Northeast Music Guide

Steeleye Span comes to Newcastle City Hall Tue 5 Dec 2017 In an age when it is not uncommon for an artist to take five years to follow up a successful album, the creativity that Steeleye Span displayed in their early years is still astonishing. In the decade between their debut and 1980's Sails Of Silver, they released twelve records alongside touring the world and enjoying a string of hits. Now with their 50th anniversary fast approaching, the band have come close to matching that work rate - readying themselves for the release of ‘Dodgy Bastards’, their eighth album in twelve years. Such inspiration has come both from the individuals involved, Steeleye mainstays Maddy Prior, Rick Kemp and Liam Genockey alongside Jessie May Smart, Andrew Sinclair and Julian Littman in the current line-up, as well as the captivating source material – the work of 19th century scholar Francis James Child and his collection of English and Scottish Ballads. The album is appro...