Naomi Bedford’s unique voice has long gathered support from all corners of the musical fraternity. Her emotive hybrid of plaintive British folk and high lonesome Americana has gained plaudits from such diverse artists as Peter Buck, Shirley Collins, Chris Difford, Linda Thompson, Iggy Pop and many others.

In a series of albums with musical partner Paul Simmonds (TMTCH), Naomi has forged a clear modern identity as both an interpreter and creator of folk song. Her last album Singing It All Back Home was a Guardian Folk Album of the Month and she is a previous BBC Folk Award nominee in Best Original Song category.

Her latest project, The Ramshackle Band, brings all her influences into a larger ensemble setting; a mix of Transatlantic Session and Country Fair revue. In the Ramshackle style, a rolling cast of musicians come together to create a vibrant celebration of both Bedford’s voice and the folk and country styles that she inhabits so authentically.

We are working on updating a profile for The Bullet Catchers!

Four of England’s finest traditional fiddle players, Bryony Griffith, Jim Boyle, Ross Grant and Rosie Butler-Hall, have joined forces to create The English Fiddle Ensemble, bringing joyous harmonies and striking rhythms to traditional English tunes.

To reduce cultural barriers, The Trouble Notes have made it their mission to create their own cultural universe. Their self-described “Acoustic Dance Music” is a unique blend of the genre that sits at the crossroads of the raw energy and organic instrumentation of Folk music and the modern sounds of contemporary rock, roots music, and new-age electronica.

It’s a sound informed by The Trouble Notes travels. The band spreads its message by building bridges across musical cultures in their own unique way.

The Berlin-based trio is composed of violinist Bennet Cerven, guitarist Florian Eisenschmidt, and percussionist Oliver Maguire. Hailing from different countries, each member of the group brings a different musical training and perspective to the band.

Since their formation in 2013, the trio has performed at some of Europe’s largest festivals and videos of their performances have been viewed more than 100 million times on social media. They have scored multiple award-winning films including Als Paul über das Meer kam and Carracci: La Rivoluzione Silenziosa and have toured in support of the Grammy-winning artists America & Rodrigo y Gabriela.

Everyone that joins the universe of The Trouble Notes remains a part of it and often morphs from a normal concertgoer into a true Troublemaker-sharing in the journey of the group.

Sharon is a musician who continues to surprise. While she is known for her arrangements of traditional Irish tunes and Irish influenced compositions, she has always been eager to explore new styles, and to meet and work with other musicians. The accordionist from Ireland has achieved legendary status throughout the world and has made the much-maligned accordion ‘cool’ in her home country. Renowned for her collaborations, not just in Irish traditional music, but through all music genres, Hip Hop, Cajun, Country, Classical and Rap.

Sharon has recorded and toured with a who’s who of the Irish and Global Music Industry, including The Waterboys, John Prine, Steve Earle, Jackson Browne, The RTÉ Concert Orchestra, The Chieftains, Shane McGowan, Willie Nelson, Nigel Kennedy, Kirsty MacColl, Bono, Adam Clayton, Sinéad O’Connor, Imelda May and- a list that is testament to Sharon’s versatility as well as talent.

While crossing-over into many genres of music, Sharon’s style is uniquely traditional Irish and she has been hugely influential in promoting Irish music not only in her own country but in the USA where she has collaborated with John Prine and Steve Earle/ Canada with Natalie McMaster/ Japan with the Kodo Drummers/ Malawi with Umoza Children of Mzuzu and most recently recording and touring with Seckou Keita, Kora and percussion master from Senegal.

A prolific composer, Sharon continues to defy genres and her 10 studio albums are testament to a fearless adventuring spirit when it comes to making music. In 2018 she recorded a traditional Irish music album with Irish rugby star Robbie Henshaw and the Henshaw family and friends. Her last studio album was Sacred Earth 2017 and has released a double live album Live in Minneapolis in early 2019.

