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PLAYING OUT LOUD!
FESTIVAL FOCUS
Welcome to our guide to music festivals in the South of England
which will be a regular feature right up until October. This is just a skeleton
list, which will be added to on a weekly basis from now onwards, so keep coming
back for more info!
CHELTENHAM FOLK FESTIVAL,
GLOUCESTERSHIRE - FEBRUARY 9 - 12
2006 not only heralds the 10th year as the UK’s premier mid-winter Folk Festival
but also an exciting new chapter in the Festival’s history as the organisers
welcome Eliza Carthy as their Festival patron. After performing at the 2005
Festival, Eliza now makes a welcome return, also performing as one quarter of
the phenomenal Waterson:Carthy who appear at this year’s festival.
Winners of the 2004 BBC3 World Music Award, the Warsaw Village kick off the
festival on the 9th, then the weekend offers opportunities to enjoy rare
appearances by Roy Bailey, John Kirkpatrick and Martin Simpson in ‘Sit Down &
Sing’ at the Everyman Theatre plus Martin Carthy and Martin Simpson in Martins2
in a Showcase concert on Saturday afternoon. Newcomers The Devil’s Interval
perform a group repertoire which is a varied mix ranging from English tradition
to influences from Tom Waits to Phoebe Smith and Dolly Parton. The Festival
Finale on Sunday evening opens with the one and only ‘one man folk industry’
Pete Coe. Next up, and making their Cheltenham debut all the way from Winnipeg
in Canada are The Wailin’ Jennys, who create masterful three-part vocal
harmonies. With the stage well and truly warmed-up, the winners of the 2005 BBC
Radio 2 Folk Awards Best Live Act, BELLOWhead close the Festival with strings,
pipes, eclectic percussion and a funky brass section. For more details see
www.cheltenhamfestivals.com
SWANAGE BLUES FESTIVAL, DORSET - MARCH
3 - 5
The 6th Swanage Blues Festival will take place on 3, 4 and 5 March 2006.
Admission is free to all venues. Artists appearing include Pete Saunders' Fat
Tuesday Band, Cal Batchelor Band, The Guv'nors, Sonny Black, Robert Hokum Band,
Roland Chadwick, John Crampton, Hollow Bone and The Jives. For further
information see
www.swanage-blues.org or phone 01929 422338.
OXFORD FOLK FESTIVAL - APRIL 7 - 9
The 3rd annual Oxford Folk Festival - artists confirmed include: Bellowhead,
Waterson:Carthy, Andy Irvine, Flook, Steve Ashley, Chris Wood, Rachel Unthank &
the Winterset, Magpie Lane, The Oxford Waits and more....
ISLE OF WIGHT JAZZ DIVAS FESTIVAL -
VENTNOR - APRIL 7 - 9
Amongst the artists already booked are Vortex Foundation Big Band, Rachel Moore
Quartet, Humphrey Lyttelton & His Band, The Bovril Stan and Clark Tracey's
Ellingtonia Septet pianist Andrea Vicari, with Mornington and Dorian Lockett are
also appearing. See
www.jazzdivas.freeuk.com for full lineup.
GOSPORT & FAREHAM EASTER FESTIVAL -
APRIL 13 - 17
The main events are taking place at Ferneham Halls & Ashcroft Arts Centre in
Fareham
The legendary Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter Janis Ian is to
headline the15th annual Gosport & Fareham Easter Festival. Janis Ian has
received no less than nine Grammy Award nominations in her 40-year career for
songs such as “Jesse,” “At Seventeen” and “Society’s Child.”
Also on the bill is ex-Fairport Convention fiddler Dave Swarbrick with his new
band Lazarus which also features ex-Fairport member Maartin Allcock plus Kevin
Dempsey. Fairport Convention fans will see many familiar faces during the
Festival weekend as other guests include Fairport founder Ashley Hutchings who
will be presenting a special show about Cecil Sharp. Former Fairport drummer
Dave Mattacks and current Fairport fiddler Chris Leslie will also be appearing
as members of Feast of Fiddles, a remarkable ensemble bringing together many of
Britain’ s top fiddle players including Peter Knight (Steeleye Span),Brian
McNeill,Phil Beer and Ian Cutler among others.
