The Pitmen Poets celebrate the songs, humour, and culture of North East England’s Coal Mining tradition, bringing together four of the region’s leading champions of its musical heritage. They are Ex-Lindisfarne & Jack The Lad singer and writer Billy Mitchell, Song Man from London’s West End musical Warhorse, Bob Fox (interviewed here), leading exponent of Tyneside song Benny Graham, and much-covered BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards nominee songwriter Jez Lowe.
This is a journey through the centuries of a once-great industry, from the songs that saw it thrive and dominate, to those that saw it’s demise and the resulting aftermath.
Now, after two albums and several hugely successful tours, the band prepare to release their farewell album to accompany their 23 date farewell tour.
With every member coming from coal mining stock, they represent the first generation of their families not to take up the tradition of working down the pit. As Billy Mitchell explains:
“Our parents all said ‘you’re not going down the pit, get a good education and do something worthwhile with your lives’….so now we sing songs and tell stories…. about coal mining. It’s quite ironic really but it’s very important to keep the stories we all heard growing up in the form of songs for the next generation.
“Life working in the pit was tough and to reflect that our songs aren’t all happy tunes as we look at the terrible tragedies that affected whole villages when disaster struck. But there’s also humour too in great doses in our songs as that’s how families got through the bad times.
“We’re playing a lot of former coal mining areas and the songs will resonate with many people there who made their living from coal. Our music and the subject matter will entertain audiences from Berwick in the North, Croydon in the South, East to Canterbury and West to Blackwood in South Wales. We’re all looking forward to going out on our 2019 tour and meeting the public and literally taking our coals from the Newcastle area to the rest of the country.”
The Pitmen Poets Farewell Tour 2019
OCTOBER
17 – LEEK FOXLOWE ARTS CENTRE 01538 386 112
18 – CONSETT EMPIRE THEATRE 03000 262 400
20 – MANSFIELD PALACE THEATRE 01623 633 133
21 – NETTLEBED VILLAGE CLUB 01628 636 620
22 – CROYDON STANLEY HALLS 0208 251 0184
23 – MILTON KEYNES THE STABLES 01908 280 800
24 – WORCESTER HUNTINGDON HALL 01905 611 427
25 – BARNSLEY CIVIC 01226 327 000
26 – BUXTON OPERA HOUSE 0129 872 190
27 – KESWICK THEATRE BY THE LAKE 017687 74411
28 – LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC 0151 709 3789
29 – RUNCORN BRINDLEY THEATRE 0151 907 8360
30 – SHREWSBURY THEATRE SEVERN 01743 281 281
31 – SALE WATERSIDE ARTS CENTRE 0161 912 5616
NOVEMBER
01 – LINCOLN NEW THEATRE ROYAL 01522 519 999
02 – MALTON MILTON ROOMS 01653 696 240
03 – BARNARD CASTLE WITHAM 01833 631 107
04 – SELBY TOWN HALL 01757 708 449
06 – SOUTH SHIELDS CUSTOMS HOUSE 0191 454 1234
07 – OTLEY COURTHOUSE 01943 467 466
08 – AMBLE DOVECOTE CENTRE 01665 713 655
09 – DURHAM GALA THEATRE 03000 266 600
12 – CHESTERFIELD WINDING WHEEL 01246 345 222
13 – SOLIHULL CORE THEATRE 0121 704 6962
14 – BLACKWOOD MINERS INSTITUTE 01495 227 206
15 – CHELTENHAM PUMP ROOM 0844 576 2210
16 – CANTERBURY GULBENKIAN THEATRE 01227 769 075
17 – BILLINGHAM FORUM THEATRE 01642 552 663
19 – BURY MET 0161 761 2216
20 – BERWICK MALTINGS 01289 330 999
22 – WHITLEY BAY PLAYHOUSE 0844 248 1588
23 – HEXHAM QUEENS HALL 01434 652 477
24 – GATESHEAD, SAGE 0191 443 4661