From: oysters_at_oysterband_dot_co_dot_uk

Sent: 10 December 2011 23:45

Subject: Oysternews - December 2011 / January 2012

 

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.......Ragged Kingdom Tour with June Tabor a great success.......awards and nominations for the album stack up......two special shows in the New Year now on sale.......The Big Session Festival 2012:  latest  -  and where to find info.......

 


Hi

We must admit, in all modesty, that the UK Ragged Kingdom Tour with the great June Tabor was a howling success. 13 of the 18 shows sold out  -  that¹s more live performances than she¹s done in the previous two years put together, but she sailed through unfazed. The lady is a trouper!

Our very warmest thanks to everyone who came to the shows.

Hot news is that ³Ragged Kingdom² has just won the presitigious Critics¹ Poll for ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2011 in fROOTS Magazine. This is well worth winning  -  the voting panel includes more than 300 writers, musicians, promoters, record company people etc working in the areas of folk, roots and world music right across Europe and elsewhere, so the level of expertise is high and the competition severe.  We are surprised and very gratified -  thanks, folks!  ³Ragged Kingdom² also came joint second (with Kate & Anna McGarrigle) in the Best Packaging section, thanks, we assume, to Judith Burrows¹ superb photography.

And it¹s Mojo¹s ³Top Folk Album of 2011².

Next up is the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards on 08 Feb, where we have 3 nominations, for Best Group, Best Album and Best Traditional Track (³Bonny Bunch Of Roses²). June also has a separate nomination for Folk Singer Of The Year. Cross your fingers for us.

_____________________________________________


With all this fuss, we thought we¹d better put a couple more decent-sized shows on, and in fact they are now on sale:

OYSTERBAND AND JUNE TABOR

Tuesday 07 February     CHICHESTER     FESTIVAL THEATRE    

http://www.cft.org.uk    19:30      £20 / 18 / 16 / 14

and

Thursday 19 April      LONDON      UNION CHAPEL
http://www.unionchapel.org.uk     19:00

http://www.wegottickets.com/pulluptheroots     http://www.seetickets.com     http://www.ticketweb.co.uk   -   08444 771 000


______________________________________________


Plans for the rebirth of The Big Session Festival in 2012 are galloping ahead, meanwhile, with site meetings and interminable To Do lists and a general spirit of ³Forward in all directions!²

Before you eat this email, memorise the festival address  -  Catton Hall, Walton-upon-Trent, South Derbyshire  DE12 8LN.

We strongly recommend you go to http://www.bigsessionfestival.com where there¹s more information than we can easily reproduce here, including accommodation possibilities for non-campers.  The festival will be running shuttle buses to and from some hotels.


The site is a splendid place to camp, though, on a bend in the River Trent and on the edge of the National Forest. The field is as level as a billiard-table, and the soil has good drainage  -  another event on the same site said they¹d never seen mud in 5 years, whatever the weather. But both our stages will be covered in any case.


The bill now includes.....

Oysterband (of course!)  -  playing two sets, one chosen by fans (we'll tell you soon how you can vote), and one with June Tabor. Plus


Show Of Hands   -   Eddi Reader   -   Martin Simpson Band   -   The Leisure Society   -   Chumbawamba   -   Treacherous Orchestra   -   Jesca Hoop   -   Scott Matthews   -   Chris Wood   -  Kami Thompson   -    Roddy Woomble   -   Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings   -   Kris Drever   -   Dizraeli & The Small Gods   -   State Of The Union Songwriters' Circle   -   Johnny Kearney & Lucy Farrell  -  Walsh & Pound   -   Merry Hell   -   Fay Hield & The Hurricane Party   -   Lucy Ward   -   Richard Warren   -  Paper Aeroplanes   -   Chris Tye   -   The Magic Tombolinos   -   and our old pal DJ Pete Lawrence


......mixing, we hope, the new, the venerable, the familiar and the unexpected in interesting proportions. More names soon. And for the first time, we'll have a full Sunday evening programme, and no rush to leave the campsite.

A weekend adult ticket (16yrs+) is £87 + booking fee. To buy, go to www.bigsessionfestival.com where you can also find out about day tickets, child rates, why there is a separate booking fee and just about anything else you can think of.

See you there!



All the best

John, Alan, Chopper, Ian, Dil  x

OYSTERBAND
c/o Running Man, PO Box 32100, London N4 1GR
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