Posts Tagged ‘bellowhead’

As it may or may not be apparent, we here at Songlines are a tad biased towards one particular big, rollicking, bouncing, British folk band – Bellowhead.

And last Thursday night, they unleashed their seemingly endless supply of energy on the packed-out Shepherd’s Bush Empire. During the evening, the 11-piece showcased their own take on traditional folk songs (mainly on the subjects of whiskey, prostitutes and, erm, whiskey), including several from last year’s Hedonism, which the band announced on the night has just earned them their first silver disc, having sold 60,000 copies.

As always, the band were on stupendous form and demonstrated their usual, unique camaraderie between songs – with lead singer Jon Boden explaining to the audience that “traditional folk songs” means that they were “written by God.” There was also the usual instrument swapping and morris dancing, while John ‘Squeezy’ Spiers sported a very dapper ‘Movember’ moustache.

For a further insight into the hilarious, if not slightly concerning, antics keeping the band occupied while on tour, be sure to check out their ‘Bus Song a Day’ videos on Youtube…

All photos courtesy of Liam Smith

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Tags: bellowhead, bus songs, folk, hedonism, john boden, john spiers, movember, shepherds bush empire.

BBC Radio 2 has announced their Folk Awards 2012 nominees and folk lovers are now looking forward to the February event. For the the first time, the awards show will be held outside of London at The Lowry, Salford.

And the nominees are (drumroll please)…

FOLK SINGER OF THE YEAR
Jon Boden
Jackie Oates
Emily Smith
June Tabor

BEST DUO
Tim Edey & Brendan Power
Jonny Kearney & Lucy Farrell
Spiers & Boden
Marry Waterson & Oliver Knight

BEST GROUP
Bellowhead
The Home Service
June Tabor & Oysterband
The Unthanks

BEST ALBUM
Last – The Unthanks
Purpose & Grace – Martin Simpson
Ragged Kingdom – June Tabor & Oysterband
Saturnine – Jackie Oates

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
‘The Herring Girl’ – Bella Hardy
‘Last ‘– Adrian McNally (performed by The Unthanks)
‘On Morecambe Bay’ – Kevin Littlewood (performed by Christy Moore)
‘The Reckoning’ – Steve Tilston

BEST TRADITIONAL TRACK

‘Bonny Bunch of Roses’ – June Tabor & Oysterband
‘Lakes of Ponchartrain’ – Martin Simpson
‘Maids When You’re Young’– Lucy Ward
‘Sweet Lover of Mine’ – Emily Smith

HORIZON AWARD
Megan Henwood
Lady Maisery
Pilgrims’ Way
Lucy Ward

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Andy Cutting
Tim Edey
Will Pound
Martin Simpson

BEST LIVE ACT
Bellowhead
The Home Service
Peatbog Faeries
The Unthanks

BBC RADIO 2 YOUNG FOLK AWARD
Sunjay Brayne
Blair Dunlop
Ioscaid
Graham Mackenzie

For more information, please visit the Radio 2 website.

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Tags: bbc, bellowhead, blair dunlop, folk awards, folk awards 2012, graham mackenzie, ioscaid, jackie oates, jon boden, june tabor, oysterband, peatbog faeries, radio 2, Spiers & Boden, sunjay brayne, the lowry, unthanks.

There was lots going on in London on Sunday – 9/11 memorials, the Thames Festival, the Klezmer in the Park festival in Regents Park and Radio 2′s Live in Hyde Park concert which is where I was. Billed as a ‘Festival in a Day,’ the weather certainly lived up to what we’ve come to expect from a typical English summer festival (i.e wind and rain interspersed with fleeting moments of sun). The line-up was also what you’d expect from a Radio 2 playlist (a right old mixed bag) with artists ranging from headliner Gary Barlow, Imelda May, Lenny Kravitz, James Blunt and Chic. So why, you may be wondering, was I there? Well, besides the fact that Hyde Park is practically my back garden, there was one gem amongst the otherwise seriously middle-of-the road line-up and that was Bellowhead. OK, so I’m not exactly impartial to the brilliance of a Bellowhead live show as they were winners of our Best Group award this year. It wasn’t ever going to be the easiest of gigs, being only the second act on after Jools Holland and his orchestra, plus they were given a ridiculously short set time of just 15 minutes. But at least the sun shone during their three songs and they got the crowd singing along to ‘London Town’ and ‘New York Girls.’ And after Jon Boden’s introduction to ‘Cold Blows the Wind,’ a few Radio 2 listeners are now fully aware of “the dangers of dating dead people.”

You can check out Bellowhead’s performance, plus video clips from all the other acts on http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0140qt1#clips

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Tags: bellowhead, Chic, Gary Barlow, hyde park, Imelda May, James Blunt, john boden, Lenny Kravitz, live in hyde park, radio 2.

Nestled between pop stars including Will Young, James Blunt, Lenny Kravitz and Imelda May – Songlines’ favourite folk big band, Bellowhead, will take to the Radio 2 stage in Hyde Park this weekend to showcase some of their biggest hits, including – we hope – ‘New York Girls’ and ‘Yarmouth Town’.

Radio 2 Live In Hyde Park is a festival in a day to celebrate the best of the station’s music with one special day of live performances from a starry array of top UK and international artists at Hyde Park in London on Sunday 11th September 2011.

Also performing are disco legends Chic, Beverley Knight, Dutch jazz star Caro Emerald, Irish vocalist and musician Imelda May, US sisters The Pierces, and Jonathan Jeremiah. Jools Holland and his band will also join the line-up with special guests Sandie Shaw and Ruby Turner.

The event will be hosted by Chris Evans with other Radio 2 presenters.

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Tags: bellowhead, Beverley Knight, Caro Emerald, Chic, chris evans, hyde park, Imelda May, James Blunt, Jonathan Jermiah, jools holland, Lenny Kravitz, live in hyde park, Pierces, radio 2, ruby turner, sandie shaw, Will Young.