Upcoming Events, Gigs and Tours
Featured and Next Events
Cerys Hafana @ MOTH, London
Cerys Hafana is a composer and multi-instrumentalist who mangles, mutates, and transforms traditional music. She explores the creative possibilities and unique qualities of the triple harp, and is also interested in found sounds, archival materials and electronic processing. She comes from Machynlleth, Wales, where rivers and roads meet on the way to the sea.
Cerys has won over audiences from Green Man to the Eisteddfod and from BBC 6 Music Festival to Celtic Connections with her magical, progressive sound.
Edyf, her second album, drew inspiration from material found in the Welsh National Library’s online archive, including fragments of Psalm tunes, hymns about doomsday and philosophical musings on the length of eternity, along with some original compositions, and was selected as one of The Guardian’s Top Ten folk albums of 2022. Cerys’ latest EP, The Bitter, released earlier in 2024 is an innovative exploration of some dark English and Scottish ballads.
“eerie folk fusion and creative use of harp and found sounds. Innovation abounds…. likely to take a song that we all know so well and tilt it to one side.” Tradfolk
'…she’s an adept shapeshifter, entwining tradition with direct and personal interpretations to create music that’s both progressive, profound and inspiring.' Alex Gallagher, Folk Radio UK
'Hafana explores resonances from the past that connect with the modern day in a contemporary, creative way... she uses her harp as a percussive, jagged-toothed tool… sings movingly, her high voice like an indie-pop soprano shorn of its sweetness.’ Jude Rogers, The Guardian.
Mama's Broke
Mama’s Broke is a powerful folk duo that deliver a compelling performance with heart and raw energy. Although highly influenced by their Canadian roots, Lisa and Amy are based out of nowhere and everywhere.
Their two strong voices blend to create haunting harmonies, while they artfully juggle fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin, and incorporate traditional dance and foot percussion into their performance. Their original – and often dark – compositions push the boundaries of tradition and the constraints of genre. Drawing from old-time, Quebecois, blues, punk, Celtic, Balkan and doom metal, they create a soundscape that is both familiar and new.
Since forming the band in 2014, Mama’s Broke has been gaining momentum fast ; having already completed two European, and several Canadian and U.S. tours. They have performed in a wide range of venues, from circus shows in New Orleans, to pirate ships in Amsterdam, to concert halls in Ireland, to theatres in Brooklyn. In this way, they stay true to the transient nature of folklore, as they travel the world sharing and collecting song.
Ye Vagabonds at Union Chapel
** 2019 BBC Folk Awards - Best Traditional Track - WINNERS **
** 2019 RTÉ Folk Awards - Best Traditional Track, Best Group, Best Album - WINNERS**
**2021 RTÉ Folk Awards - Best Traditional Track, Best Group - WINNERS **
Brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn grew up playing music together around their hometown of Carlow, a small town in the southeast of Ireland. After moving to Dublin in 2012, they quickly became a staple of the live music and session scene in Ireland, playing their own original songs as well as folk songs from Ireland, Scotland, England and America.
In 2014 they came to the attention of Arbutus Yarns’ music filmmaker Myles O’Reilly, whose videos gained international attention for the brothers for the first time.
After a chance meeting at Electric Picnic in September 2015, the brothers performed onstage with Glen Hansard, who invited them to open for him on his European tour the following October.
Their debut EP Rose & Briar was released on October 7th 2015. Following that, they were busy touring Ireland, the UK and Europe, opening for acts such as Villagers, Roy Harper and Lisa Hannigan (whose band they played in for her Irish tour, June 2016). They have played sold out headline shows in Ireland, France, Switzerland and the UK.
They have made numerous television and live radio appearances in Ireland, and were also part of ‘Imagining Home’, a live broadcast concert in the National Concert Hall of Ireland, 2016, curated by Glen Hansard, Philip King and Gary Sheehan.
In October 2017 they launched their debut, self-titled album to great acclaim. “Ye Vagabonds” comprised of harmony rich folk music, influenced by Irish traditional music, Appalachian singing, and the 1960's folk revival. It included ten mellow tracks weaved with thoughtful lyrics, thickly layered with strings and droning harmonium.
Their second album ‘The Hare’s Lament’ was released on 22nd March 2019 to huge critical acclaim. In 2019 they won the BBC Radio Two Folk Award for Best Traditional Track, and they swept the boards at the RTÉ Radio One Folk Awards where they won Best Traditional Track, Best Group, and Best Album.
A long-awaited EP came out on January 22nd 2020 featuring two tracks, ‘I’m A Rover’ and ‘The Bothy Boys’, again released on Rough Trade Records’ imprint River Lea, and once again they swept the boards at the RTÉ Radio One Folk Awards where they now hold the record for most awarded artists, winning Best Traditional Track and Best Group.
Their new album Nine Waves was released on Rough Trade’s River Lea label on May 13th. Nine Waves was recorded in the Dublin Mountains at Hellfire Studios, produced by John ‘Spud’ Murphy (whose previous work includes records by black midi, Lankum and caroline). The album features 11 tracks of both traditional and original songs and tunes. The brotherly harmonies and multi-instrumental abilities of Dairmuid and Brían Mac Gloinn were joined on ‘Nine Waves’ by Kate Ellis (cello) and Caimin Gilmore (double bass), both members of the Irish contemporary classical group Crash Ensemble, and Ryan Hargadon (Anna Mieke, Rachael Lavelle, Kojaque) on piano and saxophone. The record also features concertina from Cormac Begley and harmonium from regular touring member of Ye Vagabonds, Alain McFadden.
