Growing up in South London it all started when Gary started to play around with his sister’s humble Spanish guitar. Though left handed and unaware that guitars were ‘handed’ he didn’t let the fact that the instrument was a right handed one stand in his way, and to this day plays a guitar strung for normal right hand use – left handed, ie upside down. Few others play this way although the late, great, blues player Albert King was similarly afflicted.

On the basis of knowing no more than the riff to Willie Dixon’s Spoonful, Gary got the job in his first band, The Breath Of Life. Together with a bunch of local Streatham musicians, his next band, Garfield Row, was formed …. a semi-acoustic folk rock band who played regularly in a local pub owned by the father of the late ex-Jethro Tull bassist, Glenn Cornick. Glenn gave the band much encouragement, lending them some top class amps & guitars. They eventually went their separate ways when Glenn pinched the band’s vocalist/guitar player Jon Blackmore and Gary went on to sustain work as a musician in a variety of bands from Blues/Rock to Folk/Rock to Soul, to playing in a Country band at Wembley Arena, to writing/performing in Rock band Panama Scandal.  He then joined long running Blues/Rock band, Sam Apple Pie, later known as The Vipers. Alongside this, Gary and his old mate and songwriting partner, Steve Gurl, landed a separate recording contract and together with the third partner in the songwriting team, Hilary – Gary’s late ex-wife, a publishing contract.

Gary met Dave Kelly when they both played in a band put together by Wilgar Campbell, the ex Rory Gallagher drummer, called The Wildcats.  He then played bass on a track on Dave’s Willing album and was suggested by Dave for the bass job when, together with Paul Jones & Tom McGuinesss (ex of Manfred Mann), plus ex John Mayall/Eric Clapton drummer Hughie Flint, The Blues Band first got together.  The success of The Blues Band was almost instantaneous and they were soon playing to packed houses, releasing their first album, appearing on TV and radio regularly, including the celebrated Euro-wide Rockpalast, and headlining at Glastonbury. Twenty plus albums & countless tours later the demand continues to grow for their special & personal interpretation of the blues, thousands of excellent reviews have appeared in a variety of publications and early editions of their first album are now collector’s items. Still going strong, new chapters are still to be added to their story in the 21^st century.

5 years on from their hat trick of BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominations, Mawkin return with their boldest album to date. ‘The Ties That Bind’ is a veritable romp of rousing chorus songs and ballsy folk tunes played with all the verve and conviction you have come to expect from this quintet of cheeky Essex boys. The premise of the album was clear explains guitarist and singer David Delarre (Eliza Carthy, TRED) “Essentially, this albums only preconceived purpose was to simply let you have fun while trying your damnedest to find some deeper meaning. We’re not making a statement apart from don’t hurt yourself while you’re dancing in the kitchen.” The songs themselves are unapologetic, gritty tales of being tied to something, somewhere or someone, punctuated with the invigorating instrumentals that have become the trademark of Mawkin’s sound. Rousing songs of rebellion are sung by brothers David Delarre (Eliza Carthy, Tred) and fiddler James Delarre (Saul Rose & James Delarre, Topette) all underpinned by the virtuosic bellowing of Nick Cooke’s melodeon (Kate Rusby, Jim Moray) and a solid rhythm section with Danny Crump on Bass and Lee Richardson (Diverted, Extreme Music) on Drums. ‘The Ties That Bind’ is the latest step in the bands career that has seen them featured on BBC and ITV for Jools Holland and Ade Edmondson respectively, live sets on BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris show and BBC Radio 4’s Clive Anderson’s ‘Loose Ends’ show as well as appearing at a number of high profile festivals; Cambridge Folk Festival, Larmer Tree Festival and Shrewsbury Festival.

