Graham Gouldman
Graham is simply one of the finest songwriters on the planet. He rose to early fame as a member of 1960s band The Mockingbirds, followed by his writing a string of hits for Wayne Fontana, Herman’s Hermits, The Yardbirds, The Hollies and Jeff Beck. After a spell song-writing in the United States, he returned to the UK and co-founded 10cc in 1972, co-writing a slew of hits such as Rubber Bullets, I’m Not In Love, The Things We Do for Love and Dreadlock Holiday. Graham’s status as one of the world’s leading songwriters was acknowledged in 2014 with his induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame – an arm of America’s National Academy of Music. Fellow inductees include Noel Coward, Burt Bacharach, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Elton John and Sting. While fronting the current 10cc live band, Graham also has a four-piece semi-acoustic band – Heart Full of Songs – to perform material from across his song-writing career, including the classic hits, film soundtracks and songs from his solo albums.
We couldn't be more pleased to welcome Graham to the SongFest family!
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Dean Friedman
Dean Friedman burst onto the scene with the Top 20 chart success of his infectious hit single, Ariel, a quirkily irresistible and uncategorizable pop song about a free spirited, pot-smoking, vegetarian Jewish girl in a peasant blouse who lived, as the lyric goes, "...way on the other side of the Hudson". Friedman scored again with the release of his follow up album, “Well, Well,” Said the Rocking Chair’, and the now classic hit single, Lucky Stars. This magical duet, performed with singer, Denise Marsa, zoomed to the top of the UK singles charts, going instantly gold. Lucky Stars paved the way for a slew of Friedman hits, including familiar radio staples such as Lydia, Rocking Chair, McDonald’s Girl and Woman of Mine. Oh, and did we mention he composed, produced and performed the soundtrack to the TV series, 'Boon' along with the low-budget classic horror flick, 'I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle'?
“Every song in this show is a classic.” (London Theatre Guide), “Songsmith Extraordinaire” – (Music Week), “Stunning Musicianship” (HotPress), “Dean Friedman is entirely unique and utterly brilliant!” – (ThreeWeeks)… are just a few of the superlatives used to describe his unique and original talent.
In addition to his many multi-media projects, Dean is the author of 'The Songwriter's Handbook' and conducts 'Songwriting Masterclasses' around the world. Dean will be conducting a Songwriting Masterclass' [Artist Panel Discussion w/ several other SongFest Artists + Q&A] to be held in the early afternoon - 1pm to 2pm - prior to the main festival performances.
Tickets to the
'Songwriter's Masterclass' can be purchased as 'ADD ONS' during the
ticket-order process.
A few years back marked the 40th Anniversary of the release of Dean's critically acclaimed and best-selling album, "Well, Well," Said the Rocking Chair' which he celebrated by performing the entire album 'live', along with other fan favorites, on a sold-out UK tour. For this year's SongFest, audiences can expect to hear choice selections from that classic album as well as fan-favorites from his extensive, eight-album, song catalog, plus selections from his latest album-in-progress. Join Dean for a collection of powerful, poignant and hilarious songs about the ordinary and extraordinary lives we share. (Also, this whole SongFest concept was Dean's idea! ;-)
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Although often mistaken for a humble village in Lincolnshire, in point of fact, Boothby Graffoe is a critically acclaimed and award-winning, English comedian, singer-songwriter and playwright. He is particularly known for his surreal sense of humour and work with Canadian band, Barenaked Ladies, as well as actor/comedian Omid Djalili. Following his awesome performance at the first SongFest, Boothby is back to delight audiences at both SongFests 2019 (south & north).
Here's what comedian Stewart Lee once said of Boothby Graffoe: 'Most stand-ups secretly want to be rock stars, their ambitions thwarted only by their total lack of musical ability. This man is unique amongst comedians, in that he’s a real musician, who has been moonlighting as a funnyman since re-naming himself after a Lincolnshire village sometime during the Thatcher era. Boothby Graffoe is a multi-talented, darkly hilarious, grade A British eccentric, who can twist your funny bone one minute, and break your heart the next. A musical comedy act who is more musical than most musicians, and funnier than most comedians.’
We are pleased that Boothby is joining us for his 3rd appearance at SongFest and hope that given the fact that his concerts have been selling out all over the UK, we hope we'll be able to afford him next year!