“A remarkable album” – Songlines
“Joyous” – Uncut
“Reflective and reverent, with Nine Waves Ye Vagabonds prove once again to be at the forefront of an everevolving, flourishing Irish folk scene and have done so in the most understated and inspired fashion imaginable.” Folk Radio
“A cavern of delights... A labyrinthine treasure trove” - The Irish Times
“They remind me of my first days at ‘Les Cousins’ in Soho in 1965... Ye Vagabonds are a modern expression of a tradition that is truly robust and important to these islands.” Roy Harper
“Going backwards to go forwards, [Ye Vagabonds] look not to modern day influence to inspire their sound, but prefer to absorb and reflect the most genuine leanings of deep tradition, playing folk music that resonates as pure and honest as it has since time immemorial. In an age where styles have a limited shelf life, and musicians so often live by definition of their sell-by date, Ye Vagabonds make music that honours timeless sincerity with acoustic fireside story telling that will sound as current a hundred years from now as it has a hundred generations past.” Myles OReilly (Arbutus Yarns)
www.yevagabonds.com
https://yevagabonds.bandcamp.com/
www.facebook.com/yevagabonds
www.instagram.com/yevagabonds
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMftOxnC_Jh5JAjyllxDgYQ
Patrick Wolf
Following last year's sold out winter solstice concert at Hackney Earth, Patrick Wolf will bring a selection of his repertoire especially arranged for string quartet and voice for one night only at the stunning Round Chapel.
With his seventh album due for arrival in 2025, this gathering on the longest night of the year, will be an event not to be missed. After last winter show’s B-sides theme, YULENITE will span his more celebrated work, the winter solstice EP “Brumalia” and perchance a first hearing of what the new year will bring.
Cut A Shine Festive Dance
Cut A Shine Festive Special
Saturday 14th December 2024
The Round Chapel, Hackney, E5 0NP
£10 - £25
Order of the Night
19:30: Venue, Bar and Food Stall Bar Opens
20:00 - 21:00: First Set of dances - more simple ones to learn the moves
21:00 - 21:30: Break!
21:30 - 23:30: Barn Dance Proper
It's our xmas/festive special! Don your best festive jumper and burn some calories before the big feed!
About The Dancing
Although called many things; Ceilidh, Country Dance, Barn Dance, Ceili Dance, Square Dance, Set Dancing - one thing is certain, it's all "traditional" and how people would entertain themselves before TV and raves. We have a live band on stage to provide the music, and a "Dance Caller", who is expert at teaching you all the simple and fun moves. First we learn the dance by walking through it with the caller, then the band strike up, and we dance to the music. You don't need any experience, just willingness to have a go and have fun.
Cut A Shine Monthly Dances
Your monthly fix of endorphins inducing barn dance fun - dance and be silly like they used to do before electricity, TV and Netflix! We're excited to be hosting dances every month at The Round Chapel...
Inclusivity and Diversity
Our dances are All Inclusive, regardless of age, gender, ability, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Although based largely on traditional European and American dance forms, we welcome all cultures and peoples to enjoy these dances and culture. We have tailored our dances to be non-heteronormative and involve everyone. We welcome members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Ticket Prices and Accessibility to The Arts
Low Income Tickets: £10
General Admission: £15
High Income Ticket: £20
Benefactor Ticket: £25
Our ticket pricing might seem complicated, but we want everyone to have access to the arts regardless of your financial situation. Cut A Shine is a not-for-profit dance company, and we want to engage our local community to get involved. If the cost of living crisis is affecting you, choose the cheaper ticket, then, depending on your income levels, pay what you can afford - all the way up to super awesome supporters of the arts!
Cut A Shine Family Dance
Cut A Shine Family Barn Dance - XMAS SPECIAL!
£6.5 advance per human, under 1s are free (£7 on the door).
Saturday 14th December, 1 - 4pm
TICKETS HERE
All ages and abilities welcome... we're teach you the moves.. from really simple dances for the smallest kids to a couple of proper ones for the grown ups, come and get your folk on with Cut A Shine!
Suitable for children of all ages - we mix up the sets with dances for really small kids and some for bigger kids.
Timings
1pm - Doors Open and Lunch Ready
1:20 - 2pm First Set of Dances
2 - 2:20pm - Break
2:20 - 3:30 - Second Set of Dances
3:30 - 4pm - Kids Disco to finish
Facilities:
Fully Stocked Bar
Filter Coffee and Tea
Rice and Vegan Chill for lunch
Cakes, Soft Drinks and Healthy Snacks
Buggy Parking in the foyer please, there's plenty of room.
Baby Change Room.
Soft play area for crawlers
Face Painting (£2 per child)
Diversity and Inclusivity Policy
Whilst the music and dances come from predominantly Anglo-saxon and Celtic culture, everyone is welcome to come enjoy the dancing and experience these aspects of the folk culture of the British Isles. We welcome family units of any type and configuration. We want to bring everyone together to dance together, which is how it should be.
Amelia Coburn at Paper Dress Vintage
AMELIA COBURN
support from Teenage Waitress.
"Framed by tradition but totally distinct" Clash Magazine
"This one is utterly unique" Far Out Magazine
"It's an album that should be on everyone's radar" KLOF Mag
Amelia Coburn is darkness and light. Her acclaimed debut album ‘Between The Moon And the Milkman’, produced by Bill Ryder-Jones, showcases her as a truly singular voice in the world of music.
Unbound by one mood or the constraints of modernity she pairs daring but instantly memorable melodies with unusual chord movements and exquisite arrangements. Populated by the people and places she has encountered on her global travels and in the darker corners of literature and art Amelia views her songs as a soundtrack to her stream-of-consciousness, “opening up new paths, new clearings and new valleys with every listen”.
Her distinctive, crystal-cut vocal delivery and expressive stage persona has captivated audiences far and wide. Whether headlining sell-out solo tours or sharing the stage with esteemed acts as diverse as Saint Saviour, The Trials of Cato, or the late Steve Harley, her “beguiling stage presence” continues to earn her fans from across the musical spectrum.
