Flutatious are a feisty, Celtic-inspired, psy-folk band blending soaring melodic flute, flying fiddle, spacey guitars and groovy beats! They have built up an incredible reputation with their live performances and their (until now) self-produced albums are constantly in demand at festivals around the country.

Flutatious came to the attention of the Magick Eye Records label when company founder, Chris Hillman, saw them playing a storming set at one of their festival appearances. Magick Eye released the four track Flutatious EP Fluctuations to great acclaim. The EP included a remix from another Magick Eye label act, the legendary Astralasia.

Due to the positive reactions to the EP release, Magick Eye arranged for Flutatious to record a brand new album with renowned producer John Mitchell in his Outhouse Recording Studio.

Nick Parker was 13 when he first picked up a guitar and tried to string together a few chords. By 14 he had put down the guitar and picked up the mandolin. Not least of all because he wanted to be in his brother, Ant’s band and they needed a mandolin player. The first few gigs came and went, under the name ‘The Mandolin Brothers’ (genius name) before they changed their name to ‘Why?’ (equally genius name) and they spent the next 10 years bouncing around on stages at hundreds of venues around the UK and Europe, reeling out their folk/rock/skiffle (latterly known as friffle) sillyness to sweaty teens and twentysomethings. In February 1998 Nick finally put down his eight string and picked up a six (mainly because his fingers had gotten too fat for the intricacies of a mandolin) and along with guitarist Mark Stidson started guitar band ‘Tobermory’.

After various false starts, a few flirtations with industry ‘big’ boys and a few mini tours to Germany (including one where they went all the way to the east for a three gig weekend, two of which were cancelled) Tobermory played their last gig in 2004. ‘The Gadabout Crowd’ was next on Nick’s ‘to do’ list, which was more of a folky/rocky affair. The crowd dispersed after only a few months of gatherment and Nick decided to go it alone. Now under the name of ‘Nick Parker’ (again quite clever), Nick has recorded his first solo album. Produced and engineered by former band mate Luke Stidson (now at the helm of Twin Falls) the 12 track album ‘The King of False Alarms’ was recorded on location in a quiet cottage in North Devon during the terribly sunny June of 2010.

Panatical steel band is made up of past and present pupils of Crestwood Community School.  They were formed in 2007 when the school was asked to provide a band at an international music festival in Gołuchów, Poland. In the years since then, the band has welcomed over 80 students of Crestwood Community School and has gone from strength to strength, performing at over 30 gigs per year.

Recent highlights include performing at Music For Youth’s school proms at the Royal Albert hall in November 2016 and CarFest South in August 2017 and 2018. The band are looking forward to performing at CarFest again this year as well as RunFestRun, Wickham Festival and the Taunton Flower Show.  The band has over 3 hours worth of memorised repertoire ranging from soca, calypso, reggae and ska, to pop and rnb to even some classical pieces!

Stanley, widely regarded as one of the world’s best ever guitarists, last wowed is in 2019 with his incredible and unique skills.  This time he is back with a completely different show … playing Jimi Hendrix music like probably Jimi would play if he was still alive today!

World-renowned guitarist Stanley Jordan has developed a new live show called “Stanley Plays Jimi.” This is a tribute show, but it’s not pure imitation. Instead Stanley builds on Jimi’s legacy in a creative way. As Stanley explains it, “This is my fantasy Jimi Hendrix concert if Jimi were still alive and playing today. By re-imagining his music and channeling his persona I try to bring that fantasy to life.”

It may be surprising that Stanley Jordan would take on a project like this. After all, Stanley is already a well-known guitarist with a signature style, four Grammy nominations, a cameo in a Blake Edwards film (Blind Date), and a host of TV appearances over a long career including Jimmy Fallon, David Letterman, Jay Leno and Johnny Carson to name a few. But Stanley explains, “I feel a strong connection to Jimi Hendrix because he was the first guitarist I emulated as a child. Out of love for Jimi and his music I feel a strong desire to try to keep his legacy alive.”

It may also be surprising that a rock legend like Hendrix would get so much love from a jazz legend like Jordan. Stanley’s 1985 album Magic Touch was #1 on Billboard’s jazz chart for 51 weeks, and Stanley has shared the stage or recorded with jazz artists such as Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Billy Cobham. But again, hearing it from Stanley, “I actually played rock and blues before I played jazz. In fact, Jimi’s constant searching for new sounds inspired me to move toward jazz in the first place.”

