We’re in for a real treat at Wickham 2017 with the collaboration of Steve Tilston and Jez Lowe.  These are two of the UK Acoustic / Folk scene’s finest songwriters and well established solo artitist.  They’ve joined forces for a series of upcoming events filled with songs and music, chat and banter and intimate insights into their approach to their craft.

After their performance on the main stage together they will both be making seperate performances on the second stage on  Saturday.  Steve Tilston will be on at 8pm and Jex Lowe at 9pm.

Head to head, neck and neck (guitar necks, that is!) listen in as they rekindle the spontaneity of their late-night living-room song swaps. Questions, answers, anecdotes and anarchy… and a very special evening of music.

A masterclass in songwriting and a perfectly formed songwriters event tailor-made for any musical programme!  In November 2016 they put their heads together to make a new album entitled Janus.

You can order this album via Amazon.

Click here to read the full review on Folk & Roots Music Webzine.

Click here to read the full review on The Guardian.

Banter are: Simon Care on melodeon, Nina Zella on keyboards and vocals and Tim Walker on drums, percussion, brass, and vocals. And their newest member Mark Jolley on bass, fiddle, guitar and vocals.

Four fine musicians whose roots are firmly in the traditional English genre, but who enjoy stretching the limits. Formed in 2015, due to a happy accident, they immediately realised their common love for English traditional song and dance and began to mess around with it.

Their new album THREE has received multiple radio plays around the world and notched up 4 and 5 star reviews in the national music press.  Come and see them to judge for yourself.

“really atmospheric and exquisitely done”
Mark Radcliffe BBC Radio 2

“This is just beautiful”
Frank Hennessy BBC Wales Celtic Heartbeat Show

With just an upright bass, two old guitars and a bucketful of aching harmony, THE GOAT ROPER RODEO BAND are preaching ‘Country Blues’ like you never heard… It’s up, it’s down, it’s soft and loud, it’s dark and lonesome too, there’s hurt and shame and some mean old pain but there’s love in what they do! There’s a hint of Gram, a sniff of Dylan and a twist of Waylon’s blues … Simply put, it’s exactly what it says on the tin.  The Goat Roper Rodeo Band members are:

• Tom – Double Bass/Vocals
• Jim – Lead Guitar/Vocals
• Sam – Rhythm Guitar/Vocals

Wizz began his musical career at the age of 18 leading a Country and Skiffle band called “The Wranglers” in his home town of Croydon, Surrey in 1957. He had been inspired to take up the acoustic guitar a year or so before this after hearing such guitar luminaries as Big Bill Broonzy, Rambling Jack Elliot and Muddy Waters playing at a club in London organized by Cyril Davies and Alexis Korner (The Roundhouse in Wardour Street). Having learned most of his blues licks from Long John Baldry and Davy Graham whilst playing in the coffee bars of Soho, Wizz followed the time honoured trail – busking throughout Europe with many different musicians including at one time a budding young blues-man named Rod Stewart.

On returning to Britain in the early sixties, Wizz formed a blue-grass duo with banjo-picker Pete Stanley, a partnership which was to last for four years during which time Wizz and Pete recorded a single and LP Album for EMI. (Now available on CD with previously un-released bonus tracks on the Rollercoaster label).

Wizz and Pete went their separate ways at the end of 1967 and Wizz returned to solo work collaborating with songwriter Alan Tunbridge (an artist friend from the Soho days) and occasionally with guitarist Peter Berryman. He enjoyed considerable success throughout the 70’s In Europe and Scandinavia both as a touring soloist and together with his wife Sandy in the group “Lazy Farmer” (the group’s album due to be released on CD autumn 2005).

With his unique guitar style, an eclectic repertoire and “a right hand worthy of Broonzy” Wizz continues to tour on the acoustic folk and blues circuit.

Duncan Chisholm is one of Scotland’s most recognised and accomplished fiddle players and composers.  Born and brought up near Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland, Duncan has spent most of his life developing his unique musical voice.  Fiddle playing at its best, Duncan’s feather-light handling of dynamics and ornamentation, allied with his pure-distilled tone, lend his characteristic spine-tingling magic to his music.

