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By Allan Wilkinson - Posted on 19 February 2012

The Barnsley Acoustic Roots Festival
 
 
Friday 6 April - Sunday 8 April 2012
Kingstone School, Barnsley
 
Friday
Acoustic Gathering
Tarras
Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart 
Fran Smith 
Saturday
Brass Monkey
The Shee
Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart
Miss Quincy
Walsh & Pound
Jessica Lawson
 
Rising Stars Winner
 
Sunday
Edward II
London Philharmonic Skiffle Orchestra
Po Girl
Toy Hearts
Philip Henry & Hannah Martin
Patsy Matheson & Becky Mills
Rising Stars Winner
 
 
 
 
The Great British Alternative Festival
 
 
Friday 27 April - Sunday 29 April 2012
Butlins, Minehead

Eddie and the Hot Rods
SHAM 69
From the Jam
Anti Nowhere League
Boomtown Rats (Simon Crowe & Garry Roberts)
Department S
Ex Simple Minds (Derek Forbes & Brian McGee)
Hazel O'Connor
Secret Affair
The Beat
The Blockheads
The Damned
The Lambrettas
The Truth
TV Smith
UK Subs
Ed Tudor Pole
The Vibrators
John Otway
Wilko Johnson
Nine Below Zero

More Info: www.bigweekends.com/your-break/81826

 
 
Wath Festival
 
 
Friday 4 May - Sunday 6 May 2012
 
 
Wath-upon-Dearne

Friday
Fairport Convention
Chris and Kellie While
Ray Hearne and Ciaran Boyle

 

Saturday
 
Dick Gaughan
Billy Mitchell band
Boo Hewerdine
Jennifer Crook
Tom Mitchell
Brooks Williams
Flaxenby
Holly Taymar
Jenna
Catherine Bindon
 
 
Sunday
 
Home Service
Reg Meuross and Bethany Porter
Lucy Ward
Johnny and the Prison Didn't Help Boys
Skyhook
Monkey's Fist
Charlie Barker and Harriet Bartlett
 
 
 
 
Doncaster Folk Festival
 
 
Friday 18 May - Sunday 20 May 2012
Ukraine Centre, Doncaster

Damien Barber and Mike Wilson
Megson
Les Barker
Pilgrims' Way
Lucy Ward
Flossie Malavialle
What's the Point?

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Shepley Spring Festival
 
 
 
Friday 25 May - Sunday 27 May 2012  
Shepley, Near Huddersfield
 
Trecherous Orchestra
The Demon Barber Roadshow
Melrose Quartet   
Phil Beer  
The Albion Band  
The Wilsons  
Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin  
Hekety  
Tickled Pink  
Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow  
Roy Bailey  
Gentocorum  
Tim Edey and Bredan Power  
The Shee  
Steve Tilston   
The Durbervilles  
The Davenports  
The Noble Family  
Ruth and Sadie Price  
Blair Dunlop  
Flats and Sharps  
Sciorr:Staged  
She Shanties  
Luke Hirst and Sarah Smout  
David Shevelew  
Wilful Missing  
Katherine Hurdley and Alex Percy  
Kirsty Bromley
Special Event:
Thursday 24 May
 
An evening with Elkie Brooks
 
 
Beverley Folk Acoustic Roots Festival

 
Friday 15 June - Sunday 17 June 2012
Beverley
 
The headline acts for the prestigious Beverley Festival (Folk, Acoustic, Roots) have now been announced, revealing some of the top names from the British folk, and mainstream music scene. The festival has always managed to provide a top rate programme of artists, with a varied range of musical genres to suit all tastes.  2012 looks set to demonstrate that this success story is to continue.
 
The festival kicks off on Friday (15th June) with folk-rock legends Steeleye Span with a career that has taken in an astounding six decades, with hit records “All Round My Hat” and “Gaudete”. The band are not just a legendary name in British music but also a link to the classic days of rock and folk music. Contemporaries of the likes of Led Zeppelin and Fairport Convention, they have gone on to change the face of folk music forever, taking it from small clubs and festivals into the world of chart topping albums and international tours
 
Saturday sees a night of dance with Scottish band quoted as being the “Future of Celtic Dance music” The Peatbog Faeries.  Nominated in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Best Live Act, the band have performed at leading festivals all around the world, and will be returning to Beverley on the Saturday to headline a mid-summer dance night, with support from Denmark’s award winning young band Habadekuk.
 
