Gig Review: Kim Lowings and the Greenwood - Woodman Folk Club, Ashwood Marina, Kingswinford. Friday 5th December 2025

Three takes from this show: a lovely tribute at the start for Greenwood bassist Dave Sutherland who sadly passed away earlier this year; the teasing comment of maybe a return to the studio and a timely reminder to how special the music of Kim Lowings has been over the last dozen years. Life has put the promotional side of her music on hold since the pandemic with no new recorded material and gigs a scarce occurrence. Such is the local love, she can always pop across the A449 to Ashwood Marina and guarantee a full house where Woodman Folk Club have championed her for many years.

After an entertaining opening set from local duo Lintel, the stage was set for Kim Lowings and the Greenwood circa December 2025, namely a trio format with Andrew Lowings on bouzouki, guitar and bodhran (not simultaneously), Tim Rogers on percussion and Kim herself on guitar and trademark dulcimer. Through a combination of traditional, original and cover songs, the music laid the ground for a wonderful display of vocal distinction. You could have been at any point between 2013 and 2019 when new music regularly surfaced and gigs were plentiful. Across two sets, fourteen songs were played and at the stroke of eleven the urge for less of the dearth was as strong as ever.

The songs were split between longstanding live favourites and some worthy of greater exposure if a return to the studio ever happens. The latter included ‘The Troubadour’, an excellent lengthy piece with impressionable vibes, a commissioned poignant song titled ‘The Unknown’ and the important message embedded in ‘Go Tell a Story’.

If you desire the classics elegantly dealt, look no further than versions of ‘From Galway to Graceland’ and ‘Carey’, the latter can challenge lesser vocalists. For inspired original writing,  ‘Maggie’ Song’ raised a smile upon release and still amuses a decade later. Interpretations are often the core of a folk singer with a version of ‘The Flounderer’ opening the first set and a glorious rendition of ‘Annie Laurie’ sealing the show in the encore slot. At the heart of the evening ‘Bonnie Labouring Boy’ showed how songs can flourish both in the studio and unfiltered from the stage.

Singalongs at The Woodman Folk Club are a staple and a hearty packed house helped out on ‘Bold Riley’ and ‘Oh the Wind and Rain’, standards given a glowing Greenwood coating. ‘The Begging Song’ got similar treatment and no Kim Lowings show is complete without ‘Away Ye Merry Lassies’ reverberating around the room. Bringing the set list to completion was ‘Come By the Hills’, an example to how Kim learnt her crust from attending many folk club nights in younger days.

All these songs were dedicated to Dave Sutherland, who not only played delightful double bass but provided some lovely backing vocals. Maybe, maybe, the path will clear for a greater performing and recording scope in the future. Whatever it brings, the past is locked in and when brought out on special nights like this, confirms every ounce of appreciation granted since first crossing paths in the cellar space of Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge in April 2013.