Harmony Row Vineyard

Les began his career as assistant to Mrs Ackroyd, a small hairy mongrel who lay around in folk clubs, bit people and became famous. Mrs Ackroyd was the only dog ever to own her own record label. Since her sad demise, Les is mainly a solo performer, though he has taken to working with humans from time to time. The Mrs Ackroyd Band gradually evolved from an ever-changing who’s who of the folk scene into a tightly knit, well-rehearsed group.

Les has several solo albums to his credit: ‘Dogologues’, An Infinite Number of Occasional Tables’, ‘A Cardi and Bloke’, ‘Up the creek without a poodle’, ‘Arovertherapy’ and ‘The War on Terrier’. He has travelled the length, breadth and height of Great Britain, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, and - both solo and with the band - the United States and Canada; and he’s recently won3 prizes for writing and performing in Welsh in the Learners’ Pavilion in the National Eisteddfod.

The Mrs Ackroyd Band - supplemented by guest members such as June Tabor and Martin Allcock has released five albums; Oranges & Lemmings’, ‘Gnus & Roses’, ‘Tubular Dogs’ , ‘Yelp!’ and ‘Dark side of the mongrel’. In addition there are five highly acclaimed albums of his serious work; the folk opera ‘The Stones of Callanish’, ‘Some Love’, ‘The Wings of Butterflies’, ‘Airs of the Dog’ and ‘Twilight of the Dogs, all involving a galaxy of talent. His serious songs have also featured on albums by Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick, and by June Tabor. June invariably includes a smattering of Mr Barker’s serious and comic songs in her live performances. The Kingston Trio and Tom Paxton have also recorded Mr Barker’s songs.

Les and the Mrs Ackroyd Band burst furtively onto national radio with a series of six programmes for BBC Radio 2 entitled ‘Mrs Ackroyd explores her roots’. A new, and much larger audience were led in ever decreasing circles by Mr Barker’s strange mind. A growing number of radio programmes worldwide are featuring his recorded work. Dr Demento has included the Mrs Ackroyd Band’s performance of ‘Dachshunds with erections can’t climb stairs’ on one of his compilations, and ‘Will the turtle be unbroken?’ on another; and ‘Reinstalling Windows’ on the next one. There is also a double CD of Mr Barker’s work performed by a vast number of TV & radio personalities, ‘Guide Cats for the Blind’ and a sequel, ‘The Missing Persians File’. And ‘The Mrs Ackroyd Occasional Table Book’; a collection of his greatest hits (up to about 1998) mixed with a selection of his photographs taken on his travels, followed by ‘The Mrs Ackroyd Periodic Table Book’.

What else can one say about Les Barker? He was Old York Victoria’s footballer of the year in the season when they finished top of the Altrincham League. He has run a marathon in two hours forty one minutes; but he was younger then. Go and see him (and buy some of his books).

A selection of quotes:-

…he may be the best writer of parodies and wordplays that the English-speaking world has ever heard. -Tom Nelligan, Dirty Linen

There are subtleties which you didn’t notice the first time round, and there are clever puns and turns of phrase so good you look forward to hearing them again.
-Caroline Walker, Folk Roots

This man is a genuine genius of comic rhyme who appeals to people of all ages with a truly entertaining family show. I have seen him reduce a whole marquee full of festival goers at Victor Harbor to a mass of helpless laughter and aching sides.
-Ron Ashton, Port Lincoln Times, Australia

Les Barker is the greatest comedy talent we possess….This is probably the funniest tape I have ever heard. He’s a master at exploiting the idiosyncracies of the English language, weaving in myth and history to build bizarre stories.
-Agraman, City Life

“Idiot Returns” South Australian newspaper headline

At his best, he is an inspired genius. The only man who could produce work to match ‘Deja vu’ was the late great Spike Milligan. -Dai Woosnam

Bardd Brenhinol y sin cerddorol amgen. Llon, eto’n adrodd cerddi yn ei ffordd unigryw ei hunan. Dyn doniol iawn, sy’n ysgrifennu cerddi annaearol e gwych sydd wedi creu beth ellir eu galw’n anwyr gwerin. Jason and the Arguments, Cosmo the Fairly Accurate Knife Thrower, Captain Indecisive a Spot of the Antarctic i enwi dim ond dau. Bachgen o Fanceinion oedd yn gyfrifydd nes iddo droi’n dwpsyn proffesiynol, mae wedi ysgrifenni 76 o lyfrau sy’n cael eu prynu gan nifer o bobl gan fod y rhai sy’n gweld Les ddim cweit yn credu eu clustiau! Mae wedi teithio dros y byd i gyd, cael ei gyfres o chwe rhaglen ar Radio 2 gyda Band Mrs Ackroyd ac yn aml yn gadael cynulleidfaoedd yn eu dyblau dros America, Canada, Awstralia a Seland Newydd. Gwelwch Les ac fe ewch adref dan wenu. - Pontardawe Festival

…a piquant mix of hard to categorise skewed humour with purple flourishes. Stories of small animals and large furniture…Clive Pownceby