Watch House Folk at Crosskeys Hall – Stewart Hardy & Frank McLaughlin

** We do not send paper tickets, please just bring your email confirmation. Your name will be on our door list **

Join us for a series of intimate folk concerts in one of our temporary homes (Crosskeys Hall, Monkseaton) while Cullercoats Watch House is undergoing renovation. Please bring your own refreshments. There will also be a short support set.

Stewart Hardy & Frank McLaughlin

Stewart Hardy (fiddle) and Frank McLaughlin (guitar) are a standout duo whose music is steeped in the rich traditions of Scotland and Northumberland. Known for their expert musicianship and finely crafted arrangements, they bring a fresh and distinctive voice to traditional music and their own compositions.

Their sound is both powerful and refined – full of energy, subtlety, and emotional depth. Whether breathing new life into traditional tunes or weaving their way through a sensitive slow air, their playing is always deeply musical and utterly compelling.

Their performances are a journey through some of the richest musical landscapes in the UK, delivered with skill, soul, and a shared love of tradition.

“The instrumental pairing of Stewart Hardy and Frank McLaughlin is one of traditional music’s great examples of cross Border cooperation….When they get together, however, each belongs wherever the music takes them….producing a treasure chest of traditional music making, with every listen revealing new riches.”: Rob Adams, The Herald

“Superb instrumental pieces based on Celtic and other world traditions… extraordinary… one of the most interesting duos in the British Celtic music scene.”: World Music Central

“two musical minds entwined creatively, each gifting the other with their presence and personality, producing music that’s at once emotional, beautiful and graceful – savor.”: Jon O’Regan, The Living Tradition

“McLaughlin’s guitar can chime with a delicacy reminiscent of Tony McManus, or work up powerful drive”: Jim Gilchrist, The Scotsman