Other headline artists include the first family of U.K.folk music
Waterson:Carthy and,from America, Hayseed Dixie who were recently voted Best
Live Festival Band in a poll of British festival-goers following their highly
original barnstorming appearances at many UK festivals during the summer of
2005. Three of Britain’s best solo performers will also be taking to the stage
during the Easter Festival - Scotland’s Brian McNeill will perform a solo
concert as well as appearing with Feast of Fiddles while both Roy Bailey and
Steve Tilston will also appear during the Festival weekend. Some of the finest
young musicians from
throughout the British Isles including the 2005 BBC Radio 2 Young Musician of
the Year Lauren MacColl also appear, while there’s a welcome return for the
sensational young Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis whose star-studded band will
include John McCusker.
The complete lineup can be found on
www.gosportfestival.co.uk
ENDORSE IT IN DORSET, CHEESE & GRAIN,
FROME, SOMERSET – APR 16
It’s not in Dorset, but it’s going to be good – Pronghorn, The Beat and Toupe
are amongst the bands appearing – more details to follow.
NOKIA ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL 2006 –
JUNE 9 – 11
Some big names have already signed for this year’s festival including The
Prodigy, Placebo and Goldfrapp. More details to follow but see the official
website
www.isleofwightfestival.org for booking info.
BLUES ON THE FARM, APPLEDRAM NR
CHICHESTER - JUNE 22 - 25
The first names to be announced for this year’s festival are Popa Chubby,
Sherman Robertson, Marcus Malone & The Gutter Brothers. Watch this space for the
full line-up or see
www.bluesonthefarm.co.uk
SAUL CANAL FESTIVAL & FOLK ON THE WATER
WEEKEND, GLOUCESTERSHIRE - JUNE 30 - JULY 1
Lineup to be announced soon
PRIDDY FOLK FESTIVAL, SOMERSET - JULY 7
- 9
Lineup to be announced soon
LARMER TREE FESTIVAL, TOLLARD ROYAL, NR
SALISBYRY - JULY 13 - 16
First artists to be confirmed in January 2006
TROWBRIDGE VILLAGE PUMP FESTIVAL - JULY
20 - 23
Here are the performers that have been confirmed so far. Watch this space for
constant updates:
THE WATERBOYS - SUZANNE VEGA - ALTAN - WATERSON CARTHY - ELIZA CARTHY & THE
RATCATCHERS - OSIBISA - GRETCHEN PETERS - THE KARINE POLEWART BAND - SHOW OF
HANDS - HANK WANGFORD & REG MEUROSS - JOI - DOGHOUSE SKIFFLE GROUP - MR. LOVE &
JUSTICE - LAST NIGHT'S FUN - MERV GRIST PLAYERS - ZIG A ZAG CAJUN BAND - LOS DE
ABAJO - WAILIN JENNYS - NINE BELOW ZERO - DANA GILLESPIE & HER LONDON BLUES BAND
- MARY FLOWER - ALLAN YN Y FAN - ZYDECOMOTION - KEITH DONNELLY
EASTLEIGH SUMMER FESTIVAL - AUGUST 3 -
6
First bookings to be announced very soon - watch this space!
SIDMOUTH FOLK WEEK, DEVON - AUGUST 4 -
11
Watch this space for artists as they are confirmed
CROPREDY CONVENTION, OXFORDSHIRE -
AUGUST 10 - 12
Acts booked so far include acoustic duo Chris Newman and Máire Ní Chathasaigh
(the renowned Celtic harpist), Feast of Fiddles and legendary folkrock
five-piece Steeleye Span.
WHITE HORSE FOLK FESTIVAL, WANTAGE,
OXFORDSHIRE - AUGUST 18 - 20
Watch this space for artists as they are confimed |
Featured artists:
see POL Articles
The Johnsons
Drakes,
Basingstoke
Sunday January 8
& The Railway Inn, Winchester
Friday January 13
& Central Studio, Basingstoke Saturday January 28
Eileen Rose
The Railway Inn, Winchester
Sunday January 29
Dan Phelps
Havant Arts Centre, Havant
Friday January 20
& Forest Arts,
New
Milton
Friday January 27th
Kevin Montgomery
The Venue,
Ryde IOW
Friday January 13
Richard Thompson
The Anvil, Basingstoke
Friday January 27
Bedouin Soundclash
West End Centre, Aldershot
Saturday January 14 & Wedgewood
Rooms,
Portsmouth
Sunday January 15 |
Southampton's No 1 recording studio
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