You can also view these as events within Harvey’s Facebook page.

3 May – Wrexham Folk Club

5 May – Sutton Village Hall, hosted by the John O’Gaunt Inn Folk Club
High St, Sutton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NE
Email cjones@knowlesbenning.com for tickets

10 May – Leek Arts Festival

13 May – Folk on the Pier
Cromer

9 June – Wirral Folk on the Coast Festival
Whitby Sport and Social Club, the junction of Chester Road/Dunkirk Lane, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 6QF
Tickets: 0151 678 9902

16 June – Village Hall, Eldroth
North Yorkshire
Email for tickets: robertclarke@austwick.org

20 June – Banbury Folk Club
The Mill Arts Centre, Spiceball Park Road, Banbury OX16 5QE

28 June – Black Swan Folk Club
Peasholme Green, York YO1 7PR

7 July – Acoustic Routes
5-7 Norfolk St, Cambridge CB1 2LD
Tickets: 07971 299 659

14 July – White Horse Folk Club
United Reform Church, Highworth, Wilts
Call Derrick Beer on 01793 762 070 or Geoff Davies on 01793 706 753

21 July – Barlaston Village Hall
Email charles.aked@live.co.uk for tickets

29 July – Folk on the Moor
Westward Inn, Lee Mill PL21 9EE (near Plymouth)
Call Ben Campbell on 01752 708 770 for tickets

18 August – White Horse Folk Festival
Old Mill Hall, Grove, Oxfordshire OX12 7LB (near Wantage)
Call Dave Guest on 01235 765 445 or email WhiteHorseFest@aol.com

6 September – Whitby Sports & Social Club
Chester Road/Dunkirk Lane, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 6QF
For tickets call 0151 678 9902 or email folksingerjohn@aol.com

13 September – Catshill Club
13 Meadow Road, Catshill, Bromsgrove B61 0JJ
For tickets call 0121 476 5938

15 September – Manifold Inn
Hulme End, Peak National Park SK17 0EX

22 September – Walton on the Hill Village Hall
Green Gore Lane, Walton, Stafford ST17 0LD
Tickets: 01785 661 877

30 September – The Sun Hotel
Sun Street, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1AF
Tel: 01462 812 391

4 October – Newport Fugitives Athletic Club
Newport Fugitives Athletic Club, High Cross Road, Rogerstone NP10 9AD
call 01633 897 923 for tickets

13 and 14 October – The Farewell Concerts at Lichfield Guildhall

A near capacity crowd had a rare treat on Friday as the ‘legendary” Harvey Andrews gave a faultless performance as part of his final UK tour of his own personal favourite venues and folk clubs from his 50 years on the road.

As he explained in his own relaxed, cheerful style “I am the last of my generation of singer/songwriters, largely because I have outlived the rest!”

At 68 he has lost none of his laid-back style as he held the audience spellbound with a set of old and loved songs mixed with new ones which were so well-crafted that we all knew them and sung along before the second chorus.

As always his effortless stories and anecdotes between the beautiful songs where hugely entertaining, amusing, (the kitten had us in fits) thoughtful and even deeply philosophical at times.

We were transported back on waves of nostalgia to a simpler age of push button telephone boxes, Saturday morning pictures, radio programmes the whole family, 10% house deposits or when all men whistled in the street, the milkman, the paper boy the dustman.

However among all this Harvey is still capable of deep social and political comment which formed so much of his formative years, about politicians. selfish motorway drivers, modern poetry, TV fame shows and the use of social media.

In fact when he asked us “is it me or is the world out there just Bonkers” we all voiced our agreement! As Harvey said “most people retire to travel – not me – I am retiring BECAUSE of the travel!”

One great piece of news which was announced by organiser Scott Butler of Deckchair Productions is that he has persuaded Harvey back to Norfolk to perform at next years Folk On The Pier Festival.

Richard Tree

He was an inspiration to me as the following extract from my second book, currently in progress, relates.

Bob Dylan may well have got the ball rolling for me and many others but when I first listened to the songs of Tom Paxton I knew this was the road I was going to follow. His songs, and those of Phil Ochs, chronicled the times we were living through. In many ways these songwriters of the 60’s were cultural historians, dealing with issues like the Vietnam War, civil rights and societal problems. Both Paxton and Ochs could tell stories with searingly truthful lyrics or with satire and humour. They also wrote understated love songs. To me they were just an extension into my own times of the traditional songs I was hearing in the folk clubs that told the stories of the extraordinary lives of ordinary people; their struggles, their wars, their loves, their dreams.

I began learning Tom’s songs immediately. He had a facility for writing simple, and most importantly, playable melodies. “Last thing on my mind”, “Ramblin’ Boy”, “Natural Girl For Me”, and “What Did You Learn in School Today” became fixtures in my performances, and audiences loved to sing the choruses.

Ochs’s songs were more problematic. They too dealt with political and social issues but in a more direct and journalistic way. They were less accessible for performance and very specifically about America and its problems, although I was hooked on them all. However, his more gentle songs “When I’m Gone”, and “Changes” entered my repertoire.

Because I now had transport, still a sought after thing on the folk scene at the time, an opportunity was offered to me that I couldn’t possibly refuse. Ioan Allen told me that Phil Ochs was appearing in concert at, I think, Nottingham; that he had a couple of days free afterwards and that hotel and finance problems meant he had nowhere to stay. Would I like to drive over, see the concert, pick him up and bring him back to my flat to stay for a couple of nights?

Would I!

