Amazing Bad Shepherds gig

Published on 6th November 2008 in Ents

The Bad Shepherds at Pocklington Arts Centre, October 26

Review by Steve Anderson

What an amazing gig this was - or very nearly wasn't! Former East Yorkshire schoolboy Ade Edmondson was seen by millions of television viewers a fortnight ago as his Holby City character, Dr Percy 'Abra' Durant, flew off to take up another medical post in west Africa.

But, while the one-time Comic Strip and Young Ones star was bidding farewell to acting for a few months, his alter ego was heading for a very different kind of stage performance with two seasoned rock stars.

The first appearances of his folk-punk band were lined up for Pocklington last weekend but, just 48 hours before the Bad Shepherds were due to hit the road, one of the 'Sheps', violinist Eimear Bradley, walked out, as did the band's manager and promoter.

The entire nationwide tour was axed - with the exception of the Saturday and Sunday dates, which took place as scheduled with the last-minute recruitment of a replacement fiddler and a bodhran player.

Ade's line-up was completed by the two remaining co-founding Shepherds, East Riding uillean piper, multi-instrumentalist and producer Troy Donockley, who usually plays with Midge Ure, Barbara Dickson, Maddy Prior and Iona, and former Jethro Tull and Fairport Convention guitarist Maartin Allcock.

So, just a fortnight after promoting his band on the BBC's One Show, the born-again musician was in his element as he led the 'Sheps' through an eclectic mix of punk and New Age classics, all presented in a Celtic style with shades of rock, electric folk and a dozen other genres that defied conventional classification. From 'I Fought the Law' to 'London's Calling' - via the best of Squeeze, Talking Heads, et al - it was a stunning two-nighter that may never be repeated.

'No more heroes,' they'd sung. 'Whatever happened to all the heroes?', The Bad Shepherds told us in no uncertain terms.