John Tams and Barry Coope at Folk In The Barn
On Saturday Adam and I went to see John Tams and Barry Coope perform at the Canterbury Cathedral International Study Center as part of a concert put on by the good people at Folk In The Barn
I'd originally been introduced to John Tams as a result of his work on the Sharpe Soundtrack and his performance as the character of Dan Hagman in the series, but I'd not really made the effort to investigate much of his other work. When the chance to see him live appeared, it seemed a good excuse to finally do so, and I wasn't disappointed.
I'd spotted John having a quick pint at the pub across the road beforehand, so was in no danger of being late :)
The venue was very pleasant but relatively small with around 200 people, which was great, and the performance was excellent. John spent about equal amounts of time chatting to the audience and singing for around 2 hours with a break in the middle for 'beer notes'. He's a good all-round entertainer - very funny, with some great stories to tell, a great live performer, and always encouraging the audience to join in. Barry was a good vocal addition, complementing John in a number of songs and leading some others.
All in all, an excellent concert in a great venue. Next up is Steve Knightley and Jenna in May.
An additional bonus of the venue being where it is comes when leaving - you're immediately greeted by a closeup view of the Cathedral lit up at night and I forget how amazing that is every time.