November Show is live

The November 2009 edition of FolkCast is now available for your listening pleasure.

What's special about this month's show? Well ... nothing. There's no gimmicks, no themes, just great music and features. Music from: The Sea Kings - Linda Cricklair - Broken Dove - Jimmy Wahlsteen - Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox - Juan Medrano Cotito - Peter Bradley Adams - Stone Folke - Roy Jay - Hollyann and The Katie Winter. There's the tale of The Silver Whistle from folk poet Dave Alton, and Babba stands and delivers the truth about Turpin Hero in The Story Behind The Song.

Download the show now from www.folkcast.co.uk

Also, next month there will be two FolkCast's - our end-of-year retrospective, with more great music from some of the top artists we've featured in 2009; and the Seasonal Selection Box, a festive, hand-picked hamper of Christmas songs of all kinds, all moods and from all genres of music.

If you have written and recorded a Christmas song that you would like to see included in the Seasonal Selection Box, there's still time. Get in touch via the email button at www.folkcast.co.uk, before the end of November, and send your music out around the world to thousands of listeners this Christmas!

More Monkey Business

The 3 Daft Monkeys embark on a British tour later this month, calling at:

October
* Wed 21st - Queens Hall, Nuneaton. 024 7634 7402
* Thurs 22nd - Fibbers, York. 08700 600 100
* Fri 23rd - Civic Hall Bar, Wolverhampton. 08703 207 000
* Sat 24th - Bullingdon, Oxford. 08444 772 000
* Sun 25th - Cox's Yard, Stratford. 01789 404 600
* Wed 28th - The Globe, Cardiff. 02920 230 130
* Thurs 29th - Queens Hall, Narberth. 01834 861 212
* Fri 30th - The Met, Bury. 01617 612 216
* Sat 31st - The Perfect 5th, Taunton. 01823 330 978


November
* Sun 1st - Academy 3, Manchester. 01618 321 111
* Tues 3rd - Luminaire, London. 08444 772 000
* Wed 4th - Mr Kyps, Poole. 01202 748 945
* Fri 6th - Louisiana, Bristol. 08704 444 400
* Sat 7th - The Hippo, Plymouth. 08700 600 100

December
* Wed 2nd - Junction 2, Cambridge. 01223 511 511
* Thurs 3rd - Princess Pavilion, Falmouth. 01326 211 222
* Fri 4th - Chapel Arts Centre, Bath. 08704 444 400
* Sat 5th - Phoenix Arts Centre, Exeter. 01392 667 080

They quoth: "We'll be playing some of our favourite venues, and some new ones, and tickets are on sale NOW.. check our gig list for ticket details. Buy now to avoid being disappointed, as some of the venues are quite 'cozy' for that special intimate feel. Gig list at the end of this message.

"We'll be playing some of our oldest tunes, some favourites, and also we'll be testing out a few brand new songs on you ( we're spending a week songwriting on a boat next week, watch this space for updates on how it's going)

"Also while we're on tour we're hoping to keep a daily blog on Twitter and Facebook to tell you all how its going. We'd love it if you followed us along the way."

For more details and links to the venues' websites, visit The 3 Daft Monkeys

Bye Bye Bogle, Bogle Bye Bye...

Following their recent concert at the Tyneside Irish Centre, Eric Bogle and Joe Giltrap pose for one last picture.

Eric has recently announced his retirement from international touring. According to Eric his current tour of the UK & Ireland will be his last....

"My decision to retire from international touring is irrevocable, final, and ......probably," he says decisively.

You can read more about Eric's intentions by visiting his blog

Joe says: “My earliest memory of an Eric Bogle song was hearing Liam Clancy singing Now I’m Easy or The Cocky Farmer, as it is also known. I actually recorded this song myself in 1979. It was on a long deleted EP called Joe Giltrap & Zozimus. I also recorded The Band Played Waltzing Matilda with Irish Mist in 1982. It was featured on our ‘Second Time Round’ album, now also long deleted.

"Eric played The Weavers for me in 1997. It was a fantastic ‘Sold Out’ gig and I sat watching from a prime spot on the pretext of being vital to the sound when in fact I should have been working on the door.

"However, I am sure if Eric remembers it then it is for a different reason. It was a horrible wet London night, pouring rain, and some kids had thrown bricks onto the dressing room roof that day causing it to leak and it got progressively worse as the night went on. I remember Eric saying that it was good of me to arrange shower facilities before, during and after the gig.

"I always include an Eric Bogle song in my set and get requests all the time for The Cocky Farmer and The Green Fields Of France. Songwriters are my heroes and Eric Bogle is a genius. It was a real honour to be asked to do a set on his show at the Tyneside Irish Centre."

Show Of Hands' County Towns Tour

A capital performance is coming to a county town near you later this year, courtesy of Show of Hands.


They’ve sold out the Royal Albert Hall three times, headlined at festivals from Glastonbury to WOMAD, supported the likes of Peter Gabriel and Jools Holland and been voted the public’s “Best Live Act” in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

At the end of October they embark on a fast-selling 37-date tour of English county towns; what could be more apt for the Devon-based act described by Peter Gabriel as “one of the great English bands”. The tour coincides with the October release of the acutely topical Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed* – probably their most hard-hitting album to date.


Steve Knightley has penned a wealth of songs steeped in the English tradition while Phil Beer is a dazzling multi instrumentalist who as The Scotsman observed, “can play nearly every stringed instrument known to man”.

