FEBRUARY
Mojito
Saturday 11 February, 8pm
Tickets £15
Mojito are a high-energy salsa band who bring you the true taste of Cuba. They play a scorching mix of salsa, timba, merengue, son, reggaeton and chachacha and have their own unique style guaranteed to pack the dancefloor that we'll be creating specially for this event! This band likes to mix it up and they're not afraid to experiment and push the boundaries - you will hear salsa with reggae, funk and hip-hop. In the same way as these styles influence the contemporary sounds of Cuba they also naturally feed into the sound of Mojito. Versatile and always grooving, their vibrant style and energy are guaranteed to provide an electric atmosphere wherever they go. Wear your dancing shoes!
For an additional £13 per person you can enjoy A Taste of Latin America (vegetarian options available) served in Café in2. Please go to www.stables.org for menu details. Book in advance through the Box Office to reserve your table.
Anna Massey & Mairearad Green
Tuesday 14 February, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Multi-instrumentalist award winners Mairearad Green (accordion and smallpipes) and Anna Massie (guitar, banjo, fiddle) are a captivating duo who provide a highly energetic performance. Individually, they can be seen performing with The Poozies, Blazin' Fiddles, Karen Matheson, Bella Hardy, Box Club and Eddi Reader, and together in Scotland's one and only Celtic big band, The Unusual Suspects. Mairearad and Anna share an innate understanding of Scottish music and having played together for eight years they have an intuitive approach to each other's musical ideas and interpretations.
“There is an almost telepathic communication between the two musicians.” Hi-Arts
SambaSunda Quintet
Wednesday 15 February, 8pm
Tickets £12.50, students £9.50, family of 4 £38
Groundbreaking gamelan innovators SambaSunda have a flair for experimentation both forwards and backwards within their musical tradition. In their latest incarnation, Sambasunda strip down to a quintet, reflecting an enduring tradition of Sundanese music while at the same time creating something fresh, modern and original. The music is centred on the kacapi, a boat-shaped zither whose mellifluous tones have been heard in Sunda (West Java) for centuries. Its haunting and evocative sound connects to the Sundanese soul and poetry, often singing of displacement, longing and melancholy. Using kacapi, violin, suling (flute) and the unique tuned kendang drums to accompany truly stunning singer (and dancer!) Rita Tila, SambaSunda use an ancient repertoire to articulate a distinctly urban feeling suffused with a contemporary awareness of global sounds.
For an additional £13 per person you can enjoy A Taste of Indonesia (vegetarian options available) served in Café in2. Please go to www.stables.org for menu details. Book in advance through the Box Office to reserve your table.
Botown: The Soul Of Bollywood
Thursday 16 February, 8pm
Tickets £17
Take a musical trip from Memphis to Mumbai with this ultra-funky new band that melts genres, cultures and sounds. Botown is a super-tight, feel-good soul band of multi-cultural musicians performing Bollywood grooves, reborn with a soul funk twist. Their genre-melting sound combines the glamour of Bollywood with raw soul power. Expect to hear music from James Brown, Sly Stone, Ray Charles & B B King alongside AR Rahman, RD Burman, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosla, Lata and many more. This band is committed to bringing the house down with every performance! They have their own troupe of sexy dancers and the band lineup features drums, bass, Indian percussion, horn section, guitar, male and female vocals and dhol, all completing the full Bollywood Soul Funk experience!
“Botown will take you back to the days of brilliant live gigs with its talented live musicians and who bring out the funkier side to Bollywood classics." Eastern Eye
For an additional £13 per person you can enjoy A Taste of India (vegetarian options available) served in Café in2. Please go to www.stables.org for menu details. Book in advance through the Box Office to reserve your table.
