Backbone

Biography

Pete Coe in many ways represents the backbone of the modern English folk revival. He's been a key member of numerous significant outfits across three decades, including the much-loved duo Pete & Chris Coe (with his then wife Chris), the wondrous dance outfit New Victory Band, folk 'supergroup' Bandoggs and political trailblazers Red Shift. Born in Cheshire, he first started performing at the Songwainers Club while at Cheltenham College and early on was drawn to the more obscure traditional folk...

Pete Coe in many ways represents the backbone of the modern English folk revival. He's been a key member of numerous significant outfits across three decades, including the much-loved duo Pete & Chris Coe (with his then wife Chris), the wondrous dance outfit New Victory Band, folk 'supergroup' Bandoggs and political trailblazers Red Shift.

Born in Cheshire, he first started performing at the Songwainers Club while at Cheltenham College and early on was drawn to the more obscure traditional folk songs. In Birmingham he met Chris Richards, a talented blues and jazz singer and the two started working together as Richards & Coe at Birmingham's Black Diamond Folk Club at the Drover Arms. A broadcast on Radio 2's old Folk On Friday show on Radio 2 caught listeners' imaginations and, by now married, they turned professional in 1971 as Pete & Chris Coe.

Pete & Chris joined the colourful New Victory Band with John and Suzy Adams, Roger and Helen Watson and lan and Linda Wordsworth, playing polkas, waltzes, jigs and reels, as well as singing the occasional music hall song. Their classic album One More Dance And Then was recently reissued with bonus tracks by Pete

In 1978 Pete & Chris joined forces with two of the leading solo revival singers of the day Nic Jones and Tony Rose. Based in the north with Jones in Essex and Rose in the west country made rehearsals difficult and the band was shortlived, but Bandoggs made one decent album and are remembered with great affection by all those who saw them, particularly for their outstanding version of Loudon Wainwright III's Swimming Song.

Pete embarked on his solo career, developing his songwriting with powerful material like It's A Mean Old Scene, The Alimony Run and Rolling Down The Ryburn. His Mean Old Scene album in 1985 also saw the emergence of his own label Backshift. In the late '80s he formed Red Shift, underlining his reputation as a political writer with songs like Sold Down The River Again and Waves Of Tory pointedly reflecting the Thatcher era.

Pete has since not only continued as a fine solo performer, but an energetic activist for the scene as well, founding Ryburn 3 Step, running folk clubs, dances and workshops in the Ripponden/Halifax area of England, while also teaching music and dancing at schools. He's still one of the most committed, most versatile, most important folk artists in Britain.
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