Eddi Reader grew up in Glasgow and Irvine, Scotland and it was in those towns that she learned to use music as a vehicle for communicating with others through busking and performing at the local folk clubs.  In the early 1980s, Eddi travelled around Europe with circus and performance artists before moving to London where she quickly became a sought after session vocalist.  She famously harmonized with Annie Lennox touring with the Eurythmics, after her time with successful punk outfit Gang of Four. It was the short-lived but warmly remembered Fairground Attraction that really brought her into the limelight and to the attention of a much wider audience.  The single ‘Perfect’ and parent album First of a Million Kisses both topped the British charts.

However, it was her subsequent albums which signalled her increasing ability to assimilate different musical styles and make them all very much her own. Her unerring instinct for fine material, whether self penned, collaborative or a carefully chosen cover version resulted in Mirmama (1992), Eddi Reader (1994), Candyfloss & Medicine (1996), Angels & Electricity (1998), Simple Soul (2001).

Through these years Eddi based herself in London, but in 2001 she decided to move home to Glasgow where she recorded the classic ‘Songs Of Robert Burns’ album released to international acclaim in 2003. Awarded the MBE in 2006 for services to singing, she took her Burns songs on tour all over the world and found connections to the bard everywhere from Kolkata, India to Sydney, Australia. In 2006 she released ‘Peacetime’ on Rough Trade Records featuring the finest traditional players in the United Kingdom and produced by Folk Musician of The Year, John McCusker.  Constant touring with her band has created a magical organic chemistry between Eddi and her players and the results of this relationship can be found on her most recent release.

‘Love Is The Way’,  Eddi Reader’s seventh solo album,  was released in March 2009 on Rough Trade Records.

Produced by Eddi herself, it is her best work so far.  Recorded in a matter of days with her band in Glasgow, the record has captured the award winning songstress in her finest form.  Songs written with her long time writing partner Boo Hewerdine,  songs written with her life partner John Douglas (The Trashcan Sinatras) and a song from the magical Irish singer/songwriter Declan O’Rourke as well as a rare Brian Wilson composition,  an Eddi/Fleetwood Mac ‘mash up’, and a wonderful song from Dublin songwriter Jack Maher.

2010 saw Eddi play sold out shows promoting “Love Is The Way” all over the world. It also brought Eddi’s Hollywood movie debut as she featured in Richard Linklaters, “Me And Orson Welles” with Zak Efron and Clare Danes. Eddi plays a chanteuse in the movie and is featured singing ‘Lets Pretend That There’s A Moon’ with the Jools Holland Orchestra. The original soundtrack features another two performances from Eddi.

From the traditional to the contemporary, Eddi brings joyous life to all forms of song.  Her taste in co-writers, writers, songs and players is impeccable and anything with her name on it is guaranteed musical treasure. Whilst the perfection of her technique is widely acknowledged,  what sets Reader apart is the depth and quality of the emotional performance;  her ability not only to move the listener but to connect her experience to that of her audience.  Her passion and instinct move people in a way reminiscent of those who have influenced her work.  Her rare blend of meltingly true vocals and towering romanticism combine with an astute and pragmatic nature to make her a unique and powerful figure in contemporary British music.  She has effortlessly developed into one of popular music’s most thrilling and affecting performers.

Tony Hadley headlines on Thursday 4th August and will be performing all the classics.  Click here to read his comments on entertaining us at Wickham Festival 2016.

SPANDAU BALLET – THE 80s PHENOMENON

Pioneers of the 80s Romantic movement, Spandau Ballet formed in 1978 and had numerous chart topping singles and albums all over the world, some of the most memorable being the singles “Gold”, “Only When You Leave”, “Lifeline”, the epic “Through the Barricades” and of course the international number one “True”; the latter famously sampled by PM Dawn in 1991 and featured on Paul Anka’s Rock Swings in 2005.

By the mid-80s they were world-wide superstars, however, relationships cracked and the band split in 1990. However they reformed in 2009 for the “Reformation Tour” , a worldwide tour that included three sell-out nights at London’s O2 and their first festival date at The Isle of Wight Festival.

In 2014 the band were all together again for the launch of their critically acclaimed rockumentary “Soulboys of The Western World”, which quickly became the No2 grossing film in the country and united critics from the UK broadsheets to USA’s Rolling Stone in their acclaim. The archive-only feature documentary combines newsreel footage of the time with unseen video from the band’s home movies, along with long lost material newly discovered.