Having graced stages both as a solo artist and, more recently and increasingly, with a full band at prestigious events such as Cambridge Folk Festival, Focus Wales, Reeperbahn Showcase and Wilderness Festival, as well as various other festivals across Europe (France, Belgium, Germany and Finland), Coburn's magnetic performances never fail to earn her new fans. A finalist in the BBC Young Folk Awards and most recently awarded Tees Valley Artist of the year, she continues to impress and grow at a grassroots and industry level.
With her album charting in the UK and recent national airplay from BBC Radio 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6Music, as well as support from BBC Scotland and Ireland's BBC Ulster and RTÉ1, Coburn can count the likes of pundits Mark Radcliffe and Tom Robinson as fans, as well as musicians Paul Weller, Paul Heaton and David Gedge of The Wedding Present.
Amelia will play a handful of dates with her full band across the UK in the remainder of 2024 before heading out solo as support to Jim Moray in Jan / Feb 2025.
Teeanage Waitress
Teenage Waitress is the solo project from Southampton’s Daniel J. Ash. In Ash’s own words TW is a “collection of other people’s stories set to what I hope are some instantly hummable tunes. Because it's just me, my producer and a laptop there aren't really any rules. There's no primary genre. I'll write a song, take it to the studio and if it feels special enough, we'll get the dress up box out and work out the most interesting way that we can present it! I guess the genre we aim for is the best mixtape you’ve ever been given.”
The debut album Love & Chemicals was released in 2020. It was described as “nothing short of genius” by Louder Than War and “a musical highlight of 2020" by CLASH. The album featured in MOJO Magazine (as picked by Paul Weller!) and Tim’s Twitter Listening Party.
Ash’s second album Your Cuckoo was released in June 2023. The LP received incredibly positive reviews and was later crowned Louder Than War's 10th best album of ‘23.
“A pop alchemist par excellence. An album full of gleaming nest eggs 4/5” SHINDIG!
“Irresistible melodies and eloquent lyrics. Brilliant, bold and expansive 8/10” CLASH
“A 21st Century 'The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society'. It’s a joy from start to finish and hands down my favourite album of 2023 so far.” Louder Than War
The Rheingans Sisters
Event Timings
Doors: 7:30pm
Support: 8:05 - 8:30. A Curious Dance
Ist Set: 8:35 - 9:20. The Rheingans Sisters
Interval: 9:20 - 9:45
2nd Set: 9:45 - 10:30. The Rhiengans Sisters
The Rheingans Sisters release their highly anticipated new album Start Close In on September 27th. Sonically arresting, drenched in drones, and pulsing with age-old patterns of communal dancing, Start Close In continues the current rejuvenation of traditional folk music with a record steeped in minimalism, collectivism, beauty and noise.
Produced by the Juno-nominated, contemporary composer Adam Pietrykowski, Start Close In comes four years after Anna and Rowan Rheingans’ last album Receiver, which reached #2 in the Transglobal World Music Charts, was one of Songlines Magazine’s Top Ten Essential Folk Albums of 2020, and was described by Folk Radio as “a masterpiece of modern folk music” for its bewitching blend of Norwegian fiddle music, songs in Occitan, and true stories from the Northern Ireland Civil Rights movement.
On their new record, the multi-instrumentalist Rheingans Sisters weave between the dissonance of John Cale and the delicacy of chamber music; using violin, viola, tambourin à cordes, 5-string banjo, gourd banjo, flabuta, electric guitar, jaw harp, bones, triangle, and foot percussion. They’re joined on three tracks by saxophonist Daniel Thorne.
The album begins with the duo’s interpretation of the traditional English ballad The Devil And The Farmer’s Wife, inspired by Frankie Armstrong’s 1978 subversion of the song’s usually negative depiction of the female protagonist. That's complimented by the songs Un Voltigeur and Si Sabiatz Drolletas; both, in a way, warnings for women to remain independent and free. The former (still sung in the polyphonic singing communities of the Pyrenees) was translated and rewritten by Anna, who contributes her own song about “manmade and natural things that evolve and erode as time passes” with Old Neptune. Rowan’s Drink Up seeks joy amidst our “mundane-meets-apocalyptic” times, while the mantra of Over & Over Again acts as “a medicine; a way to cope” with witnessing war and genocide unfold on social media. Even the instrumental tunes on this record, whether learned from other folk musicians, composed or improvised, reflect a desire to return to the joy of collective movement as an antidote to anxiety about the state of the world.
“We wrote this album as if ‘on stage’ with the physicality and energy of performing there from the very beginning” says Anna. “it’s in live performance that music becomes this vital, playful, energiser. This feels closer to the collective experience of folk music as we know it - as social music, as work music, as dance music”
The album takes its title from a poem by the Anglo-Irish poet and philosopher David Whyte; a work loved by the sisters because, as Rowan explains, “It speaks to a human tendency to try and make a masterpiece when what’s really needed is connecting closer to the immediate and everyday, which is also sometimes where you can find magic and multitudes of meaning.”
Start Close In is a radical and regenerative record; political, meditative, propelling, global, local, traditional, and experimental - a music only The Rheingans Sisters could make, but unlike anything they’ve made before.
Tim Chipping
Songlines 'Top of the World' Album * * * * *
"Superb" - The Independent
"Quite simply extraordinary" fRoots
The Magic Lantern Album Launch
Fire in the Mountain and Woodburner Present:
The Magic Lantern is the moniker of singer-songwriter Jamie Doe, an artist blurring the boundaries between folk, jazz and contemporary music. On 8 November he brings his seven piece ensemble to the majestic setting of Hackney's Round Chapel to launch his devastating, life affirming fifth album 'To Everything A Season'. His live show captures a rich emotional immediacy through spirited improvisation, taught ensemble writing and Jamie’s singularly beautiful voice to craft songs that examine the limitless depth of the human experience.
