My first visit of the year to the Ropery Hall, Barton-Upon-Humber, finds the venue unsurprisingly full for Reg Meuross’s return. Since his first solo album was released almost 30 years ago, Meuross has become widely regarded as one of this country’s finest singer-songwriters. Recent years have seen him release a duo of thematic albums, initially with ‘12 Silk Handkerchiefs’ in 2018, which told the story of the 1968 Hull triple trawler tragedy in which 58 men died, followed by ‘Stolen From God’ from 2023 that examined England’s part in the transatlantic slave trade during the 17th and 18th centuries. His most recent album ‘Fire & Dust’, released this week, continues that trend as it tells the story of legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie through twelve new songs written by Meuross along with four Guthrie originals. The idea for the album initially started about 10 years ago after long-time friend Pete Townshend (yes that one) had read the book “And They Will Call You”, written by Tim Hernandez and suggested to Meuross that it would make a great show and that he should write some songs. Hernandez’s book investigated Guthrie’s song ‘Deportees’, about the 1948 air crash in which 28 Mexican migrants were killed while being deported. Guthrie had taken exception that the news reports didn’t name the Mexicans, simply writing ‘Deportees’, and Hernandez took it upon himself to trace some of the families and raise a memorial plaque that Joan Baez unveiled.
The evening’s set list was taken entirely from the new album, with a trio of excellent musicians and a narrator widely regarded as the world’s leading authority on Woody Guthrie. Meuross sat stage centre while to his right at the piano sat Geraint Watkins, one of Wales’ finest singer-songwriters who, as well as an excellent solo career boasts an impressive c.v. that includes such notable artists as Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Van Morrison, and Paul McCartney. To Meuross’s left, providing fiddle along with both backing and shared vocals, sat Marian Fleetwood, reprising the role she had played on the album. To Fleetwood’s left stood, for the most part, Will Kaufman, Professor of Americana Studies, Literature and Culture at the University of Central Lancashire. Kaufman is widely regarded as the world’s leading authority on Woody Guthrie, having written numerous books about the great American folksinger as well as being the main consultant to Johnny Depp and Douglas Brinkley for the publication of their co-edited edition of Guthrie’s posthumously discovered novel ‘House Of Earth’.
Having introduced his collaborators for the evening and explaining the planned format, Meuross handed over to Kaufman who narrated the early years of Guthrie’s life including the tragedies that beset the family. Kaufman’s diction was clear and nicely paced, his assured delivery founded on the sagacious integrity of his writing, with his American accent lending a touch of authenticity that helps transport the audience across the ocean. From here Meuross picked up a dulcimer and, unaccompanied, opened the the proceedings with the title track from the new album ‘Fire & Dust’. The chronological aspect of the set meant that the running order varied slightly from that of the album with only twelve of the sixteen tracks being used, though this mattered little, with narrative and song working in perfect harmony to help keep the story cohesive. ‘Mary’s Song’ included some wonderful vocal contributions from Fleetwood, something she would continue to offer throughout the performance, while Kaufman’s narration reminded us that “Guthrie didn’t aspire to be a folk singer, he was a folk singer”.
One of the many excellent original songs from both the album and the evening’s first set included ‘A Folk Song’s A Song’, a track that Meuross openly admits to having lifted from Bob Dylan’s ‘A Song For Woody’, which of course Dylan had borrowed from Guthrie’s ‘1913 Massacre’ thus offering a direct link from Guthrie, through Dylan to Meuross and continuing the proud folk tradition of re-jigging lyrics to familiar melodies. Guthrie himself was renowned for adding his lyrics to well-known tunes of which the classic ‘This Land Is Your Land’ is a perfect example. That song itself would appear during both of this evening’s sets with the local congregation requiring little encouragement to sing along, while Kaufman’s narration informed us that Guthrie had his own battles with the “Trump Empire,” in this case, Fred, or as Guthrie liked to call him “Old Man Trump”.
