What’s On

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,

May
3
Sat
Megson SOLD OUT @ Temperance
May 3 @ 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Four times nominated in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and double winners of the Spiral Earth Awards MEGSON create a truly unique brand of folk music.

Combining an infectious mix of heavenly vocals, lush harmonies and driving rhythmic guitars, MEGSON have gained a reputation not only for their arresting & intelligent songwriting, but also for their exquisite musicianship and northern humour.

Comprising Debs Hanna (Vocals, Whistle, Piano Accordion) and Stu Hanna (Guitar, Mandola, Banjo) MEGSON have been described as as “the most original duo on the British folk scene” by THE GUARDIAN and as FROOTS Magazine puts it ‘if you don’t like the music here then you have a problem’.

Liking to keep busy, MEGSON have recorded thirteen studio albums across their twenty year career gaining four & five star reviews from THE GUARDIAN, MOJO, THE TELEGRAPH, UNCUT, THE FINANCIAL TIMES whilst THE OBSERVER pronounced them ‘A force in the folk revival’. Even lockdown

2020 couldn’t hold them back as they performed a hugely popular series of live stream concerts to their growing army of followers.

And during all this time, Stu even managed to be involved with other artists producing & recording award winning music for SHOW OF HANDS, ODETTE MITCHEL, LUCY WARD, FAUSTUS & THE YOUNG’UNS.

Now they are back doing what they do best, on the road promoting a brand new studio album WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO SAY. Catch them if you can…

May
30
Fri
Simply Dylan @ Temperance Café
May 30 @ 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Simply Dylan is as straightforward as the title suggests: no frills, no gimmicks and no pretence. Led by front man John O’Connell, the band delivers a tribute to Bob Dylan celebrating the rich and diverse work of the award-winning artist. It is their interpretations, precise playing and high energy renditions of some of Dylan’s back catalogue that has caught the attention of many Bobcats.

What started as a modest project in 2011, recognizing Dylan’s 70th Birthday, the success of the band has been nothing short of remarkable from selling out the Cavern Club 6 times, to receiving fantastic reviews from audiences across the UK, to opening up the Isle of Wight Festival on the Big Top Stage.

Jun
8
Sun
The Redhills @ Temperance
Jun 8 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

THE REDHILLS

Rescheduled from March 23rd

The Redhills are based in Warwickshire and have been playing traditional music in their current line up since 2015

Playing “louder and prouder” than your average folk rockers, the overall effect is of a lively & tight rock band, but there can be almost anything from the traditional music canon of the British Islands folded into their arrangements – a song of the sea, lively jigs and reels, a broadsheet tale of ‘orrible infamy and murder, a street cry or a hornpipe. Often several of the above in one number! They occasionally drop in the odd original song, a folky cover, a Zappa number or a dub arrangement of a trad piece when the mood takes them..

The band have played at both mainstream folk and “non folky” festivals and clubs, bars, pubs and other events all over the midlands and further afield. Redhills’ performances are always lively, energetic and fun. Several reviewers have described their music as “infectious” (in a nice way!) and it is not uncommon to see audiences get up and spontaneously start to dance.

The Redhills are: Maria Barham (vocals, acoustic guitar and whistles), Jim Black (guitars and vocals), Nick Ellison (Fiddle, Mandolin and vocals), Nick Mew (bass, guitars, vocals) and Nate Walker (Percussion).

 

Sep
12
Fri
Carrie Martin @ Temperance Cafe
Sep 12 @ 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm

We are very happy to welcome back the brilliant Carrie Martin to Temperance. A great singer, a brilliant guitarist and an accomplished song-writer. A wonderful evening guaranteed.

Born in Hull, Carrie is an acoustic guitarist and singer/songwriter.

She fronted bands in the 90s before casting her music aside in order to raise her children, her guitar went untouched for some two decades until a chance meeting with guitar virtuoso Gordon Giltrap changed her life.

Close mentoring from Gordon saw her take a huge leap forward, attracting endorsements from Vintage Guitars, G7th Capos, Martin Strings and most recently she has become and artist for Faith Guitars.

Her last two albums Seductive Sky and Entity included guests Elliott Randall, Gordon Giltrap, Oliver Wakeman, Daniel Cassidy (brother of late Eva Cassidy) and ex Bad Company guitarist Dave Colwell.

Carrie has performed in Canada on tour and has represented Vintage Guitars three times at the Namm Show In California. She also guests at various guitar shows around the UK to demo her use of open tunings.

May 2023 saw her take to the stage at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, alongside Gordon Giltrap MBE , Oliver Wakeman and the mighty Rick Wakeman CBE.

Her new album Evergreen featuring Oliver Wakeman, Heart’s guitarist Roger Fisher, John Verity and Dan Karl Cassidy is out now on vinyl,cd and download from Bandcamp.

Quotes

“Phenomenal” Rick Wakeman CBE

“Martin is equally skilled on guitar, on vocals and as writer. The voice is distinctive- the crystalline purity and range of a Kate Bush, the depth and delicacy of a Sandy Denny. And the songs to which she applies them stand up with any of her peers. The chord sequence of the title track evokes Joni Micthell’s Hejira album.”

Trevor Raggatt, RnR Magazine.

“It’s pretty obvious from the moment you hear Carrie Martin sing that she is an outstanding vocalist with passion in each breath. Don’t be too sidetracked by that voice and stage persona and well-crafted songs, because you might just miss the fact that she is a fine guitar player as well!”

Gordon Giltrap

Sep
20
Sat
Man the Lifeboats @ Temperance Cafe
Sep 20 @ 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Man The Lifeboats began life in a shanty-punk folk moshpit in 2016. Skinny Lister and Holy Moly & the Crackers were the two bands that lit the fire and blew the roof of the Garage that night.

Fast forward 6 years and 100 gigs and counting and Man The Lifeboats are an established band ploughing their furrow on the festival circuit, winning over audiences at WarwickSwanageBeardy FolkFolk in a FieldBearded TheoryDeepdaleRagged Bear and more, drawing comparisons to BellowheadWaterboysOysterband, the Levellers, and those folk-punk heroes the Pogues.

The second album Soul Of Albion hit no27 in the Official Folk Charts in 2022. Recorded at Rockfield Studios, it sounds like Led Zeppelin arm-wrestling Shane McGowan in a Birmingham brewery, like Jimbob and Fruitbat fronting Fairport Convention, like The Albion Band turned up to 11 with their fiddles on fire. Tonic for these troubled times.