Mountain Song Revival - Le Pub
On 27th November in Le Pub on Newport High Street, 7 folk musicians gathered together to create something special. It was the first event organised by Mountain Song Revival, a collective of folk musicians based in South Wales. 6 live sets were performed, each showcasing a different subgenre of folk music, with the money from the ticket sales being donated to charity. The charity chosen for this event was Cwtches To Gaza - a fundraising operation driven by a group of people in the Rhymney Valley who take donations to Egypt. The money is then used to aid Palestinian refugees living in challenging conditions.
Mountain Song Revival came about as a way to bring local musicians together and strengthen the community spirit of the local folk music scene. The collective will work as a team to organise events, raise funds and awareness for various causes, and bring music to different parts of the community. Their first event was a great example of people coming together to do good for others, creating a pocket of light in a world that can feel very dark at times.
The night started with a powerful Doom Folk set from Our Mother The Mountain, with sombre yet commanding vocals. This was followed by a dynamic performance from Moonface The Mage who took the audience on a journey from energetic joy to pensive reflection with a unique blend of stylistic influences. Next up was Ryan Keyse whose intricate guitar parts and emotive lyrics made for a poignant performance. His distinctive country style and husky vocals were well-received by the audience. Irish Tom brought the room to a solemn silence with his heartfelt acapella rendition of a traditional Irish song, then lifted everyone’s spirits back up with his punchy political rhetoric. Second to last were Act Happy with their dark folk style, contrasting soft female vocals with gruff male vocals to build emotional tension. The closing performance from Burn The Ladder included traditional folk with enchanting melodies, a compelling acapella murder ballad and quirky songs with sharp-witted political commentary.
The night was a great success with a warm sense of togetherness from start to finish. Keep an eye out for the next Mountain Song Revival event coming soon.
Images by: Keith Bolton (@old_aged_punk)
