What's the biggest mystery in the world? The building of the pyramids? Some kind of Bodmin Beast or Bristol crocodile? The continual, inexplicable voting in of morons? Or is it that SAM KELLY is not an absolutely massive superstar? As baffling as America's love of Trump is, I'm going with that last one.
Sam Kelly should be a proper pop star, adored by millions. Zillions, even.
As it is, he's won BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, released four brilliant albums, collaborates with loads of great singers (Kate Rusby, Seth Lakeman, Katherine Priddy et al) and has the ability to hold a sold out Downend in the palm of his hand.
He jokes that the opening of his set is "slick", as he tears into a perfect pop/folk version of Little Sadie before sliding into the trad Irishness of Tinker's Poteen. Jamie Francis on banjo and Archie Churchill-Moss on accordion keeping him company, the three of them stirring up a groove that snags at the corner of every mouth in the place until huge smiles light up this April evening. Two songs in, and they are utterly irresistible.
Having visited American roots and traditional Ireland, The King's Shilling is from Scotland but it still has that heart-leap bounce; Churchill-Moss driving a stomp box and Francis getting dizzy on the banjo while Kelly tells a tale as old as time. He is an extraordinary communicator, possessing the kind of voice that makes the oldest of stories relevant, makes you want to lean in as he gathers you towards him. There's warmth to it, a roughness around the edges, an effortless depth.
Across their two sets, Kelly, Francis and Churchill-Moss explore folk and roots to the fullest. There's a stopover in the Appalachian Mountains for Angeline The Baker, and a stroll across the border to Bonny Lass of Fyvie. Both are fabulous. They inspire sing-alongs, more smiling and the unshakable belief that music just doesn't get any better than this.
It's not all trad stuff and unearthed old songs though. Kelly writes a decent song too. The Old Deceiver, from the latest album Dreamers Dawn, is political, taking righteous aim at the rise of populism. If the full band version equates anger with noise then the acoustic version seethes with a gentle fury. Two guitars snap and bite while Kelly expresses bewilderment. Guiding Light is a love song that the Radio 2 masses could easily take to their hearts, it is pop/folk of the very highest order, as good as anything by those earnest young men that seem to sell loads of records. Kelly is quick to point out that it's not about God but it is simply heavenly.
If the songs belong to Kelly then Francis and Churchill-Moss take ownership of the tunes. The Burning Threads/Slip Through Your Fingers are stuffed with joy, forcing the tapping of feet and more of those grins. Damien Mullane's Pop Polkas create a safe space for dancing, compelling the most English of hips to attempt a little shimmy. Banjo and accordion whirl about with total enjoyment, nothing stopping their unrestrained delight.
Kelly reckons that the latest album, Dreamers Dawn, was tricky to write yet it is on the title track that you feel that unmistakable heart-swell, that explosion in your soul. It's a song about the delight we find in music, in folk festivals, in dancing like lunatics. It sums up everything that is brilliant about The Sam Kelly Trio, the banjo, guitar and accordion dancing around a fearsome bass-y stomp while the words remind us of the wonder of this place, of this whole world. It is gloriously, perfectly uplifting.
It would take a seriously good support act to be remembered after that lot. Fortunately this evening was opened by LOU SHEPHERD and she is much better than "seriously good".
A Bristolian singer-songwriter, who is still to release her debut EP, she brings shafts of Laurel Canyon sunlight to this bit of South Gloucestershire. There are hints of Joni Mitchell all over the place. West Winds is a gentle acoustic breeze, light and soft, while Mackerel Skies shimmers with a silvery stillness. There's the unmistakable sparkle of classic songwriting and her voice is, simply, the most beautiful thing.
Rambling ‘til Sunrise has a lazy, freewheeling quality, as carefree as an Amsterdam bicycle wheel while Rise, the title track of that soon-to-be released EP, is full of Who-Knows-Where-the-Time-Goes goodness. There is no doubt that, as soon as the EP comes out, Shepherd will take her place as one of Bristol's "ones to watch" for 2026.
