‘An enchanting evening of songs, monologues, and jokes… When blessed with the charm and personality of Matthew, one can get away with most things, which included faux insulting the MC and his musical partner within the first five minutes… Matthew’s finest attribute as a performer is his ability to effortlessly win over an audience.’ Hector Gilchrist of efestivals.co.uk reviewing me and Mike Hebbert at Sidmouth Folk Festival 2017.
Well, it makes a change from singing about migration and transportation. I’ve carved a silly and sometime saucy niche in performing songs from variety and the music hall. I do this because it’s fun. There’s lots of singalong, plenty of bad jokes, some smut, some silliness, some melancholy, and a lot more singalong.
That’s the formula. Sometimes I perform solo, sometimes with concertina maestro Michael Hebbert, or the mighty Dan Quinn as The Bashful Boys. And sometimes with David Eagle of The Young’uns in a show we call Muddling Through.
Have a listen to highlights of my show at Sharps Folk Club with the great Jan North.
And listen to me here on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, talking about drinking songs (2.52), and singing New York Gals (4.42) and Oom Pah Pah (26.25) with accompaniment by Michael Hebbert.
I also perform to lively crowds of maturer citizens at day centres and care homes. Here you can see John & June dance while I strum at a North London Cares tea party in Kentish Town.
And here I am in Colchester, at one of the Memory Afternoons organised by the wonderful Warm and Toasty Club.
Top two photos on this page by Andre Kimche.