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24 - 26 August 2012
FESTIVAL TICKETS ON SALE

JOHN RENBOURN & ROBIN WILLIAMSON
The Centre Stage, Bournemouth
April 21

   It was standing room only at a jam packed Centre Stage for the long awaited return visit of famed duo John Renbourn and Robin Williamson, now into the third week of their UK tour. Apart from his amazing light fingered guitar technique, John Renbourn is probably best known as a founder member of the highly rated folk outfit Pentangle and for his collaboration with Scottish folk musician Bert Jansch. Multi instrumentalist and vocalist Robin Williamson cut his teeth with The Incredible String Band and whilst his vocal talents are something of an acquired taste, they are perfectly suited to the folk/blues style they now play. His musicianship is legendary and during the evening he switched effortlessly from harp, flute, whistle, mandolin and guitar whilst at the same time maintaining the beat on his bass drum. Playing a mixture of old and new material as well as a selection from their excellent album WHEELS OF FORTUNE, they had the audience spellbound from the start.

Robin got things going with Blind Willy Johnson’s I Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes which he learnt from guitarist Davy Graham who sadly died from lung cancer in 2008. John then took his turn with Ry Cooder’s gospel classic Great Dream From Heaven before Robin delivered a superb rendition of Bob Dylan’s Absolutely Sweet Marie. They then predicted ‘misery from now on’ kicking off with The Snows which was ‘eight on the Richter scale of doom and gloom’; a terrific song taken from WHEELS OF FORTUNE. Then a couple more with Robin taking the vocal lead; Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down with its charmingly monotonous lyrics and the bluesy drinking song Trouble, Trouble. John then closed the first set with another timeless Dylan staple Buckets of Rain but not before Robin had launched into a great ragtime solo on the mandolin.

For the second set, Robin took the lead on all vocals with John concentrating on his effortless but mesmerising guitar backing. After opening with the beautiful instrumental Mull of the Mountains on which Robin excelled on the harp, it was back to the blues with Going Down Slow. Then it was instrumental time again with the gorgeous medley South Wind, on which John Renbourn’s guitar playing was simply stunning; and Blarney Pilgrim which had Robin switching to the whistle. Terrific stuff! Surely it couldn’t get better but then came the most wonderful ballad Love Letter to my Wife Bina; a story of homesickness when on tour and I Always Followed Music, a track to be included on their forthcoming new album. As things started to draw to a finale, the pair chose For Three of Us and (Where the) Blarney Roses (Grow) which had the packed gathering singing along on the chorus. With both Robin and John now in their late sixties, they decided to remain on the stage for their encore Wang, Dang Doodle; another for the Bournemouth Folk Club devotees to demonstrate their singing talents. This time they did leave the stage to rapturous and very prolonged applause. Robin returned to the stage but had to wait for John to reappear from a comfort break before they finally closed with Milwaukee Blues and another lovely ballad The Lights of Sweet St. Anne’s.

This was entertainment at its very best and made all the better for having local favourites Tinderbox opening with a short set of self penned numbers; their penultimate gig before Monique gives birth.

John Roffey