Bellowhead, Royal Albert Hall - music review

Sunday’s concert romped through 24 songs from all their albums, from their first, little-known EP, Onymous, through Burlesque, Matachin, Hedonism and Broadside, to a preview of a couple of tracks from the forthcoming Revival. It took two or three songs for lyrics to become audible, but the arrangements are inventive, with punchy syncopations pushing the music forward.

Some of the songs are darkish — like Black Beetle Pies, about exactly that, while New York Girls warns of the tricks of the city’s whores. Dance tunes such as Cross-eyed and Chinless break down into different instrumental formulations — brass, strings, saxophone — and several players switch instruments, notably Rachael McShane who plays cello and violin.

Over the years Bellowhead have won eight BBC Folk Awards, usually Best Group or Best Live Act, because they look like they are having fun and know how to create a party. The audience were clearly onside and on their feet by the end.

“We couldn’t leave without doing this,” Boden laughed as they launched into London Town, a favourite from their first album. There were fireworks accompanying the final musical flourish.