He's been a Napoleonic War rifleman, an acclaimed songsmith and a rabble-rousing frontman and now John Tams is heading for Beverley Folk Festival. Ian Midgley reports.
It's best to be a moving target, says John Tams, that way they'll "never realise what a charlatan you are".
It's a strange thing to say for a man who has achieved so much in so many different fields during an illustrious career that has encompassed everything from folk musician to actor, songwriter and – most recently – impressive moustache-wearer.
But talking to the modest 65-year-old, whose band, Home Service, headline Beverley Folk Festival later this month, you get the feeling that, despite his considerable achievements, he's still, at heart, the same down-to-earth Derbyshire lad who left school aged 15 with no qualifications and went to work on the travelling fairgrounds.
At the moment, he's inspecting the trophy cabinet in the corner of his living room.
Characteristically, he can't remember what awards he won for War Horse – Michael Morpurgo's stirring equine drama – for which Tams wrote the soundtrack.
How many awards are in there?
"Oh, a few," he chuckles self-deprecatingly. "It's always best to keep moving and doing different things, that way you never get found out."
Probably best-known for his long-running role as "chosen man" Daniel Hagman opposite Sean Bean – or "Beano" as he likes to call him – in the swashbuckling TV series Sharpe, Tams actually started his working life proper as a reporter working on various Midlands newspapers, as well as contributing to magazines such as the NME and Melody Maker in his spare time.
Playing in various folk clubs by night, it was only a matter of time before music lured the singer away from his early journalistic aspirations.
"I tunnelled my way out of journalism," he laughs.
"I was going out and doing shows at night and writing up court reports, council meetings and falling asleep at my typewriter during the day.
"I slowly became more disconnected from reporting until I thought eventually I might as well do the music full-time."
It was a decision that has paid off handsomely.
In the decades since, Tams has been awarded the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards a record five times and, as a member of seminal Albion Band and, latterly, Home Service, has helped define the modern folk scene.
It was Home Service who were one of the first bands to marry traditional music with brass, which has since been so successfully adopted by the likes of Bellowhead.
Home Service, who will headline Beverley on Saturday, June 21, originally split after seven years and three albums together in 1987, but reunited four years ago to popular acclaim.
"We reformed basically because we just enjoy playing together.
"We were lucky enough to win a few awards off the back of that and it seemed like a good idea to keep going."
The eight-strong band are particularly looking forward to returning to East Yorkshire, says Tams, adding that the group will be playing tracks spanning their three-decade career and albums such as Alright Jack as well as introducing one or two new numbers.
"We're lucky that we can choose where we go now and Beverley has always been a favourite of mine," he says.
"It's always had a nice atmosphere, so when they asked us to come we were delighted.
"We're very much looking forward to it."
War HorseAs well as performing with Home Service, John Tams will also take to the stage with fellow musician Barry Cooper and author Michael Morpurgo to perform extracts from the writer's classic novel, War Horse. Tams will sing the songs he wrote for the acclaimed National Theatre production of the book on the afternoon of Saturday, June 21. Children are welcome to attend the show.
• Beverley Folk Festival runs from Friday, June 20, to Sunday, June 22, at Beverley Racecourse. Adult day tickets are priced from £30. A full weekend pass is £125 (concessions available). Children aged 11 and under go free. Call 01377 217569 or visit beverleyfestival.com
