What's On?...

The adjective 'legends' is vastly overused but it's definitely the only word to describe Toots and the Maytals. The first group to use the word 'reggae' in a song title with Do The Reggay in 1968, Toots and co are key figures in the colourful history of reggae. All natives of Kingston Jamaica, their combination of strong well-blended vocals with a seldom rivalled passion for their music made them popular from the start, with critics likening Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert's voice to the late great Otis Redding. Although the band broke up in 1981 they made a triumphant return in the 1990s, reasserting their soulful horn-driven style all over the world.

www.tootsandthemaytals.com
www.myspace.com/tatm

Our 20th anniversary is guaranteed to kick off with a real party atmosphere with the return of Jools and his 24-piece troupe of superb musicians. Over the last 14 years an incredible four million people have experienced Jools’ uplifting blend of jazz, pop, blues, rock, ska and boogie-woogie. This year’s star guest is non other than the unique pop icon Alison Moyet, whose powerful, soulful voice graced a whole string of hit singles and albums in the 1980s.

www.joolsholland.com

Part ingénue, part punkster, strong and vulnerable all at once, with a hugely expressive voice and an arsenal of powerful songs, Martha is a beguiling entertainer and a refreshingly different force in music.  Martha is the daughter of folk legends Loudon Wainwright III and the sadly recently departed Kate McGarrigle and sister of acclaimed singer songwriter Rufus Wainwright.  Whist growing up in Montreal she spent her childhood immersed in music and performing with her parents.  As she wryly jokes: "I had no classical training, but I had angst and heartbreak and fantastic music all around me.  What more could I need?"

www.marthawainwright.com
www.myspace.com/marthawainwright

Headlining our Thursday night we welcome the first appearance of this superb American blues vocalist and guitarist to the festival. For over thirty years Robert has laid down track after track of good-time, low-down urban blues. He's already won five Grammy's and been nominated for 11 more. Robert's virtuosity has led to collaborations with many artists including Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, BB King, Muddy Waters, Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker and Chuck Berry.

www.robertcray.com
www.myspace.com/robertcray

Toumani Diabaté is one of the most important musicians in World music.  Responsible for bringing the 21-string kora to audiences' attention around the world Toumani is a performer of truly exceptional virtuosity and creativity, who has shown that the kora can rival the world's greatest instruments.  Toumani was born in Bamako Mali into a family of exceptional griots and his research shows 71 generations of kora players from father to son.  Toumani and his 8 piece band will be performing a selection of tracks from his latest best selling album recorded with Ali Farka Touré appropriately titled Ali and Toumani.

www.myspace.com/toumanidiabate

Newton is the UK’s latest word-of-mouth musical sensation. The Surrey-based guitarist has built up a huge fan base which propelled his debut album Hand Built By Robots to No. 1 for two weeks in July 2007. Relentless touring has brought his lyrical songs to a wide audience, including festival appearances at Glastonbury, Connect, and Latitude Festival. It’s his uniquely forceful guitar playing that has really cemented his reputation. “He doesn’t just strum it, he beats the living daylights out of it”. Daily Telegraph.

www.newtonfaulkner.com
www.myspace.com/newtonfaulkner

Frank, who comes from Meonstoke near Winchester is a folk/punk singer songwriter who was formerly the vocalist with the post-hardcore band Million Dead.  After the demise of the band Frank embarked on a solo career, releasing three albums, a rarities compilation album and two EPs.  His most recent album Poetry Of The Deed prompted the following comment on the BBC Music website: “Poetry of the Deed is a superb record that should shine a light on Turner not only as a brave new and, most importantly, thoroughly unmanufactured talent in the murky waters of the British singer-songwriter, but as a guy with a guitar slung over his back who can command venues from living rooms to huge concert halls.”

www.frank-turner.com
www.myspace.com/frankturner

For over thirty years Oysterband have managed to perform a balancing act which they have made into a fine art - combining the ideals and knowledge of English folk music with the fire of punk.  Their deft mix of poetry, politics and insanely catchy melodies have made this 5-piece one of the greatest folk-rock ensembles of all time.  “No other folk-rock band has the magnetism and verve of the Oysters live” Daily Telegraph.

www.myspace.com/oysterband
www.oysterband.co.uk

There has always been an individual spark about Cornershop.  While Paul Morley in the The Observer has described their long years “as interesting and adventurous as The Beatles”, an Amazon purchaser says that they are “a cult band for everyone”, and a Twitterer describes them as “instant aural sunshine for grey days”.  Whatever source you follow, Cornershop have delivered one hit album after another, leaving behind many unearthed classic tracks, for their eye has always been on the future.  We can't wait, so see you all down the front on Saturday night!

www.cornershop.com
www.myspace.com/cornershop

The Unthanks are a Geordie folk outfit who are currently the hottest act on the British folk scene. Formerly an all-girl group known as Rachel Unthank and The Winterset, they arrive at the Larmer Tree having added a couple of blokes, including Rachel's husband Adrian McNally on piano. Under their former name they were nominated for Best Group, Best Live Act, Best Album and The Horizon Award at 2008 BBC Folk Awards. Their new album Here's The Tender Coming received unanimous rave reviews, including one from renowned journalist and broadcaster Paul Morley, who said: it was:"absolutely exquisite. A real work of art. I will be playing it forever".

