Chris Cleverley & Friends – Festive EP Release Party – Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham: Live Review

By David Hughes on 3rd December 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

Chris Cleverley & Friends – Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham – Monday 1st December 2025

Chris Cleverley launches his new festive EP in cordial company

AN Assorted gathering

Tradition has to start somewhere, so why not early December in Kings Heath. The sample of two consecutive years may be small but a ritual is born. Chris Cleverley produces seasonal EP releases with a difference: short, focussed and unique. Following the launch of In the Shadow of John the Divine last December, the Hare and Hounds was once again the Birmingham venue of choice as this year’s God Of All Things gently eased its way into the world. These evenings are accurately headlined Chris Cleverley and Friends as they evolve into something of a festive folk revue with the spotlight shared by an assorted gathering of similarly styled musicians. For the second successive year the manic month of December was warmly ushered in leaving the audience refreshed with a gentle glow.

The line up was the same as last year with a notable addition. Joining Sam Kelly, Kathy Pilkington, Minnie Birch and Kim Lowings was Midlands singer-songwriter Dan Whitehouse who has collaborated with Cleverley on a new festive record titled The Bells Of Brierley Hill. A local story destined to travel far this time of year and duly played as a duet at the heart of the gig. We had a second Whitehouse song straight after in the waltz-inspired Why Don’t You Dance With Me. The invitation will be reversed this coming Sunday with the pair teaming up for Whitehouse’s own end of year review show.

Festive releases

Cleverley used the evening with twin effect combining the role of showcasing artist and convivial host. The core quartet on stage were to his right: the talents of Birch and Pilkington, known collectively as Awake Mother as well as for individual work and part of Said The Maiden, and to his left: the multi-talented folk supremo Kelly on acoustic and electric guitar slipping into the comfortable sidekick role for the evening. Identical to last year, fellow Midlands folk singer Kim Lowings accepted an invitation for a rare appearance and lent her vocal acumen to a couple of songs. Together they formed a formidable collective breathing blissful unity.

The two focal songs signposting the future came at the start and deep into the second set. Lord Of Chaos opened the evening and was also the first track off the new EP to surface online. Maybe due to set momentum, it was slightly overshadowed by the recently released Frost Giant which expressed an artist at their experimental and evocative best. The stage show was in full swing when turning to this track. Most of last year’s festive release was played with show closer For A Winter Angel at least getting folks in the mood for the oncoming festivities on what outside was a filthy wet Midlands night.

A cordial hospitality

What probably defined the gig was the cordial hospitality to open the stage to a gathering of longstanding friends. Just under a decade ago, all of the evening’s participants bar Dan Whitehouse were part of The Company Of Players project, an album of original songs inspired by Shakespeare. In addition to Cleverley sharing his effort But Thinking Makes It So, we also heard Lowings deliver her gorgeous version of Gather Round and Birch likewise with Up And Under. A memorable project relived through a trio of quality artists.

Pushing boundaries

With the limelight afforded, Minnie Birch thrilled the audience on numerous occasions. She closed the first half with a beautiful rendition of the old pop hit Teenage Dirtbag elegantly slowed down with a folk makeover. The bar was further raised straight after the break, when she wooed a transfixed audience with the powerfully emotive All on the Black, casting a light on a songwriter not afraid of pushing boundaries.

Three songs into the first set, Cleverley and Kelly left the stage to allow Kathy Pilkington and Minnie Birch reassemble their Awake Mother duo outfit and fill the Hare and Hounds air with three pristine folk songs including the a cappella formatted The Old Churchyard. Pilkington also added her deft banjo playing to these and many other songs on the evening.

The guitar playing style of Chris Cleverley is one of the attributes setting him apart from contemporaries on the folk scene. He does have the knack of finding new places, and it is akin to his songwriting ideals of matching mood, ambience and effect. The vocals portrayed an innovative nature and melded well with the sumptuous backing of the vocal ensemble for the evening.

Creator and enabler

As much as the headline was the EP launch, the evening panned out as a certified bonding of allegiance and fully fledged collaboration. Sweet sounds and atmospheric delights emanated from the stage with many facets of artistry covered. Chris Cleverley was both creator and enabler, An effective curation of a finely tuned evening purring with class.