Join us
Follow us
Newsletter
BlogLine Up
Artists & Events
2012's line up so far
Eddi Reader • Edward II
Michael McGoldrick, John McCusker & John Doyle
Breabach
Nic Jones with Joe Jones & Belinda O'Hooley
Faustus • Finest Kind • Vin Garbutt • Jim Moray
Southern Tenent Folk Union
Tickled Pink •
Damien O'Kane • Seize The Day
Tim Edey & Brendon Power • Lady Maisery •
Hekety
Sciorr: Staged • Rallion • Crucible Trio • Keith Donnelly
Lucy Ward • Joe O'Donnell's "Shkayla" • Doc Rowe
Jan Edgecombe's Blackboard Van
Robb Johnson • Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin
The Teacups • Wildfire Folk • Matt Quinn • Rob Halligan
Glamba Theatrical Percussion Group
Kirsty Gallacher • Paul & Liz Davenport
• One More Night
Paul & Glen Elliott • Jess & Richard Arrowsmith
Alex Cummings • Borderline Crossing
Lydia Noble • Reel Note Band • Martyn Harvey • Na-Mara
Infinite Cherries • Speake & Lowe • Lars Nilsson
Warwick Community Band • Kameron
EDWARD II
The unique folk and reggae fusion is back! Starting out as a fluid musical collective in the mid-1980s, EII’s line-up has combined melodeon and sax, fiddle and trombone and a powerful skanking rhythm section to produce a sensational live sound. Drawing on the diverse influences of rural morris and urban dub-reggae scene, the band’s musical territory also encompasses jazz, soul, rap and Celtic dancing styles, all laced with Glenn Latouche’s seductively honeyed lead vocals.
VIN GARBUTT
Powerful, moving, warm, humane, funny and gut-wrenchingly honest – these are just some of the superlatives which describe Vin's performance. Despite plans in 2005 to cut back on the workload, the award-winning singer-songwriter from Teesside has completed his 42nd year on the road with tours of Canada, USA, Holland, New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia. To the delight of his fans across the world, Vin remains as active and inspirational as ever and it’s our great pleasure to welcome him back to Warwick!
BREABACH
One of Scotland’s most celebrated folk bands of recent times, Breabach’s distinctive sound
is powered by double bagpipes, flute and fiddle, combined with the tight groove of double
bass, guitar and step-dance. The recently revised and extended line-up has given them a new edge,
energy and focus. With increasing popularity and fast growing international recognition it is little wonder Breabach received nominations for Best Group at both the 2011 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and the Scots Trad Music Awards.
DAMIEN O'KANE TRIO
Ace banjo-player from Northern Ireland, Damien O'Kane has a growing reputation as a creative and exciting musician and singer. He is probably best known for his work with Shona Kipling and Flook and as a full-time member of Kate Rusby's band. Combining the talents of virtuoso bodhran player John Joe Kelly and superb guitarist Edmund Boyd, the trio line-up is going down a storm and promises to be one of the highlights for Warwick in 2012.
FAUSTUS
After a break of 18 months, these three pivotal players in the English roots revival are back together. They have a simple agenda – play good music that’s accessible and not too esoteric or egocentric. Singer and melodeon virtuoso Saul Rose, versatile fiddle and oboe player Paul Sartin, and fretboard wizard Benji Kirkpatrick have individually chalked up many successes, not least their involvement with such leading acts as Eliza Carthy and Bellowhead.
JIM MORAY
A consistently inventive musician, Jim is at the forefront of a Britain’s new folk revival and a pivotal influence by a new generation of folk musicians while still in his 20s himself. His first album Sweet England was recorded while he was a student at Birmingham Conservatoire and his imaginative reimagining of English traditional music resulted in the unprecedented combination of Best Newcomer and Best Album in the BBC Folk Awards. Jim has now been awarded Honorary Life Membership of Birmingham Conservatoire for his outstanding achievement in music.
