Review of Coal Porters: 11 March 2011, Pocklington Arts Centre

The Coal Porters are a band I first heard of only in the last year or so, and this was the second time I’d seen them. The first occasion was so good that as soon as I heard they were playing in nearby Pocklington, I made sure I bought some good tickets. Indeed, they couldn’t really have been better – dead centre and three rows from the front.

The songs they play come under the heading of Americana – it’s a mix of bluegrass, country, and American folk music – with the occasional oddity thrown in (they treated us to a bluegrass version of the Undertones’ Teenage Kicks for one of the encores). I’ve also seen it described as alt.bluegrass.

The band comprises Sid Griffin (formerly in the Long Ryders) on mandolin, vocals and harmonica, Neil Robert Herd on acoustic guitar & vocals, Carly Frey on fiddle and vocals, John Bleese on banjo and vocals and Andrew Stafford on doghouse bass (double bass).

The tickets said 8.00 and by five-past-eight the band had taken the stage. They were warmly received and it was apparent that this was one of their regular venues – and one which they were very fond of. The band were relaxed and in a very positive mood – with lots of banter between songs, and a sprinkling of jokes. The first set lasted nearly an hour and after a 15 minute break, they resumed for another hour. Both sets were excellent, and included numbers by Peter Rowan, Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Hank Locklin, Ralph Stanley, and Neil Young, as well as some traditional songs and half-a-dozen or so penned by members of the band. At the end of an absolutely amazing second set, they came back for two encores – first Teenage Kicks and then a great version of Bob Dylan’s You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere – both of which the audience were encouraged to join in with, and they did, with gusto.

The venue, the Pocklington Arts Centre, is superb. The staff (largely volunteers) were very friendly and the seats were comfortable with a clear view of the stage.

All in all it was a great night and excellent value for money.

Chris Jones

Set 1
1. June Apple/Let’s Say Goodbye
2. One Is Way Too Many
3. Final Wild Son
4. Lookin’ For A Soft Place To Fall
5. No More Chains
6. Pike County Breakdown
7. Flying South
8. I’m Not Going Away
9. Moonlight Midnight
10. Like A Hurricane
11. How Mountain Girls Can Love

Set 2
1. A Light From The Mountains
2. Pretty Polly – trad
3. They’re Burning Down The House
4. Wide Open Spaces
5. Permanent Twilight
6. Roadkill Breakdown
7. Little Cabin Home On The Hill
8. Closing Time Genius
9. Sail Away Ladies – trad
10. New Cut Road

Encore
1. Teenage Kicks
2. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere

Find out more about the Coal Porters here.

And you can hear them on their MySpace page here.