Fairport Convention
Supported by Kieran Goss
Saturday 18 February, 8pm
Tickets £24.50
Hailed as the originators of British folk-rock, Fairport Convention celebrates its forty-fifth anniversary as one of the most entertaining bands on the live music scene. This year's winter tour will feature songs from Fairport's most recent studio album, the critically acclaimed Festival Bell. The band has a vast repertoire to draw on - this concert will include favourites chosen by audiences as well as the new material. There will also be an opening set from gifted singer-songwriter Kieran Goss. Whether you are a long-time fan or a newcomer to their music an evening with Fairport Convention will surprise and delight you.
Steve Knightley
Supported by Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin
Wednesday 22 February, 8pm
Tickets £16
Steve Knightley is the songwriting force behind Show of Hands, widely acclaimed as the finest acoustic roots duo in England. He is renowned for his strong, trademark narrative songs which reflect the escapades, hopes and fears not only of people in his native West Country but beyond and he pulls no punches when writing about bigger global issues. Steve continues his success as a solo artist with his annual tour and has released 4 solo albums. The latest, Live In Somerset, was recorded in early 2011.
“One of England's greatest songwriters.” BBC Radio 2
Jordan Reyne
Friday 24 February, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Jordan Reyne's live shows - described by one promoter recently as folk noir - are a layered mix of acoustic guitar riffs, found sounds and real life folk tales. Jordan's taste for innovation brings to mind Imogen Heap, while her love of folk rock and Celtic melody draws from the likes of Dead Can Dance and Sinead O' Connor. She has the power to lure and fascinate, ¬to pull the listener into a world of bloodlust and haunted past lives. Jordan embarks on her first UK tour supporting her new album Children Of A Factory Nation.
"I'd be loath to categorize music this original. PJ Harvey springs to mind, but the style is 100% Jordan's. Her vocals are astounding." The Mix
MARCH
Please note that new shows will go on public sale on the 7th February, prior to which
Stables Friends have priority booking.
Juan Martin Flamenco Dance Ensemble
Thursday 1 March, 8pm
Tickets £18.50
Voted into the top flamenco guitarists in the world by US Guitar Player magazine, Juan Martín returns to perform with his singer and dancers. Martin is at the vanguard of modern flamenco, with a unique style of music that succeeds in embracing classical, jazz and modern harmonies while upholding the great flamenco tradition. The guitar creates an explosion of energy and passion that finds expression through raw and dazzling displays of footwork. This is going to be an exhilarating night of flamenco music and dance - not to be missed.
“The leading flamenco guitarist of his generation.” The Guardian
Tir na nOg
Saturday 3 March, Stage 2 8.45pm
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Tir na nOg, the cult duo formed by Leo O'Kelly and Sonny Condell, caused a sensation both on the folk and rock scenes with their music - often described as psychedelic folk - being championed by John Peel, resulting in many Peel sessions in the early 70s. They toured Britain and Europe with Jethro Tull and Procol Harum, gathering followers from their appearances with bands as disparate as Hawkwind, The Who, Fairport Convention and Roxy Music. They have remained a cult band since leaving their record company, Chrysalis, in 1974.
Jamie Smith's Mabon
Tuesday 6 March, 8pm
Tickets £15
Award-winning, stunning, joyous and vibrant - Celtic music without borders - Jamie Smith's Mabon is a heady treat, one of Britain's fastest-rising must-see roots acts. Their music is singular and toe-tappingly good - an irresistible blend of world music, Celtic roots and rabble-rousing funk folk, filled with energy, joy and passion. Jigs and reels jostle for space alongside Breton fest-noz, French mazurka, Galician muinera and even klezmer in an exuberant, feel-good show, coaxing the audience down a path of contrasting emotions leaving them breathless and bewitched.
“Powerful, authentic and a tad wonderful.” fRoots
Lynne Hanson
Friday 9 March, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Some call it country, some call it roots-and-blues, others call it rough-around-the-edges folk. Lynne Hanson calls her musical style “porch music with a little Texas red dirt” and it's a sound that's received rabid applause from enamoured critics and devoted fans the world over. Blessed with a soulful voice that's compared to Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams and Mary Chapin Carpenter, Hanson is one of the most captivating female singer-songwriters on the Americana scene today, a happy-go-lucky storyteller with the gift of the gab and a wink in her eye.