With the enormous success of the film the band announced their “Soulboys of the Western World” world tour which kicked-off in January 2015 for 9 months playing at some of the biggest venues and events including the Singapore Grand Prix. The band also played in America for the first time in 30 years.

As lead singer of Spandau Ballet, Tony Hadley has, over the years, earned the accolade of being one of pop music’s greatest vocalists. In addition to all the band’s songs, many will remember his prominent vocal contribution to the Band Aid UK charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas” and subsequent 1985 London appearance at Live Aid. He also performed solo at the Nelson Mandela Concert at Wembley in June 1988.

A LIFE IN MUSIC

Turning the page on Spandau Ballet (after they disbanded in 1990), Tony stuck to the same raw instincts that brought him early success. Tony is a solo artist in his own right who has spent the past twenty five years entertaining audiences all over the world with his stunning rich voice that has lost none of its power, and which critics deem to be better than ever.

RECORDING

He has continued to write and record, and to date has released five solo studio albums; ‘State of Play’ on EMI Records, two albums through Universal Records, a self-titled album in 1998, and ‘True Ballads’ in 2003. In 2006, on his own label, Slipstream Records, he released his long-awaited swing album ‘Passing Strangers’. He has also released three live albums, two live DVDs and has had European success with several dance music collaborations.

December 2015 saw his first ever Christmas album released on Universal Records, with the first single , a cover of the American rock band Train’s “Shake Up Christmas”; one of Tony’s personal favourites.

This year, 2016, will not only see a follow up to ‘TheChristmas Album’ but also a new solo album.

PERFORMING

On the live music front Tony is a regular performer, delighting audiences at home and abroad with such events as the ‘Night Of The Proms’ in Holland & Belgium, orchestral tours of Europe and South America, as well as his own UK & European solo tours.

In 2005 Tony’s contribution to the music industry was officially recognised with the award of a Gold Badge from the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.

In 2007 he won a new legion of fans following his critically acclaimed performance as Billy Flynn in Chicago on the West End stage. Tony’s appearances in the show gave the musical one of its most successful runs ever and earned him an invitation to perform in the 10^th Anniversary Show in 2008.

In August 2011 he played his first solo shows in the US, performing Spandau Ballet songs there for the first time since 1986.

In 2013 Tony played the first of a series of sell-out Orchestra shows which culminated in a performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall. In October 2016 he returns there once again with his band and orchestra.

A PASSION FOR SWING

Aside from his own live band, Tony also has a passion for ‘Swing’; Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Jack Jones being just a few of his personal favourites, which has led to performances with some of the greatest jazz orchestras in Europe, including London, Holland, Italy and Spain.

In 2006 he released his long-awaited swing album ‘Passing Strangers’. It was a personal project that had been months in the planning and truly reflects his passion for swing. The album features some of his favourite songs and was released to coincide with Tony’s first UK Swing tour, aptly-named ‘Swinging True’.

BOYS ON TOUR

As well as the conventional shows Tony has played some extremely unusual venues for British, NATO and UN Troops on active service in Bosnia, Kosovo, Kuwait, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands and Northern Ireland. From aircraft hangers & tank workshops to bombed-out theatres & derelict sports halls to name but a few, Tony felt it was a real honour to give something back and be asked to entertain our troops.

TV, RADIO AND PUBLISHING

Tony’s talents as an artist extend beyond the stage and in recent years his profile increased dramatically in the UK. His participation in the UK reality TV show ‘Reborn In The USA’, which saw him travelling across The US in a tour bus with eight other British artists, eventually won him the public vote and the overall “crown”.

He is a successful Radio DJ, firstly at Virgin Radio and now Absolute Radio and brings his own brand of chat and music to the national airwaves every Saturday night. Tony is currently working on his own radio show to be syndicated around the world.

