Ade Edmondson and The Bad Shepherds
According to folklore, it was on a cold winter’s morn back in 2007 that Adrian Edmondson awoke, after a heavy drinking session in Soho, and found that he had acquired a mandolin. Unperturbed by the instruments mysterious origins, Edmondson began to teach himself to play some of the punk rock classics that he had learned in his youth and this opened the field gates – for an apparently overdue punk-folk amalgamation. A few phone calls, favours and practice sessions later and The Bad Shepherds were born.
Actor, comedian, writer, director and now musician, Edmondson, is probably best know for his TV comedy roles as violent punk-rocker Vyvyan Basterd (in The Young Ones) and crude lunatic Eddie Hitler (in Bottom) – and you could be forgiven for thinking that ‘punkand new wave songs played in a folk style’ must be a covers comedy act, but be assured that this band is no joke. Edmondson has recruited two-time, All-Ireland Fiddle Champion Andy Dinan; multi-talented Troy Donockley on uillean pipes, cittern and whistles; and double-bass maestro Tim Harries, to create the necessary noises to complete the experienced line-up.
Since releasing their debut album Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera! in May 2009, The Bad Shepherds have toured relentlessly – earning themselves a ‘Best Live Act’ nomination at the BBC 2 Folk Awards 2010 along the way – and tonight sees The Bad Shepherds herd their fans to the intimate upstairs club at 53 Degrees, Preston.
It was nice to see the venue close to capacity, with the anticipant crowd comprising of an eclectic bunch of young and old punks, dedicated followers of folk and Edmondson’s own fans, all being best of buddies for the night. Tampering with classic punk songs can indeed be a dangerous game – particularly as these tunes maybe tattooed very closely to some people’s hearts, but being a self-confessed fan himself, Edmondson has no intention of doing any injustice.
The set opened with covers of Sex Pistols, The Clash and Wreckless Eric – Anarchy In The UK, I Fought The Law and ‘two-chord classic’ Whole Wide World. Edmondson gave an impressive account as a front man and his mandolin skills should not be underestimated. Throughout the gig, Dinan’s effortless fiddling was frankly mesmerising; Donockley’s whistle and pipes created the enchanting atmosphere; Harries provided the ever-flowing basslines – and together they transformed well loved songs in to carefully crafted folk masterpieces. The setlist included covers of The Stranglers, Kraftwerk, Motorhead, The Ramones, Public Image Ltd, The Members, The Specials and XTC numbers – and Edmondson delivered well-appreciated occasional moments of humour between tracks.
Personal highlights include covers of The Smiths’ Panic, The Jam’s Down In The Tubestation At Midnight and The Clash’sLondon’s Calling. The set closes with an inspired reworking of Talking Heads’ Once In A Lifetime, which causes a rapturous deserved cheer, followed by deafening calls for more. The Bad Shepherdsoblige and after a toe-tapping rendition of album title track Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera!, the encore is brought to a close with crowd pleaser, The Clash’s White Riot.
The tour is set to continue deep into December 2010 and with a second album in the making, it is easy to see why The Bad Shepherds have won critical acclaim – check them out and have a folking good time!
Review: Liam Carroll
Photographs: Zoe Taylor
