Sharrow Festival fundraisers- autumn 2014

A song written on the Freshfield dunes while walking my dog.
This acoustic version recorded at JBR Studios in 2014.

BEACHCOMB YOU'RE ALONE (acoustic version)

WTP Moonlight Son Paris

Track 2 from the EP 'On Swings And Roundabouts', released July 11th 2014

Roundabout

The "Molly Maguires" were an Irish 19th century secret society active in Ireland, Liverpool and United States. This song follows the history of "Mollies" in the coal fields of Pennsylvania amongst the mining communities.

Throughout the mines of Pennsylvannia as a result of poor wages and harsh working conditions injuries and deaths due to accidents numbered in the hundreds each year. In one of the most tragic incidents a fire at the Avondale mine claimed the lives of 110 miners due to the owner's failure to finance a secondary exit to the mine. Thousands of miners were drawn to the Workingmen's Benevolent Association (WBA) which struck to improve the conditions of the workers. In response the mine owner's moved quickly against the union with a string of beatings and murders targeted at labour agitators.

It is hard to establish clear information concerning the activity of the "Mollies" over this time as much comes from the Pinkerton detectives who prosecuted the case against alleged members of the society. A number of mine owner's and officials were, however, threatened and murdered over this period undoubtedly in response to their actions against organised labour.

On June 21st 1877 six men were hanged in the prison at Pottsville, and four at Mauch Chunk, Carbon County all accused as "Mollies". On that day miners arrived in their thousands with their wives and children, in some cases walking through the night, to honour the condemned. Alex Campbell maintained his innocence until the end slapping a muddy hand print on his cell wall stating, "there is proof of my words. That mark of mine will never be wiped out. It will remain forever to shame the county for hanging an innocent man".

The Ghost Of Molly Maguire

Live recording taken from the Ghost & Heroes album launch at the Lantern Theatre, Sheffield in November 2011. It's A Hard Life (Wherever You Go) features the full live band with Tom Sweeney, Jim Molyneux and Chris Thornton-Smith.

It's A Hard Life (Wherever You Go) [Live @ the Lantern Theatre]

charliebarker