The first time I saw the Southern Tenant Folk Union was memorable on a number of fronts. As well as performing a couple of blistering sets at the Spirit Store in Dundalk during which they dragged a fisherman up to play harmonica, they also provided a bit of unplanned interval entertainment.

It was a warm summer’s evening, and between sets the band de-camped to the quay side outside the grainstores beside the Spirit Store. Oliver Talkes, who was singing with the band, was mid-conversation with one of the concert-goers when a large rat slid off the roof hit him on the head.
I don’t know whether this was directly related to his subsequently leaving the band. However, it can’t have been one of the highpoints of his career. As it happens, the line-up of the band, with the exception of its creator and guiding light Pat McGarvey, has changed completely since that first Irish visit.
In the meantime, the band left London for a more receptive home in Edinburgh where they recorded the follow up, Rituals, Revivals and Union Songs. Since then their membership has expanded once more, sucking in a pool of local talent from the Edinburgh scene. Their freshly released New Farming Scene features a fusion of their trademark bluegrass / newgrass sound along with a darker, slightly austere Scottish folk nuance.
The album was recorded by Lau’s engineer Tim Matthew, in a room, in the round with a batch of vintage East German microphones. It captures the vibrancy of their live performances beautifully.
Apart from the opening track, ‘South Ythsie’, a reworking of a 19th century lyric, the rest of the tracks are newly composed. Nonetheless, they fuse seamlessly into the tradition they inherit. There’s a stately intimacy to tracks such as opener ‘South Ythsie’ that balances beutifully with the liquid bounce of the more uptempo tracks like ‘Holding On / Beholden On’.
The band has lined up a string of Irish dates to mark the album’s release here. They’ll be at Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival where they play a free concert on Sunday August 29. On Monday August 30 they’ll be appearing at the Raheen House Hotel in Clonmel as part of Clonmel World Music’s ongoing series of gigs in a listening environment.
The following evening sees them visit Crane Bar in Galway whilst Wednesday September 1 they’ll be at the Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar. The official Irish launch of the CD takes place on Thursday September 2 at Dublin’s Cobblestone Bar. Obviously they must be anticipating a few hungover ‘grassers as they have a day off before heading up the east coast as far as Drogheda, where they’ll be holding an afternoon folk music workshop before playing the Droichead Arts Centre that evening.
Plus, they’ll be taking part in the Appalachian and Bluegrass Festival at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh on Sunday September 5. The tour finishes with a visit to Pat McGarvey’s hometown of Belfast for a gig in the Black Box on the evening of Monday September 6.
Each year in August music pilgrims come from all over the world to Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival to listen to authentic bluegrass. Bands are spread out comfortably at six venues, both indoors and outdoors. Festival-goers can also indulge in fine-dining, sunbathing, swimming, dancing and jamming all day and night. It's a bluegrass picker’s paradise.
Each of the groups play at all of the venues throughout the weekend – and from as early as 12 noon on the Saturday and Sunday and this year in addition to the Southern Tenant Folk Union bands include the Jack Grace Band, from the USA, Knotty Pine, Wookalilly, The Molly Hicks Band, Bending the Strings, The Sullivan Brothers and Sean McKerr, Little Ass Birds, The Blue Stack Mountain Boys, Txutxukan, Southern Welfare and Woodbine.
Meanwhile, over the course of the following weekend from Friday 3 to Sunday 5 September, Appalachian and Bluegrass Music takes over the Ulster American Folk Park near Omagh. The festival is set up to welcome families looking for a cool day out as well as the hardcore ‘grassers who’ll stick around for the evening concerts. From lunchtime on each of the three days there’ll be music happening continually on the six stages spread out through the grounds with bands from the US, Europe and some homegrown talent to round things out.
The weekend is a chance not just to catch the big names like Dale Ann Bradley and the hotly tipped newcomers such as the Water Tower Bucket Boys but also to check out a wide selection of the best blugrass out there today, including performances by The Gibson Brothers, David Holt and the Lightning Bolts, the Mighty Gospel Inspirations, Cedar Hill, Charles Pettee & John Currie – all from the United States – Blackjack from the Czech Republic, Blueflint from Scotland and our own Tim Rogers & the Clew Bay Critters, Mad Uncle Harry, Broken String Band, Northern Exposure and Brigid O’Neill & Friends.
If you’re intent on sticking around Dublin you could always check out box player Paudie O’Connor and fiddler Aoife Ni Chaoimh who will be performing at Music Network’s Coach House headquarters in Dublin Castle on Tuesday August 31 as part of Music In The Historic Quarter. It’s all happening at the very un-musicianly hour of 11am. There will be coffee on hand to make sure your brain is in a fit condition to handle some music.