Beverley Festival headliners confirmed

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 dynamicAbigail 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

Beverley Festival join up with Live & Unsigned

Beverley Festival is the one of the UK’s biggest Folk, Acoustic, Roots festival held in Beverley, Yorkshire and it returns between Friday 15th and Sunday 17th June 2012.

Beverley Festival

Beverley Festival is an incredibly diverse family festival , it promises to offer 3 nights & 2 days of breathtaking music from International Artists, Dance, Comedy, Film, Spoken Word, Acoustic Sessions, Workshops for all ages, Children’s events, Craft Stalls, Real Ale, camping & much more with the Festival Village’ being the centre of events at the Beverley Leisure Complex, HU17 0LT

Many other events take place such as the Festival Film Club and not forgetting the fabulous headliners which in previous years have seen highly acclaimed acts such as: Billy Bragg, Seth Lakeman, Chumbawamba, New Model Army, The Buzzcocks, Eddi Reader, The Proclaimers, Paul Carrack, Barbara Dickson, not to mention 5 times Radio 2 Folk Award Winners Bellowhead!

Beverley  will give you the chance to sample some First Rate music and Fine Ales straight off the Yorkshire Wolds and relax in the shadow of one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Britain – Beverley’s historic Minster set in one of the most beautiful market towns around.

How to win a slot

It will come as no surprise that Beverley Festival organisers are inundated with requests from all kinds of bands and acts across the UK, all bidding for a much sought after slot at the Yorkshire festival, but spaces are as limited! Therefore they have decided to team up with the Live and Unsigned contest for the first time, to give slots to four Live and Unsigned acts! The lucky winners will be chosen from the Live Showcase Finals, to play a slot at Beverley Festival.

Chris Wade, Artistic Director at the Yorkshire Festival says “We are very much looking forward to seeing the acts at the auditions and the regional finals and are extremely excited that we get to pick those we feel would fit into our festival programme. Whoever we choose, they are sure to have a great time at the festival and will be warmly received by our audiences. Live and Unsigned – like ourselves, offer emerging talent an opportunity to be heard.

Being in the business for 29 years, it never ceases to amaze us when we hear all the fantastic new talent emerging from our shores, taking to stages and with some going on to win prestigious awards such as Moore Moss and Rutter who formed at our festival and have since won a Radio2 Folk Award. Folk music is becoming fashionable again with acts such as Mumford and Sons appealing to all ages and musical tastes. Our festival has something for everyone and for all ages. Folk is cool and so are festivals, especially those in Yorkshire…. ”.  

Live & Unsigned is the biggest unsigned music competition for original unsigned bands and artists in the UK. It offers the winning act the chance to play at The O2 in London alongside some of the UK's best musicians as well as £100,000 in prizes, including an additional new main cash prize of £10,000 for the winning act to spend on development.

Auditions will begin in January 2012 and all acts in the competition are auditioned live. Acts that make it through the audition stage will get to perform to industry judges, A & R associates and celebrity guests. Judging last year’s competition and hopefully set to join the panel again in 2012 include Radio 1 DJs Annie Nightingale, Ras Kwame, Tom Deacon and Daniel P Carter, Kerrang’s Alex Baker and Happy Mondays star Bez.

If you are interested in playing the best festivals in Yorkshire and beyond in 2012, click here to check out all the festival partners for Live and Unsigned 2012.