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 

Lau

Twice winners of BEST GROUP at the Radio 2 Folk Awards LAU are a formidable trio of three of the finest & most innovative exponents of modern traditional music in Britain today.  Their now infamous live shows are a must-see experience with an energy and musicianship which is spellbinding.

 Highly regarded  musicians in their own right, the combined talents of Kris Drever, Martin Green and Aidan O’Rourke make for a fantastic and all-conquering trio. A Lau live performance will be an explosion of both traditional and self-penned songs which highlight their unique take on folk music.

Lau employ rising, epic song structures not usually associated with Folk music and more akin to those on the leftfield of rock and jazz.

John Tams & Barry Coope

John and Barry are a unique collaboration.  Tams was recently described in MOJO magazine as ‘one of the giants of folk.’  Coope is a member of celebrated acappella group CBS.  John has won six BBC Folk Awards, including the prestigious Folk Singer of the Year.  As Series Music Editor he collected a Sony Gold Award for the 2006 Radio Ballads.  He is also the Songmaker for the West End hit WarHorse, which is shortly to travel to Broadway.   As a duo they collected the much prized Duo of the Year at 2008 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.   

Together John and Barry bring experience, innovation and tradition to their humorous, spell-binding and captivating performances. 

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).

ColvinQuarmby

ColvinQuarmby'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.

Chris & Kellie While

Two generations of great singers come together.

A mother and daughter relationship is rarely ever like this. The world class vocals of internationally lauded Chris While and the uncannily similar quality of daughter, Kellie, combine for an evening of unforgettable live music. Their pleasure in singing together is obvious and when they duet, it's easy to lose sight of who is who even though separately they have their own distinctive sound and style. Chris and Kellie have sung together since Kellie was 14 years old and they have produced two formidable albums to date.

Chris and Kellie While, the duo, is unmissable!

Wizz Jones

There are few artists with more claim to being a 'musician's musician' than Wizz Jones. Inspired by Big Bill Broonzy, Rambling Jack Elliot, Alexis Korner and Ewan MacColl, and learning his guitar licks from the likes of Davy Graham and Long John Baldry while playing in the coffee bars of London's Soho during the late nineteen fifties.

Then busking throughout Europe from the streets of Paris to the markets of Marrakech during the early sixties and later to be cited by John Renbourn and Eric Clapton as an important early influence. With his unique acoustic guitar style, an eclectic repertoire and a 'right hand worthy of Broonzy' Wizz continues to tour on the acoustic folk and blues circuit.

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

Woodshed Band

Once upon a time there was Something Nasty in the Woodshed, but not anymore! for 2010 a new band has emerged blinking into the sunlight from the aforementioned shed. Its the almost all new "Woodshed band"! 

Comprising ex Something Nasty in the Woodshed members Barry "we're doomed" Steele on pipes/verbals and Jacko "the cake" Jackson on banjo/mandolin they are joined for 2010 by virtuoso guitarist John "psst wanna buy a Taylor?" Buckley, stalwart fiddler Vere "I'm a lumberjack" Foster , Chris "got hair gonna use it" Petz on percussion (drums!) and Bill "pressganged" Leivers on bass. Together they boldly set out to assault the north face of the festival scene.

Look forward to high energy folk rock with entertainment as the key

Tyde

In a music world littered with new bands coming at you from all angles, it takes something very special to grab the attention of festival bookers.  Armed only with a 3 track demo back in November 2009, Tyde played in the lobby of the ever busy Association of Festival Organisers Conference.  Bookers and programmers chatted, sipped coffees and seemed not to notice 3 young performers blazing their way through tune sets in the corner.  And yet in the weeks that followed the bookings started to come!  It is almost unheard of to get major festival bookings before your debut album has even been recorded but Tyde have done just that.  13 major festivals, great club gigs and one or two choice specials are going to keep this new band very busy in the summer of 2010  

Gavin Adam Wood

Gavin Adam Wood is the winner of the Band Competition

Gavin is a singer-songwriter living in Cambridge but originally from Leek, a small market town on the edge of the Peak District national park. He was voted best act in last year’s Cambridge Buskers and Street Performers Festival, which took place again last week. He has recently returned from a 3 month trip in Haiti where he was carrying out humanitarian work for Unicef in the earthquake aftermath, as well as finding time to sing for his colleagues and local Haitians. Find out more about what he is doing at: www.gavinadamwood.com.