Sometimes the frequent gig goer gets lucky and catches a big performance with a full band in a smaller, more intimate venue that results in a truly fabulous night. Rhiannon Giddens, on her latest tour, was clearly playing to 1000+ venues with a 7 piece big name band which must have made very little economic … Continue reading “Rhiannon Giddens + Kaia Kater, The Stables, Milton Keynes, 21st November 2017”
Following the success of the first Long Road festival last year, the 3-day “music and lifestyle” event will return to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire this summer. Running from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th September, the festival has announced the first wave of acts confirmed to perform at this year’s event including its two headliners, country … Continue reading “The Long Road Festival announces its 2019 line-up”
The final flourish of the Americana Music Association UK (AMAUK) music festival is the Awards night, held in the luxurious surroundings of the Hackney Empire. Unsurprisingly the evening follows a fairly typical award ceremony format, a master of ceremonies, guest presenters to read out the nominees and the actual winner in categories such as “Best … Continue reading “Americana Music Awards, 31st January, Hackney Empire, London”
Previous showcases at the AMAUK conference had run for just a single night – expanding to two nights had more than doubled the excitement. And if the previous evening had offered some hard choices then this second night of the AMAUK showcase upped the ante by bringing in Moth Club as a venue, which meant … Continue reading “Americana Music Fest 30th January, Hackney, London”
It’s easy to think that the Carolina Chocolate Drops were all about “reclaiming the banjo” and taking back a strand of American vernacular music of the 19th and early 20th centuries that had been culturally appropriated. And, despite the band members protestations to the contrary in interviews there is surely something to that – for … Continue reading “AmericanA to Z – Carolina Chocolate Drops”
Organised by the Americana Music Association UK (AMAUK), the showcase runs at five Hackney Central venues over two nights, culminating in the awards ceremony at hackney Empire on the third evening. It’s a fairly massive undertaking, with almost 60 bands or artists performing half hour sets over the two showcase nights. It links in with … Continue reading “Americana Music Fest 29th January, Hackney, London”
The fourth of the Americana Music Association UK’s award shows took place last night in Hackney Empire and it was as star-studded an event as always, with performances from Bennet Wilson Poole, Ethan Johns, Graham Nash, Rhiannon Giddens (who was also a keynote speaker at the AMA UK Conference), Jade Bird, YOLA, Seth Lakeman, Chris Hillman and Curse of Lono.
As one of the most renowned and imaginative interpreters of Irish folk music (and one time Eurovision entry for Ireland), Dervish have devoted the last three decades to gently reinventing the traditional songs of their homeland. On their debut release for Rounder Records,‘The Great Irish Songbook’, the Sligo-based band join up with over a dozen … Continue reading “Folk icons Dervish’s Rounder debut features Steve Earle”
So it’s all kicking off, not in a bad way, in London today as delegates arrive for the AMA-UK conference which takes place in Hackney House and is packed full of panels, conversation, presentations and the chance to meet up with that industry person who you embarrassed yourself in front of at least year’s conference but … Continue reading “AMAUK’s 2019 conference begins today”
Glasgow’s annual celebration of roots and traditional music from around the globe opens for business this Thursday and then proceeds for the next three weeks with over 300 events scheduled to take place. Always a highlight of the cultural calendar it’s the largest festival of its type in the world showcasing world music, folk, roots, … Continue reading “Celtic Connections kicks off this week”