At the beginning of the second set, Kaufman informed the audience that Guthrie’s story had by now reached 1942, while Meuross, as he did at the start of the evening, performed the first number unaccompanied, this time showing his prowess with the guitar on the highly emotive ‘Stackabones & Runaway Boy’. From here the show reached the song that initially inspired this project with the audience once again requiring little if any encouragement to lend their voices to the chorus’s poignant poetry. The following number was, in some respects an outlier, as it leaves Guthrie’s story for a moment to focus on the plane crash and the four American crew on board. ‘Red Shoes’, recounts the final hours of Bobby, an air hostess, three months pregnant who became a late replacement for the ill-fated flight with her choice of footwear one of the few items recovered from the wreckage. Here, Meuross’s evocative poetry, accompanied by some dazzling instrumental performances from Watkins’ accordion and Fleetwood’s fiddle, helped to underpin the emotional tension.
The energetic ‘I Ain’t Dead’ with its defiant rage against the ultimate coming of the night, is equalled by the power of Kaufman’s narrative as he solemnly reminds us that, had it not been for a young Dylan’s hero-worshipping for a failing folk singer, and his forthcoming meteoric rise to fame, Guthrie’s own place in musical folklore would probably have been very different, possibly reduced to the mere foot-notes of the history books.
The all-inclusive ‘So Long It’s Been Good To Know Yuh’ brings the second set to a close provoking an almost rumbustious response from the audience, duly rewarded with an encore and a second, slightly varied, version of ‘This Land Is Your Land’, where Fleetwood is encouraged by Meuross to take the lead on vocals while Geraint, as he had under-statedly done throughout the evening, excelled on accordion.
The evening had clearly been a resounding success, on many levels, but the overriding emotion in departing the hall was one of gratitude. Grateful that it fell to Reg Meuross to deliver this wonderful addition to the Woody Guthrie story. He has proved over the last few decades to be one of this country’s finest songwriters, and very probably the best at putting history to song. One only has to think of songs such as ‘And Jesus Wept’, which tells the story of Private Harry Farr who was executed in 1916 for alleged cowardice during the Battle Of The Somme, or his unravelling of the romantic myths surrounding English highwayman Dick Turpin in the song ‘Lizzie Loved A Highwayman’, to be reminded of his remarkable talent. With these new songs, the help from his fellow musicians, and the immense knowledge of Professor Kaufman, Meuross has delivered a show that should be considered a ‘must-see’ for anyone with even just a passing interest in folk music.
What a cracking review Graeme, well done. I saw Meuross’s gig from this tour in Nailsea, Bristol and have been playing “Fire and dust” ever since. Guthrie being such an American icon i wondered if Reg and compatriots could pull it off. No worries , they did a splendid job of bringing his life to the stage.
Hi Andy. Glad you enjoyed the review, and your right, the quartet pulled-it-off, with aplomb. In my view, a must see, for anyone with the slightest interest in folk music, and the album’s a must have as well.
Reg is this country’s best songwriter, bar none.
The album launch show at The Bush Hall in London was the benchmark for shows this year. A six-piece band added Phil Beer on mandolin and guitar, Simon Edwards on bass and drummer Roy Dodds to the trio from your review.
What looked like a full house roared enthusiasm and backing vocals where appropriate. What a night!
Hi Harry. Thanks for getting in touch. The Bush Hall show sounds like it was a fantastic night. Wish I could have been there.
Thanks for this. He’s taking this show to the Wickham Festival in the summer, and it’s now down as a “must see” while we’re there.
Hi Paul. Glad you enjoyed the review. If you get a chance let us know how the show at the Wickham Festival goes. Hope you’re blown away as much as I was at Barton.
Sounds like a great night Graeme – two nights later I had a very similar experience in Honiton (Devon). The only difference being that Reg and Marian shared the narrator role. It is a great set (?) – sorry, song cycle, that really resonates with the present time. He told the story with great passion, sang the songs with rare beauty and drew on the talents of his accompanists effortlessly. I would have gone back the next night to hear it all over again – instead I’m making do with the album!
Hi Les, thanks for getting in touch. It was a great night and like you I would have happily gone back a second night. Honiton sounds like it was pretty special as well, and your so right about how the story resonates with the world today.