Swan Samba are a drumming and movement group open to ages 11+ and all abilities, run via Roynon Performing Arts, a school established for 40 years. Workshops are held for all ages and abilities to learn new and exciting drum and performance skills every Tuesday term time. The drumming band plays a fusion of samba styles and have gigged at local carnivals such as Romsey and Hedge End, as well as exciting events such as Winchester’s Hatfair and Wickham Festival.

They have also been featured in the media, including The Portsmouth News, Voice FM and South Today. Swan Samba can be found on all relevant social media streams and all enquiries are very welcome, whether it’s to try out in the band, set workshops in schools, or to pencil in future performance opportunities. If you’re in the Southampton / Winchester areas, why not get in contact and try three taster sessions for £15?

Over the last 10 years, Dave has established himself as a reputable singer/songwriter who has developed his own brand of British-infused Americana. Dave is as authentic as they come, and his music, live shows and personality have attracted a loyal community of music lovers.

As a result of this loyal support, Dave has been able to self-fund and release two full-length albums. The most recent ‘Tennessee and 48th’, was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee in January 2018 after an 8-month fundraising campaign that raised £23,000. He has also self-produced and released eight EPs, been on numerous tours around the UK, Europe, Ireland and Australia. He also has his sights firmly set on touring in North America.

To celebrate his 10th anniversary as a singer/songwriter, Dave has announced that he will make his next album in the most famous recording studio in the world.

Recording a full-length album at Abbey Road Studios is a huge undertaking that will require nearly double the funding of Dave’s Nashville album. But it is under this kind of pressure that he produces his best work, as he aims to exceed expectations.

In a year when the Grammy award for Best Album was won by an album recorded in a bedroom, some will argue that no one needs to spend thousands of pounds making an album anymore, nor does the location of recording determine the quality of what is produced. But Dave knows the value of Abbey Road’s history and is excited about forming a connection with those who came before him. Paying tribute to the experiences that inspired this next venture is a noble mission, and Dave will move forward as an advocate not only for quality but also for an endeavour we can all believe in.

Accordion maestro Luke Daniels and The Cobhers will be making their Wickham debut on Sunday 7th August 2022.

A BBC award winning folk musician and former Riverdance band member who has performed with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Cara Dillon and De Dannan. Folk Musician in Residence of the Scottish National Museum of Rural Life and tutor on the traditional music course at Royal Conservatoire Scotland in Glasgow. His 2015 album of melodeon music transcribed from early wax cylinders and 78s was described in the Scotsman as “outstanding.” A soloist on the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit soundtracks he performed at the Royal Festival Hall with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. His commissioned work for the PRS for Music New Music Biennial in 2014 was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 from London’s Barbican Centre and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival’s Assembly Rooms and on Broadway with Riverdance. His musical partnership with the School of Philosophy at Edinburgh University culminated in sell out shows at Celtic Connections Festival on two consecutive years with Songs of the Scottish Enlightenment. He recently sang and played live for Mark Radcliffe on his BBC Radion 2 folk programme and was described by Mark as a “master melodeon player.”

The Glastonbury & Boomtown Festival favourites will bring their infectious dance grooves to Wickham on Sunday 7th August 2022.

Cut Capers are embarking on their biggest tour to date – performing a range of festival favourite tunes as well as a selection of brand new songs from their forthcoming 3rd album, coming 2022.

Famed for their electric festival appearances, both in the UK and across Europe, Cut Capers are turning their attention to venue crowds in need of an injection of Glastonbury Festival-style energy and atmosphere. Following on from a string of gloriously sweaty, sellout shows on their 2021 Autumn Tour, they are getting set to once again break the ticketmaster website through sheer demand!

They are a 9-piece Bristol band whose energetic live performance and infectious sound have won them a cult following on the British festival scene. Mixing a heavy 4-piece brass section with funk, dance and hip-hop. Like all the best bands, their sound is hard to pin down but comparisons have been made to “Lianne La Havas, Hot 8 Brass Band and The Streets” among many others (The Bristol Magazine).