Written and recorded in the months following his daughters birth and his fathers death six weeks later, 'To Everything A Season’ examines the overlapping waves of joy and grief which continue to ripple outward from the moment where two ends of the circle of life touched. It is an album about our messy humanity, mundane and magnificent; the finality of loss; and the screaming, bloody magnitude of a new life’s first gulping breaths.
Born in Australia before moving to the UK at 12, The Magic Lantern has released four full length albums and toured the UK, Europe and Australia alongside This Is The Kit, Sam Lee and Alabaster Deplume among others. ‘To Everything A Season’ is due for release on Hectic Eclectic Records / La Buissonne Records on 4 October 2024.
"Gorgeous, beautiful. This stopped me in my tracks. Slightly surreal, in all the right ways. He’s just one of those artists who sounds totally like himself."
- Jamie Cullum, BBC Radio 2
“Extraordinary. Beautiful poised singing, amazing lyrics and hypnotic production”
- Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music
"Excellent, intriguing and compelling, a man to watch"
- The Guardian
“Absolutely beautiful, SO beautiful!”
- Huw Stephens, BBC Radio 1
“Throughout these moving four minutes, we experience the immersive glow of love. It’s an overwhelming weight and a dazzling thing of beauty, all at once bringing pain and joy, passion and euphoria – but perhaps most of all, as Doe sings in his lyrics, it gives us purpose and fills our days with meaning. “Without love a clanging cymbal be.”
- Atwood Magazine
“Dreamy, beautiful. Something very, very special. ”
- Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music
Fiddles on Fire
Fire in the Mountain Presents: Fiddles on Fire - Klezmer vs Old Time.
Let's celebrate The Harrison Pub being saved!!!
A night of fiddle music from Appalachia and Eastern Europe - who will reign supreme?
The Judelton Goulensteins
An All Star band formed for one ghoulish night!
Craig Judelman - Fiddle
Anna Lowenstein - Fiddle
Josh Middleton - Accordion
Daniel Gouly - Clarinet
Interstate Express
Craig Judelman - Fiddle
Joe Buirski - Banjo
Jack Latimer - Guitar
We've set the ticket price to "pay what you can afford": £5 - £15! Come and raise a toast to The Harrison and The Fiddle! It's a lovely intimate venue, can't wait!
The John Martyn Project
The John Martyn Project
Doors Open: 7:30pm
First Set: 8:15pm - 9:15pm
Interval: 9:15 - 9:40pm
Second Set 9:40 - 10:40pm
This is a special project where six artists come together to celebrate the music of John Martyn. Each brings their own story and connection to John’s music which adds to the fabric of the overall experience of the project.
This diversity of different musical paths of the musicians recreate the many different aspects and eras of Martyn’s music and is delivered in a sensitive and poignant manner.
In the wake of a special one off, sold out show in 2018 at the Camden Jazz Cafe, the group de-cided to take the project on tour and the warm reception its received has inspired them to continue. Since then they have regularly toured the UK and mainland Europe as well as bringing John’s mu-sic back to the festival circuit. Each tour they continue to introduce more of John’s back catalogue from obscure live recordings to classic favourites reworked and presented with rich harmonies and diverse instrumentation.
Blythe Pepino - By the end of 2016, she had released her major label debut as front-woman of Vaults, sung on that year’s John Lewis Christmas ad and toured with London Grammar. Not one to compromise her artistic vision, in early 2017 she turned her back on the major label existence to pursue her penchant for the strange and leftfield with new band, Mesadorm.
Kit Hawes is a virtuoso guitarist, composer, singer songwriter and mandolin enthusiast. Coming from a musical family, Kit was steeped in folk and roots music from the outset; learningfrom his parents and the many musicians who would pass through the farm. At age 14, he dropped out of school to pursue a career as a professional musician Kit has played all over the world and has gained a reputation as top class instrumentalist working with a wide range of artists including Seth Lakeman, Cara Dillon and Yola.
Pete Josef has always been a soul singer at heart, but his Multi-instrumental skill’s have led him into some interesting situations. For several years he has recorded and performed live with Roni Size and Reprazent, and more recently with Rag ’n' Bone Man as well as being a touring artist in Kelis’ live band, gracing the stages of Glastonbury festival, Jools Holland and Fuji Rock. All whilst in this time working on his debut album ‘Colour’ which was featured at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards.
Sam Brookes In 2011 his eponymous debut Album saw him named as Sunday Times ‘Breaking Act’ and his independently released follow up Kairos was picked as one of the best albums of 2014 by The Independent. Considerable streaming success and support slots for the likes of Willy ma-son, Scott Matthews and Joan Armatrading have earned Sam a dedicated following and growing anticipation for his third album.
John Blakeley & Jon Short form a uniquely creative and original rhythm section who over the years have played together in variations incarnations with such artists as Yola, Sheelanagig and No Go Stop.
“This is unlike anything I’ve heard before” Folk Radio
“With his keening tenor vibrato sailing effortlessly into the upper register, there’s something of Tim Buckley about Sam Brookes” - Andy Gill - The Independent
“[Kit] plays with dazzling virtuosity" Ethan Johns
Web: https://www.thejohnmartynproject.com
FB: @thejohnmartynproject
Insta: @johnmartynproject
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgQ1oIsoJLE
Kaia Kater
Montreal-born Grenadian-Canadian Kaia's jazz-fueled voice and deft songcraft have garnered acclaim from NPR's Tiny Desk, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and No Depression. Through her artful banjo playing and lush songwriting, Kaia draws on influences rooted in Quebec, the Caribbean, and Appalachia, all of which reflect the diversity of her background; her ties to the Canadian folk music scene; her college years spent soaking up Appalachian music in West Virginia, her father’s experience growing up in Grenada, and her recent work in film composition.
