Strawbs index

I've been a very big fan of the Strawbs ever since I discovered them in the mid 70s. I have always found a resonance with their heart-touching, spiritually-inclined prog-folk-rock material and Dave Cousins' engaging, poetical lyrics. Most of the old songs are as relevant today as they ever were, and the band are still writing new songs as inspired by contemporary events.

The band have now released a fantastic 4-CD box set A Taste of Strawbs full of wonderful, mainly unreleased alternate versions of classic Strawbs songs, recorded for radio/TV stations, at one-off gigs, or studio versions that never fitted onto an original album. A new electric band CD Deja Fou was recorded in 2004, a live archive CD Recollections, from an early gig with the classic Rick Wakeman lineup in 2005 and a Platinum remastered edition of Heartbreak Hill in summer 2006.

Now playing mostly as the three-piece Acoustic Strawbs with DC, Dave Lambert and Chas Cronk, they are doing North American tours as well as playing in the UK. Dave Lambert has released an album Work In Progress with an eclectic assortment of enjoyable songs.

Dave Cousins is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in the UK, and a director of the UK Classic Rock Society.

I have taken photos at

their 30th anniversary gig on 29/8/98 - this was a fantastic day, hearing songs I'd given up all hope of ever hearing live. Part Of The Union with John Ford singing the lead, and several others,
the final gig of their spring 1999 tour at Banbury on 28/5/99 (Dave Cousins and John Ford, below),
Exeter Phoenix on 20/4/2001,
Derby Flowerpot on 8/2/2002 (Acoustic Strawbs - Dave Cousins, above),
a private party at Inkford Hotel, Wythall on 14/6/03,
a private party near Henley-in-Arden on 31/1/04 - fantastic night as vibrant Strawbs brush aside power failures caused by storms,
the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington on 14/2/05 - great end-of-tour gig/party,
Bilston Robin 2 on 28/6/05. - fantastic electric gig featuring the Hero and Heroine lineup at a wonderful Black Country venue,
a private party at Inkford Hotel, Wythall on 17/9/05. - another fantastic party thanks to Bob and Louise Richardson,
the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington on 2/3/06. - first gig on electric min-tour, with John Ford,
Brighton Komedia on 22/6/06 - the final date on the 2006 electric mini-tour,
another Inkford party on 16/9/06 - thanks again to Bob and Lou Richardson,
at the NPL in Teddington on 2/12/06 - great end-of-year gig/party with the return of awesome cellist Claire Deniz, and

at the Inkford Hotel again on 22/9/07 - another brilliant party of Bob and Lou's.

I am also a co-moderator of the Strawbs chat group Witchwood, a lively forum of many warm-hearted people. Click here and just send a blank email to subscribe.

As well as the superbly-maintained StrawbsWeb, the band are well featured on their own Witchwood Records site, where you can also order the recent Strawbs CDs. There is also a Pinnacle/Witchwood Media download site where you can buy tracks individually or, if you prefer, entire albums.

Nice fan sites are also run by Witchwooders Alison Brown - nice photos as well as links to a number of other unofficial sites - Sue Holton - nice photo pages - and Ton Kamphues - good lyrics collection. Dwight Hodge has also produced a great Strawbs Family Tree in the style of Peter Frame's Rock Family Trees.

Bassist John Ford (above) performs as a solo artist in New York and has his own official site and new EP New World now available. Former guitarist Brian Willoughby tours and records with Cathryn Craig. Keyboard player Blue Weaver has a great website of his own, though you'll need Flash installed to enjoy it properly. The Rick Wakeman Communication Centre is a superb site, and John Hawken, who played keyboards on Hero and Heroine and Ghosts, has a cool site of his own too.

Dave Cousins has also recorded songs with superb German songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Conny Conrad. Dave sang on two songs on Conny's thirty-year celebration album Generations, then they combined to record a complete album High Seas. I also took some photos when they came and played a one-off British gig at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington on 31/7/05 - a truly storming evening!

I have also taken photos of Brian and Cathryn at Solihull on 7/3/03 (Cathryn, right) and Shepperton on 6/5/06.