*This review is sponsored*
If you were born and bred in the North East you will have definitely heard of musical legends Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox.
These two well-known musicians finally performed at Sage Gateshead on Friday night, due to the past two years- the tour had been arranged many times so it was nice to finally see the two lads standing side by side (ish) with guitar and microphone stand.
Billy, of course, was in the band, Lindisfarne for 8 years, and Bob Fox is a part of the Pitmen Poets along with Billy, Jez Lowe, and Benny Graham.
It’s important to understand the history, culture, and language of where you are from, and being from the North East myself, I defiantly felt that I got that understanding from Billy and Bob in their performance. Celebrating the tales of the region, whether that be of their own personal stories or of the history of the region itself- both Billy and Bob did that through their music
Though they may be older and wiser in years, Billy and Bob were like two young boys playing with their instruments and singing well-known folk songs. If you have ever seen them before, then you will know that singing is required on your behalf too, that wasn’t any different at Sage Gateshead. Our vocal cords were warmed up and were in tune to join in on the songs such as Dance to your Daddy and Sally Wheatley.
I am very passionate about the North East mining history, so it was fantastic to hear Billy talk and sing about his experiences of living in West Wylam and his Dad being a miner in the West Wylam mine. I enjoyed the way Bob introduced the songs by telling us the stories behind each little ditty, especially the funny tale of Galway Shawl.
Both fountains of knowledge in music and the region’s history, I think it’s important to listen to these musical folk tales whilst they are still around so we can fully appreciate them in all their glory.
Gemma's Journey 