	Newsletter 10 October 2009		Contact details Tel. 01342 716975 or email: info_at_acousticsussex_dot_org_dot_uk
			‘Listen again’ to Anna Esslemont being interviewed in MeridianFM on Wednesday 7 October – and hear sample tracks from Uiscedwr and other upcoming acts – on our MySpace jukebox. CLICK HERE
Monday 12 October Uiscedwr at Chequer Mead East Grinstead www.chequermead.org.uk Support: Luke Sital Singh £14 (£ 12 conc) 8pm Box Office 01342 302000 Tickets are also available at Hobgoblin in Crawley and Bullfrog in East Grinstead Click here for News Release and biography (PDF file) Pre-show meals available in the Cuisine Studio – reservations only. Tel 01342 324860 BACK TO TOP		Paying their first visit to East Grinstead, the phenomenal Uiscedwr (pronounced "ish-ka-dooer") is one of Britain’s most exciting contemporary folk bands, with various award nominations and numerous headlining festival appearances to prove it. But this is folk in its widest possible sense and their explosive stage show and the mesmerising assortment of influences they draw on to throw into the mix will astound anyone still labouring under long-antiquated clichés and misapprehensions about folk’s relevance to the modern world. The band first came to public attention when they won the BBC Young Folk Awards in 2002. However, during 2005, band founder Anna Esslemont was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia. Her illness meant the group had to reduce its touring commitments and delay work on the second album. Anna had a successful bone marrow transplant in December 2006 and Uiscedwr resumed touring June 2007. Subsequently, Anna has been active in fundraising for the Aplastic Anaemia Trust charity (read News Release for full story). She still undergoes regular hospital checks but, with the benefit of some pioneering photopheresis treatment, she feels reborn, both medically and musically. The heartbeat of the band remains, as ever, the intuitive partnership between Anna , who first started playing violin at the age of six, and Cormac Byrne, one of Ireland’s greatest bodhran virtuosos, who provides such a range of rhythmic textures, the term ‘percussionist’ somehow seems hopelessly inadequate. Joined for this tour by Nick Waldock on guitar and bass, Uiscedwr are back - and in their classic trio format they mean business. “Now I’m better, I’m like a loony on stage” says Anna. “Over the last year I’ve come to terms with what has happened, it’s only recently I went whoooo I was REALLY sick. Day to day life is a big deal when you’ve been living on a knife edge for so long. It’s just so great to be able to get on stage with Uiscedwr and play our music again.” Oh and in case you’re wondering, that IS Anna playing on a TV commercial for John West tuna… “the best thing they've ever done" Mike Harding, Radio 2 "An album of joy, defiance, solidity and triumph" fRoots Support for the show comes from a young and enigmatic Brighton singer-songwriter, Luke Sital Singh. Luke is a strong and emotive songwriter with a superb voice, described as “one to watch” by the Brighton & Bristol Institute of Modern Music.	Anna Esslemont with Seth Lakeman and Cormac Byrne Luke Sital Singh
Don’t forget that as well as our own shows, the Acoustic Sussex website has a Regional Gig Guide and links to venues and clubs in the South East that offer folk, roots and acoustic music – and our MySpace site contains over 500 links to a variety of other MySpace ‘friends’ sites, including musicians, venues, magazines and lots more.			Regional Gig Guide
*For* *your future diaries...* BACK TO TOP		Future 2009 dates in the Acoustic Sussex programme include: Ø 9 November – Chris & Kellie While + Joseph Topping Ø 20 November – Dar Williams Selling fast – please book early Ø 23 November – Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies+ Lucy Ward Ø 11 December – The Unthanks Selling fast – please book early Ø 30 January 2010 – Anais Mitchell Ø 27 January 2010 – Kate Walsh Ø Other 2010 dates to be confirmed shortly More information on all up-and-coming artists can be found on our website: www.acousticsussex.org.uk. You can also find us on MySpace (with samples from some of the artists appearing) at: www.myspace.com/acoustic_sussex. If you know anyone who you think may enjoy our events, please forward this email to them.	*UNSUBSCRIBE* If you do not wish to be on this mailing list, please reply to this email, ensuring you include your name in the email and the word 'unsubscribe' in the heading. Thank you.