Concert and workshop from:

Unstrung Heroes - A classy new Dartmoor-based folk band from a trio of old-timers

GEOFF LAKEMAN:

Duet concertina, vocals and spoons.

Father of a virtual folk dynasty - youngest son is Seth Lakeman, elder brother is Sean who plays guitar in Seth’s band and middle brother is piano-playing Sam who is married to Irish singing sensation Cara Dillon.

Geoff was in a duo with wife Joy - mum of the three Lakeman brothers - on the London circuit. Later they moved to Somerset and played the Bristol clubs and all around the area.. Residents at the renowned Navy pub folk club on Plymouth's historic Barbican and Dartmoor’s Folk on the Moor club, Geoff and Joy were mainstream performers in the south west in the 80s in ‘Dockyard and Warships’.

STEVE POTTER:

Violin and Mandolin.

A regular on the Plymouth/ west country music scene for over 35 years, Steve has played a huge range of music, from Renaissance to rock via morris and barn dances.

Simultaneously playing in top 80s covers band ‘Driven By Italians’ and ceilidh band ’Eddy Stone and The Lighthouses’ after having a number one hit in Portugal with indie band ’The Catholics’, Steve moved on to ‘Mad Dog McRea’ precursors ’My Earthly Twin’ before joining Geoff in ’Speakeasy’.

He is currently the only person living to have played the ‘Crossroads’ theme tune to its star Noelle Gordon from a hot-air balloon and was musician for the first Morris side to dance on Crete! Steve (often with Geoff) has played all over Europe, from all the Celtic nations to Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Lithuania and Latvia.

PETE ACTY:

Six-string guitar and Five-string banjo.

A classic, percussive finger-pick guitarist, Pete is equally at home accompanying English or Irish folk songs and tunes, Appalachian, blues or ragtime. He is a mean American-style frailing banjo player too.

Geoff and Steve were thrilled to discover him "hiding" on their doorstep in the wilds of Dartmoor after about five years away from the music scene.

A long musical career has seen Pete working with names like Ian Giles and Paul Sartin, and he was a founder member of the much-loved folk band, ‘Magpie Lane‘. For years a regular session musician at Oxfordshire’s Woodworm recording studios he’s played on at least 15 albums.

The Unstrung Heroes perform on TV and radio and at many festivals and folk clubs.
Geoff also fronts the hot 20's/30's tin-pan alley trio ‘Speakeasy‘, with Steve Potter and guitarist Steve Redman.

Tel: 01822 852274 Email: lakers@cix.co.uk
Listen to Unstrung Heroes here:
Ye Lovers All


Rambling Miner

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Concert by:

The Whalers

South Devon duo Tony Brooks and Martin Taylor have been performing for many years in pubs and folk clubs. They are known for their humorous "Kipper" songs as well as more traditional singing.

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Ceilidh dance and Concert by:

Slainte Va

Here is a merry band of school teachers, some retired, who are based on the Isle of Wight. This is what they say about themselves:

"What started as a bit of fun after school for some musically minded teachers has developed into a lot of fun over a number of years now. Slainte Va (cheers in Gaelic) have been playing Ceilidh’s and concerts in all sorts of venues, mainly on the Isle of Wight, for 4 years.
We sing traditional Irish and Scottish songs, play dances, reels, jigs and an unusual blend of modern songs that take our fancy, including Lindisfarne, Bob Dylan, Nanci Griffiths and the Pogues!

Our sound blends fiddle, mandola, guitar and a Ukraine accordion, with voices. We have recorded 2 CD’s of our favourite songs and instrumentals.  The band consists of the following:

•    David Weatherston – founder, mentor, guide to all things Irish and Scottish and singer in the style of Ronnie Drew, who now enjoys retirement in gentle      
      Guildford
•    Barry Penn – guitarist and sweet-sounding vocalist, who is still teaching at Ryde School
•    Peter Johnson – treasurer and band nag, who plays mandolin, mandola and sings (thankfully not like Bob Dylan, whose songs he is constantly trying to get the
      band to try), who is also teaching at Ryde
•    Andy Grubb – musical supremo, who fiddles mostly and sings a little, knows all about the notes and also teaches at Ryde
•    Rachel Tweddle – another musically educated teacher, who sings rather beautifully and also teaches at Ryde
•    Nick Postelnyak – our colleague from the Ukraine, who plays the accordion and is fairly new to this music, but who has fitted in very well, also teaching at Ryde
•    Alan Dyson – plays guitar and sings, who has joined us more recently upon retiring to the lovely Isle of Wight
 
We are a mixed bunch, who love making music together and enjoy nothing more than sharing it with folk."
Slainte Va will be providing the music for our ceilidh, and they will be performing a concert over the weekend too.