Cut Capers have established themselves as go-to festival favourites, playing headline shows and main stage performances at some of the UK’s biggest festivals including Glastonbury and Boomtown Fair. They have now performed in over 50 cities across 8 countries including Italy, Turkey and Bahrain.

Their second studio album Metropolis received critical acclaim and national airplay on BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio Bristol and BBC Radio Wales. The release, alongside subsequent remixes, has clocked almost 5 million streams on Spotify alone.

“Come on! That puts a wiggle in your walk!”
Craig Charles, BBC Radio 6

“Something really special and unique”
Steve Yabsley, BBC Radio Bristol

Jonny Moody is a singer, songwriter and producer from the UK. A must see live act!

Together since the late 90’s, The Slambovian Circus of Dreams began in Sleepy Hollow, NY as an art school project. Known for their electrifying live performances the band has toured nationally and abroad, playing a moody but upbeat alt-roots rock with an extensive instrumental arsenal (accordion, cello, mandolin, theremin).

Pioneers of the Americana genre, the band’s music is equal parts Washington Irving, Woodstock and a touch of British Invasion singing dusty Americana ballads against Pink Floydesque cinematic anthems. “The entire root system of Rock Family Trees is embedded in Longo’s voice.”- The Big Issue, Scotland, U.K.
Described as a “hillbilly Pink Floyd,” elements of Incredible String Band, Neil Young, The Band, Dylan, Bowie and Syd Barrett thrown in for good measure.

Headliners of major music festivals and venues across the US, Canada and UK, this band has a devoted cult following. Lead singer-songwriter Joziah Longo’s voice is described as “Soothing and bewitching as a snake oil tonic”. He is joined by Sharkey McEwen (guitar, mandolin) and Tink Lloyd (accordion, cello, keys, flute).

Few bands have as great a live reputation as The Waterboys. From their mid 1980s “big music” period through the influential mix of Celtic, gospel and country on their classic Fisherman’s Blues tours, to the hundreds of brilliant shows accompanying the last decade’s rootsy, soulful triptych of albums Modern Blues, Out Of All This Blue and Where The Action Is The Waterboys have consistently blended tightness, inspiration and improvisation to reach heights of performance few other acts can. The 2020 version of the band features the established core of Mike Scott (vocals, guitar, piano), Steve Wickham (electric fiddle), Memphis keyboard great “Brother” Paul Brown, ace British drummer Ralph Salmins and funky Irish bassman Aongus Ralston.

Meanwhile the relevance and popular reach of The Waterboys has never been greater. Their songs have are performed by artists as varied as Ellie Goulding, who scored a top 3 UK hit with “How Long Will I Love You”; Prince and U2 who sang “The Whole Of The Moon” onstage and Fiona Apple, who recorded it last year; indie rockers The War On Drugs, Dawes and The Mystery Jets; and classic singers Tom Jones and Rod Stewart. “The Whole Of The Moon” featured in last year’s smash Netflix film Let It Snow and top HBO series The Affair. Waterboys music shows no sign of fading, and the very best place to experience it is in a concert hall. Come and feel the fire.

He was the superstar who topped the UK and US single charts in the 70s with songs of endearing tunefulness, unabashed sentiment and existentialist musings. Today, British singer-songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan continues to be regarded with tremendous affection and his songs remain well-loved around the world.

Gilbert O’Sullivan was born Raymond Edward O’Sullivan in 1946 in Ireland. He moved to Swindon, England with his family aged 7 and after a formal education became a student at Swindon Art College, specializing in graphic design. But he had another love – music – and after forming and joining local bands as a drummer/vocalist, he started writing his own songs, heavily influenced by The Beatles as writers and Bob Dylan as a performer. Calling himself Gilbert, with a very distinctive image, two singles released by CBS Records and one with the Major Minor label, got little attention. Undeterred, he sent a demo tape to Gordon Mills, the man behind Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, who impressed with his song writing, became his manager. The result was his first single on the MAM label, Nothing Rhymed, became a UK Top Ten hit in 1970.

More hit singles and a debut album Himself followed. But it was 1972’s Alone Again (Naturally) that sealed his fame, topping the USA charts for six weeks and garnering three Grammy nominations.