In May 2004 Macmillan Books released Tony’s autobiography ‘To Cut A Long Story Short’. The book charted Tony’s youth, his early days in the school band, and the heady heights of worldwide super stardom as lead singer of Spandau Ballet. The book was a popular success entering the Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers chart.

CHARITABLE WORK

Tony is a regular supporter of charitable causes and enjoys donating his time and voice to help raise funds and awareness.

As Vice-President of Shooting Star CHASE Children’s Hospices he has worked and performed annually at their fund raising events over the past 12 years.

Tony also has a major involvement with Action Medical Research, participating in their treks to Machu Picchu, The Lost World (Venezuela) and in 2009 the Eden Trek, trekking from the Pacific to Caribbean coasts in Costa Rica, resulting in a huge sum of money being raised for the charity’s “Touching Tiny Lives” campaign, looking at research into and help for premature birth. Each Autumn, Tony hosts his own celebrity golf day to raise money for this charity.

In June 2010 Tony began his year as President of TRIC, the Television & Radio Industry Club. Established in 1931, TRIC is an organization that aims to promote mutual understanding and goodwill amongst those engaged in the audio, visual, communications and allied industries. Tony took over from the TV Presenter, Sian Williams. TRIC has an unrivalled track record of charitable support with its members channeling their energies and using their influential contacts to benefit good causes.

Tony is also a Patron of The Lowe Syndrome Trust and supports Huntington’s Disease Association, Willow Foundation, NSPCC.

THE LAST FIVE YEARS

Two of Tony’s highlights in 2012 were when he performed at the Royal Albert Hall.

Firstly in front of The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge in the “Our Greatest Team Rises” spectacular, to promote and raise funds for Team GB and then again a couple of week’s later as a guest of Dionne Warwick to support The Hunger Project.

Tony was also very proud to perform at Team GB House for both our Olympic and Paralympic athletes on the Closing Ceremony nights with “Gold” becoming the unofficial Athletes song.

2014 saw Tony and his Spandau Ballet bandmates premiere “Soul Boys of The Western World” , at SXSW in Texas where the band performed their first concert in North America since 1985. The UK premiere combined with a mini gig at The Royal Albert Hall sold out and was an exciting evening for them all.

MOST RECENTLY

Tony had the great honour to be invited to Buckingham Palace to meet HM The Queen. He says:

” It was a great honour in my role as Vice President for Shooting Star Chase to be invited to Buckingham Palace by HM The Queen. It was a privilege to be presented to Her Majesty and acknowledge and celebrate the wonderful work of our Royal Patron HRH The Countess of Wessex.” Shooting Star Chase Children’s Hospice Care makes a true and significant difference to the lives of families caring for children with life-limiting and terminal illness, creating some wonderful and lasting memories for the families who need the vital lifeline of their care service.

In November 2015 Tony surprised fans by entering ‘the jungle’ in ITV’s ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!’

Tony had always been a fan of the show and was keen to ‘have a go’ and see what it was really like. He enjoyed his time in and made it through to the final 6. This particular series of the show was full of controversy and at times very unpleasant for the viewers as well as the participants, but Tony kept his cool as always and was the consummate gent.

Most recently Tony has recorded a new song with Gary Barlow for the soundtrack of the 2016 movie “Eddie The Eagle” starring Hugh Jackman. The film details the inspiring exploits of Michael Edwards, better known as “Eddie the Eagle,” the most famous ski jumper in British history.

This year Tony is back doing what he loves best…being a solo artist and will be performing extensively through out the year.

Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning four decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving and most “continuously successful” bands to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s. Beginning life as the Guildford Stranglers on 11 September 1974 in Guildford, Surrey, they originally built a following within the mid-1970s pub rock scene. While their aggressive, no-compromise attitude identified them as one of the instigators of the UK punk rock scene that followed, their idiosyncratic approach rarely followed any single musical genre and the group went on to explore a variety of musical styles, from new wave, art rock and gothic rock through the sophisticated pop of some of their 1980s output.