Kaia Kater’s new album, Strange Medicine (coming May 2024 on Free Dirt Records/ acrönym in Canada) was created during a period of deep self-reflection and reinvention. Taking the helm as co-producer, alongside Joe Grass (Elisapie, Barr Brothers), the album finds Kater expanding her creative scope with cinematic arrangements, and working with guest artists such as Taj Mahal, Allison Russell and Aoife O’Donovan. The album celebrates the power of women and oppressed people throughout history, while also sharing meditations on her own life.
Kaia released her first EP Old Soul (2013) when she was just out of high school. Since then, she’s gone on to release several albums, Sorrow Bound (2015), Nine Pin (2016) and Grenades (2018) and Strange Medicine (May 2024). For the JUNO-nominated and Polaris Music Prize long-listed Grenades, Kaia leaned into a wide array of sounds and styles in order to convey a broad range of emotions and topics, most notably her Caribbean ancestry and her father’s experience as a refugee in Canada.
In 2020, Kaia took part in the Slaight Music Residency at the Canadian Film Center, leading her to write original music for The Porter (BET+ 2022), for which she garnered a Canadian Screen Award. She also wrote and performed music for the new film, My Dead Friend Zoe (March 2024).
"...plaintive, mesmerizing...writes and performs with the skill of a folk-circuit veteran..." -Rolling Stone
"You want some authenticity in your folk music or bluegrass – I give you Kaia Kater." -No Depression
"A star in the making..."
-Folk Alley
“...One of the most remarkable Canadian folk records in some time...Kater's music is somehow ancient and brand new at the same time.”
-Tom Power, CBC Radio 2
Cut A Shine Summer Barn Dance
Cut A Shine Summer Shindig
Saturday 13th July 2024
The Round Chapel, Hackney, E5 0LY
£10 - £25
TICKETS HERE
TICKET HERE ON DICE
Summer Shindig
We all had so much fun during our Winter Season with so many people coming dancing every month, we thought we’d throw a summer party! Loads of people have asked us to carry on the nights - so here we are, let’s do it… it’s going to be a hot and sweaty one, let’s raise the roof London! We’ll double the ice order and do frozen cocktails.
Order of the Night
19:00: Venue, Bar and Food Stall Bar Opens
19:45 - 21:00: First Set of dances - more simple ones to learn the moves
21:00 - 21:15: Break!
21:15 - 23:00: Barn Dance Proper
Drinks and Food
It’s going to be a hot one, so we’ll serve frozen cocktails and boozy smoothies.. Come and eat with us too - we’ll serve a yummy soup and bread from 7pm.
About The Dancing
Although called many things; Ceilidh, Country Dance, Barn Dance, Ceili Dance, Square Dance, Set Dancing - one thing is certain, it's all traditional and how people would entertain themselves before TV and raves. We have a live band on stage to provide the music, and a "Dance Caller", who is expert at teaching you all the simple and fun moves. First we learn the dance by walking through it with the caller, then the band strike up, and we dance to the music. You don't need any experience, just willingness to have a go.
Cut A Shine Monthly Dances
Normally it’s an October - April thing, but heck, let’s do more..
Inclusivity and Diversity
Our dances are All Inclusive, regardless of age, gender, ability, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Although based largely on traditional European and American dance forms, we welcome all cultures and peoples to enjoy these dances and culture. We have tailored our dances to be non-heteronormative and involve everyone. We welcome members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Ticket Prices and Accessibility to The Arts
Low Income Tickets: £10
General Admission: £14
High Income Ticket: £16
Benefactor Ticket: £20
Our ticket pricing might seem complicated, but we want everyone to have access to the arts regardless of your financial situation. Cut A Shine is a not-for-profit dance company, and we want to engage our local community to get involved. If the cost of living crisis is affecting you, choose the cheaper ticket, then, depending on your income levels, pay what you can afford - all the way up to super awesome supporters of the arts with £20! We hope this system will work. We are doing this un-funded and off our own backs.
Sam Lee
TIMINGS
DOORS: 19:00
FIRST SET: 20:15 - 21:00
INTERVAL: 21:00 - 21:25
SECOND SET: 21:25 - 22:10
March 2024 sees the release of Sam Lee’s fourth studio album, ‘Songdreaming’, the follow up to 2020’s ‘Old Wow’, an album variously described as ‘A dazzling fusion of nature and song’ (The Observer) and a ‘sublime album that demands to be heard in the 21st century’ (The Daily Telegraph) amidst a host of critical acclaim.
‘Songdreaming’ represents the latest stage in the development of Sam Lee’s music, from its roots in traditional folk song to a new way of imagining and performing these old songs, making them relevant for a modern audience.
Lady Maisery
Their fifth studio album Tender was released at the end of 2022 to far-reaching acclaim. An arresting record exploring the power in vulnerability, the tenderness of collective wounds and the strength in kindness, it was hailed "a beguiling blend of ancient and modern" (The Times) and "both nurturing and raw, a sensitive response to the times we are living in" (Daily Info).
*Tender* entered the Official Indie Album Charts at number 18, the Official Indie Album Breakers Chart at number 3 (rare accolades for British folk!) before spending a whole year in the Official Folk Chart's top 40.
"Exquisite, thrilling” - The Guardian
"Ambitious and beautiful" - Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2
‘Lady Maisery are women with ideas, purpose and urgency.... powerful, enthralling work’ Songlines * * * * *
Brìghde Chaimbeul
A native Gaelic speaker from the Isle of Skye, Brìghde's style is rooted in her language and culture, but draws inspiration from a variety of global piping traditions, such as from Eastern Europe, Cape Breton and Ireland. Her debut album ‘The Reeling’ (2019) had an extraordinary response. Produced by Lau’s Aidan O’Rourke, it was named as Folk Album Of The Month by The Guardian, given five star reviews in both fRoots and Songlines, lavished with praise by BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction and listed as one of The Quietus’s Albums Of The Year. 'The Reeling' was voted one of the 20 Scottish Albums of the Year by the Say Awards (out of 293 submissions) and secured a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award win for Brìghde.