Mor Karbasi
Sunday 11 March, 8pm
Tickets £15
Mor Karbasi burst onto the global world music scene in 2008 with the release of her first album, The Beauty And The Sea and has continued to capture audiences internationally with her gorgeous, exceptional voice and looks to match. She was born in Jerusalem to a mother from Nazareth of Moroccan descent and a father from Jerusalem of Persian ancestry. Mor's music is influenced by several cultures, though mainly by her Jewish heritage. All her influences come together in her predominantly Sephardic repertoire, from traditional Jewish songs to her own contemporary compositions. The traditional songs originate from ancient Spain and have traveled all around the world with the Jews who were forced to leave Spain in the 15th century. They are characteristically haunting, beautiful melodic songs, full of sheer emotion.
MEAL DEAL
For an additional £13 per person you can enjoy A Sephardic Feast (vegetarian options available) served in Café in2. Please go to www.stables.org for menu details. Book in advance through the Box Office to reserve your table.
The Acoustic Gathering
Thursday 15 March, 8pm
Tickets £16.50
The Acoustic Gathering is a folk supergroup, featuring Ray Jackson, Jerry Donahue and Doug Morter. Ray is a founding member of Lindisfarne, who had a very successful career with Ray as front man,including their hits Meet Me On The Corner, Lady Eleanor and Run For Home. Jerry is ex-Fotheringay and Fairport Convention and has recorded with George Harrison, Robert Plant, Roy Orbison and Warren Zevon. Doug has recorded and toured as part of the Maddy Prior Band, the Michael Chapman Band, the Albion Band and Magna Carta.
Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham
Tuesday 20 March, 8pm
Tickets £17
Two of Scotland's best loved traditional musicians. Aly Bain was a founder member of the Boys of the Lough and his passionate playing has found its way onto recordings by Eddie Reader and Richard Thompson. Stunning accordion player Phil Cunningham currently features on Mark Knopfler's latest album and has also worked with James Taylor, Rosanne Cash and Midge Ure. Both can be seen regularly in The Transatlantic Sessions TV series and together they are simply the best traditional musicians you are ever likely to hear.
Patsy Matheson & Becky Mills
Friday 23 March, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
One half of award-winning female acoustic quartet Waking the Witch, Patsy Matheson and Becky Mills delight audiences throughout the UK - Patsy as half of a duo with Clive Gregson and Becky singing alongside Ken Nicol and Ashley Hutchins. Now, with the release of Patsy's album Stories Of Angels & Guitars, these two world-class musicians have joined forces, resulting in a unique sound drawing on traditional and contemporary folk, acoustic blues, jazz and rock with intricate vocal harmonies. Combine this with the pair's engaging charm and humour and this will be a very special evening.
“Expert musicianship and compelling interchanging lead vocals.” Maverick Magazine
Maddy Prior with Giles Lewin & Hannah James
Tuesday 27 March, 8pm
Tickets £23
Maddy Prior has a history of collaborating with unexpected musicians, looking to approach traditional and written material from interesting and varied perspectives. Here she teams up with Giles Lewin (a multi-talented instrumentalist and singer with a classical background - diluted by some years in the band After Hours - and a stalwart of the Carnvial Band) and Hannah James, a member of Lady Maisry who has also been in the Demon Barbers and Kerfuffle. Hannah brings singing, accordion, clog dancing and youth.
