The Folk Forecast: 26 Oct–8 Nov 2020
Including Eliza Carthy, Fay Hield and Jon Boden, plus 'The Folk Effect' - a very special songwriting project that promises to be original and enchanting.
Another fortnight has rolled on by, and it’s time for the next instalment of The Folk Forecast! It’s been a busy couple of weeks, with the UK folk scene gaining its first ever Official Folk Albums Chart (take a look at the first top 40), plus the announcement of a livestreamed gig from Bellowhead, which is probably the best news since March (book here). There was also an exciting moment for The Folk Forecast, as I was invited to speak to BBC Radio Lincolnshire about the newsletter (listen here from 1:47:45).
The next fortnight is looking very busy too, so take a look below to see what’s coming up, and have a listen to this issue’s playlist. New events are popping up all the time, so keep an eye on the website, as I’ll update the listings with any further announcements.
HIGHLIGHTS
Eliza Carthy
Wednesday 28 October 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Twice nominated for the Mercury Prize, and with numerous other accolades to boot, Eliza Carthy is a legend of the folk world, known for her charismatic performances and genre-crossing creativity. Catch her here in an intimate solo gig.
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances. Gig is streamed via Zoom.
Edgelarks
Friday 30 October 6.15pm GMT
Roots Live / The Live Room Saltaire
BBC Folk Award winning duo Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin blend traditional folk with diverse influences to create something entirely new. Join them for a performance streamed live from Saltaire in Yorkshire.
Tickets £12, access to the stream lasts for 1 week.
Lady Maisery Online Singing Day
Saturday 31 October from 11am GMT
Lady Maisery on Zoom
Join Lady Maisery for a whole day of online workshops, with sessions covering vocal technique, songwriting and harmonies, plus the chance to see Lady Maisery perform, hang out with them and ask any burning questions!
Tickets £55, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances. Sessions will be held via Zoom.
The Official Folk Albums Chart Show
Monday 2 November 7pm GMT
Folk on Foot website, YouTube and podcast feed
Following on from the launch of the Official Folk Albums Chart last weekend, there will now be a monthly chart show hosted by the Folk on Foot podcast! The first one will be held on Monday 2 November, and you can then catch it on the first Monday of every month.
Free to access, but you can support the podcast by becoming a patron.
The Folk Effect
Monday 2 - Saturday 7 November 7pm GMT
Ondervinden website, Facebook and YouTube. Supported by Arts Council England.
The Folk Effect sees five folk bands from across the UK writing a new song in just 24 hours, with each song being inspired by the one written by the previous band! Participating musicians include Hazel Askew, Twelfth Day, The Moonlands, Isla Ratcliff and Rambootan, with artist Jo May also producing lino cut portraits of the musicians as part of the project.
The first song will be performed on Monday 2 November at 7pm, and performances will then be at the same time each day until Saturday 7 November, when the six completed songs will be brought together. To get a taste of some of the artists taking part, listen to our Folk Effect playlist.
No ticket required - support the project by becoming a Friend of Ondervinden.
Blair Dunlop
Wednesday 4 November 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist Blair Dunlop is lauded for the lyrical and musical maturity of his songwriting. Catch him up close and personal in an intimate gig with the chance to ask any questions you might have too!
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances. Gig is streamed via Zoom.
Balter
Friday 6 November 8pm GMT
The Globe Newcastle
Contemporary folk quartet Balter have emerged from the folk scene in my very own Newcastle upon Tyne. Expect intricate arrangements of melodies and songs which break free from traditional forms and find new directions.
Livestream tickets £5.45, with the option to pay more to support the artists and venue. Limited tickets also available to view the gig socially distanced at the venue.
Miranda Sykes: Borrowed Places
Saturday 7 November 7.30pm GMT
Miranda Sykes on Facebook
This is a personal highlight for me, as Miranda will be playing her album ‘Borrowed Places’ in its entirety, and although I co-wrote one of the tracks, I haven’t yet seen her perform it! Tune in on Miranda’s Facebook page.
No ticket required, but donations encouraged to Miranda’s tip jar on the night.
