn, in Shrewsbury, our man Og is gearing up for a first exposure to the Seth experience….

Well, to be fair, not exactly first, but the first where the stage his own, rather than by dint of Mr Plant or as a guest of his siblings and spouses. And, for all this talk of folk, seldom has a stage been set with so many racked instruments, the areas around Kirkpatrick, Hart and Lakeman awash with guitars, mandocellos, fiddles, banjos and more.

As for Byrne’s ‘drumkit’: he’s sat on a cajon, bass drum and hi-hat for his feet, various tom toms and snare, spread wide, all to allow him to strap on and play bodhran as well. Simultaneously. And all with that cheeky grin, kid in a sweetshop look as noted above. You might feel sorry for Churchill-Moss, stuck solely with his single squeezer, but that would always be a mistake, given what he is capable of drawing forth from his box of tricks. Finally, big man Nicholls, who has, tucked away, behind his massive bass, a banjo.

SOUNDING IMMENSE

Probably the same set, it was all new for the first set, with side one, track one from The Granite Way, Louisa, hurtling off the blocks with gusto, the lifeboat crew seemingly running up Porlock Hill. The sound was immense, and, bar Churchill-Moss, clearly and separately audible. (Sadly, he remained largely muted all night, even if you discount personal preferences dictating that instrument to be mixed loudest and clearest). Kirkpatrick’s banjo was especially enjoyable, both to watch and hear, that instrument, oddly, maximising the rock in this feistiest of folk-rock.

Black Fox saw Lakeman pick up his fiddle for the first time, it a surprise how sparingly he wields his trademark instrument, thrashing various six-strings almost as often. As with the record, Hart’s vocals were pristine perfect as a counterpoint to Lakeman, who commented upon having a cold. “You never know what’s going to come out, when you have a cold“, he quipped, hopefully meaning from his larynx. Gallows Tree was as powerful as can be, with Born To The Strain managing to have you completely forget the tin whistle that makes it so lively on disc.

A QUIETER INTERLUDE

The quieter interlude, as mentioned, of One More Before You Go caught this listener out, the paired voices of Lakeman and Hart off mic, with, hurrah, an audible at last Churchill-Moss. Glorious. A big hall to capture, three tiers and a high roof, and it threatened to consume Lakeman’s coryzal voice, but he pulled out just enough reserve to beguile. To then move into the solo fiddle (and pedals) was a wonderful way for Kitty Jay to close that set, with Byrne making a late entry to add some final wallop to the much loved tune.

A decent and well-stocked Chapel Bar, within the theatre complex, provided me with a seat opposite the merch table, heaving with product, which seemed to be shifting apace. Clearly the punters were not put off by hearing so much “new”. Guinness, seeing as you ask, to give me stamina for the, for me, unknown treasures ahead.

It is both gratifying and quite moving that an artist like Lakeman can have such a loyal following, that much immediately obvious as the six-piece moved into the “greatest hits” part of the programme, given the applause that greeted each song. With much of the content from Freedom Fields, there was room for a lot more besides. Like my chums at Buxton, Rambling Sailor, was a highlight, a rousing slice of bombast.

BIG SHOW FEEL

Once again, the feel was of a big rock show, despite the material being drawn from centuries before, in influence if not actuality. Loosening up as they drew to a close, highpoints were when Nicholls switched to banjo, it dwarfed on his imposing frame. Likewise, he was able to demonstrate that jaw’s harp can be a surprisingly expressive instrument. I also apologise if I haven’t directly mentioned his bass playing, dropping and bending astonishing flurries of notes which, particularly as the boy Kirkpatrick switched to electric guitar, had nostalgic flickers of the great Thompson squared partnership, Richard and Danny, of the generation before them.

All too soon, “this is our last song“, Change, which had the whole audience by now on their feet. Of course, being old school, there were encores, starting with what was called the Scrumpy Set, a showcase for an again audible Churchill-Moss and Lakeman to joust their chosen weapons. Utterly glorious, and followed by Race To Be King, it felt that a good night had been well spent. Yeah I could do this again.