Catch Rhiannon Giddens only at Gate to Southwell this summer.
With the 17th festival only weeks away, it’s been confirmed that GTSF 2024 will be the only chance to catch the incredible Rhiannon Giddens performing in the UK this summer. The multi-Grammy award-winning Folk, Roots and Americana star - who guested on Beyonce’s recent 400 million streaming ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ single and ‘Cowboy Carter’ album – will fly in from Roskilde Festival in Denmark to perform at the Kirklington Lakes site on Saturday July 6th. “It’s a real coup and huge honour for us,” says GTSF director Mike Kirrage. “She’s a great performer and entertainer and one of the most important Roots artists of her generation.”
Rhiannon has had an illustrious career in folk and roots music and is at the peak of her powers. A singer, fiddler and banjo player, she was a founding member of the country blues and old-time music band The Carolina Chocolate Drops. Their 2010 album ‘Genuine Negro Jig’ won her first Grammy, and her second came last year for Best Folk album, ‘They’re Calling Me Home’. According to Americana UK, “there are unarguably few more prominent figures in the world of Folk Roots and Americana than Rhiannon Giddens”. When she performed at Cambridge Folk Festival Joan Baez described her as a “revelation” and “Jesus! Just beautiful.”
As well as offering Gate To Southwell Festival goers this exclusive opportunity to see Rhiannon’s only UK summer performance, there’ll be a host of other internationally-respected artists appearing this year including The Fugitives from Canada, Manran and Blue Rose Code from Scotland, Charm Of Finches from Australia, Daoiri Farrell from Ireland, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening from Northumberland, Suntou Susso from Gambia, The Haar from Ireland, Lizzie No from New York and many more.
One of GTSF’s strengths has always been the ability to promote both highly-respected international performers and up-and-coming local artists over the four days and this year will be no exception. The first night of the festival – Thursday July 4th – will be headlined by Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening from Northumberland and award-winning Dartmoor-based duo Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman, but it will also showcase some of the best acts in the East Midlands including Starscreen, Littlewolf, The Terrible Parents, Julia Waldron, Porterhouse, The Levy Circus and the Southwell duo Malc Slater & Rhydian Wyn.
Starscreen will headline The Frontier Stage on Thursday July 4th purveying “good old fashioned dirty rock & roll” and promoting their new album ‘A Dangerous Pursuit Of Bliss’. Highly regarded throughout the Midlands, they blend rock, folk, blues and pop with influences as diverse as Tom Waits, Radiohead, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin and more. Their latest single is ‘Back To Life’
Starscreen
Rochdale’s Julia Waldron has been branded “the Mae West of Folk and Americana”, with exceptional ‘shoot from the hip’ singer-songwriting skills inspired by the likes of Gretchen Peters, Boo Hewardine, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. Check out her ‘Flying Solo’ album via https://www.juliawaldronmusic.com/
Julia Waldron
Littlewolf have been described as “a great band playing their own songs with cool Americana and classic rock covers” (Nottingham Post). They’ve released two self-penned albums and have played shows with various artists including Steve Earle, Lindisfarne and Dr Feelgood. Listen to ‘Blues Or What?’
Porterhouse return to Gate To Southwell following their star turn last year. The Leicestershire band play original Americana influenced folk-roots material alongside covers by the likes of Lyle Lovett & Guy Clark, uniting vocal harmonies with haunting cello and double bass accompaniment. “I Get Blue Over You’.
Littlewolf
The Terrible Parents are a Southwell-based cello and acoustic guitar songwriting duo and married couple Huson-Whyte. They’re passionate, funny and energetic performers with songs about family life, the madness of the World and their experiences parenting within it. Wherever they go, their kids go too, so be prepared!
The Terrible Parents
Five skilled and experienced musicians from the East Midlands, The Levy Circus have come together over the last 10 years to produce music that creates a memorable melodic experience for their audience. Fronted by Miles Levy, their highly original, undeniably catchy songs are interspersed with well-chosen, unexpected covers. Impossible to define by just one musical genre, they embrace aspects of Pop, Soul, Rock, Americana and Folk. The Levy Circus will be performing songs from their newly released album ‘Tales of The Unconnected’. https://thelevycircus.com/
The Levy Circus
Malc Slate is a singer/songwriter from Nottinghamshire. His music offers a fresh journey through life's highs and lows wrapped in rich, soulful sounds and a David Gray vibe. He’s recently released the first single from his debut studio album and received over 100,000 YouTube views. The album ‘In Boxes’ is a journey of self-discovery, challenging the listener to break free from their own 'boxes' and explore the vast, uncharted territories of their inner selves. https://malcslate.com Malc will be accompanied by Rhydian Wyn, a performer, band leader and session guitarist, with a growing reputation as a refined, jazz-tinged bluesman. Rhydian also leads a The Blue Fire, the house band at Southwell’s www.thestagebluesclub.co.uk.
Rhydian Wyn & Malc Slate @ GTSF23
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