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.........successful tour of Canada.........secure online sales at Oyster website...........Big Session Festival approaches.........


Hello again


Our very best thanks to everyone who came to the shows in Canada in April. We know bands always claim their tours are successful, but this one really was a bit special. Friends appeared from all over North America, and despite the worst snow in 20 years in Alberta, a gratifying number of the shows sold out. ³Meet You There² was released only quite recently in Canada, via Festival records, Vancouver, and is receiving great reviews.

The whole experience was a blast, and we promise we won¹t leave it another 14 years before we return.

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Years after everyone else on the planet, we have finally converted our website shop to secure online ordering (mediated by WorldPay).

This saves us money, so we¹re able to reduce our postal charges to a single flat rate:  GBP 1 for shipments to UK, GBP 1.50 for shipments to the rest of Europe, and GBP 2 for shipments everywhere else  -  for any number of items. (Hint: the more you order, the better value you get.)

And you can choose to order in Euros or US dollars too, if that helps you keep aware of how much you¹re really spending. (Sorry we couldn¹t extend it to other currencies at this time, but we¹ll review the position after a few months.)

______________________________________


The 4th Big Session Festival
De Montfort Hall & Gardens, Granville Road, Leicester LE1 7RU, 13 to 15 June 2008
Tel:  0116 233 3111

Only 4 weeks to go until the Big Session. It¹s come around again very quickly but with the sunshine finally here and the best line-up to date we think it¹s going to be the best yet.  Tickets are still available but if you¹re thinking of camping please book as soon as you can to secure your camping ticket. They¹re only available to weekend ticket holders.  If you can¹t make the whole weekend, day tickets are now on sale but going fast, particularly for Saturday.

The line-up is now complete, all the fantastic traders have been booked, the best local real ales, marquees, extra tracking (just in case!)..........we can¹t wait.

In case you didn¹t already know the festival won the ŒGreener Festival Award¹ last year for our continuing efforts to be as environmentally friendly as possible. This year we are trying to top that by completely offsetting the festival¹s carbon footprint, recycling everything we can get our hands on, using 100% recycled paper, giving away low energy light bulbs, encouraging car-shares and alternative transport to and from the festival.......

So, what have we got for you this year? As well as Oysterband (with, yes, Lee Partis),  some of the best acts we could find:  country-rock legend Steve Earle, doing only a handful of UK dates, Mercury Prize nominated Seth Lakeman and folk/big band crossover collective Bellowhead. The bill also features a rare and special outing for The Oyster Ceilidh Band, featuring original member Ian Kearey.

Then there¹s Kila, The Blockheads, The Handsome Family, Lau, Cara Dillon, Devon Sproule, Allison Moorer, Vincent Vincent and The Villains, Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit, The Troubadours, Paul Curreri, John Smith, Emily Barker, Hey Negrita, Paul Marshall, Dan Donnelly, McDermott¹s 2 Hours, The Blue Blokes 3, Ruth Notman and The Wallbirds.

And as if that wasn¹t enough, this year we¹ve got a proper dance floor in the marquee and a session bar running all weekend with over 40 real ales, so bring along your instruments. We¹ve got a pirate-themed Kids¹ Zone, fantastic food and great stalls.

Tickets are now selling faster than they¹ve ever done before, so get yours very soon.  Book online at  www.bigsessionfestival.com or call the Box Office on 0116 233 3111. At £65 for the weekend, we think the festival is a bargain.
 
(The website has been much improved and now runs its own email list for future editions of the festival.)

all the best

John, Alan, Chopper, Ian, Dil (and Lee, of course)  x

OYSTERBAND
c/o Running Man, PO Box 32100, London N4 1GR
email:  oysters_at_oysterband_dot_co_dot_uk
URL:    http://www.oysterband.co.uk
www.MySpace.com/oysterband