Joined by regular guest Miranda Sykes on double bass and vocals, this is folk nudging the mainstream. It pitches into rock, blues, country and world music, played on a multitude of instruments from slide guitar to fiddle, mandolin to South American cuatro.

Starting the show each night will be their special guest, the intriguing and unique French-Geordie, Flossie Malavialle (pictured).

The Show Of Hands Tour Dates are here.

* Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed - as I mentioned in the August 09 edition of FolkCast, you could make up a very good compilation album of new 'folk' songs inspired by the banking and MPs expenses scandals. Unfortunately, Show Of Hands seem to have used the working title I had in mind!

Phil

Cropton ... off

Cropton Folk & Roots Festival Cancelled


The hurriedly planned Cropton Folk n Roots Festival near Pickering in North Yorkshire, planned for August 7 to 9, has been cancelled. A decision was made last week in view of the low ticket sales and a poor weather forecast.*

All ticket holders are being refunded or have the option of transferring their ticket to another North Yorkshire Folk event, The Osmotherley Gathering, Sept 11th - 13th. www.festivalonthemoor.co.uk

The organisers say: "Cropton Folk & Roots Festival is a new venture organised jointly by Festival on the Moor and Roots North. Both organisations have a history and reputation for excellent entertainment and value to ticket holders, but in this case we didn't feel able to guarantee the usual high standards."

However, a similar event is planned for Cropton next year.

Festival organiser, Jeanette Grainger said: "We apologise to those who had bought tickets for the festival. Cropton has the potential to be a great venue. We feel that with a longer lead time and some wet weather-proofing, we can definately run a superb event there next year".

More info at www.rootsnorth.co.uk

* June and July have been wet, and organisers of all kinds of outdoors events live in fear of a wash out. But weather forecasts for Britain are rubbish any more than three days ahead - and certainly weeks ahead. You can't rely on them at all - and ironically, 24 hours in advance, the forecast for the weekend is just about perfect festival weather - sunny, warm and dry. However, it's understandable that the organisers don't want to take financial risks, and FolkCast wishes Cropton and organisers Jeanette and Richard all the best of luck for the future.

Just a thought though... Festivals, especially new festivals, need people to buy tickets in advance, but people are increasingly reluctant to buy in advance because so many festivals, especially new festivals, are being cancelled. It's a classic chicken-and-egg scenario. It's too easy to be too chicken ... and too easy to be left with egg on your face!

3 Daft Monkeys - gigs announced

The Cornish trio are hitting the festivals hard this year - and then heading for Holland. Plus, there are some theatre gigs, too.



More details at their website








CATCH THE MONKEYS!

August

* Thurs 6th - Acoustic Gathering presents 3 Daft Monkeys @ Vivaz.
* Sat 8th - Belladrum Festival , Scotland. Hothouse Stage, 1pm Moved from Friday 7th
* Sun 9th - Boomtown Fair, Forest of Dean.
* Sat 15th - Sterts Theatre, Liskeard.
* Sat 29th - Watchet Festival, Somerset.
* Sun 30th - Rackenford Beer Festival.
* Mon 31st - Poole Park Festival.


September

* Wed 2nd - Cafe Wilhelmina, Folkbal, Wilhelminaplein, Eindhoven, Holland. 8.00 pm
* Fri 4th - Burgers Cafe, Hertogstraat 2, Eindhoven, Holland. 10.00 pm
* Sat 5th - Keltisch Festival, Holland.
* Sat 5th - Ruigoord, Amsterdam, Holland. 10.30 pm
* Fri 18th - Alchemy Festival, Hall Farm Park, Lincolnshire.
* Sun 20th - Knockengorroch Festival, Scotland.
* Wed 30th - Fiddle Festival of Wales


October

* Sat 3rd - Ethandune Ale and Cider Festival, Trowbridge. 01225 762439 / 01225 710535
* Thurs 22nd - Fibbers, York. 08700 600 100
* Fri 23rd - Civic Hall Bar, Wolverhampton. 08703 207 000
* Sat 24th - Bullingdon, Oxford. 08444 772 000
* Sun 25th - Cox's Yard, Stratford. 01789 404 600
* Tues 27th - The Black Cat, Horsham. 07988 225 360
* Wed 28th - The Globe, Cardiff. 02920 230 130
* Thurs 29th - Queens Hall, Narberth. 01834 861 212
* Fri 30th - The Met, Bury. 01617 612 216
* Sat 31st - The Perfect 5th, Taunton. 01823 330 978


November

* Sun 1st - Academy 3, Manchester. 01618 321 111
* Tues 3rd - Luminaire, London. 08444 772 000
* Wed 4th - Mr Kyps, Poole. 01202 748 945
* Fri 6th - Louisiana, Bristol. 08704 444 400
* Sat 7th - The Hippo, Plymouth. 08700 600 100


December

* Wed 2nd - Junction 2, Cambridge. 01223 511 511
* Thurs 3rd - Princess Pavilion, Falmouth. 01326 211 222
* Fri 4th - Chapel Arts Centre, Bath. 08704 444 400
* Sat 5th - Phoenix Arts Centre, Exeter. 01392 667 080

Beautiful Jo

The latest edition of FolkCast - 043 - is online now.

There's a special feature this month about the downloadable re-releases just out on the Beautiful Jo label - and we play tracks from six of those albums.

I'd just like to say that it's really nice of them to name a record label after my missus...

Full details in the ShowNotes at http://www.folkcast.co.uk/ShowNotes/shownotes043.html