the friendly festival
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(Friday)
One of the great storytellers, Ralph McTell is now celebrating almost 50 years on the road. Known for his virtuoso style, he is a gifted and prolific songwriter. With a style that invites you into a unique world, he weaves a narrative that is both significant and poignant.
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(Saturday)
Heidi Talbot is an Irish folk singer from Co. Kildare. Subtlety is her magic ingredient - her gossamer voice and her delicate re-working of traditional and contemporary material have earned her rave reviews.
(Friday & Saturday)
Becky Mills has been singing and playing since her mid-teens, and in the early 2000s became one of the four female stars of the genre-busting acoustic music group 'Waking The Witch'. Becky's recent release, Dandelion, has received critical acclaim and displays her talents as a singer/songwriter. Currently Becky is working on a music project with Ashley Hutchings who is widely recognised as "The Guv'nor of British folk/rock.
(Saturday)
This teenage folk trio from Worcester play a range of English, Irish and Scottish traditional music as well as their own compositions. They were nominees for BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
(Saturday)
Calico are one of the most exciting new bands to emerge from the acoustic music circuit in Liverpool and the North-West for many years. The band’s members have a wealth of knowledge and experience in Irish, Scottish, Appalachian, Cajun, Country and Rock/Pop music and always set out to guarantee a good time with their infectious blend of traditional and contemporary songs and tunes.
(Saturday)
Oysterband make British, folk-based music, acoustic at heart, sometimes intense, sometimes rocking. Since 1987 they have toured 35 countries and won 5 BBC Folk Awards - 'tremendous, joyous, remarkable...the cream of their genre' Rolling Stone
Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies have been playing their songs and music of Northern England for a decade and a half around the folk festivals, clubs and concert stages of the world. They can be described as 'Acoustic simplicity coupled with electric vitality'.
BarlowCree is a Cardiff based folk-acoustic duo performing original material and adaptations of traditional and contemporary folk songs. Their magnetic stage presence, coupled with craftsman-like song writing is captivating audiences on both the club and festival scenes.
TWO COATS COLDER (Sunday)Two Coats Colder are a quirky, progressive acoustic folk band performing a mix of self-penned traditional and contemporary songs. Their music has a jaunty, quirky edge.
Chris Bannister is a world-renowned singer songwriter who has quickly become the best known and most respected performer of the music of John Denver. His repertoire includes all Denver's original classic songs -including Annie's Song, Sunshine On My Shoulders, Country Roads. He has been chosen to perform in Aspen, Colorado this year with John Denver's original guitarist Steve Weisberg.
(Sunday)
Eddi Reader MBE is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known both for her work with Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three BRIT Awards and has topped both the album and singles charts.From traditional to contemporary, Eddi Reader's passion and meltingly true vocals have made her into one of music's most popular and exciting performers.
(Sunday)
Flossie Malavialle is a French singer who became involved in the British folk scene in 2000-2001 while she was on a teacher exchange in the North East of England. Her repertoire is very open as she likes all sorts of different music genres.
(Sunday)
Joe Topping is a singer songwriter from Wirral with influences that draw from both sides of the Atlantic. Joe has developed his own unique bottleneck guitar style which he employs in many of his original songs and has a voice that can move from velvet soft to steely and powerful. Joe also currently plays with the bands Elbow Jane and the Rainbow Chasers (with Ashley Hutchings).
WELCOMME, FINNAN & CHRIMES
(Saturday)
Stalwarts of the Cheshire Folk scene, Welcomme, Finnan & Chrimes have been playing music for over forty years. Their gentle style has endeared them to their listeners, singing both traditional and contemporary songs, with sensitive and skilled accompaniment.
(Sunday)
One of the best singer songwriters Merseyside has to offer, Gerry's colourful Liverpool and Irish roots make her a wonderful writer and performer. Gerry performs solo and sometimers with her singing partner John Williams as well as accordian player Vlad Brown and fiddler Rose Sims. She is a musician with a great voice who is in demand at festivals and live venues across Merseyside and beyond