We are thrilled to welcome back one of the most popular duos to have appeared during our eight year history, as JACOB & DRINKWATER return to headline this month following their first appearance back in 216. It’s been too long, but this concert was rescheduled twice due to you-know-what!
Jacob & Drinkwater have been called “stand out new folk” by BBC6 Music with their live show described as “intense and spellbinding” by Folk Radio UK. They formed in 2014 playing their first gig together at the iconic Glastonbury Festival.
The duo’s dynamic and emotionally charged live show with all its energy, musical chemistry and spontaneity has drawn comparisons with the virtuosic pairing of John Martyn and Danny Thompson. Tobias ben Jacob's sweeping vocals never fail to captivate, delivering many a spine- tingling moment; the fluidity and precision of his finger-picking underpinned by Lukas Drinkwater's nimbly rhythmic double bass; at times sweetly soaring, haunting, percussive and driving, the layers of depth a perfect counterfoil. The added complement of stirring vocal harmonies nicely rounds off the mix.
Jacob & Drinkwater’s latest album More Notes from the Field, released October 2021, is an exploration of the theme of friendship and connection through song. Written and developed remotely between the duo’s lockdown homes in Bydgoszcz, Poland and Stroud, Gloucestershire, Tobias & Lukas made their most ambitious recording to date. It has been met with glowing reviews from Folk Radio UK, Fatea and Folking, was playlisted by US-based Americana magazine ‘No Depression’ on a ‘best of 2021’ list and included in Folk Radio UK’s Top 100 albums of 2021. More Notes from the Field was described as “..beguiling, lyrical, and perfectly attuned..” by Songlines magazine in a rave review.
Joining Jacob & Drinkwater on the bill will be FILKIN'S DRIFT, who will get the music underway with a 25-minute set at 7.45pm.
Meeting in the multicultural city of Birmingham, the duo weave together intricate melodies from the folklore of their homes, Wales and Gloucestershire. Their music combines the traditional and the contemporary, blending fiddle, guitar, harmonium and mandolin with their close vocal harmonies. Ornate interplay between two fretted instruments conjures up a Baroque soundworld; meanwhile their foot-stomping fiddle and guitar tunes have been igniting audiences across the UK.
Tickets for the event, which takes place at Christ Church Downend on Friday 21 October 2022, 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 music 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.
For further information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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We just wanted to update you on our Christmas concert this year. We were planning to welcome Belshazzar's Feast on Friday 16 December, but due to the very sad and untimely death of Paul Sartin last month, we clearly had to think again. Obviously our thoughts are with Paul's family and friends, and bandmate Paul Hutchinson, at this inexpressibly sad time.
But we're pleased to announce that JACKIE OATES & JOHN SPIERS have agreed to step into the breach and perform for us, bringing a selection of festive songs and tunes. This feels like the most appropriate booking possible; Jackie was a great friend of Paul's, and John was, of course, a Bellowhead band-mate. COOPER & TOLLER will still get the evening underway with a short set before Jackie and John take to the stage.
All tickets for Belshazzar's Feast remain valid for this concert, including season tickets. Refunds are available by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you'd prefer. This concert will be at a slightly cheaper price point that the original concert, at £15 in advance and £17 on the door. Anyone holding a Belshazzar's Feast ticket can apply for a refund of the difference, claim credit at our bar, or they may like to leave the difference as an extra "tip" for Jackie and John.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Huge thanks to Jackie and John for stepping in, and to Claire Patterson at GOOD HONEST MUSIC for helping us arrange this replacement at a difficult time.
We are thrilled to reveal that CHRIS ELLIOTT & CAITLIN JONES are the recipients of the inaugural CLIFF WOOLLEY MEMORIAL AWARD.
All of our support artists from September 2021 to July 2022 were automatically entered into the award, and after a close public vote and input from Cliff's wife Gaynor, the West Midlands based duo were chosen as the first winners.
Chris & Caitlin receive a small bursary, and will also headline THE CLIFF WOOLLEY MEMORIAL CONCERT in January, where they will be joined on the bill by Bristol Morris Men and The Magnificent AKs… two groups with whom Cliff loved to dance and sing. This concert will take place on Friday 20th January 2023 at Christ Church Downend, and tickets will go on-sale along with the rest of the Spring programme in mid-October.
The award has been created to honour the memory of our dear friend Cliff Woolley, who sadly passed away last Summer. Cliff was a long-serving member of our committee, membership co-ordinator, bar volunteer and much, much more.
Cliff was a passionate music lover and could most often be found, with his wife Gaynor, at many concerts around Bristol and beyond, at loads of festivals. And if he wasn't singing, dancing or listening to music, he was usually talking about it (or about his other passion, Aston Villa FC (hence the colour scheme!). His musical tastes were very diverse; from Jethro Tull and Neil Young through to Jackie Oates and Martin Carthy.
He remains sadly missed, but we’re thrilled to be able to do something to reflect Cliff's passionate support of emerging talent on the folk scene.
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