Beverley Festival Warm up for Glastonbury with its Americana Artists

Once again, this year’s Beverley Festival hosts an Americana mini-festival as a part of its weekend of entertainment.  As always, the artists it brings to the event perform an eclectic range of styles, and this year the Americana artists appearing will be presenting music and song  from Bluegrass to Country; Old Time to Contemporary classics, as well as story-telling and workshops.

Artists booked include Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams playing an utterly unique blend of rock & roll, folk, and quirky Americana. The band have been called “the hillbilly Pink Floyd,” which is an apt description, particularly if you throw in elements of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Band, Neil Diamond, and maybe even some Frank Zappa too.

The band taps a broad palette of styles ranging from dusty Americana ballads to huge cinematic anthems. Possessing an exotic instrumental arsenal consisting of glockenspiel, theremin, mandolin and accordion, in addition to standard rock regalia – they are endowed with a devoted populist appeal on the festival circuit and beyond.

The band will be appearing the following week at Glastonbury Festival, as will Ellen and the Escapades who stole the show at last year’s festival and were promptly asked to come back for this year’s festival. The band, from Leeds, recently won this year’s Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition. They wowed the judges of the competition with their beguiling alt-folk and won a main stage slot at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

Said the judges: “The standard of the acts was fantastic over the whole weekend, but in the end it was a unanimous decision. Ellen and the Escapades gave a wonderful performance, driven by great songwriting and Ellen’s stunning voice. We’re really looking forward to seeing them down here at the Festival in June”.

Michael Eavis added: “We’ve got a very clear winner, Ellen and the Escapades are a fantastic new band, I was so thrilled with them last night. It’s so good to get that sort of quality so they’ll be playing all over the site I hope.”

So come to Beverley Festival and see both bands first, close up and in the intimate atmosphere of this friendly and dynamic festival.

Also appearing at the festival, is songwriter, Charlie Dore (who wrote chart hit – “Pilot of the Airwaves”) with The Hula Valley Orchestra, performing songs and music from 1930’s America.  Anyone who’s heard Charlie’s unusually expressive voice delivering a broad range of musical styles with such assured serenity over the last three decades might choke on their porridge at the notion that she could be anything but completely at ease in any era, but a time machine might nevertheless come in handy as she plunders an evocative musical past from Depression era America to look to the future with her band, ‘The Hula Valley Orchestra’. A clever songwriter with a dream of a voice that glides from folk and country to jazzy cabaret – Daily Telegraph

As well as these great acts we welcome to the festival for the first time, from Nashville, Jerry Harmon, a much acclaimed country singer and storyteller  “Jerry Harmon is one of the best authentic artists you can find that is unblemished by the main-stream.” Ricky Skaggs.  “Discovering Jerry Harmon recently at the Bath Music Festival was a sheer delight! Listening to his southern drawl he could be nothing else but a country singer. Jerry’s songs ….(are) country music at its best, real down home country sweet as your mamas apple pie…”

Maverick Magazine UK

Back after many requests to see them again following their 2009 appearances, are Jeni and Billy, performing their New Old Music which brings together Traditional Country, Appalachian, Old-time, Country Blues, Bluegrass and Folk music to create a truly unique sound. Jeni’s singing sounds to me like a cross between the young Hazel Dickens and the young Iris DeMent. The songs . . . range from raw and powerful to sweet and funny. The instrumental work . . . is excellent; the harmony singing is just what you’d want it to be.”

In addition, performing within the Americana concerts include Sean Taylor, Edwina Hayes, Why and Wherefores, and Pete Bolton’s Whiskey Dogs.

Also appearing:

The Proclaimers, Eddi Reader, The Demon Barber Roadshow, The Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band, Martin Simpson Trio, Dervish, Barbara Dickson, Blazin’ Fiddles, Koshka, Doğan Mehmet, Ivan Brackenbury,  Karen Tweed, Rory Motion, Tyde and lots more.

A packed programme of Music and Dance, plus Comedy, Literature, Poetry, Youth and Kids events, all promise to make the festival a must for festival goers next month.

Americana Tickets info – more TBC:

SATURDAY CONCERT MARQUEE – Meet Ellen & The Escapades £6 Adults / £4 Conc

SATURDAY LEISURE CLUB ROOM – Jeni & Billy,Edwina Hayes,Jerry Harmon, Why & Wherefores £10 Adults / £8.50 Conc

SATURDAY – Mid-Summer Party – Demon Barber Roadshow; Gandalf Murphy £17.50 Adults / £14.50 Conc

SUNDAY CONCERT MARQUEE – Charlie Dore, Ellen & The Escapades, Whiskey Dogs, Jerry Harmon, £13 Adults / £11 Conc

SUNDAY LEISURE CLUB – Meet  Jeni & Billy £6 / £4

For more info and full range of tickets available on line from www.beverleyfestival.com

Further information:  01377 217569  info@beverleyfestival.com