Music Matters: Folk music royalty - and a new release from The Stereophonics

Folk music fans across our patch are in for a treat next week with a couple of great gigs taking place. Monday, 26 October sees Jez Lowe, the award winning singer-songwriter from County Durham, play The Chichester Inn, West Street, on one of the weekly nights organised by the Chichester Folk Song Club.

Jez has released 15 albums under his own name, is celebrating over 45 years as a singer, songwriter and touring musician, and has written songs for countless other performers including The Dubliners and Fairport Convention.

The latter band are playing live the following night (Tuesday, 27 October) in Barton’s Hall at Horndean Technology College as one of the many gigs put on throughout the year under the WemsFest banner.

Fairport Convention are folk music royalty and have been making legendary music for nearly six decades - you are guaranteed an evening of great songs, banter and peerless musicianship. The four-piece line-up of Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Ric Sanders and Chris Leslie will be playing an intimate set from their vast music catalogue.

Tickets for both gigs are available on the door, and both venues have fully stocked bars with decent beers available.

My musical gem: The Stereophonics have enjoyed tremendous success with a career currently spanning over thirty years – they have sold more than ten million albums and ten million singles worldwide – they really are one of finest musical exports from Wales.

Next month they release ‘Tune! Ultimate Collection 96-26’ which includes all their big songs over the decades including ‘Have A Nice Day’, ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, ‘Hurry Up And Wait’, ‘Just Looking’, ‘Dakota’ and ‘Handbags And Gladrags”. The collection also contains their first chart-hit ‘Local Boy In the Photograph’ from 1997.

Released on November 20, the album is available in 3LP, 2CD and digital formats and if you pre-order it from the band’s official store at stereophonics.com - you will be automatically entered into an exclusive ‘Golden Ticket’ competition where the prize is a one-of-the-kind Stereophonics-branded vinyl jukebox!

Listen to Duncan Barkes on Nation Easy Radio, Monday to Friday nights from 10pm. Nation Easy Radio can be heard on DAB digital radio, via the Nation Player app and on your smart speaker – just say “Play Nation Easy Radio.”