www.rachelunthank.com  
www.myspace.com/rachelunthank

Tunng are an experimental folk group who are founding fathers and prime movers of the whole Folktronica movement. The five members are renowned for their use of unusual items on stage which astonished and mesmerised members of the Tuareg desert blues band Tinariwen when they toured together last year. Critics have praised their daring mix of real instrumentation underscored with a torrent of electronic samples, glitched psychedelic tracking, cracking harmonies and cerebral lyrics.

www.myspace.com/thisistunng
www.tunng.co.uk

Since the early 1990s this Edinburgh-based 6-piece have been delighting festival audiences with their ambient brand of folk-rock which they dub "acid croft."  One of Scotland’s most unique musical exports, Shooglenifty’s fiery and infectious blend of Celtic traditional music and dance grooves has a reputation for getting even the most sedentary audiences up on their feet and dancing.

www.myspace.com/shooglenifty
www.shoogle.com

In 2007 after a boozy pre-Christmas lunch in Soho former Young Ones and Bottom comedian Adrian Edmondson ‘accidentally’ bought a mandolin in Denmark Street.  After tinkering with the instrument in his kitchen the next day, Adrian decided to form a band.  Recruiting established musicians Martin and Troy Donockley, plus rising Irish violinist and vocalist Eimear Bradley, The Bad Shepherds were born.  They rehearsed intensively, and went out on the road to revisit punk era classics and play them in folk style late in 2008 to the delight of packed houses.

www.thebadshepherds.com

Combining musical versatility, beautiful vocal harmonies and a superb rhythm section, New York based Easy Star All-Stars have established themselves as one of the top international reggae acts.  Thanks to their best-selling tribute album releases, Dub Side of the Moon and Radiodread the Easy Star All-Stars have built a dedicated fan base all over the world, bringing together fans of reggae, classic rock and dub into one big dance-happy family.  At Larmer Tree expect tracks from their latest Beatles tribute album, appropriately titled Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Dub Band!

www.easystar.com
www.myspace.com/easystarallstars

HBE’s seven brass players are all brothers and the children of trumpeter Phil Cochran, formerly of Sun Ra's Arkestra and a founding member of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. But the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble's music has much more to do with the New Orleans contemporary brass band tradition. Sporting a bold brass line, bouncing tuba, and simple, funky percussion, HBE channels the heritage of ceremonial brass band into the 21st century, incorporating funk and hip-hop influences to produce music which is danceable, fun, and highly accessible.

www.myspace.com/hypnoticbusiness

Based in Lyon, France Babylon Circus are the perfect band to help us celebrate our 20th anniversary.  Their sound bears the hallmark of the rebel, earning inevitable comparisons with compatriots Les Negresses Vertes and Mano Negra, while also making room in the pot for reggae, dub, a little Balkan gypsy flavour and plenty of theatrical flair.  Never finding the slightest contradiction in making irresistibly danceable music that communicates an erudite, articulate message, Babylon Circus are an admirable bunch, moving hearts, minds and most definitely the limbs.

www.babyloncircus.com
www.myspace.com/babyloncircus

This exotic group from Egypt take their name from the historic and extremely rare instrument, the rango, a type of marimba.  They perform trance-inducing Sudanese dance music from mystic healing ceremonies played on vintage lyres and marimbas, accompanied by drummers and ritual percussionists wearing mangor belts fashioned from goat horns.  Rango made their UK debut in September 2009 with a sell out show at The Barbican's ‘Transcender Weekender’ which gained a four star review by Clive Davis in The Times who commented “this was easily the most joyous and exhilarating show of the year.”

www.30ips.com/rango

Chumbawamba are best known for their single Tubthumping which reached No 2 in the UK charts in 1997 - 'I get knocked down, but I get up again' - remember? But over their 27-year career the band have moved through an astonishing variety of genres including anarcho-punk, pop-influenced dance music, a cappella, world music and now acoustic folk. Their irreverent attitude to authority is the core to their lyrics, tackling such subjects as domestic violence, racism, fascism and the consumer society.

www.chumba.com
www.myspace.com/acoustichumbawamba

This conglomerate of West London hedonists have been serving up their dancy fusion of dub and big beat since 1996.  They have always added a touch of rock 'n' roll swagger to the UK dance scene, chewing up hip-hop, dub, techno, ska, reggae and punk, and spitting them out in a style that defies categorization.  Their genre-mashing abilities have led to remix work with the likes of Moby, Bono and Ian Brown.  Their latest album Rum & Coke, was released last year. 

www.myspace.com/thedubpistols
merchandized.co.uk

The fusion of folk and electronica isn't a new phenomenon but London based singer-songwriter James has taken the genre and shaken it up in a way that no one could have predicted. His debut album Turning Down Water For Air heralded the arrival of a young artist full of promise, and led to a hectic tour schedule which has seen him performing all over the world including SXSW, Radio One Big Weekend and Latitude Festival.

