I hope no-one minds if I pop this post in here.....
Swarb/Carthy at Cardiff.
Arrived at St David’s Hall by the skin of my teeth, thanks to the vagaries of First Great Western.
A gratifyingly large number of people assembled for the gig, rather staid and quiet at first but they had warmed up by the second half.
Those of you familiar with Level 3 at St David’s Hall will know that seating is “moveable” which is just as well, owing to the pillars which can cause viewing problems. The area is essentially a large foyer-cum-bar space, so there is no rake and everyone is therefore on the same level. First come, first served as regards seating.
Some of us stood at the sidelines in order to afford a better view (especially of Swarb who could use a taller chair in my opinion).
The sound quality was variable, unfortunately, so some of the quips and anecdotes were lost to those of us closer to the back.
Songs/tunes included “Ship in Distress”, “When I was a Little Boy”, “Brides March from Unst”/”True Lover’s Lament”/”Lord Inchiquin”, “Treadmill Song” and “Byker Hill”.
Swarb and Carthy made themselves available at the merch stand which was happily very busy.
They had to make a swift exit after the gig, in order to drive to Taunton for a night’s rest before tonight’s performance at St Ives. I had to make a dash before the encore in order to catch the next train. Guess what? I missed it. Wish I had stayed for the encore now.
