I've just booked for Folk by the Oak for the 10th year. It's always a great day, we sleep in the Bach of the Van afterwards, and the performers stroll around the grounds. We've seen some great acts over the years and will be seeing The Proclaimers, Richard Thompson and The Unthanks this year. I love traditional music, as it's usually from the NE, Scotland, etc, and there's nowhere more vibrant than this festival. This is the Unthanks singing about when NE men were press ganged leaving their families destitute. This was at the time of the slave trade, a period about which we're expected to beg for forgiveness. Well excuse me, the poor working class of the NE didn't profit, or benefit, from any of that .... ... quite the reverse.
He was booked last year, as was Seasick Steve, but Covid screwed it up ... ... I've never seen him live but really looking forward to this. It's not all folk tbh, Aimee Mcdonald was headlining the last time, but there's a thread that runs through it.
Seen Richard Thompson in the 60's at the Empire with Fairport Convention great venue, especially on a Sunday night for some reason, my first ever live show was seeing Lonnie Donegan in his Skiffle days at the Empire, and also saw the The Beatles there later absolute mayhem .
I’ve been very impressed with a young band from Yorkshire called The Reytons. Worth checking out on YouTube.
That's my favourite Unthanks song . . . . it's brilliant and a fantastic reference to 'Sheels, and in particular the Lawe Top