www.jamesyuill.com
www.myspace.com/jamesyuill

This genre-crossing outfit hail from the tiny hamlet of Noid near Bath in Somerset. From country to rhythm and blues, garage punk to rock and roll, The Heavy started out ripping and chopping beats from the likes of Bo Diddley, Little Walter and The Parliaments, fusing them with intoxicating guitar riffs and reverberating bass lines to produce a raw and distinctive high-energy sound. “The Heavy produce the kind of raw, infectious, down-and dirty sonic assault that your mother warned you about.” David Taylor, The Independent.

www.myspace.com/theheavy73
www.counterrecords.com  

Formerly a dry stone-waller from Yorkshire, Ian has travelled all over the world soaking up a multitude of musical styles before returning to reconnecting with his English traditional roots. An accomplished guitarist and banjo player, he now mixes folk songs with a deep love of dub and reggae. His latest album Panic Grass and Fever Few impressed veteran folk singer Shirley Collins, who remarked “elegant, witty, daring and powerful – this is folk music for the 21st century!”

www.myspace.com/iankingofengland

Named after a secret society featured in the cult TV series Twin Peaks, The Bookhouse Boys are a sprawling London-based collective featuring the talents of eight males and one female.  Led by vocalist Paul Van Oestren, this unique ensemble feature a duo of drummers, a brass section and duelling guitars to produce a startling surf-punk sound.  As The Independent put it: “They come across like Dick Dale lost in a Spaghetti Western…in other words they belong on a Tarantino soundtrack.”

www.myspace.com/thebookhouseboys

Voted Folk Singer of the Year in BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2009, Chris is a multi-talented instrumentalist, and one of folk’s most eclectic performers.  He plays fiddle, viola and guitar and is a gifted vocalist who has lent his talents to the duo Wood & Cutting, the trio Wood, Wilson & Carthy, and also played on the Oysterband’s first album.  In his 30-year career he has specialised in traditional English dance music, but his repertoire also includes French folk music and traditional Québécois material.

www.chriswoodmusic.co.uk
www.myspace.com/englishacousticcollectivechriswood 

Earthy, rooted, colourful, emotional and intense, Raghu Dixit and his Indian band are an open house for musicians and artists from different genres to come together to create a dynamic fusion that has now become a genre in itself – Indo-World-Folk-Rock!  With over 300 live shows to their credit Raghu and his band have gained a reputation for their fun-filled interactive act that is guaranteed to get you up and dancing.

www.raghudixit.com
www.myspace.com/raghudixit

Otis is a singer-songwriter from Wanamaker, Indiana. Some people describe him as a folk artist, but that is a simplistic way to describe a grizzled veteran who has planted over 7,000 trees, slept in hobo jungles, walked with nomadic shepherds in the Carpathian Mountains, and has an FBI file. "Gibbs is a Midwesterner with a long beard, a trucker's hat and a bag of sharply observed country-rock songs, some far enough to the left side of the political fence to make him a spiritual descendent of Woody Guthrie and brother of Steve Earle." - Larry Katz, The Boston Herald.

www.otisgibbs.com
www.myspace.com/otisgibbs

Led by lead vocalist Josh Ellis, The Grass Mountain Hobos are a throwback to another time, when pleasure usurped work and live music provided the soundtrack to excess. The band come from the wilds of Prince Edward Island in Canada and made their first public appearance at the island's Rollo Bay Old-Time Music Festival in 2007. Since then the band have been playing their hedonistic mix of swing, bluegrass, blues and folk all over the world, getting standing ovations at every festival they have played.

www.grassmountainhobos.com
www.myspace.com/grassmountainhobos

This London-based bunch of beardies have been widely touted as the British Fleet Foxes.  Apparently the hirsute 6-piece are into caged animals and vintage locomotives – founder members James and John met while working as zookeepers at Whipsnade Zoo, and  they currently record in an old steam train museum in Norfolk.  Their sound has been described as organic and characterised by pastoral West Coast harmonies, and they have a penchant for making use of unusual instruments for percussion including metal radiator guard and doors!

www.myspace.com/goldheartassembly

As all folk fans will know, Steve is the songwriting force behind the hughly successful acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. As well as a fine solo singer and musician Steve is known for his strong narrative songs, many inspired by people and places in his native West Country. With Show of Hands, Steve has won countless awards, and earlier this year he won the Best Original Song category in the BBC Radio Two Folk Awards for his song Arrogance Ignorance and Greed as well as picking up Best Duo with Show of Hands.

www.myspace.com/steveknightleymusic

A young 5-piece from Bath, Somerset, Kill It Kid were chosen as guinea pigs by record producer John Parish (PJ Harvey, Eels) for a unique recording experiment at Bath Spa University.  With fellow students watching Big Brother-style through a glass screen, Kill It Kid led by vocalist Chris Turpin laid down their debut EP, impressing John Parish in the process.  They soon followed up with their debut album Kill It Kid recorded in Seattle and released in October 2009, which prompted BBC reviewer James Skinner to remark: “their heady melange of delta blues and rootsy folk music is so emphatically relayed that to doubt its’ veracity would be to miss the point entirely.”