In recent years Stanley has performed with many artists in the rock and jam band worlds, including the Dave Matthews Band, Umphrey’s McGee, Moe. and more. Stanley says, “Returning to my rock roots has been an absolute joy artistically, and with this project I’m taking that to a new level.”

Another important aspect is the embodiment of Jimi’s persona. Stanley actually steps onto the stage as Jimi Hendrix so there is a theatrical element to the show. But this is not a comedic caricature nor is it a theatrical play – it’s a concert. It’s a concert built upon a sincere and heartfelt effort to recreate the jaw-dropping experience of witnessing Jimi Hendrix live while at the same time bringing Jimi’s legacy up to date in a believable way. Wow! Tall order to fill–no? That’s why you need a world-class artist of Stanley Jordan’s caliber to pull it off.

This extra touch of portraying the Hendrix of today rather then yesterday keeps the show creative and fresh for both Stanley and the audience and it gives Stanley’s fans a new insight into Stanley’s own evolution. It also makes the show more authentic in a certain sense, because a real Hendrix concert would have surprises and unexpected turns. “Stanley Jordan Plays Jimi” tries to re-create both the energy and the creativity of the real thing.

“This would be a challenging endeavor for anyone,” Stanley explains. “For sure you can put on an impressive show with just 2 or 3 of his techniques. But I’m trying my best to cover as much of his work as possible while at the same time trying to build on it, which I think is really the heart and soul of this project. The truth is, no one really knows what Jimi would be doing today. But we do know he would have kept evolving. This gives me some creative leeway and it lets my own identity come through because we’re viewing Hendrix thru my lens. But it’s also challenging for me because I can’t do just anything; It has to make sense and to come across as something Jimi might have actually done.”

One way Stanley builds on Jimi’s legacy is by expanding on some of the jazz elements that Jimi was evidently reaching for toward the end of his life. Stanley says, “We know that he jammed with Rasaan Roland Kirk and Larry Young, and plans were underway to collaborate with Miles Davis and Gil Evans. You can hear him reaching and expanding his vocabulary on albums like Nine To The Universe, which was very influential to me as a youngster. And some of his compositions have a kind of jazzy shuffle, such as ‘Up from the Skies’ and ‘Belly Button Window.’ I try to expand on that.”

Stanley also builds on Jimi’s work by incorporating touch, or two-hand tapping techniques. Many people associate that more with Van Halen than with Hendrix but Stanley says, “I actually got the idea from Jimi Hendrix. I saw him do it with just his left hand, but that’s all I needed to see. I just added the right hand, which was an obvious extension.” And extend it he did. Today Stanley Jordan is considered by many to be the World’s best tapper, having developed it into a rich pianistic style.

Jimi Hendrix was no stranger to electronics and Stanley builds on that as well, saying, “Of course I use feedback and effects just as Jimi did. But I avoid programmed sequencers and prerecorded tracks because there just isn’t enough evidence that Jimi would have gone that route. And the real genius of what he did consisted in making himself part of the circuit rather than externalizing it. For Jimi, electronics were not an end in themselves but a means to an end–an extension of the instrument and a channel of his spirit.”

Stanley also adds a few original compositions to the setlist–fantasy songs that could have been written by Jimi today, just to fill out the repertoire and to give shape to some of the new concepts Jimi was developing. Remember–this is the Hendrix of today, not yesterday.

In terms of look and style, Stanley stays mostly faithful to Jimi’s traditional style. Of course we know Jimi could have evolved significantly in his clothing style by now but Stanley doesn’t speculate much in that area, explaining, “The truth is, in this show I’m both a musician and an actor, and I want my character to be believable. I feel that the best way to do that is to be fairly faithful to the Jimi Hendrix that we all know.”

“Stanley Plays Jimi” is a new project but it’s based on an old idea. Stanley says, “Back in 1970 at the age of 11 I was saddened to hear of Jimi’s passing. I decided there and then to try to continue his legacy, so I took up guitar. Of course my main goal was to be an original artist in my own right, but the concept of a Hendrix tribute has been in my mind pretty much from the start. Now, in the year of the 50th anniversary of Jimi’s historic Woodstock performance the time feels right to bring this idea to fruition.”

STANLEY JORDAN – GUITAR AND VOICE
GABOR DORNYEI – DRUMS
LAURENCE COTTLE – BASS

By popular request, The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican will be back at Wickham on Saturday 2nd August 2025.

