Our promise to bring some of the country’s top emerging folk talent to the area continues this month as we feature highly-rated duo ALEX CUMMING & NICOLA BEAZLEY.

Alex & Nicola are an exciting box & fiddle duo performing both songs and tunes from around England. They are both recent graduates of the Newcastle University Folk and Traditional Music Degree and were New Roots Finalist in 2014.

The last couple of years has seen Alex & Nicola build up a great reputation performing at some top venues and festivals including Towersey Village Festival, Whitby Folk Week, Sidmouth Folk Week, Bromyard Folk Festival, Sage Gateshead and more. Their show at Downend Folk Club is part of a nationwide tour to launch their much-anticipated debut album ‘Across The Water’.

With Alex's rhythmic danceable accordion style & strong voice and Nicola's stunning and gutsy fiddle playing, the duo create a big sound and give a new voice to the wonderful canon of English Folk Music.

"...their instrumental skills are wonderful" - Folk Radio UK

Alex Cumming started to learn Piano Accordion when he was six years old and has now become a regular on the English folk scene as an Accordionist, Singer and Ceilidh Caller. As well as performing with Nicola Beazley, Alex performs and records with vocal quartet, The Teacups, BBC Folk Award Nominee Ange Hardy, up and coming band KARA and ceilidh band Dyer:Cumming's. Alex has performed across the country at many top festivals, folk clubs and venues as well as appearing on BBCs Edwardian Farm, BBC Radio 2, and hosting his own folk show on Newcastle Student Radio.

“Highly skilled at their craft” – cloggin.co.uk

Nicola Beazley started learning the violin at the age of seven, and since then has been performing as a folk musician in many different guises across Europe. With her six-peice band, Ceol Tire, Nicola has toured the Czech Republic, Germany and Ireland with their debut album ‘Aeroplane Seats’, and has also performed on BBC Radio Lancashire’s Folk show The Drift. Nicola also plays with a Newcastle based harp, dulcimer and fiddle trio, Speldosa, and alongside performing with Alex Cumming, Nicola has performed, called ceilidhs and taught at many of the big Folk Festivals and Clubs. Nicola currently lives in Sheffield and works with folk organisation Soundpost.

Opening the show at the club’s regular home of Frenchay Village Hall will be local favourites ROAD NOT TAKEN… or three of them anyway! With regular members Joe Hamlen and Claire Stobie enjoying a well-earned holiday, the original trio of Anita Dobson (vocals, kalimba), Ant Miles (guitar, harmonium, piano, mountain dulcimer, backing vocals) and Joe Brydon (slide guitar, harmonica, bouzouki) will kick off the evening by trying out a selection of new songs ahead of some high-profile local headline shows later this year.

The concert will be held on Friday 19th August at Frenchay Village Hall. Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8.00pm start, and there will be a full bar, serving GWB real ales, Severn Cider, a selection of wines, soft drinks and tea and coffee. You are encouraged to bring your own glass/tankard/mug as part of the club’s drive to cut down on waste. There will also be a raffle featuring some great prizes.

Tickets are available from Melanie’s Kitchen and online HERE. They are priced at £11 each, but if you buy before Friday 12th August they’ll cost you just £9 as part of the ‘Early Bird’ scheme. Members tickets are a bargain £8 each and are available direct from Ant Miles or from the Members area of the website.