Ewan McLennan has, in a short space of time, come to be known as a guitarist at the forefront of his generation; a troubadour, balladeer and storyteller cut in the old style; a singer that can move audiences with his passion and pathos; and a songwriter for whom social justice is still a burning issue.

By the time he began playing the folk and acoustic music clubs around Britain in 2010 he’d already been playing music for years – guitar and piano and all kinds of styles but with a strong interest in folk songs.

The Young’uns have proved themselves a unique proposition – writing and performing a cappella or subtly accompanied songs that tell it how it is alongside traditional songs from their native North-East and further afield – songs of conscience, songs of warmth and wit, songs to provoke, songs to inspire.

“The harmonies are glorious, the wit is waspish. The songs are powerful, the banter is relentless and the audience is happy.” – The Guardian

Renowned for their pitch perfect harmonies and rapid fire humour, their live show undeniably has the human touch. Always engaging, frequently heart-warming, they have built an enviable audience rapport. They are an act that truly takes the cliché out of the “make you laugh, make you cry” tag.

Visit their shop to purchase a collection of material.

The Chair on-stage is an experience that will have even the most reserved audience beating a path to the dance floor. Melodies from the band’s native Orkney are mashed up with blues, dub and klezmer in an 8-piece riot of fiddles, banjos, accordions and drums. Collectively, the sound approaches the energy levels of a rock gig, yet remains acoustic at heart. The Chair, a must-see festival band, were voted Band of the Year at the 2008 MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards.

Chas & Dave (often billed as Chas ‘n’ Dave) are an English pop rock duo, most notable as creators and performers of a musical style labelled “rockney” (a portmanteau of “rock” and “cockney”), which mixes “pub singalong, music-hall humour, boogie-woogie piano and pre-Beatles rock ‘n’ roll”. For a time, “Rockney” was also the name of their record label, and they achieved several British chart hits, their major breakthrough being “Gertcha” in 1979, which peaked at No. 20 in the UK Singles Chart, and was the first of eight Top 40 hit singles the duo played on. They also had nine best-selling albums. In October 2013 they released That’s What Happens, their first studio album in 18 years.

Oysterband (originally The Oyster Band) is an English electric folk, folk rock, and folk punk band formed in Canterbury in or around 1976. The band formed in parallel to Fiddler’s Dram, and under the name Oyster Ceilidh Band played purely as a dance band at first. The name Oyster comes from the group’s early association with the coastal town of Whitstable in East Kent, known for the quality of its oysters.

“Polished, vibrant and passionate…” – Martin Ellis, The Journal

Lynched are a four-piece traditional folk group from Dublin, Ireland, who combine distinctive four-part vocal harmonies with arrangements of uilleann pipes, concertina, Russian accordion, fiddle and guitar. Their repertoire spans humorous Dublin music-hall ditties and street-songs, classic ballads from the Traveller tradition, traditional Irish and American dance tunes, and their own original material.

‘The most convincing folk band to come out of Ireland in years.’ ★★★★★
The Guardian

Le Vent du Nord (The North Wind) is a Canadian folk music group from Quebec. The band, formed in 2002, performs traditional Québécois music (which is heavily influenced by Celtic music from both Ireland and Brittany), as well as original numbers in this style, in French. The group’s membership currently consists of Nicolas Boulerice (vocals, hurdy-gurdy, piano accordion, piano), Olivier Demers (vocals, fiddle, foot-tapping and guitar), Simon Beaudry (vocals, guitar, Irish bouzouki), and Réjean Brunet (vocals, diatonic button accordion, acoustic bass guitar, piano and jaw harp). Their first five recordings have been nominated for multiple awards; the first two have received awards.

The late, great Ronnie Lane’s band Slim Chance will be at the 2022 Wickham Festival on Friday 5th August 2022

Playing the songs of Ronnie Lane…

After leaving the Faces, Ronnie Lane formed his own band, Slim Chance.  They are a tight band of good friends, which has evolved around three original members of Ronnie’s band – Steve Bingham, Charlie Hart and Steve Simpson. They are now regularly joined by Brendan O’Neill, Billy Nicholls, and Geraint Watkins, and together they deliver a unique and entertaining show, both joyous and of a high musical calibre.