“Simultaneously ancient and modern, profound and direct” – Folk Album of the Month – The Guardian
“A unique, exciting and forward-looking album that sets the bar for 2019 very high indeed” – The Quietus
“Exciting, unusual and gorgeous” – Songlines
“Pure, vital energy… exceptional playing” – Folk Radio
“Mesmerising” - Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2
"It is a quirk of musical fate that some of the most traditional forms can produce the most experimental sounds. Brìghde Chaimbeul is an instrumentalist from Skye who is steeped in the musical and oral traditions of the islands and highlands of Scotland but whose music is as invigorating and new as anything currently being produced in either folk or contemporary avant-garde circles … A common misconception about drone-based music is that it doesn’t go anywhere or do anything. Chaimbeul’s tunes ride roughshod over this notion, unfolding, expanding, and sometimes exploding.” Folk Radio UK April 2023
“... an exciting, sometimes bewitching set of tunes. The album’s title is a quotation from Gaelic bard Iain Sheonaidh, of South Uist, who carried the old tales with him. Brìdghe Chaimbeul, deeply immersed in her culture, is doing the same. At the same time she is making the tales new, by transforming them into some of the most satisfying and complete music to be found anywhere in these islands. The Quietus, April 2023
“… an album to immerse oneself in order to reap the greatest rewards. From the opening moments of first track Pililiù (The Call Of The Redshank), the warm, gauzy sounds of the smallpipes floods the ears, starting a short musical journey that brings with it both mystery and beauty ... the album shows how Chaimbeul takes the traditions of folk music and gently reshapes and redirects them … evocative and beautiful … helps shine light on a lesser seen musical world.” **** musicOMH, April 2023
Owen Spafford and Louis Campbell
Owen Spafford (The Weaving) and Louis Campbell (Sam Sweeney) met as teenagers, as part of the first cohort of the National Youth Folk Ensemble. Since forming their duo in 2018, they have been nominated for the BBC Young Folk Award and received play on BBC Radio 2,3 and RTE1. A shared musical ‘true north’ and lasting friendship enable the duo to make two instruments seemingly sound as one; creating subtle and emotive textures that re-calibrate the fiddle and guitar duo idiom.
Their critically acclaimed debut album, ‘You, Golden’ (04/11/22) was self-produced and recorded live in just two and a half days with engineer Joe Garcia (Idles, Blowzabella) with a make shift setup in a barn in Bampton, Oxfordshire. It features a mixture of traditional and self-penned material, though the line is intentionally blurred to unite the two - leaving listeners questioning which is which.
Owen has performed for the leaders of the commonwealth states, toured with Giffords Circus and has received a scholarship to study composition at the Royal Academy of Music. Owen is also an All-Britain Fiddle Champion in the Fleadh Cheoil na Breataine and BBC Young Composer Competition nominee. Equally at home in a traditional session as he is in a free improvisation workshop, Spafford's understanding of the oral tradition and love for vernacular music from around the world enables an inventive and thoughtful fiddle style.
Louis has been lucky enough to perform with Martin Carthy and John Doyle and joined Sam Sweeney’s band at 19. At the Royal Northern College of Music, he studied under Martin Simpson, Stuart McCallum, Craig Ogden and Kris Drever and has been cited as ‘a talent to watch’ by the Sunday Times. Most commonly seen behind a large effects pedalboard, the duo provides space for Campbell to connect with his first love, the acoustic guitar. He has also released three solo EPs of alternative music.
The duo allows Owen and Louis to distill their love of traditional and experimental music into powerful, intricate and intimate music. Their debut album 'You, Golden' manages to orbit many different sound-worlds while staying within acoustic English folk music; seamlessly blending traditional tunes with their own material.
Improvisation, humour and musicality make each live performance unique.
“Rising stars of the folk scene” - Katie Derham, BBC Radio 3
“Beautiful, swirling, modern English folk music” - Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2
“Gorgeous Music” - Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, RTE 1
“They display a mastery and vision that, for a debut, is truly remarkable.” - Folk Radio UK
“Virtuosic, vibrant and very, very progressive. A magnificent take on the trad. tune idiom. Don't let their youth suggest these aren't two very wise old hearted musicians at the start of a very long and glorious career” - Sam Lee
“Brave, brilliant, deeply musical and creative. Listen to this....” - Martin Simpson
Manu Delago
Manu Delago celebrates the release of his upcoming album ‘Snow From Yesterday’, teaming up with flawless vocal ensemble Mad About Lemon at the Hackney Round Chapel.
Produced by Fire in the Mountain and Woodburner Music
Manu Delago - Grammy nominee, composer, innovator and acclaimed percussionist has teamed up with vocal ensemble Mad About Lemon to craft a profound and distinct new album. Together they will perform Snow from Yesterday (out Feb 2024 via One Little Independent Records) on a European tour. “When I discovered Mad About Lemon a couple of years ago, I was blown away by their delicate vocal arrangements. They create really beautiful harmonies that combine the best of both worlds – lead and choir singing. I immediately wanted to make music with them and I'm very excited that after lots of songwriting and recording sessions we can now share the music with an audience”, explains Manu Delago.
The album is fluid, versatile, and powerful. Manu Delago's handpan virtuosity is the rhythmic lifeforce of Snow From Yesterday, creating majestic, emotive sounds, often with a tender delicacy, for Mad About Lemon’s interwoven vocals to pour over. Represented in all its forms, from glacial mountains, to rivers, and even the smallest drop into watercolour, the album is about journeys and the stages of life that may change you, but also links you to others, in other times and other places. “Lots of my recent projects were very adventurous, conceptual and environment driven. With Snow from Yesterday I wanted to make the music priority again and create the most touching soundworld I could imagine, which thanks to some magic by the singers Anna, Mimi and Heidi (Mad About Lemon) turned out really well”, says Manu Delago.