Seeing Phil on stage was a revelation. He had some new songs that instantly appealed to me and meeting him backstage after the gig was an unforgettable moment. That night, into the early hours, Phil and I talked. We shared a love of Buddy Holly and played a few old singles. We discussed the folk scene and eventually got on to Bob Dylan. Phil mentioned that some people would happily kill Dylan and we talked about the repercussions of his assassination. I said it would be like the crucifixion of Christ to many and would give “the movement” a martyr, something all causes needed as a rallying point. Eventually he slept in my bed and I slept on the floor of my living room.

In the morning I got my tape recorder running and persuaded Phil to record his two new songs for me, “Flower Lady” and “Cannons of Christianity”.

“Two n’s or one?” he asked, before apologising for his voice; “It’s hard singing in the morning.”

After performing the two songs he went through them again to give me the chords. Within a week the songs were added to my repertoire.

In the afternoon I took him to my mother’s where he was fed a huge plateful of meat and two veg, followed by a cannonball of stodge covered in custard. He was very appreciative. Mother had no idea who he was, but admired his old fashioned manners and his courtesy towards her. Unfortunately he lost a contact lens in the front room, even though he had a towel spread over his lap as he cleaned it. He sat unmoving as mother and I carefully examined every inch of him, the settee he was sitting on, and the carpet on the floor, all without success. Eventually he got up and mother vacuumed the room and then dissected the contents of the bag. We never found the lens and it could be lying somewhere in 85 Kenilworth Road to this day. Phil, being Phil, had no replacement, and so had to wire to America for a pair to be sent out to him.

It was in England, according to his biographer Michael Schumacher, that Phil began to write his epic song “Crucifixion”. As he stayed with me on the 24th of November and, if the book is correct, began the song on the night of the 27th, I am convinced our conversation on the night of the 24th had a lot to do with his inspiration.

Before he left he signed my visitor book: “Phil Ochs… Hanoi”

I was fortunate to meet him in 1966 as we were both to appear on ATV Today. Henry was a hero of my youth and I was thrilled that I would be able to shake his hand. I have never forgotten my first sight of him when he came into the studio. He was wearing a tailored suit of the then fashionable thin shiny silk material. It was moulded to his body and I could see the muscles of the physique beneath. He radiated power and health and a controlled sort of menace.

For once I was lost for words when we were introduced.

As we shook hands I decided to give him the firm masculine handshake he would probably not expect from the long haired folkie in front of him. Unfortunately Henry returned the firm handshake with interest and my right hand was bonecrunchingly crushed. I made my excuses and headed for the gents where I used alternate cold and hot water to restore feeling to a hand that had to play the guitar a few minutes later.

The next night he was fighting Jefferson Davies, a stetson wearing American who was also on the show. One look at him was enough for me to know the result. KO first round… ‘Enery’s ‘Ammer!

The song tells a story from the point of view of a jealous and ignorant man and uses the sort of language that comes with that mental territory.

The writer creates a character and then sings that character in the first person. I’ve found this can lead to serious misunderstandings by listeners used to thinking that all songs using the word “I” are about the writer. Largely this is because they hear little but “me/I” songs about luuurve and relationships on mass media.

Knopfler has doubts about the device:

”I’m still in two minds as to whether it’s a good idea to write songs that aren’t in the first person, to take on other characters. The singer in ‘Money for Nothing’ is a real ignoramus, hard hat mentality – somebody who sees everything in financial terms. I mean, this guy has a grudging respect for rock stars. He sees it in terms of, well, that’s not working and yet the guys rich: that’s a good scam.”

I’ve used this technique throughout my writing life.

Wheels, for instance, is about the consequences of Thatcherite thinking on a father who educates his son to be a winner at all costs. This leads to his son’s death in a car chase challenge. It’s pure fiction to make a social point, but a couple of times I’ve had people come to me at gigs to express their horror at the death of my son in a car crash.

How these same people could listen to my other songs and think that the character I had created in Wheels was actually speaking my opinions amazes me!

Wheels is just one of many songs where I’ve used this technique to tell a story, and in the end a writer must trust his audience to be astute enough to get the message and separate reality from fiction.

The Davy Lamp Folk Club – 22/05/10
I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed last night’s gig at the Davy Lamp folk club in Washington. I always enjoy your shows. You are a great storyteller and your anecdotes are entertaining and sometimes thought provoking. You mentioned last night that you choose every word in your songs really carefully… that absolutely shines through in them. Your songs are enjoyable to listen to, but the words tell stories that often really make you think. I hope you will continue to do gigs for many years yet.

I’m certain Friends of Mine’ll
Be around somewhere on vinyl,
And Writer of Songs is on CD,
In my musical collection
This particular selection
Has always taken pride of place for me.
Snaps is often playing on my i-Pod,
Spring Again is always in the car;
There’s not a single track
That doesn’t take me back,
And doesn’t play itself on my guitar.

This guy he doesn’t know
Just how far back we go,
And his part in the soundtrack of my life;
How his records played
As I courted a young maid
Who now for thirty years has been my wife.
At nineteen I was singing Soldier – badly;
Some songs my growing children won’t forget;
Now his sad, nostalgic ballad
About a boy and mallard,
I’m singing with my daughter in duet.

Then this chance came along
To study writing song,
Here among the rolling Shropshire hills;
We five men and girls
Are swine who’ve found the pearls
And gleaned some shining facets of his skills.
He brings along the lessons of a lifetime,
Things he shares that everybody learns;
Now his birthday’s come along
And I offer him this song,
Wishing him the happiest returns.

© Rob Clarke, 2010