Lindisfarne emerged from Tyneside in the 1970s and quickly carved out a unique place for themselves as one of British rock’s most original bands. Their pioneering sound, combining acoustic instruments like mandolin and fiddle with their electric blues roots, proved the perfect medium to deliver the catchy, memorable songs provided by the band’s resident writers Alan Hull and Rod Clements. Their first hit, the Clements-penned Meet Me On The Corner, paved the way for their classic Fog On The Tyne to become the UK’s top-selling album of 1972.

Lindisfarne ’s unforgettable songs, powerful live performances and unpretentious style led to worldwide success and an enviable reputation as festival favourites, and the annual Christmas concerts they presented in their native Newcastle became the stuff of legend.

The original band finally called it a day in 2003, but now Lindisfarne are back with a classic five-piece line up of long-time members fronted by original founder-member Rod Clements (vocals, mandolin, fiddle, slide guitar) and Alan Hull’s son-in-law Dave Hull-Denholm (vocals, guitars). With a repertoire of much-loved songs like Meet Me On The Corner, Fog On The Tyne, Lady Eleanor and Run For Home and a reputation for live performance second to none, LINDISFARNE’s power to galvanise festival and concert audiences remains undimmed and is guaranteed to get the crowd on its feet and singing along.

Lindisfarne members are:

• ROD CLEMENTS (1969-present) Vocal, mandolin, fiddle, guitars
• DAVE HULL-DENHOLM (1994-present) Vocal, guitars
• STEVE DAGGETT (1986-present) Vocal, keyboards, guitars
• IAN THOMSON (1995-present) Bass, vocal
• PAUL THOMPSON (ex-Roxy Music) Drums

Featuring Lol Creme (10cc) and Special Guest Matt Cardle

We’re delighted to announce that legendary producer, performer & songwriter Trevor Horn will be bringing his all-star band including Lol Creme (ex-10cc) and guest vocalists to perform at the Wickham Festival on Saturday 6th August.

If the success of a record producer can be judged by the weight of awards on their shelves then Trevor Horn ranks as the world’s number one. He has a hat trick of Brit Awards for Best British Producer from 1983, 1985 and 1992. In the 80s he was Rolling Stone’s Producer of the Year 1983. In the 90s, he was Best Producer at the 1991 Q Awards. And in the 00s, Music Week’s 2004 Producer of the Year.

But for Trevor Horn these accolades mean little – success comes from creating records that feel as important as the ones he bought as a child, and music that can hold out that same “promise”. This he has achieved by producing legendary singles like Band Aid’s ‘Do The Know It’s Christmas?’ and Godley & Creme’s ‘Cry’; the mainstream pop of Robbie Williams and Olly Murs; cult classics like Malcolm McLaren and the World’s Famous Supreme Team and Kid Harpoon; and the whole spectrum of groups, with Genesis on one side and Spector on the other.

Then there’s his work with vocal artists both male – ranging from Paul McCartney to Shane MacGowan and from Gary Barlow to Bryan Ferry. And female – Estelle to Cher, Leann Rimes to Kelly Rowland. To say nothing of a continued passion for nurturing brand new talent which, in the last few years, has included Dog Is Dead, Blackfield and Azekel. “There’s one only common theme that links all of Trevor’s work,” says the founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, “and that is excellence.”

What does a record producer actually create? Paul Morley, Horn’s co-founder on projects such as Art of Noise and ZTT Records explains it best. “If in the 60s, Phil Spector created a ‘wall of sound’,” he says, “by the middle of the 80s Horn had already established his sound, a whole room of sound, the walls, floors, ceilings, doors, windows, decorated with absolute flourish. As an architect of sound, Horn is unashamedly an exhibitionist, an utter show off… He has proved time and time again that pop is an art form, and that he is the supreme pop artist.”

The Trevor Horn Band will be performing many of the classic hits he’s produced for world-renowned artists in a career spanning five decades.

TRADarrr last appeared for us at a free pre-Festival Concert at Wickham Community Centre in 2017. We’ve welcomed them back for 2019 to appear on Friday 2nd August.

