For Folk Clubs and festivals
An audience without Jake and Les
An affectionate remembrance of
their
wit and wisdom
- John's own website
- Fake Thackray
- Two Idiots and an Absent Friend - Les Barker Show with John Watterson and Keith Donnelly
CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND WORK OF ONE OF OUR FINEST AND FUNNIEST WORDSMITHS
Download printable flyers
John Watterson is delighted to announce his new show for 2026 onwards – ‘An Audience without Jake or Les’, celebrating the life, songs and wonderful wordsmithery of the great Yorkshire chansonnier, and the hilarious poetry of ‘the finest Poet Laureate we never had. The set includes many Jake classics (Sister Josephine, On Again On Again, The Bantam Cock etc), and Les Barker’s wonderful poetry inc;uding such gems as Reg was a Lonely Glow Worm, Dachsunds with Erections Can't Climb Stairs, Spot of the Antarctic and Déjà Vu.
John Watterson is the UK’s leading performer of Jake’s songs. As Fake Thackray he has toured with Fairport Convention and Jasper Carrott and has performed at festivals, theatres and clubs across the UK and on local and national radio, as well as appearing with Jon Richardson on 'Meet the Richardsons'. He was a friend of the late Les Barker and continues to sell Les’ merchandise to raise money for Amnesty International, Les’ nominated charity.
FOR FESTIVALS - if you book Keith Donnelly and John Watterson independently, you can also have TWO IDIOTS AND AN ABSENT FRIEND - The Les Barker Tribute - as a bonus.
Shows Now Booking for 2027
2026
Fri 18 Sep
Liphook Folk Club
Sun 20 Sep
Wetherby Folk Club
Thu 8 Oct
The Spring, Havant
Tue 13 Oct
St Neot's Folk Club
Wed 14 Oct
Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham
Tue 20 Oct
Banbury Folk Club
Sat 24 Oct
Framework Knitters, Ruddington, Notts
2027
Sat 16 Jan
Folk in the Barn, Kent
Thur 28 Jan
Darlington Folk Club