My last post was a very sad one – I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that no one gets why I am so upset nor gets what the whole live music at the Tree House thing is all about. Grief comes in waves – sounds melodramatic, but I haven’t felt this low in a very long time. It has made me rethink my friendships.
But it’s not at all the end of my enthusiasm and support for the musicians I will no longer be hosting. I will do my best to continue supporting them in other ways: sharing their music, sharing their tour news, and playing them on my radio show.
You may not have heard my radio show – I have been doing it for four years but have very few listeners! It’s on our local community radio station here in Kenilworth, Radio Abbey, which broadcasts from the Kenilworth Centre, as part of its community output and support. The Kenilworth Centre is a charity, focusing on provision of facilities and events for young people but in practice offering a lot more. It’s one of the three charities the Tree House supports on a monthly basis.
My radio show is called Shakespeare in the Alley, which some will recognise as a reference to Bob Dylan’s song Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again: ‘Shakespeare he’s in the alley With his pointed shoes and his bells Talking to some French girl Who says she knows me well…’ I try to talk about books as well as playing the best in contemporary folk music, and my definition of folk is broad. The show’s title brings together literature and music and one of the things I always love is music that references books.
I also play other things that I love – Bob and also Nick Cave feature regularly, along with other songs from bygone decades. Book chat is sporadic and largely unsuccessful…I talk about what I’ve been reading and encourage use of libraries, mainly. I keep trying to start a Radio Abbey book club, maybe this will be the year. Radio Abbey is an internet station, so you can listen from anywhere – my preferred way to listen is via the TuneIn app on my phone through my bluetooth speaker, but you can go direct from the website or via your smart speaker. Shakespeare in the Alley is on a Thursday morning from 10-12, and then later on Mixcloud if you can’t listen live. You can also find lots of old shows on Mixcloud.
Let me know if you’re listening! Both the show and Radio Abbey have Facebook pages, and Radio Abbey is also on Twitter and Instagram. Happy to take requests too!
But mostly I use it to highlight and promote and give airplay to the wonderful contemporary folk musicians who work so hard against the odds, bringing beautiful live music to small venues around the country. If you see live music happening near you, get a ticket and go! It often costs hundreds of pounds to see major music acts in stadiums and arenas, but for £10-£15 you can see some truly wonderful live music in a much more intimate setting.
So – if you like the music we have hosted at the Tree House over the last 10 years, give Shakespeare in the Alley a whirl!
The Tree House Second-hand Bookshop 