Taught to play by the great Donald Riddell, few can match Duncan’s expressive feel for a Highland air.  Duncan’s well-established musical career has taken him throughout the UK, Europe and the USA, both through his solo work and while playing with other musicians and bands.  Duncan plays regularly with gaelic singing sensation Julie Fowlis, sets the heather on fire with his folk rock band Wolfstone and is much sought after as a composer and accompanist.

Contemporary folk/acoustic duo Gilmore & Roberts combine award-winning songwriting with astounding musicianship and their trademark harmonies to create a powerful wall of sound. Nominated three times at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Katriona Gilmore (fiddle, mandolin) and Jamie Roberts (guitar) met while studying at Leeds College of Music and released their debut album in 2008.

Since then, the duo have toured Canada and mainland Europe, played some of the UK’s biggest acoustic festivals, toured with folk rock legends Fairport Convention and won countless accolades for their genre-spanning work.

2015 saw the release of their fourth album, Conflict Tourism, which appeared on several end-of-year Best Album lists and received national airplay on both BBC Radio 2 & BBC 6music. Produced by Mark Tucker and featuring Matt Downer (Jamie Smith’s Mabon), Phil Henry (Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin) and James ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt), Conflict Tourism packs a considered punch from start to finish.

“Conflict is universal – everyone, everywhere, experiences it every day, in its smallest forms” says Katriona. “We liked the idea of being tour guides through a minefield of different decisions and drama.”

“And good tour guides are passionate about what they’re showing you” adds Jamie. “They’re not detached from the subject. It’s personal – it’s people and stories. That’s the starting point for every song.”

Katriona Gilmore grew up in Knebworth, Hertfordshire, learned violin at school and started playing local folk clubs with her guitarist father at the age of 14. She joined folk pop sensations Tiny Tin Lady in 2006, and in 2011 was invited to be part of a new lineup of The Albion Band. Katriona has featured on many acclaimed albums as a session musician and has appeared onstage with such diverse acts as The Troggs, Kim Richey and Matt Berry.

Jamie Roberts was brought up in Barnsley, South Yorkshire in a musical family – his sister Kathryn Roberts is a well-respected singer on the UK folk scene. Jamie joined young English traditionalists Kerfuffle in 2007 and more recently formed The Dovetail Trio with Rosie Hood and Matt Quinn. Alongside his regular projects, he has performed with Nancy Kerr’s Sweet Visitor Band and  Blackbeard’s Tea Party amongst others.

Winners of 2014’s BBC Radio Two Folk Award for Best Duo, Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin, have come a long way on their journey.

Hailing from Lancashire, Henry is a slide guitarist and harmonica player. Over the past decade he has immersed himself in the music of the Deep South of America, traditional music of the British Isles, and Indian classical music. Specializing in lap slides techniques, his Dobro playing draws together these diverse influences. His harmonica style combines country blues and folk styles with beat-boxing to create a 21st century harmonica sound heavily steeped in tradition.

Martin is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Devon. Writing mainly on fiddle, viola, and banjo, and drawing on the traditions of the British Isles, she has been commended by Mike Harding. 2012 saw Martin selected to be part of the National Theatre’s War Horse School, working with John Tams, Nancy Kerr, John Kirkpatrick and Chris Parkinson. She was also involved in The Nursery Rhyme Project for the Bristol Old Vic, co-writing and performing in a show exploring one of our oldest oral traditions.

The last 18 months have been their busiest to date. They recorded a concert, Live In Calstock, to make a record of their sound during these initial years; the resulting album once again went down a storm with the critics, “utterly inspired and magnificent” (Spiral Earth). They toured with folk legend Seth Lakeman. They attended Folk Alliance in Kansas City, and bookings for Canada and Australia in 2016 swiftly followed. As well as around 130 UK dates, they have also played in South Africa, France, Norway, Japan, The Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium during this period.

