MALFUNCTION

Folk-ish Music

Hi all… Malfunction are John McGowan and Chris Laverty and have been since March 1976!

Lifting our material from mainstream 60s. 70s and 80s folk, pop and country music we also feature songs from some of the stalwarts of the folk scene who we have performed with over the years – in fact anything that can be played on two guitars with an occasional bit of mandolin thrown in and which features two voices which are now dropping a lot with age is fair game!

Although our setlist features many quiet “story songs” where the lyrics are important, there are plenty of opportunities to sing along to classics especially if you are around our age!!

We were pretty busy during the heyday of folk music in the 70s and 80s but following closure of our Prince’s Corner folk club in Harborne in the early 1990s we only played a handful of gigs over the next 25 years or so! However, with the number of aging pop and rock groups making comebacks nowadays, we thought we would have another go ourselves and after yet another comeback in November 2017 we did a few gigs at some of our old stomping grounds. In doing so we have met many old friends some of who go back to our very early days nearly 50 years ago.

Covid put an end to performing for everyone in early 2020 and subsequent serious health issues meant that our gig headlining The Red Lion Folk Club in Kings Heath in 2019 was our last…until recently!! We thankfull re-emerged in one piece (or two pieces) in November 2025 and put on a show in our old stomping ground of Harborne which was so much fun we might just do the odd gig again – if anybody wants us!!

This web site will bring you news of what we are up to, but more importantly, gives us the chance to reminisce about the fun we had performing as Malfunction for all those years, allowing us to indulge in a little nostalgia as we look back at the glory days of folk music in and around Birmingham in the 70s and 80s. We revisit the folk clubs that we either ran or played at and share memories of some of the great musicians, comedians and friends that we have met and performed with over the years.

Have a look at the Let’s go back in time section.

Please feel free to drop us a line through any of the social media or via the Contact Us link especially if you have any recollections to add or any long lost photos in the bottom drawer.

Cheers and thanks – John and Chris.

Folk Music