Put on yer finest knitted gladrags, style your barnet, put on your dancing shoes and bring your finest singing voices, as we cordially invite you to witness the Greatest Show On Earth (in tank-tops).

Hailing from Barnsley Rock City in t’North, Yorkshire’s hardest working comedy band, The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican, are on a mission! Determined to follow in their spiritual father’s immortal footsteps and keep his legacy alive, they have a talent for Bar-Stewardizing other famous people’s songs with new comedy lyrics, on acoustic geetar, ukulele, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, accordion, keyboard and kazoo. To complete their squeaky-clean image, estranged brothers Scott, Björn and Alan have become instantly recognisable for their immaculate hair and their stylish choice of knitwear.
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The Bar-Steward Sons have, in their 11 year history played over 850 side-splitting shows and have brought smiles and belly-laughs to audiences across the UK; from Barnsley to Barnstaple, from Glasgow to Glastonbury.

They continue to wow audiences with a fine selection of their greatest hits, including the likes of “Jump Ararnd”, “Tarnlife”, “The Lady In Greggs”, “Nandos”, “Fight For Your Pint”, “Bono Bloody Bono”, “Since You’ve Been Ron”, “She’s From Dodworth”, “Walking In Manpiss” and “If I Could Punch A Face… It’d Be Justin Bieber’s”.

Descending from a long line of theatricals, Hattie has been writing and performing a unique brand of musical entertainment for many 18 years.  She began entertaining back in the early 90’s as a performance poet in Brixton, where she discovered she could make people laugh.She soon learnt to play the accordion, closely followed by the ukulele and then the pain of everyday reality manifested itself into a growing collection of comedy songs.  She has played gigs, cabarets and festivals all over the UK and Europe including long stints in the UK, Netherlands, France, Portugal, Germany and Switzerland. She has performed alone, in duos, trios, street bands and circuses.

She is a superb songwriter and engaging performer whose way with words endears her to audiences. Her ability to hold an audience and get them to laugh, sing, cry and interact with her is wonderful to behold. She is quite unique, a true star, whose intelligent songwriting, musicianship and captivating stage presence makes her a genuine ‘one-off’.

John Otway is an English singer-songwriter who has built a sizeable cult audience through extensive touring, a surreal sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona.  Otway shot to fame on in the midst of punk rock and a gymnastic performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test.  Otway, ever the showman, decided to jump on to the amplifier of his colleague during a performance of Bob Lind’s Cheryl’s Going Home. (Un)fortunately for Otway, he misjudged his leap and sent Wild Willy Barrett’s amplifier tumbling as he crashed down straddling the box under the amp…

Despite numerous attempts to get back into the charts, Otway would have to wait 25 years for his next taste of chart success. In the intervening years, Otway would become an actor; write an autobiography (Cor Baby That’s Really Me: Rock and Roll’s Greatest Failure); perform sold out shows at London’s Astoria and Royal Albert Hall; make regular appearances at both Glastonbury and Edinburgh Festivals; and write the nation’s seventh favourite lyric of all-time (beating Bob Dylan and Paul Simon in the process).

In 2012, to celebrate his 60th birthday, Otway produced his debut movie titled Otway the Movie: The Story of Rock n Roll’s Greatest Failure. A screening for producers was held at London’s Leicester Square with the final scenes from the movie filmed on the red carpet and edited into the film. The film was then taken to Cannes Film Festival and a 50-date tour of cinemas in both the UK and North America. It was subsequently voted the 2nd best film of the year in a poll of its readers conducted by The Guardian newspaper.

We welcome back Alistair Russell as one of our comperes for Wickham Festival 2025.

Singing and playing folk music since his teens, and over thirty years a professional musician and sound engineer, Alistair sings songs mainly from his family homeland Scotland, its neighbour Ireland, self-penned songs inspired by his world-wide travelling with Battlefield Band, and any other song that takes his fancy.

Alistair grew up in the North-East of England, with Scottish parents who had a rich fund of songs of their own—music hall favourites, Harry Lauder songs, sentimental ballads and stage Irish songs which his father brought back from working on contract.

The sixties’ beat boom saw Alistair and a few like-minded school friends exploring folk music. By the late seventies, his band was playing extensively throughout NE England, with frequent forays into Germany and Poland. In 1978, he teamed up full-time with Tom Napper, and they released their first album, “Tripping Upstairs”. The next four years saw Tom take his leave, and Alistair set out on a solo career. His album “Getting to the Border” (with a star-studded guest musician list) was released.