Soon after, he got his first three British number one hits with Clair, Get Down and LPBack to Front. Gilbert was named “Songwriter of the Year” at the 18th Ivor Novello Awards, embarked on an 18-city UK tour and a USA tour, performed sold-out concerts, clocked another UK Top 10 hit with Why Oh Why Oh Why and in 1974 won a third Ivor Novello award.

A few years later, Gilbert parted company, due to musical differences, with his manager, and following new representation teamed up with Gus Dudgon (Elton John, Chris Rea) as a producer for his next album. The critically acclaimed Off Centre released by CBS in 1990 produced the international hit What’s In A Kiss.

Litigation with former manager and record company prevented him from releasing any new product for a number of years. However, even during this period he never stopped writing. That to him is the key to everything he does as an artiste. As Gilbert says, ‘Without the songs, there is no artist.’
1990 saw the release of the album In the Key of G, producing a minor hit So What Whilst recording his second album in the 90’s, Sounds of the Loop, which contains the now classic Peggy Lee duet Can’t think straight, he was involved in another law suit, this time against rapper Biz Markie for sampling Alone Again (Naturally) without permission. Gilbert’s win set a new benchmark for protection against copyright infringement.

The 2000s have seen Gilbert enjoying a career revival with The Berry Vest of Gilbert O’Sullivan returning him to the UK Top 20 in 2004,Gilbertville (2011) enjoying success in the UK and Japan where in 1994 he had a number 1 with the song Tomorrow, Today, and well-received performances at the 2008 Glastonbury Festival and London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2009.

Gilbert is still writing, recording, performing and touring with success. His lasts concerts received rave reviews for his undiminished voice and “…the enduring quality of his work – the sheer tunefulness, lyrical gymnastics and wit” (Daily Post, March 2012).

His current compilation entered the UK album charts at Number 12 Gilbert O’Sullivan: The Very Best Of – A Singer & His Songs (2012) and following this ‘Ooh Wakka Doo’ became the theme song for National Lottery adverts across the UK. Cover versions of his songs continue to be released, in particular ‘Alone Again, (Naturally)’, with the latest being Neil Diamond and Diana Krall featuring Michael Buble.

And now, with the completion of his latest album, recorded in Madrid with a Latin influence, ‘Latin Ala G’ is due for release early June with tour dates to coincide with this throughout the UK and Ireland.

Gilbert and his band are very much looking forward to going back out on the road!

The Men They Couldn’t Hang came together in 1984 to perform at the alternative music festival in Camden town alongside the legendary Pogues and the Boot Hill Foot-Tappers. Paul Simmonds, Philip ‘Swill’ Odgers and his brother Jon, veterans of the Southampton based pop-punk band ‘Catch 22’, met Pogues roadie Stefan Cush whilst busking in Shepherds Bush in London.

On the exact day of release of “The Godforsaken Voyage”, The Men They Couldn’t Hang joined Stiff Little Fingers for 3 weeks on their UK tour. Tom Spencer now switching to guitar duties, allowing Paul Simmonds the freedom to switch between Mandolin and Bouzouki. This combined with several Festivals appearances in UK and German act as which a great prelude to TMTCH’s 30th anniversary in 2014 for which the band are busy writing new material right now.  Later in 2013 the band will launch a ‘Pledge’ campaign to enable fans to not only buy unique recordings in advance of the album but also to help shape the final end product.

2017 saw the launch of another Pledge Music campaign to record the follow up to The Defiant. The album, which is their 10th studio LP, Cock-a-Hoop was released in September 2018 to critical acclaim being described as some of their best work. The LP has received airplay across the UK with Steve Lamacq on BBC 6 music championing the track Sirens on his afternoon show.

The release was followed by a tour with shows selling out faster than ever and the band finishing the year with 2 storming shows at The Borderline in London. Following a well deserved rest…for some as Swill has now launched another Pledge Campaign for his next solo record, the band are looking forward to more gigs in 2019…..