The Folk Theatre Partisans

Are fantastic. Yesterday I went to see them appear live at The Waiting Room, a splendid vegetarian restaurant in Eaglescliffe, not far from where I live. They're a collection of four folk artists from around Leeds, and include the extraordinary Benjamin Wetherill. I've liked Ben Wetherill and his ukulele skills for quite a while now but this is the first time I'd seen him play with the group.



George Formby covers, sea shanties, traditional folk songs, plus their own original material, all spread over solo sets for the first half and playing together for the second half - it was a true delight. They're totally captivating and I was quite blown away by the vocal harmonies they were pulling off. I especially recommend Ben Wetherill - everything about him is extremely enchanting. The Waiting Room is the perfect place to see them play, too. It's got a very pleasant, warm atmosphere while they're playing for about fifty people eating and drinking. I went there a few months ago to see King Creosote, who was also superb, but didn't eat that time. Last night I did, and it was delicious. Obviously I'm not vegetarian, and as a steak and ale pie enthusiast I sometimes find it difficult to work up an appetite over non-meat dishes, but my roast sweet potato, applewood and pecan plait with white wine sauce and sesame potatoes was impressive. Washed down with organic beer, tremendous.