Exploring the Coventry and Warwickshire folk scene? Here are a few links that may be of interest.
Folk Clubs and Venues
Atherstone Folk Club
Bedworth Folk Club
Courtyard at the Abbey Theatre
Harbury Folk Club
Joey’s Bar (Upton)
Leamington Folk Club
Lighthorne Folk
Nuneaton Folk Club
Nursery Tavern
Play House Folk Club, Stratford (Play House Sessions)
Rowington Folk Club – no updated link currently available
Ryepiece Barn House Concerts
Sheep Dip Sessions
Stockton Folk Club
Temperance, 33 Bath Street, Leamington Spa CV31 3AF. Also home of Leamington Folk Club
Treehouse Bookshop, 4 The Square, Kenilworth CV8 1EB
Tump Folk Club
Warwick Folk Club
Willow & Tool’s Music Parlour
Wurzel Bush Folk Club
Folk Music Sessions
Sundays
Hairy Folkers session – The Old Windmill, Coventry 3rd Sundays Folk in the Lounge music and song session – Denbigh Arms, Monks KirbyMondays
‘CovTrad’ traditional music session – Humber Hotel, Coventry Fox Acoustic Sessions – Fox Inn, Attleborough Quigleys Music Sessions – Quigleys, Rugby 1st Mondays Rainbow Inn Music and Song Session – Rainbow Inn, Allesley VillageTuesdays
Coventry Comhaltas, instrument workshops and music sessions – Hearsall Inn, Coventry 1st Tuesdays (Usually but can vary – check our events listing. Acoustic Music and Song Session with KC Jones – Abbey Theatre, Nuneaton 1st Tuesdays The Stopwatch Sessions (Open mic) – Somerville Arms, Campion Terrace, Leamington SpaWednesdays
1st Wednesdays Folk at The Lion (Afternoon folkish singaround, 2-4pm) 1st Wednesdays Acoustic Americana Jam Session with Keith Eardley & Bob Powell – The Ale Rooms, KenilworthThursdays
Music Session – Old Fourpenny Shop Hotel, Warwick 1st Thursdays Kenilworth Virgins & Castle Folk Session 3rd Thursdays Shanty Session with The Hawkesbury Trawlermen 3rd Thursdays The Quiet Men (Irish / Americana), Somerville Arms, Campion Terrace, Leamington Spa 3rd Thursdays Music Session – The Oak, Baginton 4th Thursdays (not Dec.) Odds Bodkins English Music and Song Session – Snitterfield Arms, nr Stratford-upon-AvonFolk Festivals
Warwick Folk Festival
Ragged Bear Festival
Moseley Folk and Arts Festival
Media
Anker Folk – twice monthly radio show
Coventry Music Articles by Pete Clemons – blog
Elementary What’s On – news & reviews website of local events, including folk
Gentlefolk2 – Monthly programme by Norman Wheatley
Hobo Folk Blog (Trev Teasdale)
Hot Music Live – Magazine
MacAwe on Tour Blog (Geoff Veasey)
Events news and listings
Are you Dancing? (Warwickshire) – Dance events listing including folk dancing
CVFolk ‘What’s On’ – Cov & Warks Folk Diary
CVFolk events listing – TeamUp Calendar
Folk21 Midlands events listing – TeamUp Calendar
Folk21 West Midlands Facebook page – venues post their own news and events here
Local Events (Atherstone Folk Club website)
Music Venues
The Abbey Theatre, Nuneaton
The Albany Theatre, Coventry
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
The Big Comfy Bookshop, Coventry.
No longer running, but check out Michael McEntee’s Facebook page of acoustic videos
FarGo Village, Coventry
FarGo Village, Coventry – The Box
HMV Empire, Coventry
Leamington Assembly
Royal Spa Centre, Leamington
Stratford Playhouse
Temperance Cafe, Leamington – also venue for the Leamington Folk Club (2nd Thursdays)
The Tin Music and Arts, Coventry
Tree House Bookshop, Kenilworth
Warwick Arts Centre
Projects of interest!
Access Folk (Research project based in University of Sheffield, exploring ways to increase and diversify participation in folk singing in England)
Coventry Music Museum
Coventry Singer-Songwriters
Folk21 – supporting folk clubs in the 21st century Now wound down nationally but Folk21 Midlands still active.
Live & Local (Warwick branch) – promoting/supporting local event venues
MotoFest – Music and Culture during MotoFest weekend (as well as cars!) 2023 event includes CVFolk stage Sat-Sun 3-4 June 2023
(The) Folk Music Map – world map of regular folk venues.
(The) Narrowboat Sessions – acoustic music videos with many hidden gems
Polly Button – the undoing thereof. (Facebook page for the acclaimed folk opera written and performed by Katherine Fear and featuring a cast of local folk luminaries)
The Rolling On Project (Visiting all UK acoustic music sessions and venues for a book and film, and checking out the health of community based folk-roots music.)
The Session – a community website dedicated to Irish traditional music. (Includes info on music sessions in Coventry and Warwickshire)
Sofar – Intimate Concerts in Unique Spaces – provides updates and ticket links for secret music events – three days notice given to ticketholders. Includes events in Coventry and Warwickshire.
