Tamworth Bluegrass
9-13 June 2016 Bolehall Manor Club, Tamworth, B77 1PN
LINEUP
The Allen Family Band
The Allen Family are a bluegrass and old time music playing family. The youngest member is Geary, playing guitar and banjo. Toby plays double bass. Ruby sings in her own unique style and says Johnny Cash is her biggest influence. Josh sings and plays guitar, banjo and fiddle in the old time way. Pete, from New Mexico, started his musical career around 1970 playing fiddle, guitar and singing in a trio called the "Allen Brothers" with his brother Phil Allen on banjo and Earl Pitman on bass. http://allenfamilyband.com/
The Back Room Band
The Back Room Band is a brand new musical venture, comprising the eclectic musical and vocal skills of Phil Burchell, Karen Ritson, Clodagh Reynolds and Ric Cecconi. Having worked closely in different guises with Karen, Clodagh and Ric respectively, Phil has brought his favourite (!!) musical partners together to create a new band, who are very much looking forward to performing at Tamworth.
The Corn Potato String Band (USA)
The Corn Potatos have delighted audiences with their driving fiddle tunes and harmonious singing across the US, Canada, Europe, Mexico, and India. They are all multi-instrumentalists dedicated to continuing the music and dance traditions of the Central and Southern US. In addition to being champion fiddlers they play banjo, guitar, bass and mandolin and deftly handle many different antiquated styles including ballads, “ho-downs,” country “rags” and southern gospel, specializing in twin fiddling and double banjo tunes
The Down County Boys
The Down County Boys are one of the longest established and best loved bluegrass bands in the UK – tracing their roots back to 1964. The current line up features Peter Parker on fiddle, father and son Mick (bass/vocals) and Chris (banjo) Cooper and Ray Duffy on lead vocals guitar and mandolin.
Flat Mountian Family
Hailing from ...., in the East of England, Flat
The Goat Roper Rodeo Band
Roll up Roll up – It’s Showtime ! It’s the Greatest show on earth. You thought you knew country music, well, think again ! 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…they look great, sound great and they’ve got a bunch of absolutely brilliant songs !… and that’s the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…amen.
Hanks Company Band
Introducing ‘Hanks Company Band’ ..a pure acoustic country blues duo with an intimate ‘live’ show of the most tender, dark and beautiful country blues. With just an old guitar humming softly beneath their delicate, lonesome, harmonies, ‘Hanks Company Band’ perform a real bare bones ride of bitter sweet country heartache and raw, foot tapping honky tonk blues.
Hogranch
Hogranch
Jaywalkers
Since reaching the finals of the BBC Young Folk Awards in 2008, Jaywalkers have cemented their place as one of the most exciting, virtuosic and entertaining young bands working on the British Folk scene. Effortlessly creating a unique sound based on their collective and individual musical backgrounds, the band takes influence from Folk, Bluegrass, Country and Western Swing music in the form of virtuosic instrumentals, three part harmony and impressive slap bass. Add good humour, tasteful arrangements and exceptional musicianship to the mix and they are guaranteed to put a smile on your face…. The music Jaywalkers create is innovative, rooted deeply in tradition, and exhilarating.
Motorcity Stringband
The Motorcity Stringband play hard driving traditional, popular and original bluegrass music. Based in the Midlands, this four piece band consists of Andrew Friesen on banjo and vocals, Paul Ceney, mandolin and vocals, Peter Ainsworth, Bass and vocals and Paul Elliker, Guitar and vocals. There's never a dull moment when they take the stage and Paul's jokes are legendary (not necessarily for any comical content).
Jeni and Billy (USA)
There are two kinds of music – the blues and Zip A Dee Doo Dah. That's what Townes Van Zandt said. But there is a third kind, which finds the best parts of both of those kinds of music and turns it into something seamlessly American and wonderful. That third kind is Jeni & Billy music. Jeni and Billy's stunningly original music is as old as the hills, yet brand new at the same time. Jeni is a true poet and a born storyteller, through and through -- many of her songs contain whole novels.
See more at: http://www.jeniandbilly.com/bio/#sthash.1WMPRVYL.dpuf.
New Essex Bluegrass Band
Since 1994 the New Essex Bluegrass Band has enjoyed over twenty-one years as perhaps the most traditional sounding of all the UK bluegrass bands. From the outset they adopted the single microphone for its stage sound, and have inspired many of the other British bands to do the same. With the addition of a fiddle player in 2005 they continue to delight, not only UK festival audiences from Guildtown in Scotland to Newquay in Cornwall and Conwy, The Gower and Llangollen in Wales, but also European audiences in Holland, France, Germany and Ireland, showing how authentic bluegrass should be performed.
The Percy Three
Percy Copley, Jason Titley and Alice Coleman make up Percy Three, playing straight ahead bluegrass songs and tunes for your listening pleasure.
Percy has spent the last 24 years playing and singing at a well known American theme park in France. He has also been a frequent visitor to festivals near and far with The Hillbilly Hiccups, Field and Thompson and The Flatland Mountaineers (who came third in the 2015 EWOB competition). Jason is well known for his rock solid guitar playing and his band the Jason Titley Collective, and his excellent solo album Still Rollin'. Alice has been playing bass since she was big enough to hold one, and has played with the likes of A Band Like Alice, The Hillbilly Hiccups and Field and Thompson amongst others.
The Reckless Abandoners
Based in Yorkshire, Maria Wallace has been singing for a few years now, and in 2015 she finally recruited a bunch of talented bluegrass musicians to form The Reckless Abandoners. Maria’s soulful voice can be big and bluesy or sweet and clear as the song demands, but it’s always distinctive. The collective features many familiar faces from the bluegrass scene, and the line up at Tamworth will include Phil Stott on mandolin/harmony vocals, Julie Cross on double bass, Mark Gibbons on guitar Bruno Pichler on dobro and Eleanor Wilkie on fiddle. The band’s repertoire includes several of Maria’s original songs as well as a selection of traditional standards and creative covers, ranging across bluegrass, old time country and a touch of blues.
The Rocky Road Pilgrims
The band was formed to play bluegrass gospels, by commited Christians Brian Dowdall, guitar and vocals and Philip Lewis, mandolin and vocals. Peter Viner, banjo, was soon involved, as was Lizzie Bee, a classically trained violinist. Richard Loeber, bass and tenor vocals, filled the final place. The band name was thought of by Sarah Poole, a dear friend and sister.
Slippery Hill Boys
From soulful, close harmony songs to blisteringly fast bluegrass classics The Slippery Hill Boys are a must for all lovers of Americana. There's quite a bit of swapping around of instruments - it's rare to have one highly talented banjo player in a band, let alone two, one of whom doubles as a fine flatpicker, Mandolin and bass player. Though the guys may think they're in Kentucky, The Slippery Hill Boys are based in North Staffordshire, England.
The Anker Valley Boys
Last, but not least, our very own local band. Formed some 4 years ago by friends playing together at the Tamworth Folk Club every Friday night. Their name is derived from the River Anker, which runs directly behind the clubhouse. You might see a familiar face in the band if you look hard enough!
