Cowboy Junkies
A beautiful and captivating second half ensures that this Norfolk & Norwich Festival audience leaves happy.
St Andrew's Hall, which, together with the adjacent Blackfriars' Hall, forms part of a complex of former Dominican priory and convent buildings in the heart of Norwich that date back to the 14th Century. It has been the setting of many a fine Norfolk & Norwich Festival concert, going right the way back to the very first four-day Grand Music Festival held in 1788. During the 1970s the sounds of legendary rock acts like Jethro Tull, Uriah Heep, and AC/DC reverberated from its hallowed walls. More recently it has hosted NNF concerts from the likes of City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, The Hallé and the Britten Sinfonia, as well as solo artists such as Clare Teal, Rhiannon Giddens and Anna Meredith. And, of course, for many years it was home to the Norwich Beer Festival.
Following a prolonged closure (The Halls were forced to shut at the beginning of 2024 for urgent, and expensive (£7.8 million) repairs and refurbishment) St Andrew's Hall is once again able to throw open its doors and play its part in the Norfolk & Norwich Festival. For 2026 it is hosting no less than eight different shows, ranging from ceilidhs to full orchestral concerts.
I am here to see Cowboy Junkies, a Canadian alternative country and folk rock band from Ontario, who formed in 1985. Founded by long-term musical friends Alan Anton (bass) and Michael Timmins (guitar), and later joined by Timmins siblings Margot (vocals) and Peter (drums), the band have released 16 studio albums since their 1986 blues-inspired debut, ‘Whites Off Earth Now!’, which was recorded in their own garage using a single microphone. On this UK tour they are also joined by long-term friend Jeff Bird on mandolins and harmonica.
Like many bands making their first visit to Norwich, they fall foul of the three mistakes that visiting overseas artists often make – 1) Norwich has a silent 'w' which is not pronounced; 2) We have a medieval cathedral, not a big church with a spire; and 3) that makes us a city, not a town. But hey, what do I know about Ontario, other than it is very close to Niagara Falls? Or is it Victoria Falls?
A generous 19 song setlist spans two sets, and covers songs from the Junkies' debut album, 'Whites Off Earth Now!' right the way through to 2023's 'Such Ferocious Beauty', and includes a generous five songs from what is probably their best-known work, the 1988 sophomore album 'The Trinity Sessions'.
The first half is marred by some very poor sound in the Hall, meaning that we cannot properly appreciate the vocals of singer Margot Timmins, or hear her introductions to some of the songs. The drums and guitars also sound woolly and a bit mushy.
The problem is fixed for the second half of the show, but I do notice that there are now a number of empty seats dotted around the Hall. But, for those who remain, the second half demonstrates just why Cowboy Junkies have such a loyal and passionate following. Indeed, one fan that I speak to has been following them around the country, including attending the two previous gigs at the London Palladium and at The Stables in Milton Keynes.
By the end of the second set I, too, have become a fan. Songs like 'Circe and Penelope', 'State Trooper' and 'Angels In The Wilderness' have won me over, delivered by Margot Timmons' soft, and at times almost whispered, vocals, and the band's confidently laid-back accompaniment. Their covers of The Velvet Underground’s ‘Sweet Jane’, Neil Young’s ‘Powderfinger’, and Lynn Howard’s ‘Walking After Midnight’, proves them to be sensitive interpreters as well as talented writers of original material. OK, to be honest, I'm not about to storm the merch stand and pay out the £69 being asked for their recently released three-album greatest hits vinyl collection, but if I spot a Cowboy Junkies album down at the local chazza shop, I shall certainly snap it up.
A shame about the sound quality in the first half, but a beautiful and captivating second half ensures that the rest of this Norfolk & Norwich Festival audience, myself included, leaves happy.
