My throat is somewhat sore, for I have been a-hootin’ and a-hollarin’. You wouldn’t expect such behaviour from the thoroughly middle-class audience at the North Wall Arts Centre, but the Urban Folk Quartet fully deserved the cheers. Fun and bouncy, the four consummate musicians played a cracking gig with big sound and a great stage presence.
UFQ dished out all the staples of a good folk act; high energy reels, intricate jigs and a ballad or two for good measure. All solid, folky, thigh-slapping stuff. They really shone when they introduced some unexpected twists. Folk crossed with a bit of Indian music anyone? Worked for me! How about a bit of fiddle and Middle Eastern drum? Don’t knock it till you hear it! And my favourite: folk-dubstep/eastern European fusion. It just worked somehow.
The other thing which helped UFQ be more than just your average folk band was their stage presence. Though the gig was seated and the space was half full (if that), the band came on and were clearly having fun right from the start. Telling stories and jokes, every member of the band kept easy eye contact with the crowd and each other. Before we knew it, everyone was clapping, stomping and cheering. The four even managed to do the whole crowd participation thing without making me cringe.
The only thing I didn’t quite get was their band name. I had not heard of UFQ before and I guess I was expecting some sort of gritty folk thing, like The Pogues, or maybe some sort of dance/folk fusion like Afro-Celt Sound System. Though delightful, the band members couldn’t have be less urban if they had been wearing tweed and riding ponies. This is not a criticism mind (did I mention that I loved it?), just an observation.
In any case, I was delighted to hear that the Urban Folk Quartet will be returning to Oxford in the near future. I was also delighted to see that they have loads of albums on Spotify. I urge you to go and listen to them right now and, given that you will like what you hear, to come hear them next time they grace us with their presence. I’ll be there.