Master musicians added to the bill for Gate To Southwell
More top talents have been announced for next year’s Gate To Southwell festival, with tickets selling at record levels.
With legendary Fairport Convention singer-songwriter Richard Thompson OBE and the mighty Proclaimers already booked, Show of Hands’ Steve Knightley will be joining the party with his all-star Winter Yards Band featuring guitar virtuoso David Delarre (who has played with Eliza Carthy and Steve Harley), bass maestro John Parker (who has played with Ed Sheeran and Newton Faulkner) and master percussionist Evan Carson (who has played with Sam Kelly, Kate Rusby and Seth Lakeman).
The Proclaimers – Scots duo Craig and Charlie Reid – will be joining the festival’s strongest line up to date. Their greatest hits include Sunshine On Leith, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – streamed more than 930 million times on Spotify - their cover of Roger Miller’s King Of The Road and I’m On My Way, a massive hit in the USA after it was featured in Shrek.
Chris Martin of Coldplay, who recently covered Sunshine On Leith, said of them: “There’s a whole other world of music behind that song that I’ve just been discovering. They’re a wonderful, wonderful band – it’s just quality and soul. The Proclaimers make more sense than ever.”
Also appearing at the four-day festival will be the celebrated and multi award-winning Scottish dance outfit Elephant Sessions, while recent additions to the diverse line-up include indie folk singer Detta Kenzie, multi-faceted singer songwriter Laura Wyatt, guitar man Chris Cleverley and Cornish cousins True Foxes, an alt-country duo who have been praised by BBC Radio 2 Folk Show’s Mark Radcliffe for delivering “sublime harmonies, crafted songs and beguiling stage presence”.
With Honeyfeet featuring Rioghnach Connolly already announced, the festival will also welcome the eminently danceable, singalong, brass-folk-meets-modern-pop of Keston Cobblers Club, the Pogues-like Yorkshire ceilidh stars Blackbeard’s Tea Party and acclaimed Northern folk singer-songwriter Edwina Hayes, who the late great Nanci Griffiths described as “the sweetest voice in England”.
Award-winning Irish folk band Ranagri return to the festival for the first time since 2019, and veteran folk supergroup The Hunch also come back, promising great musicianship from members of cult bands such as Hedgehog Pie and Kitsyke Will. London-based Celtic folkies Counter’s Creek will make their first appearance at the festival promising jigs, reels and grooves from Eastern Europe and West Africa.
Ticket sales have already reached record levels following the early release of day tickets and gift vouchers. There will also be improvements at the festival’s site at Kirklington Lakes, including a new cover for the edgy Frontier Stage.
The festival, the 19th in the event’s history, runs from Thursday July 2 to Sunday July 5. More acts will be announced soon. Visit gtsf.uk to book.