After 12 years of international touring and recording, the UK’s mega-popular folk rockers Holy Moly & The Crackers recently took an extended break which they called a “hiatus.” This gave individual members of the band more time to pursue solo careers and other interests.
Billed as “an exclusive end-of-summer bonanza,” three gigs were held in Newcastle upon Tyne, York and Shrewsbury, the latter a major festival. This review is from the band’s home city of Newcastle at the celebrated Cluny live music venue in Ouseburn which is the heartbeat of this creative community. It is written from the perspective of each musician, starting with two of the original members.
Ruth and Conrad
This is how it all began, the two having met as teenagers in North Yorkshire, staying together through to higher education and forming a band with Rosie Bristow who they met at a house party. Tonight’s set opened appropriately with a Ruth and Conrad duet, the poignant and beautifully arranged “Down By The River.”
The encore 90 minutes later similarly featured both of them singing “I Will See You Again” with raw emotion and genuine feeling of the fans’ appreciation and raucous contribution. The chemistry and close harmony between these two on stage and the whole band’s connection with an audience they call their ‘family’ make Holy Moly concerts unique.
Ruth Lyon
Ruth has forged a separate solo career, which culminated in a highly acclaimed debut album in June 2025, entitled Poems & Non Fiction, which reached the top 20 in the UK’s Official Album Breakers Chart and top 50 in the Record Store Chart. In an interview for The Glasshouse, Gateshead she stated: “I love being in a party band where everyone’s dancing around but the music that really speaks to me is more piano-based, melancholic, and dramatic.”
It benefits both the band and Ruth personally and professionally that she has the best of both worlds. Certainly, the extrovert front person and lead violinist was in outstanding form, “Bluebell Wood” an early example of a traditional English folk song on the 2012 debut First Avenue album transformed live into a show stopping tour de force, with the refrain of “round and round” etched permanently in eardrums. The virtuosic, sassy “Angeline” from Solid Gold is pure drama with attitude and a vocal triumph for Ruth.
Conrad Bird
Having taken some time out from performing, the return of Conrad firing on all cylinders is not just welcome but also essential to the overall health of the band. The Cluny erupted when Conrad declared in demonic tones on “Sugar” that “I get down when the sugar man ain’t around and I get blue, when the sugar man don’t come through. But I get high when the sugar man comes on by.” The reggae-infused “A Punk Called Peter” and the manic “Devil And The Danube” were further proof that the energized, consummate entertainer Conrad with his trademark euphonic and at times cacophonous trumpet is on top form.
Rosie Bristow
Circus costume designer and accordion player Rosie introduced Irish, Americana, and Balkan folk songs to the repertoire when she became the third founding band member. She also co-wrote “Cold Comfort Lane” with Ruth, a Hollywood cinematic blockbusting soundtrack streamed several million times. Affectionately known as Squeezebox, her flexibility is as legendary as her musical, vocal, and writing talents. The intro to “Upside Down” is enough to stir the audience into a complete frenzy of pyrotechnic energy and sea of whirling limbs, a challenge for the sprightly septuagenarians present. Rosie is studying for a PhD in textiles and engineering while also making open-source flax processing and spinning machines to re-localize natural fiber production to the UK.
Tommy Arch
Tommy is universally rated as a top UK drummer whose timing, dynamics, and versatility are imperious. This ensures that the high energy, fast rocking, changing tempos never miss a beat. “Hot Red” is a prime example with its mesmeric grooves, juke joint vibes, dramatic climaxes, and synchronicity. Like Ruth, a solo career also beckons with the release of his first EP, the six-track The Wind That Blew South which is receiving rave reviews and attracting thousands of followers on line. Tommy’s debut show at The Cluny showcased his vocal and song writing acumen as well as his considerable guitar skills.
Ladies of Midnight Blue
The Afro-Latin percussion and brass duet are the latest guest band members. Hannabiell Sanders and Yilis del Carmen Suriel have performed all over the world. Their contribution is transformational in that the percussion complements Tommy Arch to create a powerful fusion of rhythms while adding a further cultural dimension to the music, notably on “Solid Gold.” The large trombone combined with Conrad’s trumpet also gives the band a stronger jazz dimension to an already rich mix of styles and genres.
Nick Tyler
As the only 6-string guitarist in the band, Nick combines rhythm and lead duties impeccably, the former prominent on “All I Got Is You,” the latter on “Naked In Budapest.” Nick adds a range of styles beyond the standard, sometimes predictable licks of some folk and blues guitarists, adding funk and punk dimensions. He is also a sound and light designer, theatre stage manager and technical manager.
Phoebe Stephenson
Phoebe has excelled on bass following the departure of Jamie Shields, a challenging role within an 8-piece band comprising highly creative musicians, complex rhythms, and some fluid improvisations. Her metronomic timing, complete focus, and calm demeanour hold everything together. As one half of the ‘old time’ and bluegrass duo Errant Moose, Phoebe has more strings to her guitars.
Interviewed after the gig, an emotional Ruth summarized the evening: “An amazing night. The whole crowd, everyone singing just blew me away, it was overwhelming actually. I knew it would be a great night but it exceeded my expectations.”
Overall, this concert was a monumental success both for Holy Moly and the 300 ecstatic fans of all ages lucky enough to get tickets. It was hailed by many as one of the band’s best ever, most captivating live performances, enhanced by both the atmosphere inside The Cluny and the quality of the sound engineers. Reassurance came from Conrad’s hint at seeing them again “down the road.”
With solo music careers and alternative employment to consider, the future of the band will depend on logistics as much as desire. However, tonight proved that Holy Moly & The Crackers are committed and connected to this loyal fan base, their music is brilliant and still evolving, and whatever the future brings, a rich legacy is secured for generations to come.
