The fact that tickets for our September event are already well on the way to selling out will come as no shock when you hear that the headliners are the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-nominated LEVERET.
The trio features three of England's finest folk musicians in an exciting collaboration. Andy Cutting, Sam Sweeney and Rob Harbron are each regarded as masters of their instrument and are involved in numerous collaborations with a huge range of artists. Together their performances combine consummate musicianship, compelling delivery and captivating spontaneity.
Leveret's music is firmly rooted in the English tradition but sounds fresh and new, with original settings of ancient tunes sitting alongside new compositions by some of today's finest tunesmiths in the folk field. Their music is not arranged at all in the conventional sense; instead it is played entirely in the moment, combining consummate musicianship, compelling delivery and captivating spontaneity in a sound which feels both timeless and contemporary. The material may come from archive sources and manuscripts, but there is nothing academic or historical about the sound; it's warm, listenable, engaging and refreshing.
“You won't find English folk music played better than this.” - R2
Fiddler Sam Sweeney is a former BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 'Musician of the Year', thanks to his work in Bellowhead, Eliza Carthy's Wayward Band, The Full English and his own Made In The Great War project. Melodeon genius Andy Cutting is the current holder of that award (for the third time, no less!), and as well as his new trio with Martin Simpson and Nancy Kerr currently performs with Blowzabella, Topette, June Tabor and Roger Daltry. Concertina wizard Rob Harbron is known for his work with The Full English (Best Group and Best Album BBC Folk Awards 2014), Emma Reid, Fay Hield, Jon Boden and others.
“Three of England's finest traditional players weaving exquisite tapestries out of old and new tunes. Just sublime. I can't recommend seeing them live enough.” - Verity Sharp, BBC Radio 3
The English folk tradition has not always valued its instrumental repertoire as highly as some of our neighbours, and yet the tunes exist in their thousands in manuscripts and archives. For every tune in current circulation, there are dozens more that are waiting to be rediscovered, and Leveret's music has helped inspire a growing interest in instrumental music. A Leveret gig is a current and contemporary performance of English repertoire by three top-notch instrumentalists with deep roots in the tradition.
“Classy players … their intuitive way with tunes is glorious” - Mojo
Opening the show at the club’s larger venue at Christ Church Downend will be THE HUT PEOPLE, a duo who are constantly gaining more of reputation as one of the most entertaining acts to appear on the folk scene in a long while.
In their surprisingly engaging and often hilarious show, they perform a truly unique high-octane blend of folk music from around the world - perfectly formed & embellished with a foot stomping accordion and mind-boggling array of exotic percussion (with some Quebecois foot percussion & dancing thrown in for good measure too!).
The concert will be held on Friday 16th September at Christ Church Downend. Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8.00pm start, and there will be a full bar, serving Hambrook-based GREAT WESTERN BREWING CO. 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 our drive to cut down on waste. There will also be a raffle featuring some great prizes including CDs, beer and more.
Tickets are available from MELANIE'S KITCHEN in Downend, BRISTOL TICKET SHOP and online here. They are priced at £14 each, but if you buy before Friday 9th September they’ll cost you just £12 as part of the ‘Early Bird’ scheme. Members tickets are a bargain £10 each and are available direct from Ant Miles or from the Members Only area of this website.