A long tube journey brought me south of the river to The Bedford in Balham for Mawkin:Causleys’ album launch. The room for the venue a round space with a balcony, and an enormous mirrorball. Indeed, at times the location seemed to be a cross between a Shakespearean theatre and an underwater palace!

Great support was provided by Vicki Swan and Johnny Dyer, with ballads, pipes and even a nykelharpa. Then Mawkin:Causley took to the stage. Jim stressed he had made an effort by wearing a tie, and was also sporting one red shoe and one yellow shoe as a tribute to the new album cover! They launched into ’George’s Son’ and then a number of tracks from the new album. This included ’Cutty Wren’ which somehow got tied into KFC...

A brief interlude left Jim onstage with James to perform the Germany Clockmaker, a cheeky tune of infidelity, and then Mawkin performed one of my favourite tunes ’Cookie Monster’.

The atmosphere at the venue was great, and the band put on a dazzling performance with the new material polished and well executed. They were joined on-stage for the last song by Lauren McCormick, and ’Come My Lads’ was a great way to end the set. There was never any doubt that an encore would be required though, so they finished with another new song ’Greenlander’, something that stayed in my head all the way home.

A great night to match a great album, if Mawkin:Causley come your way don’t miss them!