Music / Folk & Roots
Bristol’s month in folk & roots – October 2023
October in Bristol is entirely head-spinning, it’s dizzying. The students are back, the temporary traffic light chaos is utterly insane and there are so, so many folk-y, roots-y gigs to go to.
Not only are there LOADS of them but there’s some absolutely amazing stuff here too. From contemporary Irish music to Scottish superstars, from Americana to acoustic English instrumentals the only question is: where do you start?
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October 5 sees the very welcome return of Eddi Reader to that beautiful place just off of Park Street. If you only know Reader from her work with Fairground Attraction then you’re in for such a treat.
An incredible vocalist who has a glorious back catalogue; she’s brilliant and she’s got Boo Hewerdine (ex of The Bible) with her too.
The first of the new Rising Folk gigs is on October 13 as Hannah Scott brings her wonderful voice and incredible songs to the Glass Room. She was incredible at Downend Folk & Roots a few months ago so will, doubtless, be incredible here as well.
Jack Rutter plays on October 18 – he’s a wonderful singer, guitarist and bouzouki player and was great at the Bristol Folk Festival a couple of years ago.
Police Dog Hogan are a “guaranteed good night out” according to the BBC’s Mark Radcliffe, they are completely joyous – expect foot stomping and brilliant songwriting on October 20.
Northumbrian Folk Queen Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening play on October 25. She’s extraordinary; a piper, fiddle player, composer, educator and broadcaster – this will be one of the highlights in a very busy month.
As if that wasn’t enough, the angel-voiced Cara Dillon plays at St George’s on October 31. She is the perfect soundtrack to an Autumn night and will play songs and poems from her new album, Coming Home.
It seems like just the other day that Lukas Drinkwater went wandering over to Australia, taking his amazing double bass skills with him.
Fortunately he’s back for a bit and touring with Tobias Jacob and they play on October 1. Very simply Jacob & Drinkwater are one of the best contemporary folk duos around.
Daoiri Farrell has won two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and is right at the forefront of contemporary Irish folk music. A fantastic singer and bouzouki player, he is so good live, he plays on October 14.
Painted Sky play the next day (October 15) and are a duo playing traditional English Folk mixed with Eastern European rhythms and the stomp of fiddle tunes from Quebec. They feature Holly Brandon, one part of The Magpies, so that makes them worth watching all by itself.
October 19 sees Shanvaghera, a night of toe-tapping Irish folk music and local heroes Cooper & Toller and Steffan Lewis play on October 20.
Finally Jesca Hoop plays on October 22, to the surprise of no one, this gig has already sold out but, then, she is incredibly exciting.
In a month where there are some seriously good artists playing Bristol, almost none are as good as Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage. They play Christ Church, Downend on October 20.
They were one of the highlights of the most recent Bristol Folk Festival with their wondrous mix of English Folk music and Americana. Hannah Sanders has, very simply, one of the greatest voices that you will ever hear.
Ellie Gowers played Bristol a little while ago and was incredible. She’s back on October 4, her beautiful voice carrying with it echoes of Sandy Denny and her songs just dripping in a pastoral English-ness.
She’s supported by The Fritillaries so it’s a gig not to miss.
Interstate Express play on October 5 so you may as well set up camp at The Jam Jar for a couple of days.
Erika Lewis, Steven Paris and Leonie Evans play on October 11. Their take on the roots of American music is going to be excellent. Think gospel, blues, Americana, sun-drenched dream pop and the merest hint of fuzzy psych pop.
The regular Bal Folk Brunch starts at 11:00 AM on October 21. This is a community event so you are asked to bring an instrument, your dancing shoes, a sharing lunch and a willingness to get stuck in.
The Leylines play a charity show for the Snowdrop Bereavement Unit at St Michael’s Hospital on October 4.
They proudly describe themselves as ‘not quite folk’ but certainly nod in the direction of The Levellers and their ilk. They are an amazing live band and it’s for a fantastic cause.
Kezia Gill plays on October 19, having recently supported Bruce Springsteen, toured with Morganway and The Shires as well as playing Country to Country and Black Deer festival, she is a country/rock/folk/blues powerhouse.
Leveret are Sam Sweeney (Bellowhead), Andy Cutting (Blowzabella, Topette!!, June Tabor) and Rob Habron (The Full English, Fay Hield, Jon Boden). They have been playing as Leveret for 10 years and make some of the most indescribably beautiful folk music in the country.
They play in The New Room on October 9 and will, doubtless, play tunes from their latest album, Forms. These three musicians are, pretty much, as good as English Folk music gets; they will fill your heart.
Scottish Folk superstars Skipinnish play The Fleece on October 8. An incredibly powerful live show with bagpipes, fiddle and accordion they will have the place absolutely bouncing. They are the very best in contemporary Celtic music.
Equally bouncy will be Mad Dog McCrea for a double bill on October 13 and 14. This back-to-back extravaganza is becoming a bit of a Bristol tradition for this folk-rock-gypsy-jazz-bluegrass band. They are guaranteed to make you jump about like some kind of a loony.
Rod Picott has been playing his blue-collar country rock for twenty three years, he’s made 13 albums, played thousands of shows and he plays in Bedminster on October 3.
He’s supported the likes of Allison Krauss and Union Station too. He’s an absolute country rock superstar.
Geraint Watkins plays in the Hen & Chicken Studio on October 12. Probably best known as playing with Nick Lowe for years, Watkins is an extraordinary musician.
There’ll be a bit of Americana, and a whole lot of delightfully old fashioned roots as he plugs his career retrospective double CD, Aide Memoire. This is going to be a joyful gig.
Other Bristol Stuff
Ye Vagabonds is an Irish Folk duo from Dublin. They won three awards at the 2019 RTE Radio 1 Folk Awards and are at the forefront of the new wave of Irish Folk music (along with Lankum and The Mary Wallopers).
They play The Mount Without on October 19 and the gorgeous venue will fit Ye Vagabonds’ sound perfectly.
For something a little closer to the mainstream, folk-pop group, Stornoway, play at the O2 Academy on October 22 while Grammy nominated American roots rock duo, Larkin Poe, play in the same place on October 17.
The Dan Webster Trio/Bella Gaffney Trio play at Cafe Kino on October 9 – Bella Gaffney is another member of The Magpies and, just as with Holly Brandon, her trio are going to be well worth cramming into that basement for.
CMAT is playing at SWX in November but, before that, she brings her pop culture, country mash-up to Rough Trade for an acoustic set on October 14 (it’s a midday show).
Finally, in Bristol, M Ward plays at Strange Brew on October 17. He’s an alt-folk hero, compared to Sparklehorse at the start of his career and a brilliant songwriter.
One last thing (in Bath)
For those who fancy a trip over to Bath, Josienne Clarke plays at Chapel Arts on October 27. She has a pure, crystalline voice, has been compared to Sandy Denny and has made some of the best contemporary folk albums of the last few years.
Clarke is forever evolving her sound, no longer a straight-up folk singer, she is way more interesting than that.
There are so many brilliant things here, I have no idea how anyone would be able to choose which ones to go to. Maybe just go to them all.
Main photo: Gavin McNamara
Read next:
- Bristol’s month in folk & roots – September 2023
- Bristol’s month in folk & roots – August 2023
- Bristol’s month in folk & roots – July 2023
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