Sunday Jan 27, 2013

Here is a review of the performance that Mark and I gave for the Cuckoo's Nest Folk Society at Chauser's Pub, London on Sunday Jan 27, 2013.  The place was packed and everyone seemed to have a great time  – us included!

"Haines & Leighton delight Cuckoo's Nest audience" Written by Bob Cunningham

Great night at the Cuckoo's Nest on Sunday with Mark Haines and Tom Leighton! Place was packed with familiar faces and new. Lady beside me came specially from Burlington. Although I’ve often seen Tom accompanying others, somehow I’d managed to miss the duo playing together – my loss!

Mark, who lives in P.E.I., and Tom, in Toronto, have been playing music together for around twenty five years. As members of The Zippers way back, they were often at London’s Fryfogle’s Tavern and its metamorphosis, Leadbelly’s, where Brian Mortimer convinced them that the two of them could go it alone. They told a lovely story about their first album release party where no sales were happening. Brian announced that a free shot of Jack Daniels went with every purchase – sales were brisk!!  I’m sure there’s a great lesson there for all us recording star wannabes, but, damn, even a beer destroys the best part of $10 these day. But I digress…

Their promo on the Nest’s poster was basically a one-liner with things like “rooted in tradition”; “engaging humour”; and "rambled the back roads of Ontario, Maritimes, Britain and New York." The songs and tunes they played and the stories they told certainly lived up to these claims. They did covers such as Dylan’s When the Ship Comes In and Doug McArthur's Boots and Saddles. Traditional tunes included The Immigrant and a song telling of an Irish family’s hopes and ultimate destruction by cruelly avaricious absentee landlords and their rent collectors. Mark’s voice has a sort of smoky quality that wrapped itself around the audience making this ballad all the more poignant.

Their original compositions gave us lovely tunes and wonderful lyrics while all their arrangements were fresh, engaging and often totally unexpected. Tom played the bodhran then set it down and picked up the accordion – but the drum kept playing!! He’d very smoothly just recorded several bars of it in a “loop” and the audience loved it. Incidentally these drums have a goat skin head and the song was all about a young goat aspiring to be …a bodhran!!! Oh yes and we all had to practice pronouncing “BOW- RON”  not “BOD- RAN” so we could sing the refrain. So now you know too!

The evening was a delight and over too soon. They are both amazing musicians, singers and writers. They are also very funny, regaling the audience with jokes, stories and outrageously camp routines. Their version of a Brother Love’s type travellin’ salvation meeting assuring us of redemption if only we’d buy a CD – or six depending on the severity of our sins!! – and their Haaaaaaaappy Biiiirrrrthday where the recipient had to stand on a chair.

Oh, you had to be there! So be sure you are the next time they’re in town. 
I will be.

Go to www.haines-leighton.com for more info.

Bob Cunningham, originally from England, has been involved in the Canadian folk music scene since the early 60's as performer, guitar teacher and music school owner. His recordings with various groups have been played on CBC and as far away as Australia. Bob has performed coast to coast from coffee house to festival stage, schools to retirement homes – and more pubs than is decent! London has been home for many years where he sings with his newest group, Scallywag.