The Barbican Set List Reviews

Details

Date
July 28, 2008
Venue
The Barbican London, England
Billed As
Hal Willner's Rogue's Gallery
Gig Type
Concert

Set List

  1. Intro
  2. Cape Cod Girls Baby Gramps + Chorus
  3. Crossbone Sculley Baby Gramps + Chorus
  4. Hog Eye Man Martin Carthy + Chorus
  5. My Son John Tim Robbins + Chorus
  6. Haul Away Joe Teddy Thompson + Chorus
  7. Baltimore Whores Gavin Friday + Eliza Carthy
  8. Farewell Nancy Langley Sisters/Ed Harcourt
  9. Ole Og Langley Sisters/Ed Harcourt
  10. Sam’s Gone Away Traditional Robyn Hitchcock + Chorus
  11. Leave Her Johnny Sandy Dillon
  12. Bonnie Portmore Kami Thompson + violins
  13. Rolling Sea Eliza Carthy
  14. Dan Dan + Oboe Duel David Thomas
  15. Fire Down Below David Thomas
  16. Ged A Sheol Mi Air Julie Fowlis
  17. Mingulay Boat Song Chris Difford + Kami Thompson
  18. Good Ship Venus Richard Strange
  19. Long Time Ago White Magic
  20. Blood Red Roses White Magic + Chorus
  21. Coast Of High Barbary Neil Hannon
  22. Turkish Revelry Neil Hannon + Gita
  23. Bay Of Biscay Norma + Martin, Eliza
  24. Sally Brown Teddy Thompson
  25. Bully In The Alley Gavin/Sandy/ Pete
  26. Boney Was A Warrior Gavin w/ Shane/Pete
  27. South Australia Shane McGowan w/Tim/Pete/chorus
  28. Haul On The Bowline Tim Robbins + Chorus
  29. The Cruel Ship's Captain Tim Robbins + violins
  30. Caroline And Her Young Sailor Suzanne Vega + violins
  31. Little Boy Billie Ralph Steadman + Chorus
  32. One Spring Morning Teddy + Kath Williams
  33. Row The Boat Child Jenni Muldaur + Chorus
  34. Drunken Sailor David Thomas + Shane + Tymon
  35. Lowlands Low Chris Difford + Gita
  36. Lowlands Away Martha Wainwright + violins
  37. Grey Funnel Line Martha Wainwright
  38. Wild Goose / New York Gals Traditional Robyn Hitchcock + Chorus
  39. Pinery Boy Gavin Friday + violins
  40. Lament Julie Fowlis
  41. Turas Julie Fowlis
  42. Liverpool Shanty Shane & Tim + Chorus
  43. The Mermaid Martin Carthy
  44. The Nightingale Eliza Carthy
  45. Shallow Brown Norma + Chorus
  46. band intros
  47. Old Man Of The Sea Baby Gramps

Reviews

FEATURING
Baby Gramps, Martha Wainwright, David Thomas, Gavin Friday, Ralph Steadman, Robyn Hitchcock, Norma Waterson, Teddy Thompson, Martin Carthy, Julie Fowlis, Eliza Carthy, Tim Robbins, Ed Harcourt, Neil Hannon, Suzanne Vega, Pete Doherty & more


from The Barbican's website:

Based on the extraordinary recent CD release produced by legendary Hal Willner, this concert features contemporary re-workings of traditional sea-songs and chanteys. A stellar line-up of artists take us on a trip like no other, exploring the hardships, the horrors, the lusts and lurid depths, and the crystal beauty that led men to the sea in ships for hundreds of years.

Expect songs about drinking, death, nasty crimes on the water and of course pirates...

MUSICIANS
Kate St John (oboe / cor anglais / saxophone / accordion)
David Coulter (banjo / violin/ saw/ukulele/banjo/mandolin)
Leo Abrahams (guitar / hurdy gurdy / mandolin/ bouzouki)
Andy Newmark (drums)
Martyn Barker (percussion)
Dudley Phillips (double bass / electric bass)
Roger Eno (piano, keys, harmonium)

Background
While working on the Pirates of the Carribean films, director Gore Verbinski and his star Johnny Depp became fascinated with the lore and fable of the pirates and sailors who ran the high seas before the days of upright tray-tables and airsick bags. Not too far behind was Hal Willner, who quickly joined into the mix, dragging a very impressive list of musicians to create what we now know as Rogue’s Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys.

The songs (on the CD) have titles like 'Baltimore Whores,' 'Boney Was a Warrior' (about Napoleon) and 'Little Boy Billee' sung by the artist Ralph Steadman about eating the cabin boy. A sea chantey (often spelt shanty) is a work song that was sung on the ol' ships in the day. Rhythmically they matched the activity speed of these men hauling on lines. Many of them are really filthy, many are really beautiful.

'The ocean: it's all about the vast blue that engulfs two thirds of the planet. The human being cast against that abyss creates an interesting bit of perspective. I think the sailors of the time were dancing with death, and these were there tunes.' '
Gore Verbinski