The Austrian musician has regularly collaborated with various artists such as Björk, Anoushka Shankar, The Cinematic Orchestra, Olafur Arnalds and has appeared as a soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra, Metropole Orkest and many more. He has performed in more than 50 countries around the world but more importantly completed two extensive concert tours by biycle. On the so-called 'ReCycling Tour' (2021 and 2023) his band & crew performed around 20 shows along a 1000 mile bicycle route, carrying all their equipment and instruments in bike trailers. Manu Delago is famous for his dynamic and surprising live shows. On the upcoming tour he'll be joined by the three singers of Mad About Lemon and Clemens Rofner on bass and synths. Everyone on stage not only covers various acoustic and electronic instruments, but also contributes shapes and colours to visual artworks developing live with the music. Snow From Yesterday travels far, across endless oceanic expanses, and thousands of years, telling stories that aim to help the listener to see themselves as part of a larger body. After all, all rivers lead to the sea.
“A masterful and sensitive musician” – The Telegraph
“Virtuoso” – The Times
“Dreamy acoustics” – XLR8R
TIMINGS
1900 Doors Open
2100 Manu Delago
Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves
Fire in the Mountain and the Hackney Folk Club Presents:
Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves + support from Fran and Flora
Monday 12th February 2024
£12 - £25 TICKETS HERE
Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves
Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves have been described as “one living, breathing organism”(Bandcamp Daily), with their music “transform[ing] the listener to a different plane” (No Depression). Their sound together captivates listeners through intricate and interactive dynamics between the banjo and the fiddle. They are individually recognized as leaders in the young generation of roots musicians, de Groot being known for intricate clawhammer banjo work with Bruce Molsky, and Hargreaves bringing powerhouse fiddling to the stage with Laurie Lewis and David Rawlings in addition to teaching bluegrass fiddle at UNC-Chapel Hill. The duo’s 2022 sophomore album, Hurricane Clarice reflects history, family, literature, live performance, and environmental instability in the sounds, feelings, and sensations that permeate their music. The album won “Best Instrumental Group of the Year” and “Best Traditional Album of the Year” from the Canadian Folk Music Awards and also received a Juno nomination for “Traditional Roots Album of the Year.”
Their first self-titled album released in 2019 garnered attention from CBC Q, Paste Magazine and Rolling Stone Country, earning the duo the Independent Music Awards “Best Bluegrass Album” and a nomination from IBMA for “Best Liner Notes of the Year.” The duo has performed at festivals and venues such as Newport Folk Festival, Savannah Music Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh, NC, and Red Wing Roots Music Festival. Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves create a sound that is adventurous, masterful, and original, as they expand on the eccentricities of old songs, while never losing sight of what makes them endure.
The duo appear for a special London show after a nationwide tour with the Transatlantic Sessions
Learn more and Listen:
WEBSITE
BANDCAMP
YOUTUBE
Fran and Flora
Multi-award-nominated experimental/folk duo Fran & Flora captivate audiences with their reinventions of traditional Eastern European melodies and songs. Francesca Ter-Berg (cello/vox) and Flora Curzon (violin/vox) draw inspiration from archival recordings, recovered manuscripts and studying with traditional masters, infusing source material with drones, loops, free improvisation and electronics to create a 'border-defying' aesthetic (Mojo).
Unfurl, the culmination of three years creative studio work with producer Sam Beste (The Vernon Spring), was released in February'19 to critical acclaim: ’An album of beguiling beauty’ - The Wire; ‘Brave and classy’ - Robin Denselow, The Guardian; BBC Radio 3 Music Planet ‘Album of the Year’/Amazon ‘Best Seller’/AIM Award ‘Best New Act’.
Known for their engaging live performances, the duo has performed across the UK and beyond, including Kings Place (Songlines Encounters), Cafe Oto, Hidden Notes, Between the Lines Festival, Shambala, EFG London Jazz Festival, Smugglers Festival, Shtetl Neukolln (Berlin), Ancienne Belgique (Brussels), Casa Del Popolo and KlezKanada (Montreal).
Their 2nd studio album, Precious Collection, will be released on Hidden Notes Records in April 2024.
They have been supported by PRS Women Make Music, Help Musicians, BBC Introducing and Arts Council England.
WEBSITE
INSTAGRAM
Kaia Kater - Paper Dress Vintage (London)
Montreal-born Grenadian-Canadian Kaia Kater's jazz-fueled voice and deft songcraft have garnered acclaim from NPR's Tiny Desk, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and No Depression. Through her artful banjo playing and lush songwriting, Kaia draws on influences rooted in Quebec, the Caribbean, and Appalachia, all of which reflect the diversity of her background; her family’s deep ties to the Canadian folk music scene; her college years spent soaking up Appalachian music in West Virginia and her father’s experience growing up in Grenada, arriving in Canada in 1986, after the U.S. invasion.
Kaia released her first EP Old Soul (2013) when she was just out of high school. Since then, she’s gone on to release three more albums, Sorrow Bound (2015), Nine Pin (2016) and Grenades (2018). For the JUNO-nominated and Polaris Music Prize long-listed Grenades, Kaia leaned into a wide array of sounds and styles in order to convey a broad range of emotions and topics, most notably her Caribbean ancestry and her father’s experience as a refugee in Canada. In 2020, Kaia took part in the Slaight Music Residency at the Canadian Film Center, released a new single, and wrote original music for The Porter (BET+ 2022), for which she garnered a Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Song in a Drama Series. Her next album, recorded in Montreal with Joe Grass as co-producer, will land in late 2023.
"...plaintive, mesmerizing...writes and performs with the skill of a folk-circuit veteran..." -Rolling Stone
"You want some authenticity in your folk music or bluegrass – I give you Kaia Kater." -No Depression
"A star in the making..."