3 Daft Monkeys’ dynamic style of world-influenced folk music and infectious dancing rhythms will leave you breathless, enthralled and exhilarated.  The band members are:

• Tim Ashton – Vocals, 12-string guitar, penny whistle
• Athene Roberts – Violin, vocals, accordion
• Jamie Graham – 6-string bass
• Rich Mulryne – Bespoke hand percussion kit, vocals)

With Celtic and eastern influences, the 3 Daft Monkeys’ dynamic style of world folk music reflects the global village in which we now live. Their infectious dancing rhythms lead you through a musical journey of the senses and emotions, and will leave you breathless, enthralled and exhilarated.

After experiencing the band’s notoriously energetic live performance at Glastonbury Festival last summer, Mark Radcliffe declared them as one of his “Highlights of the Festival” on BBC TV coverage, and subsequently invited them to play a session on his BBC Radio 2 Folk Show. The band have also performed a live session with Whispering Bob Harris on Radio 2.

The band have just released a brand new album in April 2017, following a highly successful crowdfunding campaign. The title track “Year of the Clown” is a social and whimsical comment on the strange and disturbing times we find ourselves in, where the ‘elected principles’ in the world circus appear to be the fools.

With their quirky and original approach to music, and their passion, intensity and sheer joy of life, 3 Daft Monkeys have gained themselves a large and loyal cult following. Their music is hard to pigeon-hole, mixing and crossing many musical genres from Celtic, Klezmer, Gypsy, Balkan, Latin, Ska, Dub Reggae, Indie, Rock and even a hint of Shostakovich. 3 Daft Monkeys have always maintained an independent and cottage-industry approach to their musical career, and have gained a huge following whilst ploughing their own furrow through the music business, gaining momentum through their live performances and intensive European touring schedule.

With a brand new 4-piece line-up, the band weave enchanting melodies with catchy choruses, virtuoso vibrant fiddle, rhythmic 12-string guitar, 6-string bass, bespoke hand-percussion and 4-part vocal harmonies. Fascinating lyrics of personal and whimsical observations on life, and folk tales both ancient and modern, are told within the swirling layers of their music, all with the essential catchy sing-along chorus.

The band’s diversity is reflected in the acts for whom they have been invited as special guests, including touring across the UK and Europe with the Levellers, and opening for bands such as Hawkwind, Bellowhead, Show of Hands and Dreadzone, as well as headlining their own national tours.

3 Daft Monkeys have played at a huge number and variety of festivals in the UK, including Fairport Convention’s Cropredy, Beautiful Days, Trowbridge Village Pump, Towersey Folk Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival and Boomtown Fair. Their eclectic mix of styles has drawn them a following right across Europe, and the band have headlined festivals in Holland, Germany and France. 3 Daft Monkeys have also recently joined acrobats and circus performers in the new and vibrant boutique “busking festival” scenes of Switzerland and Italy.

Whenever successful bands from the past reform they invariably start trading in nostalgia and become “heritage” acts. No one expects them to grow artistically or continue to excel at the same things that brought them popularity in the first place, but that’s what The Selecter have done in the past few years. The band consists of:

• Pauline Black: vocals
• Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson: vocals
• Winston Marche: drums
• Will Crewdson: guitar
• Luke Palmer: bass
• Lee Horsley: Keyboards
• Neil Pyzer-Skeete: tenor sax
• Orlando LaRose: baritone sax & flute

They’ve played at major festivals, headlined 3 UK tours and recorded three studio albums, the latest of which, Subculture, is mixed by UK dub-master Prince Fatty. Legendary 2-Tone artists, The Selecter, released their new studio album SUBCULTURE to critical acclaim in June last year on DMF Records. The Selecter is led by their iconic frontwoman Pauline Black, whose recent series of shows on BBC 6Music were hugely well received, and whose book ‘Black By Design’ continues to sell in droves worldwide, alongside an incredible talented band of musicians, including Neil Pyzer (Spear Of Destiny) Will Crewdson (Rachel Stamp) and co-fronted by original member Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson (who features extensively on Subculture). The anarchic passion that fuelled Selecter gigs during the 2 Tone era, when they toured with the Specials and Madness at the peak of their early fame is still there, except the pair (Pauline & Gaps) seem more driven than ever. Their confidence is sky-high and they’re also writing the best songs of their career, which is saying something given the enduring popularity of hits like Three Minute Hero, Missing Words and On My Radio.

