Seth Lakeman - The Duchess - 09/11/10

Hearts and Minds, the album to which 33-year old Lakeman’s current tour owes its name, is his fifth solo album, an impressive feat but also one that begs the question of quantity over quality, whether the progression from more traditional folk to a rockier sound would pay off. The support act came in the form of sweet-faced 25-year old Liverpudlian Delta Maid, whose acoustic songs and faintly haunting voice provided an ambient and relaxed atmosphere in which to start the evening.

To a wild chorus of yells (mostly girlish screams, I might add), Lakeman took to the stage in a likeably understated manner, picking up his fiddle and starting with the title track from the new album, Hearts and Minds. His opening remark that the song was basically “a stick at the government” seemed a little obvious and slightly preachy, but as the lyrics were mostly lost in the pounding drums and furiously-working fiddle, this didn’t matter too much.

Lakeman’s set focused more on his previous three albums, with emphasis on Hearts and Minds (which was to be expected) and Poor Man’s Heaven, which provided thumping drums and guitar playing, but left me craving more of the traditional ‘fiddle and cider and beards’ style of folk. That said, his trademark song ‘Kitty Jay’ was the highlight of the evening, the band leaving the stage to showcase just Lakeman and his fiddle. The concentration on his face was evident as the crowd hung on every fast and furious note, and really demonstrated just how talented a musician he is.

As with any gig, it’s the little details that really make an evening. Lakeman’s stage presence came across as pleasant, likeable and enthusiastic, at the start of the show saying how great it was to be back in York after six months, remembering the name of the venue as well which can be difficult after a whirlwind tour just back from Germany. The very essence of folk music is dancing, enjoying yourself, and Lakeman’s commandment for the audience to all dance was eagerly followed. Finishing on the bouncy ‘Race to be King’ was a slight surprise, as I (and I presume most of the audience as well) were expecting ‘Lady of the Sea’, his most popular song. Nevertheless, the set (and the dancing) finished on a glorious sweaty high.

And I have to admit to doing a couple of air fiddle solos during the songs. Old habits die hard.

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