2014 Village Pump Folk Festival’s exciting line-up

Folk performer Joe Brown

ORGANISERS have announced an exciting line-up for the 2014 Village Pump Folk Festival to be held at the White Horse Country Park in Westbury on 25th-27th July. 

Artists ranging from Joe Brown, The Blues Band and Seth Lakeman to Eliza Carthy and Brass Monkey will represent the many facets of folk music today and should bring fans from all over the country.

Festival spokesperson Clive Woodland said, “The Village Pump Folk Festival has become well-known locally and  on the folk circuit as a small, friendly event so that performers of the highest calibre are keen to come and play.

“We believe we’ve put together another really exciting line-up  for this festival, which is now well-established in Westbury.

“Joe Brown will be a name familiar to several generations of music fans, well-known in recent years for appearances on Jools Holland’s shows.  Blues enthusiasts will love The Blues Band, which includes Paul Jones the presenter of BBC Radio 2’s blues show and the original singer with  Manfred Mann.

“From the younger generation, Philip Henry and Hannah Martin return after two previous breath-taking appearances at the festival and we have Seth Lakeman, one of the top selling folk acts of the last few years.

“Eliza Carthy is one of the most innovative performers on the scene. She will be appearing  with her Wayward Band, a ten-piece outfit.  Although firmly based in the folk tradition, she’s not afraid to experiment and mix styles and her band includes members of Bellowhead, so you can expect some raucous party music!  Keeping it in the family, Eliza’s Dad, Martin Carthy, one of the most well-known and respected folk singers and musicians, will be playing in the band Brass Monkey.

“Guitar enthusiasts will love the multi-award winning  Martin Simpson.  Peter Knight, who was with Steeleye Span last year, is a master fiddle player and will be playing with his band Gigspanner. The festival patrons Steve Knightley and Phil Beer from Show of Hands will be there, along with their bass player Miranda Sykes, who will also be performing with Rex Preston, a brilliant mandolin player.

“These are a small number of all those booked to appear. As usual, there will be a full programme of family activities and entertainment, comedy from the Merv Grist Players, workshops, and Morris dancers.  You can bring your instruments for the sessions and open mic and don’t forget your dancing shoes for the ceilidhs!

“Following a survey of ‘Pumpers’ at last year’s festival, there are plans for a larger second stage tent  The White Horse Stage – with the possibility of taking off the sides. The hall at the Country Park will be used for dances, shows and late night extras and the overall increased capacity will give space for extra workshops. There also will be a sessions tent and a club stage, featuring performers from local folk clubs and open mics.

“Unlike many festivals, there are no extra costs for parking and camping.  For anyone willing to spend some time stewarding over the weekend, admission could be free. A full price weekend ticket is £110 before April 1st, £120 after that. Children under 10 are free, and 10-17 year-olds are half price.”

Full details of the festival, stewarding opportunities and the complete line-up are on the web-site www.villagepumpfolkfestival.co.uk or visit the Facebook page.