New Bushbury Mountain Daredevils

New Bushbury Mountain Daredevils

New Bushbury Mountain Daredevils are a folk, country and bluegrass group from Birmingham. They develop a home-grown hillbilly style that gains an audience across the UK and Europe, with a strong live reputation in the mid-1990s festival circuit. The band is also known as the Bushburys.

History

The original band forms from a meeting of musicians and becomes associated with energetic festival performances and immediate rebooking requests. Their albums establish them as a serious live and recording act, with arrangements, emotional range and close vocal harmonies alongside a party-band reputation. Over time the original line-up goes its separate ways.

In 2006, three of the original four members reunite to revive old material and write new songs. A small secret folk-club performance confirms the reunion, and the project expands into a fuller band for a planned appearance at Banbury Festival. That line-up includes guitarist Andy Bole, drummer Jon Large and accordion player Chris Hall.

Line-up and related acts

Andy Bole has played with The Late Night Band, worked as a solo artist and carried out session work. Jon Large is noted for a style that supports melody and atmosphere. Chris Hall has played with RCajun and the Zydeco Brothers and has done session work with Paul McCartney, Bill Wyman and Kate Bush.

Style and recordings

The band’s sound combines acoustic roots music with strong vocals and harmonies. Their earlier albums remain notable within the group’s history, and the revived line-up continues to perform old songs, develop new material and work towards a new recording.