They are an incredible seven piece folk-rock band comprising of:

• Mark Stevens – drums, horns
• PJ Wright – guitar
• Marion Fleetwood – fiddle, cello, guitar
• Gregg Cave – guitar
• Guy Fletcher – fiddle, mandolin
• Gemma Shirley – fiddle, keyboards
• Brendan O’Neill – bass

Everyone sings and all possess an interesting musical pedigree.  

The studio project that grew into TRADarrr has, in the three years since their explosive debut at Fairport’s Cropredy Convention 2015, played many festivals, concerts and clubs; they have released two critically-acclaimed studio albums and an exciting live album.

2019 sees the band undertaking an early (necessarily pre-Brexit!) European Tour and the recording of a third studio album. They are accepting festival bookings throughout the year – no gathering too small (or too large) for consideration.

TRADarrr ‘s beautifully produced albums use the full palette of sounds that the contemporary recording studio offers, and their live show is a rock’n’roll invigoration of English traditional folk music – five featured singers, harmonies, several fiddles, cello, trumpet, organ, piano, electric & acoustic guitars, etc., etc.

Polly And The Billets Doux are something different. The genre-defiant quartet began life in the middle of a smoky Winchester venue’s backroom in 2006, performing totally unamplified to a full-capacity audience. Their distinctive sound combines elements of  blues, country, folk, soul and gospel to create a sumptuous and totally unique sound with a quintessentially English twist.

Polly And The Billets Doux self-released their debut album ‘Fiction, Half-Truths & Downright Lies’ via independent label Bleak Mouse Records in 2009. They charted at number 17 on the BBC Radio 1 Indie Chart and gained recognition from BBC national radio and regional stations throughout the UK, including Bob Harris and Terry Wogan on BBC Radio 2. In 2014, they released their second full studio album, Money Tree.

The band are known for their flawless and energy-filled live performances and have played to critical acclaim at venues and festivals large and small, including Glastonbury, Loopallu, The Big Chill, Secret Garden Party, Larmer Tree, Wychwood and the Cambridge Folk Festival.

“Polly And The Billets Doux deliver a twee sort of nostalgia (all upright bass and brushed snares)…it falls inside the right end of the Imelda May/Fairground Attraction spectrum” – The Independent

“From hot rocking thrills, to jazzy splendour to country darkness, the musical brief of Polly and the Billets Doux seems to be, if it sounds and feels good, go for it!” – The Daily Mirror

Holy Moly & The Crackers last appeared at Wickham back in 2016.  This year they’ll be performing on Saturday 3rd August.  They make riotous party music for the masses. Their upcoming third album, ‘Take A Bite’ (released April 5th 2019 on the band’s own Pink Lane Records), is concise, passionate take on folk, blues and indie rock. The sound of a band who have been searching and experimenting for several years; arriving at a place where they can say “this who we are and this is where we want to go”.

​Led by the euphoric lead single, ‘All I Got Is You’ (championed by Spotify and Radio X) ‘Take A Bite’ combines pop song craft with stomping, four to the floor backing, demonstrating the Newcastle-based sextet’s commerciality and ambition, as well as their ability to tackle personal lyrical fare, deftly led by vocalist Ruth Patterson. Further adorning their naturally expressive take on British folk with sizeable dollops of rock’n’soul, sharp indie-rock, vulnerable balladeering and festival-ready psychedelic trips towards the Middle East, ‘Take A Bite’ sets its stall confidently in the previously unoccupied space between the Gossip, Arctic Monkeys and Gogol Bordello..

Working once again with producer Matt Terry (The Prodigy/The Enemy), the band – completed by Conrad Bird on vocals/guitar/trumpet, Rosie Bristow on accordion, Nick Tyler on electric guitar, Jamie Shields on bass and Tommy Evans on drums/backing vocals – created ‘Take A Bite’ at VADA Studios in Warwickshire, where the band recorded their 2017 album ‘Salem’ and their breakthrough track ‘Cold Comfort Lane’ (which a year later featured in the end credits of 2018 summer blockbuster movie, Oceans 8).