Lau is a British folk band from both Scotland and England, formed in 2005. Named after an Orcadian word meaning “natural light”, the band is composed of Kris Drever (guitar, vocals), Martin Green (accordion, piano, electronics) and Aidan O’Rourke (fiddle). To date, the band has released four studio albums and a live album.

Brilliant musicians, thrilling performers, free-thinking visionaries and all-round good chaps as well…small wonder Lau are regarded as the epicentre of the new folk boom. And they’ve got shelves groaning with awards (BBC RADIO 2 FOLK AWARD WINNERS, BEST BAND, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2015 THE HERALD), a forest’s worth of ecstatic reviews and breathless plaudits from excited audiences in various outposts of the world ringing in their ears to prove it.

In December 2007, Lau recorded a live set at the Bongo Club, Edinburgh, and in early 2008, released Live. In 2008, they appeared at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Vancouver Festival and the Calgary Folk Festival.

In 2009 they released the album Arc Light. In 2010, the group recorded and released a five-track EP, Evergreen, in collaboration with singer-songwriter Karine Polwart.

The band released their third album Race The Loser in 2012. They also appeared on the BBC’s Later… with Jools Holland show in 2012 where they played the tune ‘Torsa’.

“Lau are a remarkable band – the most musically adventurous trio in British folk exquisite and hypnotic, musicianship at its best.”
THE GUARDIAN

Levellers are still going strong after over 35 years in the game. They have long been, and still are, one of the best live bands around and in 2020 they released new studio album ‘Peace’ which entered the UK Official Album Charts at #8 – the band’s highest charting entry since 1997’s Mouth to Mouth reached #5 and improving on previous release We the Collective’s #12 position in 2018.

The band celebrated the 30th anniversary of their seminal platinum-selling, album Levelling The Land in 2021. During the summer of 1991 the album redefined the UK’s musical landscape. Levelling the Land features the hit singles One Way, 15 Years and Far From Home plus The Game, Liberty Song, Sell Out, Another Man’s Cause, Riverflow, Boatman and the incendiary Battle Of The Beanfield.

They decided to do something a bit different with their back catalogue in 2018 and enlisted legendary producer John Leckie (Radiohead, Stone Roses) to help develop new acoustic arrangements with a string string section for eight of their previous singles which they recorded straight to tape at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios – the result was Top 20 album ‘We The Collective’. Following on from that success, they released a second volume of acoustic reworkings ‘Together All The Way’ in March 2023 accompanied by an acoustic tour of theatres before then turning back to all electric shows for the rest of the year at festivals and venues.

2023 was an extra special year for the Levellers as not only did they celebrate 35 years of being a band, but it was also the 20th Anniversary of their hugely acclaimed Beautiful Days Festival in August – now one of the biggest independent music festivals in the UK.

Levellers 2024 live line-up features:

• Mark Chadwick
• Jeremy Cunningham
• Dan Donnelly
• Charlie Heather
• Matt Savage
• Jon Sevink

The Alistair Goodwin Band will be performing on Sunday 7th August.  The band members are as follows:

• Alistair Goodwin – Guitar, Vocal
• Nigel Rippon – Cello
• Age Gould – Cajon
• Nigel Davies-Patrick – Bass

Hard-driven freak-folk steeped in psychedelia, country-punk and urban blues – you won’t know what to call it but you’ll want to keep hearing it.
Alistair’s raw vocal-guitar sound is taken to new dimensions by an actual wizard, whose soul-tripping electric cello sweeps you from rock to flamenco via trance and whale song.

Add percussion, grunge bass and some Nigels, and the result is a musical oddity of strange and rare beauty.

