Traditional, dating back to at least the times of the Danish invasions (the "Vikings"). This version is a working song sung by the women of the far north east of England as they made bezums from the broom that grows on the hillsides.  The lyric repeated "Lay the Bent to the Bonny Broom" refers tot he action of interweaving the broom to hold together as a bezum. A fanciful tale of sororicide involving speaking harps and wandering minstrels with strange habits of body dismemberment.

01 Two Sisters

Nick Cave's 1996 number one hit murder ballad originally performed with Kylie Minogue. Recorded and released here purely for demo purposes. Terrific song.

11 Where The Wild Roses Grow

Written 1929 (probably) by Grayson and Whitter. Regarded as traditional. 22 year old Tom Dula was hanged in 1863 for the murder of Laurie Foster, but was almost certainly innocent.

13 Tom Dooley

Deservedly one of Bob Dylan's lesser known offerings. Recorded and released here solely for demo purposes.

14 Death Is Not The End

Written by Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933) in 1932. A tale of drink befuddled violence that the narrator doesn't really seem to remember properly.

07 Gambling Bar Room Blues

Traditional. The veracity of this story is highly questionable, but it does have a decent bit of shooting in it. It could even be thought of as a feminist anthem.

12 Billy Taylor

Traditional. A bawdlerised version of what was probably a tale of courtly love "Sir Lionel". At performances of Plump Dead Thighs & Pretty Blue Eyes audiences have sometimes, erroneously, thought that there actually might not be a killing in this song. Wrong.

10 Bold Sir Rylas

Traditional. An Anglicised version of the Scottish song Twa Corbies. Because I don't like feigning an accent in order to make a rhyme work.

09 Two Ravens

Originally recorded by its composer Nick Cave alongside P J Harvey; the song is based on the traditional "Young Hunting." We tried both versions before deciding we preferred Cave's for the purposes of the show. Recorded and released here purely for demo purposes.

08 Henry Lee

Mr Mobbs was not a pleasant person, he was hanged in 1893 for the murder of his second wife Caroline. The lyrics of this song are from a contemporary broadside with the tune written by Joshua Lacey Roberts of The Hamoaze Band. Our thanks to Paul Slade of planetslade.com for the source material.

06 Nathaniel Mobbs

Joshua Lacey Roberts - guitar and lead vocals, main songwriter
Nicky Roberts - digital stage piano, harmonium, lead and harmony Vocals, songwriter
Ryan Evans - fiddle, harmony vocals
Lysander Vening - harmonium, lead and harmony vocals

Original line up was a trio Joshua, Nicky and Richard Akehurst on melodeon and harmony vocals.

The Hamoaze Band was active from 2014 as a trio; 2015-16 as a quartet (line up as above). We disbanded in 2020.

Ryan now plays in the successful outfit Black Friday; Joshua is recording solo material and used learning violin; Nicky is intending to learn bombard, she and Joshua still sing and play together; Lysander is not currently active musically but that might well change in the not too distant future.   JLR 2025.