In a world which is, more often than you'd like, mightily confusing, it's so good to know that brilliant music will always be there to help us feel better. Now, all we need is for Sam Kelly and Lou Shepherd to be megastars.
Words: Gavin McNamara
Photos: Chris Dobson
Photos: Chris Dobson
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The top quality folk music continues to flow through South Gloucestershire as SAM KELLY brings his trio to headline our concert on Friday 17 April, where he will be joined on the bill by a fast-rising local star.
Sam Kelly is a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winning musician, singer, songwriter, and producer from Norfolk. Described by legendary folk broadcaster Mike Harding as “one of my favourite singers ever” and by Cara Dillon as “an amazing singer with so much soul”, Sam has become one of the most accomplished and well-respected performers on the UK folk scene, with an impressive discography of four full length solo albums, as well as numerous other collaborative works.
As an accompanist on guitar and Irish bouzouki, his portfolio includes playing with the likes of Kate Rusby, Seth Lakeman, John McCusker, Phil Beer, and Katherine Priddy. Sam has become respected by peers and audiences alike as a unique and innovative arranger and pioneer of traditional folk song. Joining Sam on stage at Downend will be long-term collaborator Jamie Francis and one of the finest musicians on the UK folk and roots scene at the moment, Archie Churchill-Moss.
Opening the evening will be Bristol-based contemporary folk singer LOU SHEPHERD. Lou is a rising folk singer-songwriter whose emotive voice - "moss-soft and sun-tinged" (Bristol 24/7, FATEA) - has confirmed her place as one of the UK’s most exciting emerging folk artists. With her compelling storytelling rooted deeply in nature and connection, Lou’s poetic lyrical perspectives, immersive soundscapes and commanding melodies cast ‘Laurel Canyon Shadows’, with the ‘quiet determination of a seedling seeking the light’. (Bristol 24/7, FATEA).
Tickets for the concert, which takes place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND on Friday 17 April 2026, are available online HERE. They are priced at £15 each in advance or £17 on the door. Doors open at 7.00pm and the music starts around 7.45pm. This event is also included in the Summer Season Ticket.
There will be a bar, stocking cider, soft drinks, wine, hot drinks and real ale from Bristol’s HOP UNION BREWERY. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own glass/mug/tankard, as well as reusable bottles for water, as part of the drive to be more environmentally aware; there is a 50p discount for those that do. There will also be sweet treats available at the bar courtesy of Radstock-based THE GREAT CAKE COMPANY, as well as a prize draw, which helps to fund the support artists for each concert.
After the success of the ceilidh during our 10th Anniversary Celebration in 2024, we are delighting to announce that we will sign off for the Summer break with another dance and supper, in partnership with CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND.
As before, we welcome Bristol's finest ceilidh band, THE MOLECATCHERS, while a fish & chip supper will also be provided by Downend's own GOOD FRYDAYS. The meal is included in the ticket price. Anyone requiring an alternative meal should contact us before booking.
Tickets for the ceilidh, which takes place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND on Friday 17 July 2026, are available online HERE, as well as from CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND Parish Office and Downend Cards and Gifts. They are priced at £15 each (£10 under-18s if accompanied by a paying adult), in advance only, and are strictly limited to 100. Doors open at 7.00pm supper will be served at 7.30pm and the dancing will begin at around 8.00pm. Please note that this event is not included in our Summer Season Ticket and is a stand-alone event in partnership with CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND.
There will be a bar, stocking cider, soft drinks, wine, hot drinks and real ale from Bristol’s HOP UNION BREWERY. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own glass/mug/tankard, as well as reusable bottles for water, as part of the drive to be more environmentally aware; there is a 50p discount for those that do. There will also be sweet treats available at the bar courtesy of Radstock-based THE GREAT CAKE COMPANY.
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