A marvellous evening at St George’s Church in Beckenham thanks to a very welcome live performance by Home Service, featuring – in particular – the wonderful reeds of Andy Findon, Shane Brennan’s elegant trumpet and the pin-sharp bass playing of my former MU contact, Rob Levy.
Home Service was originally formed in 1981 from the creative nucleus of the Albion Band line-up that produced the Rise Up Like the Sun album, singer/songwriter John Tams, guitarist Graeme Taylor and drummer Michael Gregory sharing a desire to explore more contemporary themes in the songs and musical interpretation.
The band was also born out of a collective desire to work with brass, an idea which emerged when trumpet player Howard Evans joined the Albion Band to work on Bill Bryden’s original production of Lark Rise to Candleford at the National Theatre.
During its relatively short life in the mid-eighties, Home Service produced three albums and headlined at major festivals including Cambridge, Cropredy and Dranouter. Their third album, Alright Jack, as well as featuring some of John Tams’ most socially aware songs, also boasts one of the band’s finest achievements, their reworking of composer Percy Grainger’s orchestral suite, A Lincolnshire Posie.
Tams and Taylor were also responsible for the music in the highly successful West End production of War Horse, while Tams also become widely known as an actor for his role as Daniel Hagman in the TV drama Sharpe.
After a break when the various members pursued a range of musical activities, the band made a dramatic return to prominence in 2011, with the best-selling Live 86 album and a string of major festival appearances. The line-up’s resurgence was recognised in 2012 by their deservedly winning Radio 2’s Best Live Act Award.
Played on the night…
First set:
Napoleon’s Grand Marche
Walk My Way
Look Up, Look Up
A Lincolnshire Posie: Dublin Ray / Horkstow Grange / Rufford Park Poachers / The Lost Lady Found / Horkstow Grange / Rufford Park Poachers / The Lost Lady Found
The Old Man’s Song
Bonny at Morn
Galiard / Brawl
Scarecrow
Second set:
Papa Joe’s Polka
Snow Falls
Battle Pavanne / Peat Bog Soldiers
The Road to the North
The White Cockade
Alright Jack
Encore:
Sorrow / Babylon
Battle of the Somme
