R2 - New issue 38 - In the shops now!
Summer is almost upon us (or so we are told) but whatever the weather brings one certainty is that the thriving UK festival scene will play a vital part. The eclectic mix of available options can be daunting but, thankfully, R2 are here to help with our comprehensive festival guide.
Also to be found between the covers are interviews with country legend Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, The Watersons, Merry Hell and much more more. All this, plus our extensive review section, regular features and a free cover CD for only £3.95!
R2 is widely available throughout the UK and Ireland - check our stockists page for more details.
You can buy on line (or better still take out a year's subscription) from our partners at Terra Nova Music
Top Band in New Orleans Award
Meschiya Lake and The Little Big Horns scored a big hit when they made their UK debut at Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket during last year's Celtic Connections festival. R2 reviewer Rachel Devine proved she knows a good thing too, when she described them as 'one of the most entertaining live bands on the planet,' after catching their show at Dingwall's in London.
Now, it has been announced that the band has been voted Best Trad Band in New Orleans' prestigious Big Easy Awards - a huge accolade from their home city. To top that, Meschiya carried off the Best Female Performer title again - for the 3rd year in a row. Fans over here will have to wait a few months before they get another fix when the band have a short run of UK dates that will include shows in Stockton, Edinburgh, Peebles, Barton upon Humber, Spalding and Milton Keynes, early in September.
here are the band performing 'Satan Your kingdom Must Come Down'.
The Levellers release new EP and Video in aid of War Child
Levellers have released a new video to accompany their forthcoming he Recruiting Sergeant EP, released in aid of War Child charity. This is the penultimate video in their project to record a video from each track to last year's album, Static On The Airwaves.
The lead track, which features English folk legends The Copper Family, was played on the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show by Mark Radcliffe this week and received much positive feedback. The band, currently celebrating their recent 25th Anniversary, have a major UK tour lined up for the summer. Full details can be found on The Levellers website.
Allan Yn Y Fan
Welsh traditionalists Allan Yn Y Fan have a series of dates in support of their current album Pwnco taking them through to the Summer. For full details, check out the Allan Yn Y Fan website.
The multi-instrumental and vocal band have been touring internationally for more than a decade. R2 magazine's very own Dai Jeffries describes them as 'splendid' - what better recommendation do you need?
WOMAD 2013 - New Artists Announced
Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, Toots and the Maytalls, Parov Stelar Band and The Heavy have been added to the bill for WOMAD 2013, held at Charlton Park in July.
The latest additions exemplify the trademark diversity for which WOMAD is renowned. From Nigeria, there's the sound of Afrobeat, delivered here by Seun Kuti, son of the incomparable Fela whose band Egypt 80 are now under the commanding leadership of Kuti Jr. whilst 'Toots' Hibbert will be leading his charges through all those hits – Monkey Man, Funky Kingston, Pressure Drop - included.
Full details of the music and all the other events in store can be found on the WOMAD website.
Cara Dillon 2013 Tour Dates
Irish songstress Cara Dillon embarks upon a major UK tour later this year.
The tour begins in Derry, Northern Ireland on the 15th August before winding it's way across the country ending at the Beverley Arts Centre in Kendal on Saturday the 23rd of November.
Cara has collaborated in the past with Sam Lakeman under the name Polar Star. In 2001, she released her first solo album titled Cara Dillon. More recently Cara performed two concerts with the Ulster Orchestra. The first was to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Ulster Hall at an event called the Great Northern Songbook where her song 'Hill Of Thieves' was voted by BBC listeners as one of the 'Top 10' original songs to come out of Northern Ireland.
Full details, as ever, can be found on the Cara Dillon website.
Peatbog Faeries - Additional Dates
The Peatbog Faeries have added an additional date to their English and Welsh tour. They have added the O2 Academy 2, in Newcastle, on Saturday, 13th April.
The tour sets off from Whitehaven on the 2nd of April. Full details can be found on the Peatbog Faeries website.
THE JANICE LONG REVIEW SHOW
Radio 2 DJ, Janice Long, who has celebrated over 30 years in TV and radio broadcasting, is back with the exciting third series of the JANICE LONG REVIEW SHOW, featured on the award-winning music channel VINTAGE TV.
Every Sunday at 8.30pm (Sky 369, Freesat 515) Janice is joined by a stellar guest-list of music gurus to discuss classic albums, hot new releases, music milestones with frank but friendly debates.
Cropredy line-up 2013
Britain's friendliest music festival, Fairport's Cropredy Convention, today announced the full line-up of artists at this year's event. Over three days, Cropredy will present more than thirty hours of live music from twenty acts to an audience of up to 20,000.
Fairport's Cropredy Convention takes place on Thursday 8, Friday 9 and Saturday 10 August 2013 on farmland north of Banbury, Oxfordshire, three miles from Junction 11 of the M40 motorway.
Headliners for 2013 include Alice Cooper, Levellers and 10CC and the customary Saturday night closing performance from host band Fairport Convention will be preceded by a solo set from Nik Kershaw.
Other notable acts include Edward II, Mediaeval Baebes and award-winning duo Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman. Ireland is represented by Lùnasa and Scotland by Peatbog Faeries.
Tickets are on sale now. As in previous years, one-day, two-day and three-day tickets are exclusively available from Fairport's website fairportconvention.com and ticket phone line 0900 637 1644
In celebration of Alice's appearance please feel free to relive your childhood with this TOTP appearance from 1972.
The London Latin Music Festival LA LINEA 13
The London Latin Music Festival LA LINEA 13 has announced three more shows to complete this year's line-up:
MERIDIAN BROTHERS + Chancha Via Circuito + El G + Tourism DJs - 25 April @ Cargo
LA RAZA: London Latin Hip Hop Festival - 19 April @ Rich Mix
MARCELO BRATKE + TangOpera - 24 April @ Purcell Room
