The Other Band - The Royal Oak

Folk musicians are a mysterious lot. Gary Holder, Marilyn Bennett and Iris Bishop seem to crop up all over the place. Shirley Collins, Martyn Wyndham-Read and Big Jim Sullivan have all found themselves performing next to them. A string of bands follow at their heels; one of these takes its name from the traditional song ‘Death and The Lady.’ It seems no folk artist is free from the calling of their instruments and I’m reminded of the line, from ‘Death and The Lady.’, ‘I am he that conquers all the sons of men’. Now these wandering souls come together under the name ‘The Other Band’ and one can’t help but feel a little restless. What can these folk sirens be up to now?

Ashley was the first bassist I studied,’ says Gary Holder. He doesn’t elaborate and I think I know why. Ashley Hutchings was part of the dream-like beauty that is Liege and Liefe. He could teach you a few things about living let alone music. Marilyn Bennett’s love of English traditional song and American blues gives her a suitable layer of contradiction. Her gritty blend of harmonica and vocals has journeyed from the outbacks of Australia to the folk/rock stages of New York. Iris Bishop’s accordian style was noted by fans at the Port Fairy Folk Festival, ‘Her fingers did not leave her hands whilst playing!’ I wonder if this is a normal occurrence. Now that she joins hands with Bennett and Holder it might just happen. EM