TIM EDEY & BRENDAN POWER
Guitar and button accordion virtuoso, Tim Edey is a leading figure in the worldwide Celtic music scene, known for his performances of most demanding instrumentals and improvisations in any style you throw at him. UK-based Kiwi harmonica player, singer and songwriter, Brendan Power is an expert and award-winning player of Irish traditional music and also a fluent improviser in jazz/blues/pop styles, often throwing in some nifty beatboxing too. As a duo, Tim and Brendan’s sheer mad spontaneity unfailingly captivates audiences wherever they appear.
FINEST KIND
We’re delighted to welcome this remarkable folk trio from Ottawa, whose exquisite harmony singing and brilliant vocal arrangements are bringing a fresh sense of excitement and discovery to the performance of old songs. With a vocal blend described as ‘molecular bonding’ by one reviewer, their repertoire includes British, American, Irish, and Canadian ballads, gospel rousers, drinking songs, sea shanties and pop oldies. Their glorious sound and easy-going humour has won a devoted following across North America.
SOUTHERN TENANT FOLK UNION
Formed in 2006 by Belfast-born five-string banjo player Pat McGarvey, this seven-piece Edinburgh-based line-up is among the most highly rated folk and bluegrass outfit in the UK today. Taking their name from the 1930s union of sharecroppers and tenant farmers in Arkansas, they build on themes and chord progressions from traditional folk songs to document and reflect modern life, in a simple, direct and fully engaging style. They were recently awarded Americana Artist of the Year at the British Country Music Awards.
LADY MAISERY
Prepare to be enchanted by rich harmonies and sumptuous clashes. Drawing on British and Scandinavian folk traditions, Lady Maisery are establishing themselves as one of the most original new groups to arise in the UK folk scene. Hannah James (Kerfuffle, The Demon Barbers), Hazel Askew (The Askew Sisters) and Rowan Rheingans (Fidola) sing songs and ballads both unaccompanied and with backing from their combined instrumental talents on accordion, harp and fiddle.
PHILLIP HENRY & HANNAH MARTIN
As demonstrated in their debut album, Singing The Bones, Philip and Hannah are becoming widely known as highly accomplished young artists with a fresh new sound. Phillip’s mastery on dobro, lap steel, slide guitar and harmonica combines beautifully with Hannah’s beautiful singing and skilful playing of banjo, fiddle, accordion. As well as becoming established on the Uk festival scene, they have toured with Show Of Hands, performed on Steve Knightley's Live In Somerset album and have also appeared live for a special edition of BBC Radio Three's Late Junction.
RALLION
Hailing from Glasgow and Perthshire, Rallion are a highly acclaimed and enthusiastic contemporary folk group whose powerful and persuasive music ranges from driving complicated rhythms to deeply felt moving ballads. Their unique sound combines the fiddle powerhouse and whistle-playing of Fiona Cuthill, the distinctive voice of Dutch-born singer and guitarist Marieke McBean and the virtuoso guitar and bouzouki playing of Steve Lawrence.
SEIZE THE DAY
Meet eight inspiring musicians whose radical contemporary content draws on a combination of English traditional styles and world roots rhythms. Seize The Day came out of Britain’s Road Protest Movement in 1996, when Theo Simon and Shannon Smy began playing together at the site of the Newbury Bypass. Since then the line-up has expanded and gone through many incarnations. Enjoyed by many as part of our living tradition, Seize The Day’s music celebrates the struggles of ‘the folk who live today’, in songs that are by turns witty, plaintive, energetic and inspiring.
SCIORR: STAGED
This six-piece Irish dancing group from Sheffield has been enchanting audiences on the UK and European festival circuits since 2003 and individual team members have been performing since they were five or six. They choreograph all their own dances and have adopted a more laid-back style than competition-based Irish dancers. Newly-written musical arrangements are tailored to provide an intricately linked and original show where music and dance are celebrated equally.
WILDFIRE FOLK
Formed by Lichfield Arts as a youth ensemble, the music of Wildfire Folk is played with enthusiasm, energy and style! Initially inspired by the Birmingham Conservatoire Folk Ensemble and led by fiddle extraordinaire Joe Broughton, Wildfire started off as a workshop and developed into a band with performances all over the country. Now directed by Paloma Trigas, they boast nearly twenty members between the ages of 12 and 25, playing a powerful blend of raucous brass, lively flutes and fiddles, and funky percussion rhythms!