Fay Hield
Saturday 7 November 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Fay Hield’s new album, ‘Wrackline’, went to number 6 in the very first Official Folk Albums Chart. Bridging the gap between the real world and the supernatural, with new perspectives on traditional tales, this is a stunning album and it will be a treat to hear Fay perform songs from it live.
Tickets £14, with options to pay a bit more or less depending on your circumstances. Gig is streamed via Zoom.
Jon Boden - POSTPONED
Sunday 8 November 6.15pm GMT
Roots Live / The Live Room Saltaire
Described as the ‘stand out performer of his generation’ (The Guardian), Jon Boden has won no less than eleven BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (where does he keep them all?). Though best known as the frontman of Bellowhead, he’s since embarked on a successful solo career. Join him live from lovely Saltaire.
Tickets £12, access to the stream lasts for 1 week.
Also look out for…
Michael Morpurgo’s Folk Journeys - Monday 26 October & Monday 2 November 4pm GMT, BBC Radio 4
Nick Cope: Family Halloween Special - Tuesday 27 October 3pm GMT, Live to Your Living Room
Steve Knightley’s Favourite Dylan Songs - Wednesday 28 October 8pm GMT, Show of Hands on Facebook
Danni Nicholls - Wednesday 28 October 7.45pm GMT, Roots Live
Katy Rose Bennett - Saturday 31 October 8pm GMT, Live to Your Living Room
Richard Dawson - Saturday 31 October 8pm GMT, Sage Gateshead
Faustus - Death and Other Animals: Full Album Concert - Sunday 1 November 7.30pm GMT, Good Honest Music
Covid Sings singaround hosted by Fay Hield - Tuesday 3 November 8pm GMT, Soundpost, via Zoom
Maz O’Connor - Friday 6 November 8pm GMT, Downend Folk Club
Daoirí Farrell - Friday 6 November 10pm GMT, Daoirí Farrell on YouTube - tickets available via Paypal
Imagining Ireland: Paul Brady - Saturday 7 November 8pm GMT, National Concert Hall Dublin
Playford Then & Now Festival - Saturday 7 November 12pm - Sunday 8 November 6pm GMT, The Historical Dance Society
Hudson Records Listening Club: Rachel Newton - Sunday 8 November 10.30am GMT, Hudson Records on YouTube
Live to Your Living Room Christmas Choir - Rehearsals on Sundays, starting on Sunday 8 November 7.30pm GMT, Live to Your Living Room
Jez Lowe - Sunday 8 November 8pm GMT, Jez Lowe on Facebook
Will Pound’s Sunday concerts - every Sunday at 11.30am GMT, Will Pound on Facebook
In memory of Roy Bailey
This week marked what would have been the late, great Roy Bailey’s 85th birthday. In his memory, Towersey Festival are crowdfunding to produce a limited edition album of Roy Bailey: Remembered, the concert they held in his honour in 2019. A number of other items in Roy’s memory are also available, and money raised will help to support Towersey Festival, which unfortunately did not receive the funding it needed through the Culture Recovery Fund.
A moment for Mudchutney
The current climate affects all aspects of the folk world, and without touring going ahead, merch sellers such as Mudchutney are also left out of pocket. Why not treat yourself to a new folky t-shirt or two?
This fortnight’s playlist
You can find a playlist of the highlighted artists in this issue over on Spotify, so have a listen and see which gigs you might fancy going to!
This fortnight, I’m mostly listening to…
‘Wrackline’ by Fay Hield, which was number 6 in the very first Official Folk Albums Chart! The album explores all things otherworldly, and my top track is ‘Hare Spell’, which is sure to have you listening on repeat. You can find my top track in this fortnight’s playlist, or head to Fay’s website to get a signed copy of the album!
Keep up to date - find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Folk Forecast is created for artists, for audiences and for the UK folk scene. All information is correct to the best of our knowledge. If you have queries about the events listed, please contact the artists or promoters. If you have any suggestions for inclusion in future newsletters, please email TheFolkForecast@gmail.com. We may not be able to include absolutely everything, but we’re interested in UK folk events with a broad appeal, and would particularly welcome suggestions from Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The Folk Forecast is compiled by one person, so please bear with me if I can’t get back to you right away.