To illustrate the diversity, the audio embed below is the full Alistair Goodwin Band whilst the video at the bottom is from a solo performance.

Since first picking up a guitar at the age of three the instrument has held a lifelong fascination for Alistair. His love of acoustic music has led him to play with an extremely wide range of musicians from street performers to the classically trained.

“Powerful vocals and mastery of the guitar make this guy a must see.”

“A unique and wholly original talent and after having seen him play live on a number of occasions, including a session on the programme, I’m very happy to confirm that.”

“If you’re a fan of acoustic music that’s firmly rooted in the Troubadour tradition then you’ll enjoy Alistair’s music.”

Phil Jackson, BBC Introducing

Described as gutsy driven acoustic roots, Alistair’s live performances blend melody, rhythm and vocal talent into a heartfelt and heady brew. Recent performances include radio exposure on the South Coast’s Spirit FM, live interviews and performances on the BBC’s Radio Solent and for Portsmouth and Southampton Television. His frequent live performances at venues across London and the south coast of England continue to build an impressively awed and loyal following in his musical wake.

Winters Hill are back in town, or rather coming home to Wickham Festival!

We’re always keen to promote local bands and they don’t get any more local than Winters Hill. They went down a storm last year so much so we used their track on our 2016 promo video on the home page.  They’re a 3 piece Americana / Country band formed in 2012.  This year they’ll be performing on the main stage on Sunday 4th August.  Winters Hill consists of:

• Max Hoar – Vocals and Guitar
• Nimrod Taabu – Cajon drum
• Jack Holmar – Harmonica,Guitar,Vocals

As lifelong friends who share a passion for music, the band formed on the back of watching Wickham Festival. Since then Winters Hill has grown way beyond what was expected. With Jack Holmàr on lead guitar, harmonica and steel slide, Max Hoar on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, and Nimrod Taabu on percussion, the band have crafted a distinguished alternative to the traditional Americana sound. Before ever playing in front of a single person, interest had begun from local radio as the band crafted their unique sound in Jacks’ loft. The trio played an acoustic session on Voice FM as their first ever live performance, and popularity has been rapidly growing ever since.

“We are pleased to say we will be playing the main stage at Wickham Festival this year. As many of you know, this is the festival that inspired us to start playing music. This truly means a hell of a lot to us. Thank you for everyone who has supported us over the last 3 years. When we stood by the acoustic stage 3 years ago, we never thought in a million years this would happen.”
Winters Hill 2016

“It was fantastic to watch this great band open on the main stage today.  This is a real fairy tale success story for Wickham Festival.  We’re sure these guys have an incredible future.  You heard them here first and hope they’ll be back to perhaps inspire some other local bands.  Thank you Winters Hill, it was a brilliant start to our day… “
Peter Chegwyn, Wickham Festival Organiser, 5th August 2016

Combining elements of Folk, Blues, Country and Rock, Winters Hill have a certain nostalgia and romance to their music. With catchy choruses wrapped in melodic guitar riffs, Winters Hill have been influenced by a vast range of musicians from both past and present; from Dylan to Young, Springsteen to Tom Waits, and Kenyan born Nimrods’ drumming style on the Cajon is something not to be missed. Within the first year of Winters Hill forming, they were playing at the London 02 arena for Country 2 Country, a spot well deserved from by the boys.

Winters Hills’ song writing style tells a story which is relatable to every listener; songs of good times and past times. Recent national radio (Amazing radio) sessions and joining bands on tour such as Brother and Bones, The Treetop Flyers, and Ben Caplan are creating a loyal fan base for the trio. Two-time Isle of Wight Festival favourites Winters Hill, are set to embark on this years festival season with new original songs and a brand new setup. Fresh from being invited by Gabrielle Aplin’s record label, Never Fade Records, and supporting Aplin herself to play the labels debut showcase night, Winters Hill are fast becoming the name all Americana fans are talking about. Listen to them chat with Stephanie Nieuwenhuys on BBC Introducing 22nd April 2017…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04zbw7x/clips

Their EP, Burnt Hearts and Landmarks, is available on iTunes.