Randolph Matthews & Byron Johnston
Tuesday 27 March, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Randolph and Byron perform lively, highly creative contemporary world music - a fusion of Spanish acoustic guitar and African soul. Randolph's vocal style blends soul, folk music and elements of neo-African styles, with vocal percussion woven between touching melodies. Acclaimed guitarist Byron Johnston performs a fusion of Mediterranean & flamenco-influenced music. They have received glowing reviews for their performances at The Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Royal Albert Hall. 2011 saw them release their debut album, In The Shadow Of Leaves.
Pre-concert Drum Circle workshop with Sandeep Raval
Thursday 29 March, 6-6.30pm
Free to ticket holders for 8pm concert (workshop must be booked with concert tickets)
Join Sandeep for a wonderful rhythmic introduction to tonight's concert, as he guides you through a taste of world rhythms through the spirit of the drum circle! Instruments will be available but you are welcome and encouraged to bring your own hand drum if you have one. Places are limited so early booking is advised. Suitable for beginners of all ages.
Sandeep Raval
Thursday 29 March, 8pm
Tickets £13.50, under 16s £9.50
Like a plane jetting off to unknown destinations, the only way to understand the adventure that is a live show with Sandeep Raval and his band is to buy a ticket and take the trip! From Southampton to Northampton, Leicester to London, UK audiences have already jumped on board Raval's live concept, featuring tracks from his album Mosaic in Motion. After all, who doesn't want the opportunity to explore the world's sounds, in full stereo? Sandeep is an extraordinarily versatile instrumentalist and composer and this astonishing musical journey takes in ideas and sounds from all over the world, from urban British drum n bass, traditional folk, central Asian classical music and jazz. Everyone who came to his last appearance here was knocked out by it and couldn't stop talking about this incredible, intricate music; don't miss him this time around!
MEAL DEAL
For an additional £13 per person you can enjoy A Taste of India (vegetarian options available) served in Café in2. Please go to www.stables.org for menu details. Book in advance through the Box Office to reserve your table.
APRIL
Tinderbox
Friday 6 April, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Tinderbox are an acoustic duo featuring Dublin-born Monique Houraghan, with a distinctive honey-like vocal, and Dan Tucker, with an intricate finger-style guitar technique. In 2010 Tinderbox returned from a hugely successful tour of the USA and went on to win an award for Best European Group in Caceres, Spain. With 3 albums already under their belt Tinderbox are now on tour to promote their fourth album Counting Time. The last time Tinderbox performed at The Stables they sold out, so make sure you book your tickets fast!
“Lovely, hooky and mellow.” Acoustic Magazine
Robin Auld
Saturday 7 April, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Slide guitar, harmonica, African blues guitar stylings and soul vocals all feature in the fresh and vibrant roots sound of Robin Auld. An award-winning artist with an international CV spanning twenty albums, he is a powerful and accomplished performer whose energy has uplifted audiences all over the world. His latest album, Fingers In My Pocket, is a collection of roots and blues songs. African influences are never far away, with a reggae song and even a Cape goema tune to pepper the mix!
Feast of Fiddles
Thursday 12 April, 8pm
Tickets £17
Feast of Fiddles is six of the UK's finest fiddle players in a band of 11 which includes Dave Mattacks, the grandfather of folk rock drumming. Peter Knight of Steeleye Span, Chris Leslie of Fairport Convention, Brian McNeill, Ian Cutler, Tom Leary and Garry Blakeley bring their own individual styles together to visit many musical genres in a show that will have you dancing in the aisles and maybe shedding a tear. The 2012 tour is the band's 19th annual outing and the critical acclaim gets louder every year. Bring your sceptical friends, they won't be disappointed!
“Absolutely awesome!” BBC East
Tom Toomey
Saturday 14 April, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Experience inspirational, original music from Tom Toomey (The Zombies and The Colin Blunstone Band) and his 6-piece band, featuring Simon Swarbrick on violin and Cuban pianist Milly Riquelme alongside a host of other talent. Six highly experienced musicians with a formidable track record of professional performance play a fluid combination of different genres - world, celtic, blues, jazz, rock, roots, folk and fusion, with Cuban, African, Eastern, French & Spanish influences.