www.myspace.com/killitkid
www.killitkid.com

Skip was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1949, and learnt to play the blues on his father’s guitar at the age of eight.  In his varied musical career which has also embraced gospel, doo-wop and jazz, Skip has trod a long and twisting road.  For many years he played in the house band for the pioneering rap label Sugar Hill, providing the music for some of the most seminal records by Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaata, Force MD's and others.  From there he worked on many projects for the On-U Sound label, as well as spearheading the band Tackhead and working with Living Colour.  Since 1992, Skip has returned to his roots with the ‘Little Axe’ sound, releasing five albums of stripped-down gospel-blues. 

www.myspace.com/littleaxesound 
www.little-axe.com 

‘The Boy’ with the Icarus-referencing moniker is actually Colin David MacLeod, a former salmon fisherman from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Now based in London, Colin was apparently discovered by his management unconscious in an Aberdeen bar after knocking himself out playing Deep Purple covers. Now an alt-folk singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Colin’s wistful, dreamy style has evoked comparisons with Syd Barrett and Nick Drake.

www.myspace.com/theboywhotrappedthesun

Swarathma is quite simply the sound of India today. Whilst firmly rooted in the values and traditions of India the band are not afraid to look beyond the 21st Century to adopt the best of the West. This young Bangalore-based sextet blend Indian folk, with a fusion of rock, classical Indian and jazz. Formed in 2002, Swarathma have come a long way since they made the finals of a nationwide hunt for India's best Hindi band on Radio City in 2008. This is their second visit to the UK and we're sure you'll be as knocked out as we were when you hear them perform.

www.swarathma.com
www.myspace.com/swarathmamusic

Put together in 48 hours in 2003 by frontman Paul-Ronney Angel, this nine-piece outfit soon built up a huge cult following in London.  By 2005 their fame had spread further with festival appearances at Glastonbury and Edinburgh.  Many more festivals and tours followed over the next couple of years culminating in a whisky-sodden tour of the UK and Ireland supporting The Pogues in 2008.  Their debut album Bourbon Soaked Gypsy Blues Bop N’ Stroll was released last year, the title neatly summing up their eclectic style.

www.myspace.com/theurbanvoodoomachine
www.theurbanvoodoomachine.com

The Dodge Brothers are renowned for playing the hell out of classic Americana.  Singing songs about transport, heartbreak and homicide, they render distinctive narratives of mean women, bad men and railroads setting them to hard driving rhythms.  With our favourite film critic Mark Kermode thumping the double bass, joining the howling guitar of Mike Hammond, alongside the ringing mandolin of Aly Hirji, all backed up by percussion on a shoe-string from Al Hammond, this roughneck quartet make a mighty roar that have got feet stomping and hands clapping from California to Cropredy, and from the Mojave Desert to the New Forest!

www.dodgebrothers.co.uk
www.myspace.com/dodgebrothers

On his website, John modestly describes himself as "a guitar man from Devon". A classic understatement as John has quietly become recognised as one of British folk’s most exciting new voices, and has toured with the likes of Davey Graham, Martin Carthy and Jools Holland.  He has also collaborated on a single with Cara Dillon and released two solo albums The Fox and The Monk and Live at The Roundhouse.

www.myspace.com/johnacousticsmith  
www.johnsmithjohnsmith.com   

Ellen and her band are proud winners of this year's highly coveted Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition with a set on The Avalon and Acoustic stages as their prize.  Highly influenced by legendary folk acts such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, as well as more contemporary acts Ellen & The Escapades have found a happy medium with their tight, down to earth, organic sound.  Last year the band released their debut single Without You on their home-grown record label Branch Out Records that received much critical acclaim.  Since then they have sold out gigs here and abroad and played the prestigious BBC Introducing stages at Leeds and Reading Festivals.

www.myspace.com/ellenandtheescapades

RSVP is the UK's top Bhangra band, a six-piece with 25 years of experience in live music entertainment.  They have played alongside top names such as Transglobal Underground, Lethal Bizzle and Peter Gabriel at Glastonbury, Bath Festival, Reading Festival, WOMAD and many more.  With RSVP it's not just about the music, it's a complete entertainment experience, with crazy stage antics, members often jumping off stage to mingle with the audience and the creation of a real party atmosphere.  Their unique blend of classic Indian music fused with the best from the global music scene has earned them the reputation of a ‘danceadelic’ party band.

www.rsvpmusic.co.uk
www.myspace.com/rsvpmusic

The legend is back!  After last year's sojourn in Club Larmer we've brought Derek back to the Garden Stage to get us in the dancing mood before another true living legend Toots & his Maytals takes the stage.  Since last year Derek has been in huge demand and has travelled the length and breath of the country on his beloved bus routes, he says he's done all the regular services in Britain and is now concentrating on specials and re-routes!  As the great man says himself “it's simple, I love the Larmer Tree and the Larmer Tree loves me!”

