HOUGHTON WEAVERS CONCERT REVIEW 11 APRIL 2014
People started coming from 6.20 pm to ensure they got a good seat at the sell-out concert. Ken started the show with a brilliant set of “Lankie” tales and songs, suitably attired in his “Lankie” flat cap. This continued to be the theme of the night. Steve followed with his melodic renderings of songs and stories of Wigan and environs. His excellent guitar work and delivery are always a delight. Phil ended the first half with two of his favourite songs and got the crowd ready for the main act. All of these talented artists could run a whole concert in their own right but they had to make way for our main guests.
The Houghton Weavers lit up the stage with their slick delivery of stories and jokes, and carefully chosen songs with choruses, that we all knew. So the audience was involved right from the beginning. In the second half, their repertoire consisted of songs chosen by the audience, - “You shout out the name and we will sing it”, and they did. There was a strong “Lankie” theme in this half. This demonstrated not only their confidence, but why they have been going for so many years delighting audiences to sell out shows. They finished the night by inviting all the artists on to the stage to join in a rousing version of “Will ye go lassie go”. They have a unique ability to leave their audiences with a feel good factor and did just that once again.
Thank you to Ken, Steve, Phil and the Houghton Weavers, thank you to the back-up team who work diligently to make the concert such a success, and thank you to you the audience for supporting us. We now look forward to the main event – the Free Festival at the Alison Arms on 6th, 7th and 8th June, 2014.