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They were ….….. Mr. Kite Benefits |
Jump to 1997 and 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 ..... yes, over ten years - they said that we'd be finished within months!
1997
and 1998
Mr.Kite started and finished with a bang in 1997. There was only
one benefit and it was Kate Rusby. My mate Bis thought that he'd
been transported back to listen to Sandy Denny at the sound
check. In the first half of 1998, Jim White turned in a superb
solo show which was later named as the gig of the year by BBC
Radio Lancashire's On The Wire. Not bad, eh? Later in the year,
Bert Jansch came to Leyland where one audience member bent
Mr.Kite's shell like ear to say that he never thought such a star
would appear in the town.
1999
There were benefits coming out of our ears...or is that into our
ears. Kate Rusby returned. Chris While and Julie Matthews fell in
love with The Worden Arts Centre on a special night where
Christine Collister and Kellie While provided some guest vocals.
Jez Lowe came along to accompany Bev Sanders which surprised the
headlining Kristina Olsen. Christmas cheer was brought by Coope,
Boyes and Simpson telling us the history of the carol.
2000
Mr.Kite lay down in a darkened room after organising nine
benefits pushing donations to charity beyond the £3000 mark.
This was helped by a collection at the nights when Chris While
and Julie Matthews recorded their 'Stages' CD live at The Worden
Arts Centre. The Oldham Tinkers packed the place out and played a
blinder. John Willie's ferret was all over the place. Only
nineteen people turned up for Ramsay Midwood but fifteen CDs were
sold which suggests that something went right. Similarly, some
said who is Kathryn Williams? Then, she was nominated for a
Mercury Music Prize, played the Cambridge Folk Festival and was
heard all over the BBC.
2001
Yes, Mr.Kite was mad enough to organise even more benefits than
in 2000 taking the total donations beyond £6000. Some old
favourites returned as well as some new faces. Both Kate Rusby
and Jim White were promoted in larger venues than in their past
appearances for Mr.Kite. The appearance of Jim White was billed
as the most anticipated gig in Manchester by City Life
magazine. Other visitors from the US included Buddy
Mondlock, Mary Gauthier and Kate Campbell playing what the UK
calls Country but they call Folk and Mr.Kite calls just
wonderful.
2002
First up, the wacky world of Mr Kite was treated to the unbridled
joy of Fred Eaglesmith picking the raffle numbers in the middle
of his set. Fred loved it so much that he went straight into 'the
raffle song' on his second appearance for us. What next, we ask.
Well, Blue Tapestry is the answer. Followed by Freedy Johnston on
a tour of capital cities....Cardiff, Dublin, London and, finally,
Chorley. Show Of Hands were lower key. Indeed, on the level until
their return on the big stage later in the year. Katy Moffatt,
Kate Campbell and Tom Russell graced our shores with such fun
being had by Tom in particular that his second 45 minute set
turned into well over an hour. Finally, we can't leave you
without reference to the triumphant The Music-Go-Round as organised by our good selves.
Take a look.
2003
In the first half of 2003, there was the return of conquering
heroes like Tom Russell as well as old friends in different
guises such as The Ridgeriders. Eliza Gilkyson with the
illustrious Plank on guitar provided the nicest surprise as she
did elsewhere in the country on her first tour of the UK. We were
visited by old friends in new guises such as 'The Shamrock, The
Thistle and The Rose' and 'A Celebration of the Cecil Sharp
Centenary'. We made new friends with great acts like The Hot Club
Of Cowtown and The Acoustic Strawbs. It was also the year when we
expanded activities to other regions with a sold out show at Bury
Met proving that Mr Kite can travel as well as fly.
2004
A record year with more Benefits and more money given to charity
with a tried and trusted pattern of a healthy mix of old and new
friends forming the cornerstone of the music. The year started
with a series of familiar folkies such as Show Of Hands before
there was a run of Americans including new friends like Terry
Allen and Slaid Cleaves. Later, back to back shows in Leyland and
Bury with Vin Garbutt, Boo Hewerdine, John Tams and Barry Coope
kept us busy as the year ran to its close. The year can't be
allowed to pass without a big thanks to our new pals at The Met
in Bury who have been very helpful, supportive and great folks to
boot.
2005
This was a year of consolidation with old friends and sought
after acts like Chuck Prophet alongside legends like Chris
Hillman and Herb Pedersen. The set from Chris and Herb featured
songs from The Byrds and Gram Parsons who Chris had encountered
as an original member of both bands. Following this, Sarah Lee
Guthrie and Johnny Irion showed that country duets are alive and
kicking even when only the cognoscenti turn out. Keeping the
folkies happy were Show of Hands, Steve Knightley and Martyn
Joseph as well as....again....St Agnes Fountain.
2006
The year had a number of larger Benefits at City Varieties in
Leeds as well as The Lowry in Salford - but, don't worry, the
great intimate nights continued a pace with the return of Dale
Watson after a number of years without playing the area, the
marvellous Caitlin Cary with Thad Cockrell and, back from the
obituary columns, Dave Swarbrick with his Lazarus trio. Another
tremendous year and, thanks to those bigger shows, a real boost
to the charities supported by Mr Kite.
2007
We'd got ourselves a sound pattern to the Benefits by this year
mixing old favourites with new faces. With Wreckless Eric and Amy
Rigby, it was a bit of both as Eric and I reminisced about the
Tartan Bar at Leeds University in the late 70's. Totally new and
adorable for us were The G'Earls who we just had to book twice in
the year. Whilst New Yorker Lucy Kaplansky returned to the UK
circuit with a Mr Kite Benefit and helped to provide one of those
magic moments when she dueted with Sam Baker who'd opened the
evening's entertainment - see picture above courtesy of our pal, Roger
Liptrot.
It was also great to see two of our favourites on the one stage
when Show of Hands teamed up to tour with Slaid Cleaves. Quality,
through and through.
2008
It was a treat to get Sam Baker back headlining and venturing
into the Brudenell Social Club ... but I guess the highlight of
the front half of the year was North Carolina Month In Chorley.
Up came Chatham County Line performing around one microphone
before disappearing off to Jools Holland's Later programme and,
then, the wonderful Tift Merritt turned in a spellbinding
performance to complete our month of celebration - well, OK, it
was only two Benefits but they were great. Towards the year end,
'Under One Sky' provided us with more stars than you can shake a
stick at .... from Roddy Woomble of Idlewild to Graham Coxon from
Blur including the lovable John Tams, Andy Cutting, Julie Fowlis
and many more and all under the direction of the equally loveable
John McCusker.
2009
We were deligthed in the front half of the year to capture a date
with James McMurtry on his first UK tour which included Ian 'Mac'
Maclagan of (Small) Faces fame in the band. He loved it so much,
he came back later in 2009. In between, we captured a special
show with Mary Gauthier and Carrie Rodriguez working up a storm
together on stage at The Met in Bury. There were old friend like
John Tams and Barry Coope as well as the lovely Wreckless Eric
and Amy Rigby but great to see new faces (to Mr Kite) with Eliza
Carthy, Jon Boden and Eilen Jewell too.