Originally formed in Southampton in 2001, where they soon built up a huge following at the Talking Heads music venue, George Smerin’s funky ten-piece are now based in Bristol.  Renowned for their high energy live performances, the band have cultivated an intoxicating mix of punk-funk, dub and groove based wig outs with a keen ear for the absurd, topped with a stunning brass section.  Perennial favourites at Larmer Tree the band are also appearing at Sunrise, Secret Garden Party, Green Man and Shambala festivals this summer.

www.antisocialclub.co.uk
www.myspace.com/smerins

Billy Vincent are in fact a 5-piece South London-based band who are spearheading their own folky indie-pop sound which they describe as "dirty folk".  Headed by Billy Barratt and David Vincent, hence the name, the band released their first album No Remorse, Stay on Course last autumn.  The Ents24 website summed up their sound: "Billy Vincent’s catchy-as-hell songs are delivered with passion, wit and panache, making them one of the most compelling emerging artists around."

www.myspace.com/billyvincent
www.billyvincent.co.uk

This Balkan country punk juggernaut produce a sound which defies categorisation but is sure to get you dancing. Although they’ve been compared to Gogol Bordello and Manu Chao, their music is truly original. Their recently released debut album, No One’s Fault But Your Own, received rave reviews but it is live that they have gained the reputation as one of London’s best acts. "An earthshaking cauldron of ska, blues, country and rock’n’roll offers a ‘dance first, ask questions later’ slant on life and love" – Musicians Magazine.

www.myspace.com/pennyblackremedy
www.thepennyblackremedy.com

The Roots Union are a young 4-piece folk band from Devon who fuse acoustic guitar, dobro, violin, beatbox harmonica, bass, percussion and harmonies.  Last year the band hit the festival circuit in a big way appearing at Glastonbury, Electric Picnic, Green Man, Secret Garden Party, Sidmouth, Broadstairs and Cambridge Folk Festivals.  Their live show offers a rich tapestry of compelling songwriting and musicianship.

www.myspace.com/therootsunion

Emily Barker hails from a tiny rural backwater in the remote south west of Western Australia.  At 19, Emily donned a backpack and head out to travel the world, eventually teaming up with Rob Jackson to form a band called The Low Country.  In 2005 Emily won both Country Song of the Year and Regional Song of The Year in the West Australian Music Songwriting Awards.  She's promised to bring some special guests with her to Larmer Tree including the brilliant accordion player Gill Sandell.

www.myspace.com/emilybarker

Dizraeli leads a 7-piece hip hop folk phenomenon, The Small Gods who enable this Brighton-based poet to perform his rap poetry. Dizraeli was elected Farrago UK Slam Poetry Champion in 2007 and is also a past winner of the prestigious Radio 4 Poetry Slam. Directing his stream of rap-stories like a flashlight into the murkiest corners of British culture, Dizraeli takes in politics, love, rain, supermarkets, grief, drug culture, and the nasty bits of masculinity with a sense of humour and a directness that may make you wince, but that always rings true.

www.myspace.com/dizraeli
www.dizraeli.com

Young, original and inventive, this Kent septet say that if you don’t like folk music, they are the band that’s going to change your mind. Taking their name from the location of their local pub in Maidstone, they got together in March 2007 to play in the folk tradition, combining elements of funk, jazz, pop, reggaie and all types of dance music, performed in passionate and committed style. They’ve already gained many admirers including BBC Radio 2’s Mike Harding who enthused “Indecently talent…raw and immediate…totally brilliant.”

www.wheelerstreet.org
www.myspace.com/wheelerstreet

Jonny Kearney is a young songwriter from Hexham way and Lucy Farrell is his charming Kentish accomplice. Jonny and Lucy opened for The Unthanks on their recent 40-date UK tour, prompting Rachel Unthank to descrbe Jonny's songwriting as "heartbreak and touching, humorous and unexpected and never ceases to enthrall." She also remarked that they were perfect foils for each other "the fragility of one and warmth of the other is a moving combination."

www.myspace.com/jonnykearneyandlucyfarrell

Liverpool-based 5-piece The Cubical released their debut album Come Sing These Crippled Tunes last year, and had critics raving about their brand of dirty, down-in-the-alley blues rock.  Lead vocalist Dan Wilson’s rasping vocals invited comparisons with Captain Beefheart and Tom Waits, with The Guardian’s critic provocatively stating “Wilson makes Tom Waits sound like Tiny Tim.”  A blistering live act with heaps of attitude, we look forward to their debut at the Larmer Tree.

www.myspace.com/thecubicalthecubical

Brought up in Shasta County, California, Rita’s songs reflect a childhood spent among seasoned mountain characters who took her under their wings.  Songs of loss, miners, mountains, trailers and stray dogs are vocalised in what California Bluegrass Association describe as "a soulful howl from the mountains.”  Deeply rooted in folk traditions, Rita is a descendant of Cornish miners who sang in the mines.  She released her third album Come Sunrise last year.

www.ritahosking.com
www.myspace.com/ritahosking

The Voluntary Butler Scheme is basically a one-man band, namely Rob Jones, a young man from Stourbridge.  For a couple of years Rob was a jobbing drummer with local bands, but when the offer of a solo gig came along, Rob began writing songs and discovered he had a talent for catchy melodies and witty lyrics.  He was favourably compared to Badly Drawn Boy by BBC Music reviewer Mike Haydock, who described Rob’s 2009 debut album,  Breakfast, Dinner, Tea as “quite possibly the feelgood album of the year so far.”

