Category Archives: Folk Us

Folk us is presented by Tim Moon on Monday evenings.

The Reason For It….

There’s nobody like me! Well, perhaps that’s stretching things, there are other radio programmes hanging on on there. Forget Hardings MOR effort on Radio 2, it has it’s merits, but being the only national folk programme carries with it more than the Americana ridden programme delivers. Forget BBC local stations… most have removed such silly things as programmes the licence payers have wanted… check out the recent much lamented loss of Radio Derby’s excellent programme. Hoorah then for The Durbervilles on Radio Leeds and the wonderful Genevieve Tudor on Radio Shropshire, to name a couple whose programmes I have played on.

But I play what I feel fits, I give a hand on heart promise that if you send me music it will be played on the air. Maybe once and never again, but maybe many times. And I can react.. a few weeks ago a single track CD arrived by a 19 year old femaile vocalist. The song was written by her dad (How uncool would that be in most genres???) but her voice was lovely. I played it on air, I rang her, and she sent a CDR of a live track. The following week she was being interviewed live on air. That is what I want. She may be big in years to come, or she may slip off to be a juggler or a nirse, but I gave her that chance, that’s what community radio is all about.

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From Tim Moon, presenter of Folk Us! on BCB Radio

You know, the thing about BCB in the evening is that we brave presenters are not just players, but, well, players. And that means a lot.
I’ve not been to many gigs in recent times, I’ve found it hard to watch others while going through the writing and recording of the new album ‘The Angel and the Rotter’. I think it was Dylan that said ‘Listen to no one, or listen to everyone.’ I chose the former for a while.
An exception was Fairport at Chesterfield. Fairport are one of those bands who I have been a fan of for years, bought all those Island albums, but who now are friends, well, Peggy and Chris are. Even supported the band, and jammed with them. Amazing musicians. The new album, Festival Bell, may not be Leige and Leif, but noboday can match that period of burning creation. And the new album is a beauty, crafted and full of lovely ideas. Bravely they played it almost in full for the second half of the tour. The first part was a full performance of John Babbacombe Lee, the folk rock opera about the ‘man they couldn’t hang’ that was released in the 70s, and only performed in full once since then. They recieved a standing ovation. They deserved it. Support for the tour was Gilmore and Roberts, fiddle and guitar, female and male. Post Rusby quality. I have them in for interview on the programme in May.
Pip Pip for now. Tim