Mama’s Broke /Willi Carlisle @ The Globe Thurs June 9th 2022
Well Jumpin Hot Club came back with a bang at The Globe last Thursday. Arkansas’s fine answer to Woody Guthrie, young Willi Carlisle, the six-foot plus man with the cowboy hat, made only his second ever UK appearance & wont be forgotten in a hurry. He bounces up on stage and opens up with a protest chant accompanied by a set of bones /castanets. You just knew you were in for a different evening. This Songster was a first class entertainer. His songs on banjo & guitar were well honed & extremely good. Songs about being a punk rocker and “Cheap Cocaine ” and the beautiful song, regarding his hatred for magician’s “Tulsa’s last magician” were set alongside a handed down Tex -mex instrumental on the button accordion. When an artist can name check William Blake before a song.
You know here was a man with real talent. He even got a rousing applause when he walked over to the bar for a drink, 10 mins after his short show ended.
With two albums under their belt the young Canadian duo Mama’s Broke, second UK tour finally went ahead after three re-schedules because of lockdown. This was their first visit to Newcastle & was eagerly anticipated. It’s a unique sound they have & they seem joined at the hip with their music & live performance. They gave us eerie, time worn harmonies and skilful dark country folk instrumental melodies picked out from banjo, guitar, violin and mandolin not forgetting a gypsy tune. Amy has a strong time worn voice too & with “ Pick The Raisins From The Paska” a folk lament for fiddle, she even helped out on chopsticks hitting the fiddle strings! The duo with partner Lisa Marie, told stories of travelling/sleeping around in a van & 10-hour journeys as the norm. So the UK isn’t a problem on the road. Their influences in simple terms are Celtic, & Appalachian folk songs, but the highlight of their set for me was “How It Ends “ an uplifting country break up song. Just like Willi Carlisle they had the Jumpin Hot Club spellbound!
