This month’s headliners at Downend Folk & Roots’ monthly concert are a duo widely regarded as two of the best players and innovators in traditional folk amongst a precociously gifted generation.
TOM MOORE & ARCHIE MOSS’ finely-crafted arrangements wield a rare potency. Now, having toured with with some of the biggest and brightest acts in the British folk scene, they reconvene to perform as duo. Their second record Spectres further unites the deep and resolute harmony of Archie Moss’s accordion with the texture and flow of Tom Moore’s viola; with droning, whirring, sparkling layers of electro-acoustic grit provoking a subtle complexity of palette.
Whilst intrinsically borrowing from English and other European traditional dance form, sonically Tom and Archie have their heads firmly in the present, understanding the values of contemporary music and art making. The distinct pulse and intuition of trad-music haunts their playing as they continue to quietly reconsider English instrumental music, listening and responding to the world around them as much as their musical ancestors.
Joining Tom and Archie on the bill will be a familiar face, long-time friend of Downend Folk & Roots, MIKE WEAVER. Mike is a singer-songwriter originally from Cheltenham, but now living in Worcestershire. He is a writer and illustrator by day and an acoustic performer by night, presenting his own melodic songs which draw upon both contemporary and traditional influences.
His 2019 release A Moment In Time is a collection of tunes and songs which reflect upon childhood, the ageing process and indelible memories of life and love. Numerous tracks from the CD have featured on UK, Irish, Amercian and Canadian digital channels, as well as BBC local radio stations in the Midlands and West of England.
Tickets for the concert, which takes place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND on Friday 17 February 2023, are available online HERE and from MELANIE'S KITCHEN in Downend (cash only). They are priced at £14 each in advance or £16 on the door. Doors open at 7.30pm and the entertainment starts around 7.45pm.
There will be a bar, stocking cider, soft drinks, wine, hot drinks and locally-brewed real ale from locally-based 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 the Radstock-based GREAT CAKE COMPANY, as well as a prize draw, which helps to fund the support artists for each concert.