www.myspace.com/thevoluntarybutlerscheme

This is Southampton singer-songwriter Ruth and her four-piece band’s first visit to Larmer Tree, but we’re sure it won’t be her last. Ruth has been making a name for herself in the folk world since she followed up her debut album Worm Food with the highly acclaimed White Holes of Mole Hills earlier this year.

www.ruththeodore.com
www.myspace.com/ruththeodore

Urusen (an anagram of unsure) are a fresh and original five-piece band from the West Country.  Their roots are firmly embedded in the musical partnership of Bath based cousins Peter Beatty and Ben Please.  After producing a debut album as a duo, the band grew into a five-piece for their latest album One Day In June recorded in a tiny studio in Bath and mixed at Peter Gabriel's legendary Real World Studios.  The bands' blend of acoustic folk with bluesier and rockier influences won some good reviews with Music Week hailing them a "British breakthrough talent" and The Metro describing them as "one to watch".

www.urusen.co.uk
www.myspace.com/urusen

Bob Hillary is the former frontman of The Ruffness, an outstanding world roots/trip hip-hop band that enjoyed considerable success in the UK. Sadly the band imploded when Bob was diagnosed with severe ME. Fortunately the Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter recovered and recruited Danny Mullins, Carl Davis and Jack Nissan to form The Massive Mellow. Bob’s hypnotic, rootsy reggae songs were captured brilliantly on the band’s debut album Nature’s Pace.

www.bobhillarymellow.com
www.myspace.com/bobhillary

Sweet Baboo, aka Stephen Black, hails from Wales, where he formulated his own unique blend of psychedelic pop.  Locked inside his parents’ loft, he would noodle and tinkle with his Casio keyboard, a £10 Tandy microphone, a little 4-track recorder and his father’s guitar.  A degree in clarinet playing at Cardiff University and a spell in a local band, JT Mouse, followed before he went solo to unleash his country-tinged psychedelia with songs about girls, putting heads in vases, drinking and sleeping. 

www.myspace.com/sweetbabootheband
www.sweetbaboo.co.uk

Part comedian, singer, painter and performance artist, Mik Aristik is unpredictable, unnerving, and with his tendency to incorporate the audience in his act, impossible to ignore.  His strange world is captured in songs like Two Chickens, 44 Years To Live, Crook Lock and Vac Attack.  Colourfully dressed, with a shaved head and piercing eyes, Mik was once runner-up to Peter Kay in Channel Four’s So You Think You Are Funny competition and lists Keith Allen and Johnny Vegas amongst his admirers.

www.mikartistik.com
www.myspace.com/mikartistiksegotrip

To make people dance and smile is the aim of this Manchester outfit  who describe themselves a a morally good medicine band.  Playing instruments you might expect to adorn the walls of an antique shop, they excel at good- time rags and reels, showstoppers and foot-stompers delivered with vaudevillian timing and a depth of musicianship reminiscent of the blues and jazz greats of yesteryear. 

www.myspace.com/drbutlershatstandmedicineband
www.drbutlershatstandmedicineband.co.uk

A long time ago, deep in the heart of South London, in a block just off Camberwell Green, behind the law courts, Chavo was born. Five years on, they are now regarded as one of London’s best knees up, shebang bands.

They play dance music, European folk dance. Sounds with blinding tempos and driving rhythms, just the kind of music that orders you another drink. Their music tips cap toward the sounds of the Romani musicians of the Balkans, the wedding songs of the Klezmorim and the southern Italian spider bite dances.

Chavo have built a collection of old folk songs from throughout Europe that are woven together with their own music about modern life and their love and hate relationship with London’s streets. Sung in both English and Romani Vlax, there is a joy and celebration that is equally aligned with hardship and loss.

www.myspace.com/chavomusic

Jon Byrne was originally spotted by Clash man Mick Jones busking on Portobello Road and he was so impressed that he booked Jon on the spot for his Carbon Casino bash that night.  That went so well that Jon returned for every subsequent Carbon Casino event and playing with the Mick's Rotten Hill Gang featuring members of BAD and Groove Armada.  Following the linage from the blues through to Woody Guthrie, the protest music of the '60s, the spirit of punk and the Specials, Jon Byrne is out of the blocks with the soundtrack for today's troubled times.

www.myspace.com/jonbyrnemusic

Brighton-based 6-piece Samsara juggle sounds and influences from around the World and throughout the ages to produce a sound that is instantly memorable and unique.  Spinning Latin from reggae, ska from folk, and gypsy and jazz from pop and blues, the band have emerged as established favourites on the UK festival scene with bookings at Glastonbury Festival, Glade and The Green Man this summer.  Their live act has been described as "boundlessly energetic and infectively positive, leaving all heads buzzing, feet stomping and minds pontificating the human condition!"