"The audience couldn't believe they were watching something so remarkable at a small town arts festival." BBC Review
Gilmore Roberts
Thursday 19 April, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award nominees Katriona Gilmore & Jamie Roberts combine astounding lap-tapping guitar, fiery fiddle and their trademark harmonies with considerable songwriting talent to make a truly distinctive sound. The duo's 2010 second album, Up From The Deep, scored them a Best Original Song Hancock Award. Aside from their work together, Katriona (ex-Tiny Tin Lady and Rosie Doonan's Snapdragons) recently joined the newly reformed Albion Band, while Jamie has played with young English traditionalists Kerfuffle since 2007.
Double Duo: Khyam Allami
Sunday 22 April, 8pm
Tickets £12.50, students £9.50
The highly individual, inventive and energetic Khyam Allami is a London-based musician of Iraqi descent. His passion for music has led him on a remarkable journey, from child violinist in Damascus to rock drummer in London to the stage of the BBC Proms. Making Tracks will enable Allami to develop new work especially for this tour based on a 'double duo' idea (featuring oud and percussion), working with highly respected Palestinian oud player Ahmad Al-Khatib, extraordinary percussionist Yussef Hbeisch (as seen with Trio Joubran), as well as Italian frame drum master Andrea Piccioni.
MEAL DEAL
For an additional £13 per person you can enjoy A Taste of the Middle East (vegetarian options available) served in Café in2. Please go to www.stables.org for menu details. Book in advance through the Box Office to reserve your table.
Laish
Supported by Emma Gatrill
Thursday 26 April, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Laish are a playful, literate, folk-infused pop band, formed from the prolific songwriting, unique voice and intricate guitar work of Daniel Green. Fiercely independent and working with the Willkommen Records label (home to The Leisure Society and Sons of Noel and Adrian), they are an accomplished live act gaining a reputation for their warm and inspiring performances. Their music is thoughtful, intense and uplifting with a turn in lyrical wit and honesty. The Laish sound falls somewhere between the darkness of Low and the wit and joy of Herman Dune.
“Beguiling songs of love and fasting.” Mojo Magazine
Mawkin
Saturday 28 April, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Folk rebels Mawkin - fresh off the back of the three-times BBC Folk Award-nominated collaboration Mawkin:Causley - are forging a bold new sound that strengthens their instrumental roots and embraces new explorations into the traditional folk canon. Expect the mesmerisng guitar playing of David Delarre and the beats of percussionist Lee Richardson underpinning richly textured bass lines from Danny Crump. Add a host of wild melodies from the frenetic fiddling fingers of James Delarre interplaying with the virtuosic bellowing of Nick Cooke's melodeon and you have Mawkin.
MAY
Cole Stacey
Friday 4 May, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Described by Steve Knightley (Show Of Hands) as an impassioned and ambitious young songwriter, Cole Stacey is a singer-songwriter whose rapidly growing reputation has led to continued airplay on BBC radio, sell-out shows opening for Hayseed Dixie, Cara Dillon and Martin Simpson, headline shows nationwide and appearances at festivals including Bristol Folk Festival, Glastonbury and Sidmouth. In 2012 he is touring accompanied by exceptional violinist & multi-instrumentalist Joseph O'Keefe, followed by a string of high-profile performances and festivals.
"Quality acoustic music." Acoustic Magazine
Boo Hewerdine & Brooks Williams
Tuesday 8 May, 8pm
Tickets £12.50
Hewerdine is an English songwriter and lead singer of indie legends The Bible. Williams is a slide guitar wizard from Georgia, USA. Their plan was to record an album using vintage mics and equipment live in just 5 days. The aim was to capture the sound of two guitarists and singers from completely different backgrounds working together in harmony and after a day and a half they realised it was finished and that the result was even better than they'd hoped for. The album is being released in April 2012 and Boo and Brooks will be touring it here.