Here is a taster of their style:
Hot Asphalt


Carolyns Air

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Concert by:

Ian Idris -aka Thomas the Rhymer

We are delighted to be welcoming back Ian for a second year of entertainment.
Acclaimed Folk Artist. His CD´s: Cider with Rosie; and Flow Gently Sweet Afton, are a joy to listen to. He is an extraordinary singer and guitarist, and plays bodhran, didgeridoo, or any percussion object that comes to hand, even a glass!!
It was 1989 when Ian first started singing traditional song & verse. A stream flows through him winding from Irish and Scottish ballads to the shores of traditional English songs and shanties. Binding together to weave a celtic knot.
"Flowing gently to sing thee a song in thy praise”.

****NEW CD's coming soon - The Rose of England (collection of traditional songs) and Lady of Avalon (collection of self-penned songs)*****

Here are 2 samples of his work recorded live at a session in the Bridge Inn:

Cider with Rosie    


The Pony's Prayer 

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Support Performances during both Slainte Va's ceilidh and concert from:

Crokodile Tears

A Coventry based duo of Christopher Sidwell on vocals & guitar and Alf Hardy on guitar, keyboards & drums/bass.
They are a trio in the studio with Amy Mcguigan who sometimes sings live with them .
They describe themselves as being a 'Psychadelic folk band' and people have said that they're as English as a cup of tea! Their songs are the important bit and there are plenty available through i Tunes via the, 'Gullibles Travels' retrospective released a few years back, last years, 'Go for the Jugular' and tracks on the, '25 years of Sonar Music' collection released at the same time. Recently they’ve completed a new album, 'Words of Wisdom?' which will be available for download through iTunes in April just before the festival, and they've also co-written, produced and played on girl band Blush's new album called Blusher which will also be available through iTunes in April. There are songs, videos and photographs on their website and more information.

Here's a sample of their music:
Make U Smile

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We welcome back to the festival for another concert:

Wilderland, AKA Andy Souch

He is a one man band doing full on Irish music.
He has had an excellent review from no less than Shane McGowan  "He mainly takes classic folk songs and rips away any bearded rambler anorak edge they might have been smeared with over the years and puts them back exactly where they belong, with equal helpings of passion and pissed up cheer"   Sounds like the great man himself........!!!!!!!!

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Ross Grant

Here is a talented young artist not to be missed, he may also be accompanied by some fellow musicians.
Aged 20, Ross has been playing violin since he was 5yrs old. He attends East Anglia University of Music, Norwich, studying for a Masters Degree in Music.

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Singing workshops with

Phil de la Haye

Phil de la Haye has many years of singing experience and a great love of acappella harmony singing. She runs a community choir in Thornbury (South Glos) and a singing club at her local primary school.  She is passionate about bringing people of all ages and abilities together to share the enjoyment and exhilaration of singing in harmony.  Phil uses a range of folk, world and gospel music in her workshops.  For more information please visit www.getsinging.co.uk You will also see Phil playing for Rag Morris over the weekend!
One of the singing workshop songs from 2010;

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Bagpipe workshops with

Alec Smith

Alec will be leading some bagpiping workshops throughout the weekend, giving you an opportunity to try your hand at this fantastic instrument!
He will also have a stand in the craft fair, as well as leading the opening and closing processions.

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Storytelling with:

Wildwood Storytellers

Frances Harrison will be leading some more unique storytelling and musical walks around the beautiful Burridge Woods, with help from her husband Howard.

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Last year an energetic bunch from the Midlands danced their socks and clogs off, it is with great pleasure that we will be welcoming them again this year:

Earlsdon Morris 

Earlsdon Morris Men perform traditional North West clog dances.  They are a sociable group who like to dance, sing, travel and be merry. They will be dancing around the town during the weekend.

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We are also being joined by Rag Morris, a side based near Bristol...

Rag Morris

"Rag Morris has acquired its own inimitable style over the last twenty five years - energetic, colourful, comic, a bit 'off-the-wall', certainly never boring and very rarely normal. We wear brilliantly coloured rag shirts and bells. Our repertoire comes from the dances of the Cotswold Hills and the wild Welsh Borders, and we dance with sticks, hankies, bare hands and plastic chickens, to the accompaniment of melodeons, accordions, whistles, drums and strohviols."

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We had a fantastic time last year when Alan was leading sessions, we are delighted that he has not only agreed to be the "front-man" for our poster, but will be coming along to add his own style to our festival for 2010!

Alan Whitbread

Quoted from Alan's biography page:
"My first love is for traditional English song & music but my repertoire also includes some great songs from other traditions and more recent compositions. While I learnt my trade as an unaccompanied singer, I now also relish playing on one of my English concertinas, both on its own and accompanying my singing.
....
The English concertinas I play are my pride and joy, being a Lachenal Tenor/Treble Edeophone with metal ends dated c1920 and a Wheatstone Baritone with wooden ends dated c1903."

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New for 2010 we have some fantastic street performance from:

Betty Peartree and the Dogcatcher