NORTHUMBRIAN MUSIC
NIGHTS
What we said about
Sally Barker with Keith
Richard Buck
Special duo inspired all the romantics
As I sit listening to their recent live CD, 'Passion and the Countess', it becomes more and more clear to me how enchanting, for lovers, last Friday's show at the King's Head in Allendale with Sally Barker and Keith Buck, really was. But if you were not fortunate to have someone stroking your hair, holding your hand in the flickering candlelight, perhaps you could be forgiven for feeling just a bit bored.
The show started on a lively note, with a brilliant song, 'Money's Talking', one of several written by Sally. It was a startling introduction to Sally's amazing voice, and the incredible joint guitar work with her musical partner, Keith Buck who also played pedal steel in addition to acoustic guitars. And the audience was roused by the singalong tune of 'Favourite Dish', but it took 'American Car', a song eight years in the writing, to illuminate the concept that the intimate evening was really one for lovers. We all rocked a bit with 'Good Lovin', a tune with Bonnie Raitt overtones, and we cried along with the pedal steel on 'The Honeymoon is Over', but had we not had the fast and wanton number 'Farmboy's Wages', just before the break, some missing the love of their life might have dropped off unawares. But that's professionalism for you -- even with only double handsful in the audience, this pair know how to mix up the session to provide something for everyone.
Back with 'I know what I like' -- a rollicking hippy number, and a contemporary folk song 'Comrades in Arms', with a segue into 'Angry Women' that even the partnerless men were cajoled into singing along to, and the evening turned into a lovely nice quiet sojourn through 'This rhythm is mine' and 'Who knows where the time goes' before the sparky 'Female Ramblin' Sailor'. Incredible guitar ensemble!
With an encore expected, it was just 'Another Train', and we were left with the satisfaction that some lovers in the audience had discovered that 'the beginning is now'. That's got to be a special sort of feeling, from a special pair of entertainers.