-Folk Alley
“...One of the most remarkable Canadian folk records in some time...Kater's music is somehow ancient and brand new at the same time.”
-Tom Power, CBC Radio 2
"Sorrow Bound is a remarkably assured debut album which both honours tradition and declares Kater’s credentials as a distinctive, original artist." Steve Hunt - fRoots Magazine (UK) - October 2015
website - https://www.kaiakater.com
facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kaiakatermusic
instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kaiakater/
youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@KaiaKater
NPR Tiny Desk performance - https://youtu.be/jmvz0ZdVphg
Mesadorm's Xmas Singalong
Mesadorm are known for their genre-defying live performances, effortlessly melding vocal harmonies and acoustic musicianship with electronic production techniques and epic soundscapes. They have created 3 critically-acclaimed albums, and performed at Womad, Wilderness, Shambala, EartH and Union Chapel.
Led by Blythe Pepino, join Mesadorm in singing some of your favourite carols, pop songs and children's songs. Blythe will teach a new song, and invite special guests on stage to lead specific numbers. Lyrics provided!
Vegan food will be available plus hot and cold drinks.
If you have specific song requests, please email us and we'll do our best to incorporate them.
Unconfirmed repertoire:
Fairytale of New York (The Pogues)
Silent Night (Carol)
Sleigh Ride (The Ronettes)
Let it Snow (Ella Fitzgerald)
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee)
All I Want For Christmas is You (Mariah Carey)
Last Christmas (Wham)
Feliz Navidad (José Feliciano)
In the Bleak Midwinter (Carol)
Little Saint Nick (The Beach Boys)
Praise for Mesadorm:
“Some of the most interesting music this year” - The Guardian
"A beautiful record” - Huw Stephens, BBC Radio 1
“I’m absolutely addicted...really affecting and beautiful…I love it” - Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music
“Absolutely fantastic...one of the debut albums of the year, no question” - John Kennedy, Radio X
Mikey Kenney
Mikey is currently working on a new album, due for release in autumn 2023. For album tour shows, Mikey performs unaccompanied or in duo/trio formats.
With a reputation for both making quality music and producing wondrous flourishes of creativity, Kenney is also a multi-talented and in-demand collaborator, including, formerly, with band Of Burns, and now, with his electric trio World Turned Upside Down, as well as playing with BBC 6 Music favourite, Alabaster DePlume and Italian singer-songwriter, Vinicio Capossela. Mikey is also Musical Director of the Lancashire Youth Folk Ensemble.
“This is magical, medicinal music that defies labels and borders” Liverpool Echo
“Mikey Kenney is an artist for whom music is a calling, not a career choice…a singular and inspiring talent... unfettered by expectations of geography or genre, and a wanderer of worlds both seen and invisible, Kenney is an authentic free spirit”. fRoots
NoGood Boyo
"This sounds great! It's got a cool blend of traditional and modern elements. I dig it." Cory Wong - Vulfpeck
Trash-trad group NoGood Boyo is the only band you need to see if you've ever wondered what would happen if you locked Enter Shikari, The Prodigy and Meredydd Evans, in one room and told them to make some noise. They are also the only band with an accordion to request extra security staff, and paramedics on standby after audiences shattered dancefloors and tables at their gigs in Brittany. Without listening to a note, and no matter what you think about traditional music, you can't deny that all this makes them like no other grassroots band coming out of Wales right now.
Dressed in attire resembling a steampunking Welsh Nana, and with their music mixing traditional Welsh language songs with the sounds of 90s rave and nu-metal, NoGood Boyo are already on their way to taking over the music industry in Wales, and they are ready to party like it's 1699.
NoGood Boyo take their genre-bending 'trash-trad' label from the purists out to stop them, and the traditional music they have proudly mashed, mixed, and moulded in to a 21st Century sound. Their uniform consists of a boiler suit, sunglasses, and a traditional Welsh hat - seen only on biscuit tins and tacky merchandise at Barry Island until now.
They are the perfect balance between paying tribute to their Welsh heritage and all out recklessness.
Go loud, or go home boyo.
FACEBOOK EVENT HERE
Interstate Express End of Summer Tour
End of Summer Tour 2023
(click the dates for details and tickets)
Join festival house band “Interstate Express” up and down and across the country… hope to see you there friends!
29th September 7pm - SOMERSET - Langport Town Hall - Music Ticket £14/with Food £25 - TA10 9PR
the above show has been postponed until spring
all these shows are going ahead:
+30th September 7pm - DORSET - The Square and Compass - FREE ENTRY - BH19 3LF
1st October 7pm - BATH - The Bell Inn - FREE ENTRY / PASS THE HAT - BA1 5BW
2nd October 7pm - STROUD - The Prince Albert - £12 - GL5 3SS
++3rd October - CORNWALL 7pm - The Cornish Bank - with Jack Kearns - £6-£10 - TR11 3EF
5th October - BRISTOL - The Jam Jar* - Tickets Soon
6th October - LONDON - The Jamboree - w. Jack Kearns - £7-£12 - WC1X 9HH
**7th October 7pm - GLOUCS - Postlip Hall - with HOE-DOWN! - £6-£20 - GL54 5AQ
8th October 7:30pm - BANBURY - Tooley's Boat Yard - £15 - OX16 2PQ
12th October - ABERYSTWYTH - The Bank Vault
13th October - LIVERPOOL - Kazimier Gardens - FREE ENTRY!
* Includes a Barn Dance/Hoe-down
+ Support act Jack Kearns
Fire in the Mountain Tour Support
This tour has been organised by Fire in the Mountain Festival Team, and we really want the above shows to act as gatherings of as many of the fine folks who go to the festival as possible. See you there friends!
www.fireinthemountain.co.uk
Our resident Ceilidh Band, Cut A Shine, hosts regular dances in London at The Round Chapel. See www.cutashine.co.uk