The Slim Chance extended family consists of a host of wonderful musicians whose contributions will always be greatly appreciated: Jim Cregan, Colin Davey, Alun Davies, Des Horsfall, Malcolm Hoskins, John Lingwood, Frank Mead, Nick Pentelow, Jim Russell, James Walbourne and Graham Walker.

Ronnie always jokingly claimed that he found the musicians for Slim Chance in the pages of Exchange and Mart. In 2010 Charlie Hart and Steve Simpson trawled the streets of South London and miraculously found three more ex-Slim Chancers who were all keen to sign up again to the quest for Ronnie’s musical holy grail. By gigging round the country the line-up has gelled into a fine band and become a powerful entity in its own right.

The aim is to create a show which celebrates the range of Ronnie’s later music: to take this show to people in village halls and clubs, festivals and theatres at home and abroad; and eventually, joined by numerous friends, to resurrect the Passing Show itself.

The words legend and icon are sometimes used too frequently these days but not when being used to describe Bruce Foxton. Since the punk explosion during the summer of 1976 when, as a part of The Jam, Bruce Foxton’s thumping bass lines exploded onto London’s live music scene. The next year the anthemic “In the city” album and single were released to the record buying public and the shockwaves sent out by the music of The Jam lives on today. He was recently voted by readers of NME as the 7th Most Influential Bass Player, which shows the high regard he is held in by fans, musicians and the music press alike.

What are Skerryvore? They’re like no one else. Epic of melody, intimate of feeling and plugged into the roots of Scotland but blasting out to the world.

Three time winners of Scotland’s ‘Live Act of the Year’ award, Skerryvore have evolved from their humble beginnings to become one of the country’s leading forces in a thriving live music scene. At the forefront of a movement that has reinvented and reignited a traditional Scottish scene for a modern, multicultural audience, the band have brought their high energy performances to audiences across the globe. From their early days in Scottish West Coast halls and bars, to festival crowds in the USA, Canada, Australia and throughout the UK and Europe, Skerryvore’s wide range of influences and talent produce a musically expansive, immersive yet intimate set that excites and captivates audiences.

With a mix of bagpipes, fiddles, accordions, and whistles, alongside guitar and vocals, underpinned by driving bass, drums and keys, Skerryvore represent the best in contemporary Scottish traditional music. Their 6 studio albums demonstrate the wide range of influences the individual musicians bring to the mix – a unique fusion of folk, trad, pop and rock.

Their latest studio album ‘tempus’, due for release on April 28, is already making waves in the UK music scene, with the first three single releases – You & I, Together Again & Everything You Need – all having been consecutively chosen to feature on the BBC Radio 2 new music playlist.

To celebrate the release of the new album, Skerryvore will be bringing the Tempus Tour to audiences across the UK, Europe and USA.

“Skerryvore have crafted a world beating fusion, which takes pride in their heritage and above all else is a pure joy to listen to.”
Folk Radio UK

“A spectacular mix of traditional Scottish folk music and the most diverse rock elements.”
Süddeutsche Zeitung, GERMANY

“The highest rated show we have ever had on our post-concert surveys… people LOVED the show.”
Anchorage Concert Association, ALASKA

“Such a fresh, real, new sound… I love it”
Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2 UK

Take a group of the hottest contemporary fiddle players from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, mix with some wonderfully sympathetic piano and guitar arrangements and you’ve got the award winning Blazin’ Fiddles on your hands. And they are Blazin’, in the past decade no other band has quite captured Scottish fiddle music’s variety, energy and sensitivity like Blazin’ Fiddles have. Like rare single malts, each member of Blazin’ Fiddles draws the distinct flavour of music from their part of the Highlands and Islands. Blending solo and ensemble sets, aged with the occasional insightful tale, they all come together in a fiery blend to excite your senses. From remote village halls to the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, fiddlers Jenna Reid, Bruce MacGregor, Rua Macmillan and Kristan Harvey are joined by Anna Massie on guitar/fiddle and Angus Lyon on piano to deliver a musically intoxicating evening for all.

With a dozen albums to her name, Kathryn is the country’s leading Northumbrian pipes player as well as being an accomplished fiddle player. A winner of the Queen’s Medal for Music and the 2013 Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year, her work is deeply rooted in the landscape and people of Northumbria.

Her new folk-classical ensemble the Side comprises Louisa Tuck (cello), Ruth Wall (harp) and Amy Thatcher (accordion, clog dancing).