The Salts return to the Beach at Hastings for more Shanty Folk Rock

Oysterband: 40th Celebration Special Classic songs from every era of a long and mighty career

Oysterband was born in the summer of 1977 when the sound of punk rock rang loud from the radio, disaffection became the order of the day and riots filled the streets of Thatcherite Britain. There were many on the UK folkscene who felt the same urge for similar challenges and change in their own music and lives, and Oysterband’s hard-edged music and performances amply filled those needs. They brought passion, and not a little poetry to folk and roots music, but also a welcome power and energy.

Through the intervening four decades, they have remained at the cutting edge of the folkscene, exploring their songs and tunes in various line-ups that run the gamut from hard rock ambience to a more tradangled acoustic trio. What they have retained throughout, however, is their own distinctive sound and approach to folk and roots music.

The multi-award-winning outfit is now entering its 40th year, as vital and creative as ever, with some of the finest songs in the modern folk canon to their name: Put Out The Lights; When I’m Up (I Can’t Get Down); Blood Wedding; Everywhere I Go; The Oxford Girl; Granite Years; Native Son… plus many others from their vast back catalogue that will be featured in performance during a year of touring and festivals from summer 2017 into 2018. A unique and fiercely independent career celebrated.

On this tour, the band will play two sets each night, one featuring their highly-influential album Holy Bandits in its entirety, the second a selection of older gems from their vast back catalogue of songs such as Hal-an-Tow, Love Vigilantes, 20th of April, Bells of Rhymney, Bright Morning Star as well as some of the finest new songs in the modern folk repertoire.

Oysterband still play with a spirit of the punk ceilidh band of 1977, the one that roared through people’s lives all those years ago, but the growing depth and sensitivity of their songwriting, coupled with the strength of John Jones’ voice and their remarkable musicianship, have lifted the music into a richer, more acoustic era.

Their occasional collaboration with folk diva June Tabor has produced two cult-classic award-winning albums, Freedom & Rain and Ragged Kingdom. The latter and their hugely influential album Holy Bandits were voted nos. 4 and 5 among the Ten Best Albums of the last 30 years by the public in a poll by fRoots Magazine in 2016. The band is no stranger to TV – they have appeared on Later... With Jools Holland and the BBC Folk Awards shows – but there is no better way to sample the magic of what the band does best, than by catching them live on stage at one of their 2017 tour dates.

Oysterband is:

John Jones - voice, melodeon

Alan Prosser - guitars, voice

Ian Telfer - violin, voice

Al Scott - bass, mandolin, voice

Adrian Oxaal - cello, voice

and the newest member, formerly of Bellowhead,

Pete Flood - drums, voice

MERRY HELL: BIOGRAPHY As proud purveyors of energized folk-rock and original songs MERRY HELL prepare to release their fourth albumBloodlines on 1st November, here’s the story of the band so far… MERRY HELL is an eight-piece folk-rock group with a history, a pedigree and a bright future. Founded in their England in 2010, they have risen to become festival favourites, their albums finding favour with critics, broadcasters and music fans alike. The band was forged in the smouldering embers of 90s folk/punk band, ‘The Tansads’. Following an emotional series of reunion concerts in 2010, its members chose to re-take the stage under a new name in order to reflect their new impetus, new songs and new members. While MERRY HELL retains a nucleus of five former ‘Tansads’ members, brothers John, Bob and Andrew Kettle (guitar, mandolin and vocals respectively), along with keyboard player Lee Goulding and drummer Andy Jones, the addition of vocalist Virginia Kettle (wife of John) helped create a new identity, purpose and spirit in their music. Her prolific, ingenious and insightful song writing has perfectly complemented a group which has taken particular pride in penning original material (Bob, John and Lee have also been consistent contributors of new songs). Bassist Nick Davies has since offered his rock-solid sense of rhythm and perceptive musicianship to the service of the band. The current line-up was completed by fiddle player Neil McCartney, a school friend and teenage bandmate of the Kettle brothers. He returned home to Wigan after a musical career which saw him enjoy hit records and tour the world with ‘The Big Geraniums’. His violin virtuosity has added yet more colour and texture to MERRY HELL’s rich and emotive sound. The group have continued to develop their reputation as on-stage favourites, enjoying appearances at many prestigious festivals. They have released 5 self-produced videos, including a film celebrating their live energy and the exuberance of their fans. October, 2011 saw the release of their debut album, BLINK.. and you miss it to universally excellent reviews. Their second album, Head Full of Magic, Shoes Full of Rain, was released in May, 2013 to similar critical acclaim, gaining 5 star reviews, album of the year nominations and awards. Increasingly widespread radio airplay, especially on the specialist folk/roots shows, was also gratefully received. March, 2015 saw the release of MERRY HELL's third album, There’s A Ghost In Our House and other stories..., to even greater critical enthusiasm both at home and, increasingly, around the world. The completion of the Bloodlines album represents the band’s most mature and innovative work to date. Its call for togetherness as the antidote for personal and political division will resonate with existing fans and new listeners alike. THE MEMBERS OF MERRY HELL ARE:

Andrew Kettle: Vocals Virginia Kettle: Vocals John Kettle: Guitar Bob Kettle: Mandolin, Bouzouki Nick Davies: Bass Lee Goulding: Keyboards Neil McCartney: Fiddle Andy Jones: Drums

There may only be two members with the same surname, but The Dunwells are very much a band of brothers. Consisting of two siblings, the hardworking duo from Leeds are preparing to release their new album SOMETHING IN THE WATER, which will be released in September 2019.

The album features NOTHING LEFT and ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY, previously released tracks which set the tone for another beautifully crafted album.

Joe Dunwell and his elder brother Dave grew up in a musical household and fondly recall flipping through their dad’s Bob Dylan and Beatles records, as well as hearing their mum singing along to Motown.

The Dunwells’ songwriting has grown over the years since school, enriched by extensive US and UK touring in support of the band’s 2013 debut, Blind Sighted Faith. Memorable moments included an appearance on Late Night With Jay Leno and performances at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Fest and the Bonnaroo Festival, as well as sold out shows across the UK.

The Dunwells followed that success with the release of Light Up the Sky in 2016, an album which included the song Communicate, which has over 2.5m Spotify streams.

The Yorkshire band then released the Colour My Mind EP in 2017 before a break to put together album number 3, Something in the Water, due for release in September 2019.

The process saw the Dunwell brothers craft the album from start to finish, said Joe “This time when we started recording, it came together very quickly as we used our own recording studio here in Leeds to produce the whole record. We did this over the course of two months. The reality is that the songs for this album were taken from a much larger collection of music that we have written over the last three years.”

The Dunwells announced a tour for October 2019, which sees them take in 15 shows marking the release.

Lizzy is a young musician who draws on her vast folk and acoustic influences to give her music a new and interesting twist. She is a seasoned performer, having gigged and taken part in competitions around the country. Her folky yet soulful voice matched with delicate guitar and lyrical songs makes her one not to miss. She starting giving regularly at her local folk clubs and festivals in 2018 and hopes to go from strength to strength.

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