Songs From The Caravan – Terry Helyar’s video collection of songs and tunes from his travels
to folk clubs and festivals (includes recordings of several CVFolk artists)
The Spindwyer World Of Folk Music – Andrew Dwyer. Herefordshire-based site from former local artist. Good place to source old vinyl.
The Traditional Arts Team
Warwick University Folk Society
Local Acts Online
Abi Rowberry
Acoustic Van
Alkevan
+ link to YouTube page
Amelia Gascoigne Roberts
Andi Wolf
annA rydeR
+ link to ‘Pockets of Fire’ video (and others)
Antonia Kirby
As The Heron
+ link to ‘2021 Narrowboat Sessions’ video – Cruel Sister. See also Lauren South
Away With The Fairies
The B Road
Duo version of Hatstand.
Benji Kirkpatrick
– site includes links to video recordings solo and with The Excess
Bianco Barbershop Quartet
Bill Bates
+ link to YouTube page
(The) Cellar Tapes
Chessi O’Dowd. See also Facebook.
Chris Tobin
+ link to YouTube page
Comharsa
– site includes link to page of live video recordings
Contrasaurus
+ link to YouTube page
Coventry Comhaltas
+ link to Jarlath Mulhern’s YouTube page
Craig Sunderland
+ link to YouTube page
+ click here to see Craig ‘live on stage’.
Daisybell (Katherine Fear’s website)
+ link to YouTube page (original line-up)
+ click here to see Daisybell (current line-up) ‘live on stage’.
Dan Bones
+ link to Facebook video page – includes virtual jam sessions with various artists
Dan Gascoigne (Dr Bennett)
+ link to YouTube page
Dave Fry
Des Patalong
+ link to YouTube page
+ click here to see Des ‘live on stage’ with Thrup’nny Bits
Donnelly & South
Duo collaboration of Keith Donnelly and Lauren South
Dragonhead
Finger In The Jar
Firedaze
Floot Street
Greengrass
+ click here to see Greengrass ‘live on stage’. Now disbanded. See Hatstand and Lauren South.
Greenman Rising
+ link to YouTube page
Green Matthews (Chris Green & Sophie Matthews)
+ link to YouTube page including ‘Meet the instruments’ videos
The Hanksters
The Harvesters
+ links to videos here (skip annoying ad at beginning!), here, here, here, and here
Hatstand
+ click here to see Hatstand ‘live on stage’. Duo version now billed as The B Road
Ian Bourne
Izzie Derry
Jack Blackman (including video footage)
+ link to selection of YouTube uploads
Jam & Crumpet Band
– memorial site includes links to audio recordings
Joe O’Donnell’s Shkayla (including video footage)
+ link to selection of tracks on YouTube – some audio only
KC Jones
Keith Donnelly
– website includes links to ‘me me me me me tube’ videos
See also Donnelly & South
Kev Dempsey
+ link to Wicked Polly – from the Polly Button folk opera fundraiser, Nuneaton 16/2/20
Kristy Gallacher
+ link to recent YouTube page
Lauren South. See also: As The Heron, Donnelly & South
Lucy Anne Sale
Malc Gurnham & Gill Gilsenan
Maria Barham
– site includes link to page of video recordings
– also includes link to The Redhills
Marion Fleetwood
+ link to YouTube page
Matthew Hernandez
Meet On The Ledge
+ link to videos page
Melancholy Brothers
Michael Luntley – Tricaorach
Nunc (& Druncmonkey)
+ click here to see Nunc ‘live on stage’.
Please note that Nunc have now disbanded but band members have launched a new line-up – The Stationary Wilburys.
Nigel Ward
+ click here to see Nigel ‘live on stage’.
Paper Circus (The)
+ click here to see The Paper Circus ‘live on stage’.
Paul & Glen Elliott
+ link to Paul’s YouTube page
The Peas
Peeping Tom Ceilidh Band
Pete Grassby
Rack and Ruin
+ links to videos here, here and here
(The) Redhills
– site includes link to page of video and audio recordings. See also Maria Barham
Rob Halligan
+ link to YouTube page
+ click here to see Rob ‘live on stage’ with Homeward Hie.
Sambassadors of Groove
Sarah Bennett (Dr Bennett)
(The) Silver Wye – video clip. See also Wes Finch
Sly Old Dogs (Currently resting!)
Somerville Gentlemen
Spa Strummers
(The) Stationary Wilburys
Steamchicken
Stephen Boyer. RIP. Was member of Steve 2, Acoustic Van, The Hanksters, Under The Influence
Steve 2
Steve Redshaw. Member of Steve 2
Steven John Birks
Stylusboy
+ link to YouTube page
Thom Kirkpatrick – One Man Band
+ link to YouTube page
Thrup’nny Bits
+ link to YouTube page
+ click here to see Thrup’nny Bits ‘live on stage’.
Tilt
Tyburn (Jan Richardson & Hedley Stone)
Under the Influence – includes links to video
Wes Finch
+ link to YouTube page. See also The Silver Wye
Will Pound
+ link to YouTube page
Willow & Tool Band
Local Dance & Performance Teams Online
Anker Morris Men
Chinewrde Morris
Coventry Morris Men
Coventry Mummers
Coventry Zesty Playford
Earlsdon Morris Men
Hereburgh Morris
Milverton Folk Dance Group
Plum Jerkum Border Morris