Your guide to folk events in Coventry and Warwickshire.
We’ve linked to a new calendar format which should make more local folk events accessible and easy to update. Just click on the maroon lettering below – or scroll down for individual listing of forthcoming events.
Cov & Warks Folk Events Listing
If you are planning any folk event in the CV postcode area – big concert, back-room singaround, online performance, dance display, or whatever, click here to email us, providing the following details:
- Date, start-time and end-time
- Name of venue
- Type of event
- Artists/performers appearing
- Location including postcode
- Description – including how to book tickets, web links, etc
Please note that information on this page is based on advertising and public announcements by the venues and/or events organisers.
While every effort is made to ensure that details provided here are correct, CVFolk cannot guarantee its accuracy which is why we include contact information for each event so that you can check and confirm if necessary,
CVFolk is working in partnership with Folk21 Midlands region and any event listed here will also appear in their own events listing.
There is no one in music quite like Mark Harrison. He is widely considered one of the most original and interesting artists around. His highly individual, all-original music has taken him to some of the top venues and festivals in the UK, attracting acclaim wherever he goes. Recent appearances on BBC Radio 2, as guest on Cerys Matthews’s show and on the Pick Of The Week show, have further added to his growing reputation.
Described at BBC Radio 2 as ‘quirky’ and an artist who ‘makes you think afresh’, Mark is a totally original songwriter, a stunning guitarist, and a master storyteller. Mark’s live shows are well-known not only for the music but also for his introductions and explanations of the songs, delivered in a manner often described as ‘wry’ and ‘dry’.
A thrilling, rhythmic, finger-picker and slide player, with a very distinctive style, Mark tours extensively. He has released six albums which have been unanimously acclaimed across a wide range of areas of the music world, receiving a very great deal of airplay and highly enthusiastic reviews in the UK, Europe and the US. 2021 sees the release of Mark’s much awaited new album, THE ROAD TO LIBERTY.
Here are a few of the things that have been said about Mark and his music:
he takes very real things that happen in life and makes you think afresh about them (Paul Jones, BBC Radio 2)
a bit different and kinda groovy too (Cerys Matthews, BBC Radio 2)
the more I listen to Mark Harrison, the more I admire the man. He’s a fantastic musician, he’s got a great voice and what a songwriter! He’s kind of reinvented the blues in this country. What a glorious sound he makes (Frank Hennessey, BBC Radio 2)
singular lyrics …an original take on song writing (Blues in Britain)
breezy folk-blues vibe belies barbed lyrics (Classic Rock magazine)
great stage presence … innovative …… if Top Of The Pops was still around, he might well be on it’ (Jazz FM)
Mark Harrison has been creating something of a stir … bringing a modern outlook to a traditional style, he is building a loyal and wide fan base (Blues Matters)
fresh and stimulating … one of our most gifted talents (RnR magazine)
songs that are relevant and modern, with the feel of classics (Music News)
he has a wonderful ability to take unexpected subjects, twist and tune them up with humour, innovation and downright originality (Cashbox Canada/Elmore Magazine US)
Website:
http://www.markharrisonrootsmusic.com/
Music:
http://www.markharrisonrootsmusic.com/music.php
Film of the single Toolmaker’s Blues:
Film of Mark solo:
Film of one of the songs, showcased at the Cannes Film Festival:
Benji Kirkpatrick is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. A key member of folk big band and multiple BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winners, Bellowhead, Benji has been performing solo for nearly 25 years. Lauded releases such as Boomerang (2008) and Hendrix Songs (2015) – an album of acoustic re-interpretations of the work of his first musical idol – have punctuated his exploits over the years alongside extensive work with others. 2019 saw the launch of new band Benji Kirkpatrick & The Excess, a three-piece comprising Pete Flood (also of Bellowhead) on drums and Pete Thomas (Jackie Oates, Megan Henwood) on bass. The roots-based power trio released their debut album Gold Has Worn Away on German label Westpark Music in 2019 with subsequent tours and festival appearances. Also known for his work with Steeleye Span, Faustus and Seth Lakeman, Benji has been a resident of Leamington for several years and will play a mix of self-penned songs (and maybe some Hendrix…) from solo releases along with a host of new material written over the past two years.
Singer/songwriter from the Midlands with a smooth delivery of witty lyrics accompanied by organic blues, jazz, and indie rock melodies. Jason tells a story with every song and conveys the emotions with a unique and captivating vocal style that is all is own! Original songs along with covers of Jason’s most inspirational artists!
You may purchase tickets during our normal opening hours in person by visiting our Box Office which is located at the Visitor Information Centre, Royal Pump Rooms, The Parade, Leamington Spa, CV32 4AA.
Monday to Sunday: 10am – 3pm
By telephone: 01926 334 418
1970 would prove to be a vintage year for music and the start of an era that would change the world. For Steeleye Span – formed the year before – it would mark a major milestone. The band released their debut album Hark The Village Wait, a record that would not only launch one of the most enduring stories in the folk world and beyond but also come to influence further generations of artists. Five decades on and the band, led as ever by the iconic vocals of Maddy Prior and with a seven piece line-up featuring some of the most skilled musicians on the UK folk scene, their 50th anniversary tour will be a celebration of the key tracks from that famous album as well as favourites and gems from their long and famous career.