Keston Cobblers’ Club have built a reputation for their quirky, bizarre music videos. This Kent five-piece bring together cheerful folk-pop fusion and slick vocals.

Their brand new album ‘Wildfire’ is finally out! You can grab a signed copy from their online shop here (while stocks last!) or a regular copy from Amazon or iTunes or any other good record store.  To get a taster listen to the terrific “Won’t Look Back” single embedded below.

“Every song is an absolute killer … They’re terrific” – Dermot O’Leary, BBC Radio 2

Steeleye Span has been one of the most influential names in British roots music. Pioneers of folk-rock, Steeleye Span changed the face of folk music forever, taking it out of small clubs and into the world of gold discs and international tours. Members have come and gone over the years, but Steeleye has always remained at the forefront of the genre they helped to define, and, 38 years later the band has become an institution in British music.

Steeleye Span formed in 1969, with the vision of playing folk music in a contemporary, electric band format. Taking their name from the song Horkstow Grange, their debut album Hark! The Village Wait is a pioneering album that set out the blueprint for folk-rock.

When you come to a Steeleye Span show you can expect to hear many of the familiar classics next to gems both old and new, all delivered with a burning passion and unrivalled experience.

From a cameo appearance at T in the Park in 2004 with The Darkness to opening the main stage in their own right in 2014, the past ten years has seen The Red Hot Chilli Pipers become the most famous bagpipe band on the planet – ever! Bagpipes with attitude, drums with a Scottish accent and a show so hot it carries its own health warning. The band’s achievements have reached incredible heights with their groundbreaking fusion of traditional Scottish music and Rock/Pop Anthems which they proudly call ‘Bagrock’.

The Chillis have never been more in demand for their infectious style of feel good music which appeals right across the age range to people all over the world. They have a pool of the very best musicians from Scotland and across the globe – many holding World Champion titles and all serious players with impressive credentials and qualifications.

There has never been anything quite like The Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Wherever you are you are sure to have felt the Chilli heat. It’s time now to come closer to the fire.

Hayseed Dixie is an American band which began in 2001 with the release of their first album, A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC. The band performs a mixture of cover versions of hard rock songs and original compositions.  Classic rock with a bluegrass twist, could anyone not like this version of  Bohemian Rhapsody (we’ll ask Roger on Saturday) …

Their style is a unique fusion of bluegrass and rock music and they are acknowledged as the creators of the musical genre “Rockgrass”. The band’s name is a linguistic play on the name of the band AC/DC.

Hayseed Dixie’s most recent album, “Hair Down To My Grass,” was released on January 12, 2015 worldwide and spent 3 weeks at the number 1 spot on the UK Country Chart. The band launched the new album in the UK with a performance of “Eye of the Tiger” on the Jools Holland Hootenanny New Year’s Eve BBC TV show.

Merry Hell have firmly become a Wickham favourite, last performing in 2021.  We’re not sure we could manage 3 years without pleading them to return.  They’re fantastic musicians that always get the crowd dancing! What’s more, for a 2023 Virginia Kettle will be performing a solo set at 13.15 – 14.00 before taking to the stage with the band at 15.15 – 16.15.

Merry Hell are a band founded on the ever evolving Folk tradition – music made by the people and shared by the people. Though their hearts and souls are tuned to the songs which came before them, they bring you new words and music forged from their own experiences, from the lows and the loves of theirs lives. Their art is energy and their hope is unity. Their pleasure is to please, let the audience be the acid test and let the music speak for itself!

During 2014, Merry Hell played over twenty festivals, including a highlight support slot to Richard Thompson at Towersey, undertook its first national tour in Spring, a further tour in October, plus a ten date acoustic jaunt around the folk clubs and arts centres of Northern Britain.  In March, 2015 they released their third album, The Ghost In Our House and Other Stories.

In 2017 they proposed an alternative National Anthem – Come On, England!  The single was released on 1st August 2017 and taken from their album Bloodlines. Words and music by Bob Kettle.