www.myspace.com/samsara5

Hailing from the West Country, The Mandibles bring together seven of the UK’s top young gypsy swing players whose play-anywhere attitude and high energy theatrical performers always go down a storm whether they are busking on the street, playing in clubs or taking the stage at festivals. Last year they played knockout sets at festivals all over the country and in Europe. "Upbeat, gypsy jump-jive with a taste of ska, blues and psychedelic sea shanties." Q Magazine

www.myspace.com/themandibles

Hailing from the seedier side of Southampton Water the band describe themselves as a folk-stomping barn-storming quintet who are available for bookings in tents and taverns, churches, dens of iniquity, jukebox dives and havens of pleasure, splendour and vice.  Featured in their occasional orchestra are a cello, a bassoon, guitars, violin, viola, autoharp, kazoo, drums and 5-part harmonies.  Their songs are narrative driven alliterative epics of depravity, decadence and delirious devastation, and they deliver a rollicking, resounding live set every time.  This is their first of what we predict will be many visits to the Larmer Tree Festival.

www.myspace.com/moulettes

Tankus the Henge met four years ago whilst working at theme parks and fairgrounds on the outskirts of London. The foursome got together to combine their wide-ranging individual influences of The Beatles, Jeff Buckley, The Beach Boys, Gustav Mahler and Jewish Klezmer with their fascination of jazz, funk and early ska. The result is a colourfully dressed outfit who describe themselves as “street urchin purveyors of bohemian rags, ballads and polkas.”

www.tankusthehenge.com
www.myspace.com/tankusthehenge

Dorset-based roots songsmith Alex blends genres from baroque to blues on vocals and guitar, with some fine lap-steel, mandolin, harmonica, and stomp- boxing to boot.  The troubadour, who has played venues and festivals as far afield as Copenhagen and Barbados, has come a long way over the last couple of years, playing over 200 gigs.  As well as performing his honest and uncompromising songs, Alex also teaches music, songwriting and guitar including work with Jail Guitar Doors, a project which helps young offenders.

www.myspace.com/alexrobertsmusic
www.alexrobertsmusic.com

Larmer Tree just would not be the same without Dorset reprobates Pronghorn, so here they are back again for their umpteenth visit.  Formed back in the early 1990s, Lamma and friends are rightly hailed as the kings of Cowpunk, famed for their spontaneous foot-stomping hoedown country style, their use of unusual instruments, and for recruiting members of the audience to participate in their musical mayhem.  As they say on their Myspace site: “a more motley collection of bad shirts, prison tattoos, greasy comb-overs, mullets and broken teeth you'd be hard pushed to find outside of a Dale Winton home video.”

www.hogbitch.net
www.myspace.com/pronghorn

Old skool ska and rock steady tunes are the staple of this Dorset 5-piece who include in their number Jan and Lisa from the duo Foo Foo who several years ago joined forces with Kent*sta, Barry Tone and King Tut to create Boy Le Monti and have been getting folks up and dancing at festivals and venues ever since.  Speaking in his unmistakable Bristolian patois The Legendary DJ Derek commented at a recent gig "Wonderful stuff.  I really enjoyed that, and unlike every other British ska outfit I’ve heard, and I’ve heard a good few I might add, not a hint of UB40 anywhere!"

www.boylemonti.co.uk
www.myspace.com/boylemonti

Johnny Cash may be gone but his songs live on with Cash Converted, a five-piece band who capture the magic of ‘the man in black’ through the rockabilly years of the 1950s right through to the haunting and soulful songs of his latter years.  With Mark Carter-Cash on vocals and guitar, Paul on lead, Tom on double bass, Toni Viagra on drums and June Carter on vocals and autoharp they capture Johnny's sound perfectly.  We don't often book tribute acts at the Larmer Tree, but we've made an exception for this truly talented crew.

www.cashconverted.co.uk
www.myspace.com/cashconvertedband

Creators of Skunk Rock a unique musical genre Hobo Jones are one of the more unusual acts playing in the UK today.  Basically a band that can skiffle almost anything (including The Pussycat Dolls!) but also a comedy act who will have you laughing all the way to the bar.  Dressed in tattered suits and top hats, they grab your attention wherever they turn up around the festival.  With their tongue-in-cheek comedy, rock'n'roll skiffle and Skunk Rock we guarantee in no time at all you'll be tapping your feet, smiling and singing along.

www.myspace.com/junkyarddogs

Welcome to the human beatbox who could pop-up on any stage at any time during the festival. Vid is a performer and composer specializing in jazz, glitch and hip-hop. Fresh, sharp and sophisticated, Vid has been wowing crowds at festival stages across the UK including WOMAD, Electric Picnic, The Big Chill, The Big Green Gathering, Sunrise Celebration and Shambala. "Absolutely brilliant, go and see him immediately" Sophie Oliver, BBC Bristol.

www.myspace.com/vidwarren

Since their humble beginnings in a freezing cold farmhouse near Rochdale in the winter of 2006, this Manchester-based quartet has gelled and matured into one of the funkiest and energetic outfits on the British folk music scene.  Featuring two Chetham’s School of Music students, Jim Molyneux and Dan Day, James Meadows, a semi-finalist in the 2006 Radio Young 2 Folk Awards, and violinist Nicola Lyons they tread “a relatively untrodden path between sophisticated jazz and rambunctious folk music” according to citylife.co.uk.

www.myspace.com/4squaremusic

Dan Walsh and Will Pound are two of the most exciting young musicians on today's acoustic scene. Labelled respectively as 'one of the most original harmonica players in Britain' and 'the UK's top claw hammer banjoist', the two have joined forces to create a truly stunning live set.  Prepare to be astonished by flailing banjo wizardry and sounds you didn’t think were possible on the harmonica with musical styles ranging from bluegrass, folk and jazz to Eastern European, funk and blues.

