Artists

Oysterband

"tremendous, joyous, remarkable..." Rolling Stone

Once the bad boys of folk and rock, Oysterband have grown over the past five years into the role of musical custodians and godfathers of folk. Collaborative tours with rising young stars under the banner of The Big Session; a Big Session "live" album with June Tabor, Eliza Carthy, The Handsome Family, Show Of Hands and more; and finally a Big Session festival, now in its third year, which hasn't yet failed to sell out.

"No other folk-rock band has the magnetism and verve of the Oysters live" DAILY TELEGRAPH 

John Tams & Barry Coope

John Tams: Winner of a hat trick of awards in the 2006 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, John is widely regarded as one of the country's leading songwriters. His warm, tender-hearted and distinctive vocals remain among the most expressive and soulful in English music. John will be remembered as Daniel Hagman in the ITV Sharpe series for which he also co-wrote the music.

Barry Coope: One third of a capella trio Coope, Boyes and Simpson and a fine keyboard player. He combines versatility as a singer with a deeply passionate mastery of time and harmony as an accompanist

The Demon Barber Roadshow

The Demon Barbers winners of Best Live Act at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2009 team up with some of England's most exciting young traditional dancers to create a high energy music and dance spectacular. Check them out for proof that England's exciting, phwoar-inducing, evolving dance, song and instrumental traditions are thriving, live and very kicking.

Vin Garbutt

Powerful, hugely moving, warm, humane, inspired, funny and gut wrenchingly honest. These are just some of the superlatives used to describe Vin's performance this year. This international, award winning, singer songwriter is completing  his 40th year on the road. He is for ever in demand and his shows are continually sell outs, so get your tickets early!

The Floozies

Fronted by singer/songwriter Daisy Windsor, Suffolk based band, The Floozies blend acoustic guitar with saxophones/flute (Paula Welham) and bodhran/percussion (Sue Szymanski) to produce their unique mesmerising jazzy folk.

An intoxicating band to watch with their mix of haunting vocals, cool jazzy riffs and sensitive percussion, they are as well known for their lively, contemporary, jazz tinged folk, as their on stage humour.

They have performed at Cambridge Folk Festival, The Cavern Club and have supported Karine Polwart, Megson, and Ben and Hank Marvin. They have been described as "A breath of fresh air" (Stephen Foster,BBC Radio Suffolk) and their new album as " Wonderfully executed + atmospherically seductive. Delicious stuff." (Nick Barraclough, BBC Radio 2).

Colvin Quarmby

Colvin Quarmby's musical style stubbornly refuses to be pigeonholed, hardly surprising when they combine guitars, drums and percussion with fiddle, cello, squeezebox and spine tingling five part vocal harmonies.

Setting them apart from the rest is creative front man Gerry Colvin. His energy is infectious, joyous and endearing, fuelled by a sense of the absurd, and inspires between-song banter that the country's top stand ups would kill for. ColvinQuarmby play "refreshingly different acoustic music".

A potent mix of driving rhythm laced with liberal helpings of folk, country and skiffle, with an intelligent use of the pop sensibility, topped off with irresistible harmonies and lyrics of pure poetry and subtle wit.

New Essex Bluegrass Band

The New Essex Bluegrass Band has enjoyed over twelve years as perhaps the most traditional sounding of all the UK bluegrass bands.

The material comes from the repertoires of the early bluegrass bands, Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Stanley Brothers, Reno & Smiley, and Jim & Jesse, as well as more modern bands who have created fresh new work in the same tradition. Banjo, mandolin and fiddle drive the faster songs, and provide subtle back-up to the authentic duet and trio vocal harmonies of the slower songs.

They continued to delight UK festival audiences, from Guildtown in Scotland to Newquay in Cornwall and Llandudno in Wales, showing how authentic bluegrass should be performed.

Chris Sherburn & Denny Bartley

Chris Sherburn and Denny Bartley have been bringing their unique sound to audiences across Europe and America since the early 1990s, when a chance meeting at a music session created one of folk music's most enduring partnerships. Known for their soul stirring songs, exhilarating tunes and a love of the craic,

Chris (concertina) and Denny (guitar and vocals) ensure that no two concerts are ever the same. Chris grew up surrounded by folk music of all kinds - his home was a regular haunt for passing folk singers and musicians. Denny, born in Co. Limerick, is drawn to the inheritance of age-old slides, slow airs, slip jigs and wild reels.

Founder members of the band Last Night's Fun which received international acclaim and a loyal fan base over 11 years together, they have now returned to their roots as a duo

Something Nasty in the Woodshed

Formed in 2004 from the remnants of Celtic Edge, Something Nasty made their Folk Festival debut at the Whitby Hiring Fair of 2005 and since then, have steadily worked the UK festival circuit gaining a loyal fanbase wherever they have played.

Folk/Rock is probably the easiest way to categorise their music although their individual styles give more than a hint of the breadth of their musical influence