Folk fnds its voice again
BUILDING on the Calder Valley's folk and roots music heritage, the first of what is hoped will be many larger scale festivals will be staged this month.
The last few years have seen a boost in the number of local venues hosting acoustic or electric folk, roots, singer-songwriter, nu-folk, lo-fi, or whichever trm you prefer, music.
What many of the artists, who have ranged from internationally known names to up-and-coming talent, have in common is that they are so often startlingly good.
There are regular dates at venues like the Jack's House in Todmorden and the Hole Note Acoustic Club based at the Hole In' T' Wall in Hebden Bridge, and other venues have held gigs frequently too.
The music has also been given a boost by the presence of an internationally-known "name" on the doorstep in Steve Tilston, who through his own regular monthly Trades Roots showcases at Hebden Bridge Trades Club have introduced some of the genre's most famous names and some of its most interesting musicians. The club also hosted a weekend's worth of shows from the Unthanks, the brilliant combo from the north east now touring America.
Time, therefore, thought the Trades, to test the water with a festival celebrating the music, which they hope will be expanded in future years.
Paul Clarke of the Trades says: "We thought it was ridiculous we didn't have a folk festival when the valley has an incredible folk heritage and decided to pull together a mini festival initially and look at expanding it from there."
With staff at two Hebden hosterlries, the Fox and Goose and the Stubbing Wharf (who have a regular open mic event), helping them get things moving, a lot will be packed into the festival at the Trades Club, in Holme Street, which attempts to sample a wide range of talent.
From Friday evening, July 16, when Steve Tilston gets the ball rolling with two sets he will play over the weekend to Joe Stead's show onn Paul Robeson early on Sunday afternoon, July 18, the scheudle takes in another Stead set, music from the Durvervilles and the Mouldy Joes (Friday) with Saturday starting at noon with Will Kaufmann's show on Woody Guthrie, the highly regarded Carter Family Show, and Chris and Kellie While.
Steve Tilston's second, tea-time, set of the weekend precedes two top class acts in Robin Williamson and The Men They Couldn't Hang.
Williamson became a world star appealing to rock as well as folk audiences thanks to his role as a founder of the Incredible String Band in the 1960s, while the folk/punk mix developed by the Men They Couldn't Hang on singles like Green Fields of France and Ironmasters hooked another generation onto the music in the 1980s.
Tickets can be bought from the club's website or by by calling (01422) 845265 for individual shows and there are also some specials on offer - a Tilston Saturday special for some of the shows at 21 (19 concessions) and a Weekend Special for 32 (29 concessions).
Paul added: "The thing we've noticed is that its a mixed crowd who have been attending the shows. There are a lot of younger people as well as people who were around in the 1960s. "Folk's found it's voice again and we wanted to create a festival that reflects that."
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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