Folk and Roots now have a page on the growing 'Myspace' community, visit us here
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Welcome to Folk and Roots
A guide to the folk and acoustic scene, with information about UK folk gigs, folk concerts, folk festivals and hundreds of links! |
Folk and Roots lists hundreds of folk, roots and acoustic events every month, click on the calendar to the right for events this month or the events guide for events listed for the months ahead as well.
If you want to have your events included in the guide please drop us a note via email...
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 Rod Picott and Amanda Shires are currently touring, writing, and recording in anticipation of their collaborative debut release, titled ‘Sew Your Heart With Wires’, due in October 2008.
At 16 Amanda Shires was playing fiddle with The Texas Playboys, from there, Shires went on to be one of the founding members of Lubbock’s Thrift Store Cowboys. Amanda has worked with Texas legends Billy Joe Shaver, and Gary P Nunn as well as Folk/Bluegrass favourites The Rowen Brothers.
In 1994 Rod Picott moved to Nashville, TN. where he established himself as one of the better new writers in town as well as opening shows for Alison Krauss and Union Station and Gillian Welch. Picott’s debut release, “Tiger Tom Dixon’s Blues” received airplay from Bob Harris on the BBC, and Music Row magazine’s Robert Oermann called the debut, “the birth of a major, major artist”. 2002’s “Straydogs” featured a guest appearance from Alison Krauss. Released in November 2004, “Girl From Arkansas” brought Picott’s eye for lyric detail and whiskey-voiced delivery together with a newfound intimacy.
See www.myspace.com/rodpicottandamandashires for details of their October dates.
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 Wetherby Festival presents 'Folk in the Fall' - an exciting weekend of the best in contemporary folk and acoustic music!
On Friday 31 October and Saturday 1 November, join us for ‘Folk in the Fall’ - a brilliant programme featuring some of the friendliest, most gifted young musicians on the UK’s thriving contemporary folk scene. We’ve scoured the UK to bring you the best singer-songwriters - their gift for story-telling, their honesty, and their songcraft will enthral and move you. We’re even bringing you the beautiful Gaelic songs of the Western Isles. We’ve invited the very best instrumentalists too - you’ll be delighted by harp, flute, Highland and Northumbrian pipes, guitar, nyckelharpa, bouzouki, fiddle, concertina, accordion, and much, much more.
See www.wetherbyfestival.co.uk for details.
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Arty McGlynn, Chris Newman, Nollaig Casey, Máire Ní Chathasaigh
 Two renowned duos. Two gifted sisters. Two extraordinary guitarists. A multi-faceted, unique quartet…
Two of the most important names in Irish music, legendary guitarist Arty McGlynn (ex Van Morrison band, Planxty, Patrick Street, Dé Danann…) and virtuoso fiddler Nollaig Casey (ex Planxty and Coolfin), who between them have played with every major Irish artist of the last thirty years, will be joined by brilliant, innovative harper Máire Ní Chathasaigh, Irish Traditional Musician of the Year 2001, and Britain’s finest flat-picking guitarist Chris Newman for special one-off tour of the UK and Ireland in October. The tour marks the release of their extraordinary new CD, ‘Heartstring Sessions’, a long-planned and cherished project. The combination of “blazing guitar and dancing harp” (Dirty Linen), coupled with Chris’s “subversively witty introductions” (The West Australian), Nollaig’s “exquisite fiddle-playing and superb vocals” (The Irish Times) and Arty’s rhythmic genius, promises musical riches of no common order. Unmissable.
See www.oldbridgemusic.com for details.
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 'shivering, hollering, edgy, dark, delightful, disturbing, involving, beautifully phrased, acoustic music' - the living tradition
‘imagine laura viers’ immersion in the natural world combined with michelle shocked’s dedication to the political’ - time out
'absolutely superb, memorable... i love her songs, i love her way' - bob harris
'perfect understatement - not an extraneous word or note' - karine polwart
Kirsty McGee and Matt Martin are touring in support of the release of 'the kansas sessions' throughout September and October, see www.kirstymcgee.com for details.
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 Dundee's Festival of Traditional Music
Fest’n’Furious takes place over Dundee's October Holiday weekend, traditionally known as The Fast. Dundee's traditional music festival, it celebrates roots music in a programme of live music, concerts, workshops, master classes, community performances and talks in venues throughout the city. The festival aims to showcase the thriving local music community as well as engage with the most innovative international artists. The traditions of the city are related to its industrial heritage and influenced by the ballads and songs of the farm workers and berry pickers of the countryside in Angus, Perthshire & Fife. This is Fest'n'Furious's unique quality, the traditions of song, and the edginess and dark humour of the city. For 2008 the live music programme includes Session A9 & the Young Trad Tour, Koshka, Duo Lisme, Concerto Caledonia, the Mick West Band, a Youth Stage, a Choired for Sound stage which includes 6 choirs from Scotland and the rest of the UK performing their own sets and then singing work together in 'The Big Sing', as well as a festival Ceilidh.
For more information visit www.festnfurious.co.uk
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 “Think of traditional African-American music, and the genres that come to mind are gospel, blues and jazz; few people think of old-time string band music. But the antebellum combination
of banjo and fiddle used to be a tradition in most black rural communities in the South. The Carolina Chocolate Drops, a band of three young and talented musicians, are recognized as leading the revival of this venerable musical tradition. The Carolina Chocolate
Drops honed their skills under the tutelage of octogenarian fiddler Joe Thompson, a North Carolinian said to be the last black traditional string band player. Thompson, who grew up playing at barn dances, “frolics” and corn shuckings, wound up performing in venues
across the country, including Carnegie Hall."
The Carolina Chocolate Drops have a number of dates in mid November, see carolinachocolatedrops.com for details.
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 "Songwriter competition won by a young lady - Wendy Arrowsmith - tremendous song and what a voice and performance .I think we're destined to hear more of her voice and guitar - brilliant singer - a gem."
Wendy Arrowsmith has a number of dates from February onwards, visit www.wendyarrowsmith.com for details.
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This page last updated 27th September 2008
Events Guide updated frequently
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"Michael Rossiter, David Broad and Serious Sam Barrett will be touring the UK in November playing the finest in folk, blues and country"