Pitmen Poets prepare for next verse
Billy Mitchell, Bob Fox and Jez Lowe
Three luminaries of the region’s folk scene are preparing to reunite as The Pitmen Poets for a national tour celebrating the heritage of North East mining communities.
Kicking off in June, Billy Mitchell, Bob Fox and Jez Lowe will bring their acclaimed project back to stages across the country, blending music, storytelling and humour rooted in the region’s coalfield history.
Each artist brings decades of experience.
Billy rose to prominence touring Europe with Jack the Lad before joining Lindisfarne in the 1990s. Bob, a two-time nominee at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, is widely respected for his interpretations of traditional song and for his role in the National Theatre’s production of War Horse. Meanwhile, Jez has built an international reputation through his songwriting and contributions to The Radio Ballads.
The Pitmen Poets project first came together around 15 years ago following a commission for a concert at London’s Kings Place. With minimal rehearsal, the trio developed a show that has since become a powerful tribute to working-class life in the North East.
At the heart of the performance are songs inspired by Tommy Armstrong, whose Pitmatic dialect lyrics captured the realities of mining communities. Alongside Armstrong’s work, the group perform original material exploring coal mining, strikes, disasters and the tight-knit communities forged around the pits.
“It’s a night of music, storytelling and humour that celebrates the culture we come from,” said Jez.
The tour begins on June 18 in Beverley before travelling to venues across the UK, including dates in Barnard Castle, South Shields, Gateshead, Billingham, Whitley Bay, Durham and Sunderland.
For full tour details and dates, visit the website.