Plumhall

Pete Davies, Mainstay of the Teesside folk scene, joins Plumhall for a night of acoustic brilliance.
Currently on tour with Fairport Convention, Plumhall bring their unique sound to the Cathedral for the first time.

Pete, hailed as a great singer-songwriter by the late great Vin Garbutt, writes and performs songs on contemporary themes with moving, thought-provoking verses and great singalong choruses.

PLUMHALL (Michelle Plum and Nick B Hall) are critically-acclaimed songwriters from the UK, using a mesmerising combination of acoustic and electric instruments (occasionally with electronica) to create breathtaking soundscapes to their powerful original songs. They are renowned for their exquisite vocal harmonies and excellent musicianship.

Their two studio albums, ‘Thundercloud’ and ‘The Ghost of Noise’, earned the duo many plaudits including a Hidden Gem award from The Guardian/Observer. From the alt-country sound of the debut to the electronica and found sounds of the follow up, the band have proved that they can fuse classic songwriting with genre-hopping studio experimentation. Their third album is currently in production and promises to be their strongest yet.

PLUMHALL’s live prowess has seen the duo invited to sing onstage with Al Stewart on several occasions, including unforgettable appearances at London’s Palladium and Cadogan Hall. They have also performed alongside other such luminaries as Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan guitarist/Levon Helm producer/instrumentalist), Phil Beer (Show of Hands) and many more. Both Michelle and Nick have separately toured internationally as members of Chumbawamba/Chris Norman Band and Magna Carta respectively.

In 2018 Nick and Michelle caught the attention of film-maker Richard Heap, who asked them to write an original song for, arrange live acoustic music for, and appear in the 2020 international feature film The Runaways.

The duo have achieved incredible success during lockdowns by holding livestream shows, which brought together a worldwide online community that supported one another throughout the crisis. This same community helped to create a stunning accompanying video for PLUMHALL’s song ‘A Darkness That Won’t Leave The House’, which was featured on the late Janice Long’s BBC show.

“Pete Davies is a great singer-songwriter! The late, great, Vin Garbutt, Teesside Troubadour

Long Way Home ..disguises the iron fist of its messages in a velvet glove. FolkWords

“Skilfully constructed songs presented with panache and passion Pete Davies played a barnstorming gig at the Edinburgh Fringe!” Paddy Bort, Edinburgh Fringe

North-eastern singer-songwriter Pete Davies has come up with a fine record of warm positivity. The anthem-like track Miracles typifies this, but the mood of hopefulness and display of impressive musicianship pervades the whole collection. Colin Bailey, The Bailey Beat

Pete has been appreciated for many years for his excellent singing and superb guitar style. For me, his big appeal lies in the quality of his own melodies and lyrics. That is why I am so excited that he is writing and performing again. Before Pete, the guests at our club had all been political songwriters or protest singers. He may not agree with me but I believe that Pete is in there with those guys. Why Well, simply because every line of a Pete Davies song radiates incredible warmth and humanity. You know he is one of us. Pete Davies is on our side. Cherish him. Leigh Sayers, The Studio Club, Middlesbrough.