www.myspace.com/willpoundanddanwalsh

Combining soul with British urban folk, blues and Caribbean rhythms Alice and her band will draw you into their world of musical wonder as they light up the stage at this, their 3rd Larmer Tree Festival.  As Music News so succinctly put it "Alice blends simple folk melodies with soul and, every now and again, ever so subtle reggae influences but what really makes Watts stand out is her voice, simple yet outstanding at the same time."  Or as Lewis Carroll said in Alice in Wonderland "Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take care of themselves."

www.alicewatts.co.uk
www.myspace.com/alicewatts

With Love From Humans! are a young 5-piece band from Bath. Bassist Lewis George actually attended the Larmer Tree as a small child so he's particularly excited about bringing his band to the festival. Influenced by a wide range of artists including Weezer, Blur, Kings of Leon, The Kooks, Neil Young and The Strokes, WLFH! describe themselves as "A quintessentially British blend of harmony, melody and irony". "Impressive, upbeat and funky acoustic pop" - Acoustic Magazine. "Always melodic and lush on the lugs" - Bugbear Promotions, London.

www.myspace.com/withlovefromhumans

About as local as you can get, School of Imagination hail from the nearby village of Cranborne.  Featuring three brothers and two old school friends, the band honed their performance skills busking in England and France.  The band describe their style as ‘Samba Psych Folk Rockaccino’ which has developed from their early jazz-funk style, and now focuses on the original thought provoking songs of the youngest band member Barney Keen.  Barney also handles lead vocals and ukulele with Josh and Nat on guitars, Robbie on drums and Olly on bass.

www.myspace.com/schoolofimagination

Dorset Music Awards winners Disco's Out (Murder's In) are a Bournemouth-based 6-piece band who formed in 2008.  Their music combines catchy rock songs fuelled by an energetic brass and woodwind section that takes control of the groove and raises it to the roof.  The band have built up a big following along the South Coast for their stomping live act which sees the band rocking away in a blur of outrageous costumes - capes, masks, straw hats and an array of bizarre headgear.  A real festival act that is bound to get you bopping.

www.myspace.com/discooutmurdersin

Owl In The Sun are a six-piece band from the South West who play melody-driven acoustic songs rooted in folk Americana and gypsy jazz.  They specialise in rich vocal harmonies and combine, guitar, accordion, banjo, fiddle, flute, double bass and Rhodes piano to produce a sound featured on their recent album Outside The City Way Of Things released last year.  Recorded at Riverside Studios in Bath, the album won the following plaudit from Mark Kermode: "This is a lovely album of songs which are wittily written, artfully arranged and niftily played.  I'm a big fan!"

www.owlinthesun.com
www.myspace.com/owlinthesun

Spinning the vinyl between the live acts on the Garden Stage this year are two of London's premier global music DJs Alex Stewart and Jamie Renton collectively known as the The Flying Chillis.  They effortlessly combine a continuous mix of international rhythms from ancient to modern, African funk meets Indian Bollywood and moves onto salsa, hip hop, mash-up reggae to classic Malian blues.  The world is truly their musical oyster!

www.myspace.com/chillifried

Led by George Smerin the man behind the wonderful Anti-Social Club this collective are guaranteed to lift the roof in Club Larmer.  Having rocked parties on beaches, clubs and festival fields from Bristol to Bali, these selectors will be taking no prisoners in Club Larmer.  Any genre is possible, from old school funk and swing to the grimiest bass wobblers.  If it'll get you dancing then it's most definitely getting dropped into the mix.

Southampton boy The Uplifter has been playing roots reggae, heavyweight dub and traditional Jamaican ska music in venues, festivals and outdoor events throughout the UK and Europe since 2003.  Having just returned from a World tour that took in New York and New Zealand The Uplifter is ready to bring this unique show that blends live percussion, animated art visuals whilst mixing renowned classics with little known but equally inspiring music from around the World to Club Larmer.  Are you ready to skank!

www.theuplifter.co.uk
www.myspace.com/theuplifter

If you mooch over to The Munster Mansion of Monster Funk (aka Club Larmer) on Sunday night, you'll meet freaky beat funksters Tiggz Calhoon and DJ Phil Meadley spinning a platter of funk nuggets, soul gems, and skankin' ska classics to finish off the 20th anniversary of Larmer Tree in fine style.  Tiggz is a premier scratch DJ and MC who was a recent tour DJ for the Dub Pistols and Phil is a leading music journalist who has released over 50 compilations of global grooves and DJ'ed for the likes of Misty in Roots and The Gotan Project.

www.myspace.com/philmeadley

F-Fever is a young DJ making feet stomp across southern England with his blend of modern house, Balkan bangers and swing jazz beats. Co-running the Honky Tonk nights in Bath have brought him popularity with his different slant on dance music. As a child he was brought up on a diet of rural gypsy music that has gone on to influence his DJ sets. Be sure to check him out as he is bound to keep you dancing all night long.

soundcloud.com/frank-fever/balkan-boogaloo