Mediaboss Marketing

PERFORMANCE poet, comedian and songwriter John Hegley and York ceilidh and folk band Blackbeards Tea Party will share the 2.30pm bill but not the Grand Opera House stage in a York Literature Festival show on Sunday afternoon.

I think itll be John and then us, says Blackbeard percussionist Liam Hardy. I dont think therell be any collaborations, although it will be an interesting gig as its the first time weve done a show with a comedian. Im surprised that kind of bill hasnt happened more often.

Instead, the new factor in the gig will be the songs from the upcoming Blackbeard album, provisionally entitled Reprobates. That title is pretty much decided because theres a running theme of nefarious characters, like Jack Ketch.

Jack Ketch? He was the royal hangman at the time of Charles II, says Dave Boston, Liams fellow percussionist in the six-piece line-up. King Charles needed to have some noblemen killed, but he didnt want them hanged, so he asked Ketch to hack their heads off.

Liam takes up the story. Unfortunately it went very, very wrong: the story goes that he was hacking away at their necks for quite a while, he says. Ketch had to send a letter of apology to the nation, but he was illiterate so that didnt go very well either.

Blackbeards singer Stuart Giddens, a former English Literature student at the University of York, wrote the lyrics from what is known of Ketchs story. Jack Ketch used to be a bogeyman figure where mothers would say, you better behave or Jack Ketch will get you, says Liam.

The six-piece have recorded the core of eight tracks so far at the Vegas Rooms studios in Castleford, with another four to go. Its been bubbling away for ages, so were getting down to the nitty-gritty now, says Dave.

Some of those songs will definitely be played at Sundays show; songs that the audience wont have heard, such as The Slave Chase, says Liam. Its about an illegal slave ship being chased down by some righteous British Navy men who freed the cargo.

Blackbeards Tea Party are booked to play 20 summer festivals and hopefully more, says David and will then look to release Reprobates on their own Blackbeard Records label, distributed by Proper Music in November. Were doing a tour that month, when well be playing at The Duchess, and thatll most likely be the next time well be playing York after Sunday, says David.

John Hegley and Blackbeards Tea Party, York Literature Festival, Grand Opera House, Sunday, 2.30pm. Box office: 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york

Read more:
John Hegley and Blackbeards Tea Party, York Literature Festival, Grand Opera House, March 22