Blazin' Fiddles
Thursday 10 May, 8pm
Tickets £18
Take a group of the hottest contemporary fiddle players from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and you've got the award-winning Blazin' Fiddles. No other band quite captures the excitement, passion and sensitivity of Scottish fiddle music as well as Blazin' Fiddles, having grown from a showcase tour of individual fiddlers. Like rare single malts, each member of Blazin' Fiddles draws the distinct flavour of music from their own part of the Highlands and Islands, forming one of the best live acts today.
“The Led Zeppelin of the folk world.” The Scotsman
MEAL DEAL
For an additional £13 per person you can enjoy A Taste of Scotland (vegetarian options available) served in Café in2. Please go to www.stables.org for menu details. Book in advance through the Box Office to reserve your table.
Mairi Morrison & Alasdair Roberts: Urstan
Tuesday 22 May, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
A unique collaboration between Gaelic singer Mairi Morrison and Scottish folk singer-songwriter Alasdair Roberts, Urstan features traditional Gaelic songs (with a few Scots songs and self-written tracks too) arranged in new ways. The Scottish Gaelic tradition is incredibly rich - each area has its own repertoire of songs. Mairi Morrison represents the traditions of Bragar on the Isle of Lewis, culturally one of the richest of all the Gaelic-speaking parts of Scotland. Alasdair Roberts is a non-Gaelic speaking Lowlander, a folk singer and writer of songs who has a growing interest in Gaelic culture.
Tim Edey & Brendan Power
Saturday 26 May, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Tim Edey is one of the finest players on the Celtic music scene, a virtuoso on acoustic guitar and button accordion, touring and recording with Sharon Shannon, Mary Black, Altan and Capercaillie. Brendan Power is one of the most creative harmonica players around, recording with Kate Bush, Sting and Van Morrison. He sings, composes original songs, and throws in some nifty beatboxing too. The duo's blend of passion and virtuosity is infectious. They love to improvise, so every time they do a piece it's different and fresh, with a sheer mad spontaneity which captures audiences everywhere!
“It's folk Jim, but not as we know it!” Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2
JUNE
Dougie MacLean
Thursday 7 June, 8pm
Tickets £18
Dougie MacLean is Scotland's pre-eminent singer-songwriter and a national musical treasure who has developed a unique blend of lyrical roots-based songwriting and instrumental composition. Internationally renowned for his song Caledonia, his music for The Last Of The Mohicans and his inspired performances, Dougie performs at The Stables for the first time. His songs have been covered by Paolo Nutini, Amy MacDonald, Ronan Keating, Mary Black, Frankie Miller, Cara Dillon, Kathy Mattea and many other top performers.
“A musical hero.” Wall Street Journal
Bella Hardy
Tuesday 12 June, 8pm
Tickets £15
Acclaimed singer Bella Hardy - three times nominated in the BBC Folk Awards - has a voice that's as mesmerising as it is faultless. She launched her debut solo album Night Visiting in 2007 to overwhelming critical support and has established herself as one of the finest young folk acts around, singing unaccompanied ballads or entwining her hypnotic voice with her own fiddle accompaniment to breathtaking effect. Songs Lost & Stolen is Bella's third album release, a stunning and ambitious step forward from a unique and fascinating songwriter.
“…Seductive and original.” The Telegraph
Hannah James & Sam Sweeney
Friday 22 June, 8.45pm Stage 2
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
Hannah James & Sam Sweeney are one of the foremost duos performing English folk music today. 2012 sees the release of their highly anticipated second album State And Ancientry. They play predominantly English songs and tunes on accordion and fiddle and their live show includes Hannah's renowned high-energy clog dancing. Hannah and Sam were half of four-piece band Kerfuffle and began performing as a duo in 2008. Their debut Catches & Glees was critically acclaimed and the following year they were nominated for the Horizon Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2010.