Then came that rare thing in the world of folk music—the “big break”. Alistair joined Scotland’s legendary Battlefield Band. The next thirteen years were a whirlwind of touring—one million miles of it!

Nine Battlefield albums and two videos later, Alistair jumped off the global tour bus to “recharge the batteries”. His spell in Battlefield had not only developed his playing, singing and songwriting skills, but his role as “front man” in the band had honed the skill of relaxed communication which is so vital to putting the music across.

He didn’t remain idle for long. Knowledge gained on the road and in the recording studio got him jobs in management (Chris Sherburn and Denny Bartley), album production and CD recording (over 60 commercial projects released), tour management (Magnetic Music),  stringed instrument setup and sales (The Music Room), stage management,compering and live sound engineering at major UK festivals (CV Audio and freelance), and tuition DVD production (Mrs Casey Music).

Alistair Russell has recently written a book! It’s a light-hearted look at life on the road as a travelling musician & sound engineer. It’s received rave reviews from the critics and copies can be ordered online here:

https://www.alistairrussell.co.uk/shop/

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

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.

Hailing from the Isle of Skye, the legendary Scottish trailblazers have created a glorious mixture of traditional sounds and dance-floor grooves that have been embraced worldwide. Drawing upon a dazzling myriad of influences from jigs and reels through Dance Music, Jazz, African, and more, they bring the sound of Scotland fresh-faced and breathless to the new audiences around the world.

From the moment they take to the stage, the mood is set for a no-nonsense feel-good atmosphere, each number sounding like an encore itself. The traditional styles that influence the musicians are still to be heard and when an unexpected drop-down to those glorious core melodies sneaks in the result is spine-chilling! In short, it rocks, and the audience becomes part of the experience.

2025 sees the Peatbog Faeries 34th year as a band.. with new materiel and a new enthusiasm. I see a world is the first new studio album from the Peatbog Faeries since 2015’s critically acclaimed ‘Blackhouse’.

Click here to listen to and buy their new alsbum, I see a world.

Since 1996, the Peatbog Faeries have pushed the boundaries of Scottish music.. combining traditional tunes with everything from Drum and Bass to Malian guitar, creating a sound that’s uniquely their own. Guest artists include the truly beautiful voices of Heather Macleod and Gina Rae, the incredible horns of Helena Kay, the Uilleann Pipes from Ireland’s finest, Ryan Murphy, and the talents of master percussionist Krishna Kishor all the way from Chennai in India.

The band is made up of Peter Morrison on pipes and whistles, Ross Couper on fiddle, Innes Watson on fiddle, vocals and acoustic guitar, Tom Salter on guitar, Norman Willmore on keyboards and sax, Innes Hutton on bass and Stuart Brown on drums.

Invariably the band travel with their own sound engineer, as well as a lighting engineer to ensure their famous shows become a truly memorable experience on every level for their audiences.

Peatbog Faeries have become firm favourites at festivals and venues across the UK and have toured the world with their inventive and unique brand of music never failing to fill the floor and delight crowds.

“Nothing prepares you for the high octane music of the Peatbog Faeries. Powerful melodies are dextrously pumped out with a smart degree of techno attitude, while cross-rhythms ricochet over a heavy bass that hits you forcefully like a massive heart beat.”
The Scotsman

Self-taught on guitar and violin, he is a lifelong autodidact — and his independent streak shines through in his composition and studio work. Always direct and unafraid to speak his mind, his song writing has been praised for its surgical clarity. His work is typified by his trust in the space music can create and a gift for lyrical understatement. He cites his major influence as “Anon”.

Throughout his career independence has been balanced by collaboration. The artists he has worked with include Billy Bragg, Andy Gangadeen, Andy Cutting, Jean François Vrod and Hugh Lupton (Wood and Lupton’s “One in a Million” won Best Original Song at the BBC 2 Folk Awards in 2006). Recently he has worked alongside Martin and Eliza Carthy and others in The Imagined Village: “Cold Haily Rainy Night”, performed by Wood and Eliza Carthy, took the award for Best Traditional Song at the Folk Awards in 2008.

He set up R.U.F Records in 1992 and this label continues to carry his catalogue. He also founded The English Acoustic Collective, a movable feast of musicians, writers, photographers and choreographers who look to England’s indigenous arts as their inspiration.