IT was a captive audience.
But then again the women at New Hall Prison at Flockton were clearly captivated by the sheer songsmith skills of Foy Vance.
The 32-year-old Irishman is playing a special tour of prisons.
The tour was organised by the new governor at New Hall, 36-year-old Gareth Sands, who saw Foy playing in a bar in York.
The songsmith’s career is taking off with a recent appearance on Jonathan Ross’s Radio 2 show and a new album, Hope, out this summer on his own record label and now on sale in HMV stores.
The tour began at Full Sutton maximum security prison near York and finished yesterday after appearances at Wormwood Scrubs in south London and Belmarsh maximum security prison, also in the capital.
Foy’s mix of blues, funk and soul clearly had an impact on the women at New Hall and he was happy to chat with them afterwards.
He said later: “I feel music has the power to transport people from whatever situation they are in and can help in a process of rehabilitation.
“My ideal would be to go into prisons and do music workshops, encouraging people to get as much as they can out of music, help them to write songs and then develop them based on their experiences in life.’’
He revealed to the women that when he played Full Sutton he asked to be locked in a cell for a while to get some essence of the experience of being imprisoned.
One prisoner quipped he’d be welcome to try out her cell.
Governor Sands said: “Prisons are a very challenging and difficult place to live. The women here have pressures both from inside the prison and the outside.
“It’s good to bring the performing arts in. Some of the prisoners may have never seen a live music act before and the hope is that Foy’s visit will lave them inspired.’’
After the Full Sutton gig one man in the prison wrote a blog for Foy’s website.
It said: “Thanks so much for what you did for the men at Full Sutton. They were talking about you for days after and I know they really enjoyed and were inspired by it.
“Your most precious gift through your songs is the ability to change the way people perceive the world and other people and it wasn’t just the inmates you have uplifted.’’
Another man wrote: “I think it’s an amazing thing for you to do. I imagine that people banged up in prison will have a lot of time on their hands to think. I hope as they immerse themselves in your lyrics that they think and reflect.’’
Big names in the music industry are also raving about Foy.
Bonnie Raitt has described him as “one of the most soulful and powerful singers and writers I've heard in a long while’’
And Who guitarist Pete Townshend said: “Foy’s a giant.”
Foy named his album Hope – and that now ties in with the prison tour.
He said: “I named the album Hope because that’s something that’s been hereditary for me.
“It came from my dad, who was eternally hopeful, and every song on the album has an element of – or is some sort of study – of hope.’’