The finale night at the festival will see two great bands from two different generations. 
Premier rock ‘n’ roll legend Joe Brown will be headlining the main concert.   His ‘Very Best Of’ album achieved a Gold Record for a massive 120,000 sales and was on the UK charts for eight weeks staying four weeks in the Top 20. Recently he received MOJO magazine’s coveted Outstanding Contribution To Music Award as well as a much deserved MBE.
 
He performed on Later With Jools Holland and played his part closing the show at the Concert for George Harrison.  At the festival Joe will be bringing his five piece band including his son and record producer Pete Brown, and the musical styles incorporated into his new show break more boundaries and are as unique as the man himself. Packed with timeless classics, rockabilly, gospel, country, folk, and rock ‘n’ roll, all interwoven with Joe’s effervescent delivery and humorous reminiscences this sensational show is a musical journey not to be missed.
 
For the younger generation, and those young at heart, the Sunday night will finish in style with the young band tipped to be the Mumford and Sons, ahab.  Returning to the festival after their huge success at it last year, the band play alternative country music and have received rave reviews across the board.  Simon Mayo, of BBC Radio said “ahab is the real deal – top-notch UK Americana featuring tight four-piece harmonies.”
 
In addition the festival has some of the best American acts around from the UK and overseas with the dynamic Abigail Washburn with Kai Welch and Furnace Mountain visiting from the USA, and UK based The Carrivick Sisters and The Toy Hearts, along with Yorkshire’s very own Tom Townsend Band. Some great blues, bluegrass and country music will be heard over the weekend, with some excellent sessions to join in with.
 
Other artists include, Martin Carthy, Chumbawamba, Cooper Boyes & Simpson, Henry Priestman, Eduardo Niebla, author of DI Banks series of books as featured on ITV with Stephen Peter Robinson, and poet extraordinaire Ian McMillan and Luke Carver-Goss.
 
The growing and increasingly popular Area2 Youth programme is also hosting some of this countries top young artists. Run by young people it offers the chance for the rising stars of the future to shine in a festival atmosphere, and encourages young people to get involved  and participate in the event.
 
A wide range of concerts and activities for those attending the event, with a special emphasis on families and children, makes the event a perfect weekend for all.  With tickets selling fast and special rates available until the 31st March.


Appearing in 2012

Joe Brown
Steeleye Span
Peatbog Faeries
Home Service
Chumbawamba
Martin Carthy
Coope, Boyes & Simpson
Shooglenifty
Allan yn y Fan
Abigail Washburn with Kai Welch (USA)
Ahab
Furnace Mountain (USA)
Henry Priestman
Eduardo Niebla
Ian McMillan and Luke Carver Goss
The Toy Hearts
The Carrivick Sisters
The Tom Townsend Blues Band
Lady Maisery
Peter Robinson (Author)
Habadekuk (Denmark)
Elfynn
Jessica Lawson
 
More Info: www.beverleyfestival.com
 
 
The Cambridge Folk Festival
 
 
Thursday 26 July 26 - Sunday 29 July 2012 
Cherry Hinton Hall Grounds
 
FIRST NAMES ANNOUNCED
 
Clannad (Sat)
Joan Armatrading (Sun)
The Proclaimers (Sat)
June Tabor & Oysterband (Fri)  
Loreena McKennitt (Sun)
Billy Bragg celebrates Woody Guthrie’s 100th Birthday (Thurs)
Nic Jones (Sun)
 
Europe's most acclaimed folk festival has revealed some of the first artists confirmed for 2012's eclectic bill.
 
Performances include a rare Festival appearance by the original line-up of Irish folk royalty and multi-million album sellers Clannad, leading singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, who has enjoyed success in pop, folk, blues, reggae and jazz genres; ever-popular Scottish icons The Proclaimers, guaranteed to bring the Festival to its feet; a rare Festival appearance by June Tabor & Oysterband, following their acclaimed 2011 collaboration ‘Ragged Kingdom’ and recent multiple BBC Radio 2 Folk Award wins; internationally acclaimed Canadian singer and composer Loreena McKennitt, playing an intoxicating blend of Celtic and Middle Eastern sounds; renowned singer-songwriter and activist Billy Bragg celebrates Woody Guthrie’s 100th Birthday, which falls in mid July; and the first full public performance in 30 years by English folk legend Nic Jones, whose career was cut short by a car accident in 1982. ‘Penguin Eggs’ by Nic Jones is widely recognised as one of the finest folk albums of all time.
 
More headline names including emerging and contemporary stars will be announced very soon.
 
More Info: www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk