Scottish fiddling sensation Rua Macmillan, Cornwall’s exuberantly quirky 3 Daft Monkeys are among a raft of new names announced for the much anticipated 2nd Bristol Folk Festival next May.
Confirming its place on the UK festival calendar, the festival will be buzzing in Bristol over the early May Bank Holiday (May 5-7)-a guaranteed “rain free” event as it returns to one of the city’s flagship venues, the Colston Hall. Says patron Seth Lakeman:
“After last year’s hugely successful return to the UK’s live music calendar, I am delighted to be patron once again for Bristol Folk Festival 2012. With an eclectic line-up of multi-award winning, and up-and-coming folk and acoustic acts there is something for everyone.”
Together with his Trio (Tia Files on guitar and Adam Brown on bodhran), feted young Scottish Highland fiddler Rua Macmillan will be getting festivalgoers on their feet on the opening Saturday when he whips up a storm of a festival ceilidh, before his main stage appearance that night.
Originally from Nairn in the Highlands ,Rua is one of the brightest fiddle stars of his generation winning the coveted BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year title in 2009. He released his debut album Tyro in 2010 whilst this year he has made appearance at Glasgow’s famous Celtic Connections Festival, the Fiddles On Fire Festival in London, Norway’s North Sea Festival and WOMAD festivals at both Charlton Park and Bristol Zoo.
The West Country’s 3 Daft Monkeys are one of the most consistently popular and colourful acts on the acoustic scene. This year the band appeared at Glastonbury, headlined festivals in Holland, Belgium and Germany and were voted Best Live Act in the 2011 Spiral Awards.
Bristol Folk Festival is also delighted to announce that two fast- rising young acts nominated in the 2012 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards have joined the line-up -the exciting new female trio Lady Maisery, shortlisted for The Horizon Award (Most Promising Emerging Act) and Will Pound of the blistering banjo/harmonica duo Walsh and Pound.
Bristol Folk Festival was brought back to the city for the first time in 32 years last year and proved an instant hit. Headliners this year are multi award winners Show of Hands and guests (Saturday, May 5) and Cara Dillon (“one of the best Irish female singers of all time”) and guests on the Sunday with Monday’s Bank Holiday headliners still under wraps. Scotland’s Karine Polwart, who recently made a return to the live scene, will also be bringing her huge songwriting talent to the festival, appearing with her trio.
Find out how to book tickets here
Find out how to book tickets here
Published on 07 December 2011 by Wayne Feltham
Bristol Folk Festival 2012 Rua MacMillan
