Blu-ray document of Strawbs’ 2009 40th Anniversary concert. Strawbs appear in both acoustic and electric incarnations, with guest appearances from Sonja Kristina, The Royal Artillery Orchestra and John Ford.
Release Date: 9th June 2025
Label: CJON Productions
Formats: Blu-ray
A SPECIAL CELEBRATION
There have been previous audio and video mementoes of that special weekend back in September 2009, when Strawbs celebrated their 40th Anniversary. Most notably two-volume CD and DVD set released back in 2010 that picked out many of the highlights the event. But they didn’t capture everything, as those who were there for that special occasion will no doubt concur. So, now, to help fill in more details of what the weekend was all about, comes Magic From The Moon, a Blu-ray video that concentrates on the acoustic and orchestral elements of the show and features performances never previously made available on home video.
Filmed on Saturday, 12th September, 2009, at The Live Room in Twickenham Stadium (a mere stone’s throw from where Strawbs were born) this Blu-ray covers the full spread of Strawbs’ career. One that draws from the band’s earliest demo recordings to their (then) current album, Dancing to the Devil’s Beat and pretty much all points in between. The track listing is dominated by performances by the Acoustic Strawbs – Dave Cousins (vocals, guitar and banjo), Chas Cronk (guitars, bass and backing vocals) and Dave Lambert (guitars, vocals) – but that only tells a fraction of the story…
SPECIAL GUESTS
In early 1967, The Strawberry Hill Boys had enlisted the services of a certain female singer. Sandy Denny was her name, and you might have heard of her. With Sandy in the band’s ranks, Strawbs started to attract even more attention than they had previously and they were invited, by the owner of Sonet Records in Copenhagen, to travel to the Danish capital to record. Thus began the recording career of Strawbs. Sandy didn’t stick around, of course, but Strawbs, with Sandy, laid down some beautiful songs, and several of those early songs are reprised here and – to sing them – the Acoustic Strawbs are joined by Curved Air vocalist, Sonja Kristina.
Sonja’s appearance is a high-point of Magic From The Moon, but it’s not the only one, because Strawbs are also joined by members of The Royal Artillery Orchestra. The orchestra’s contribution to the sound is massive and transforms the versions of the songs on which they perform into something very special indeed. And, the sound production on the video does full justice to the orchestra’s contribution; it’s rich, it’s clear and it’s engaging.
IN CLEAR VIEW…
The camera work is pretty good, too. It focusses exactly upon the aspects of the performance that viewers will wish to see – a satisfying mix of frontal and angled band shots with lots of close-ups of band and orchestra members and enough close-up shots of instrumental action to enable any aspiring Strawb tribute-player to work out exactly how the tunes are played.
In fact, the only less-than-positive observation I can make is that the continuity is occasionally a little disconcerting. For example, the orchestra suddenly appears, seemingly from nowhere, for Evergreen; Cousins, Cronk and Lambert suddenly appear in different clothes, and band members – Oliver Wakeman, Rod Coombes and John Ford appear and disappear almost at random. But that’s a minor observation, rather than a criticism, because, in Magic From The Moon, it’s the music – and the excitement of the performance – that takes the plaudits.
REMEMBERING THE EARLY DAYS
The performance kicks off with an acoustic version of Simple Visions, from Strawbs’ 1976 Deep Cuts album. Dave C’s voice sounds a little shaky at first, but he soon finds his groove. He dedicates Josephine, for Better or for Worse to the former proprietress of the White Bear Folk Club in Hounslow – the venue where the nascent Strawberry Hill Boys cut their teeth and he uses that memory to recall the band’s very earliest days.
First up is Copenhagen, a song from Dancing to the Devil’s Beat that Dave Cousins has often described as “…the most important song on that album.” Dedicated here to Sandy’s memory, it’s a mellow song, made even more so by the soft strums of Chas’s 12-string guitar. Then, Dave C recalls the Strawberry Hill Boys days as he picks up his banjo to accompany Dave Lambert on Dave L’s Cold Steel, a song from the 2004 Deja Fou album.
IT’S SONJA KRISTINA!
Then – the big ‘surprise…’ Sonja Kristina was courted by Strawbs as a potential replacement for Sandy Denny. Dave C came across her when she was just 16 years old and he was entranced; she did play one gig with the band but circumstances intervened and she went on to her stellar career with Curved Air. But Dave C and Sonja remained friends (in fact, it’s clearly evident from the body language on display here that he still rather fancied her…) and it’s great to see her up on the stage with the Acoustic Strawbs. Sonja’s light, bright voice sits in stark contrast to Dave C’s signature growl, but the voices mix surprisingly well as they launch into the folky, gospel-flavoured rag, Sail Away To The Sea.
Sonja’s vocal is raw and raucous for the full-sounding On My Way and it’s utterly delicious when the band move onto the gentle All I Need Is You – “My favourite song from the old days,” says Dave C. But, perhaps, the highlight of Sonja’s short guest spot is the magnificent Tell Me What You See In Me, a song in which Sonja’s passionate vocals are supplemented by stunning four-part harmonies on the chorus and some inspired acoustic lead guitar lines from Dave L.
FULL ORCHESTRA, FULL ELECTRIC BAND
Evergreen, from the Acoustic Strawbs’ 2001 album, Baroque And Roll has, of course, become something of a Strawbs classic and its performance here is yet another high point of the show. And, things get even better for the lengthy workout of The River/ Down By The Sea that features Strawbs in full electric glory, with Oliver Wakeman on keyboards, Rod Coombes on drums, Chas on electric bass, Dave L on his Gibson Les Paul and the full orchestra. It’s performed with absolute precision and both Daves give it everything with their vocals. It’s the concert’s big production number and band and orchestra are in perfect accord to do full justice to the song.
John Ford’s sole appearance in the video takes place when he joins Dave Lambert (plus the full orchestra) for a stunning take on Heavy Disguise, a favourite track from the best-selling Grave New World album. It’s yet another high-point; John’s passion and commitment is palpable and it’s made clear by the “Yeh!” he utters at the end of the song that he enjoyed every note.
A STIRRING FINALE
The show (or, at least this extract of it) is brought to its close with the anthemic Where Silent Shadows Fall, perhaps the standout track on the then-contemporary Dancing To The Devil’s Beat album. Oliver Wakeman leads the orchestra with a wonderfully fluid piano solo and the passing of the song’s Silent Soldier is respectfully marked by a phalanx of cors anglais that mushrooms into a stirring orchestral playout.
And the sincere, lengthy standing ovation is well-deserved indeed.
Not featured in this video but recorded during the same weekend of celebration – listen to Strawbs perform Witchwood at their 40th Anniversary Concert, Twickenham, September 2009, below:
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