Note: Boothby Graffoe will be participating in the 'Songwriter's Masterclass' Artist Panel Discussion to be held from 1pm to 2pm, prior to the festival performances. Tickets to the 'Songwriter's Masterclass' can be purchased as 'ADD ONS' during the ticket-order process.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boothby_Graffoe
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Tracey Curtis
We're delighted that Tracey Curtis is able to join us, again, at this year's SongFest. An audience favorite, when she performed at the very first SongFest, Tracey Curtis returns for both SongFests 2020 to perform a full set of her uniquely personal and thoroughly engaging songs. Tracey Curtis describes herself as an anarchist, a vegan, an activist and mother who bases herself in Ammanford, West Wales. Tracey was a member of the truly wonderful post-punk pop band, Shelley's Children. Since then she's released three acclaimed solo albums containing deftly crafted and beautifully performed, heartfelt songs about real life, love, and politics. If you've never heard Tracey perform her joyous, delightfully poignant and bitingly funny songs, you're in for a rare treat.
Note: Tracey Curtis will be participating in the 'Songwriter's Masterclass' Artist Panel Discussion to be held from 1pm to 2pm, prior to the festival performances. Tickets to the 'Songwriter's Masterclass' can be purchased as 'ADD ONS' during the ticket-order process.
https://www.reverbnation.com/traceycurtis
https://www.facebook.com/traceycurtisinfo
"Lach is the mastermind of Antifolk, like a Lower East Side rendezvous of Bob Dylan and Patti Smith. Like black snow, stalled subway cars and random violence, Lach is a Manhattan institution." - NY Times
"Lach is incredibly bright, he's influential, he's funny, he's smart, and he’s got his own, sort of, counter-culture charm. A very intelligent songwriter, funny, poetic. He became part of New York folklore." - Suzanne Vega “
"He's a street-corner ambassador. Lach is beat. He's a ringmaster. He's a poet's poet." - Michelle Shocked
"Lach is a star! More Woody Allen than Woody Guthrie and a raised middle finger to the folk purists." - NME
“Lach’s Great.” - Bob Dylan
In recent years, Lach and his anti-folk movement has been transplanted to Edinburgh, where he's been embraced by UK audiences, and celebrated due to the success of his The Lach Chronicles radio diary series, which ran for three seasons on BBC Radio 4 and has been heard by hundreds of thousands of fans world-wide. The show was chosen Top Radio Pick by The Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Observer, The Daily Mail and Radio Times! We're very excited to welcome Lach for his first apperance at SongFest!
'Rarely departs a stage without leaving it torn to shreds in his wake. A master of the craft.' - GQ Magazine
'The London-based perfomer has been touring steadily for the past two decades, and he’s developed a razor sharp act in the process. It’s hard to think of anyone on the circuit who works an audience with as much skill and flair.' - The Scotsman
'...an acerbic attitude, a well-stocked arsenal of sharp lines and the wherewithal to work any crowd make Norris one of the more engaging and enjoyable acts on the circuit ' - Chortle
Check out the youtube clip, below, of Ben's song 'Jenny', off his just-released album, 'Moral Vacum'; then come hear him perform at SongFest 2020!
Armed only with an increasingly sticker-covered acoustic guitar and a distinctive, gravelly voice that many don’t expect, Jess plays to audiences up and down the UK and has shared stages with many well known names among the folk/punk scene.
Jess released her debut album, Break the Bottle, in May 2018 with a packed out show at her spiritual home of Katie Fitzgerald’s in Stourbridge. Since then she’s shared a number of other releases including two live EP’s with tracks taken from shows at Katie’s and HMV Merry Hill. 2020 saw the world shut down and Jess release two (almost completely) self produced EP’s, the first of which, If We’re Damned, was put together from songs that had been gathering metaphorical dust on her harddrive, and the second, There’s A Bar At the End Of the World, a collection of songs written between March and August taking their inspiration from the events of the year. At the end of August 2021 released her second full-length album Blitz Spirit.
Jess first joined the SongFest family when she delighted audiences performing on one of Dean's 'Holiday Zoom Extravaganzas!', back in 2021 (see video below).
Jess continues to tour around the UK and and within the past year has appeared at a number of festivals including Bearded Theory, Rebellion, and Glastonbury, where she shared a stage with Billy Bragg as part of his Radical Roundup. This year, Jess is performing support for The Levellers UK Tour. We're really pleased she's joining us for SongFest 2023!
Nia Nicholls is signed to Bob Patmore's Record Label, Uniq Recording Artists and has been recording and performing, and receiving raves and acclaim, for her music, on both sides of the Atlantic. Check out Nia's music video for her stunning song, 'Attached', in the clip below:
| Saturday 26th Aug | Sunday 27th Aug | |||
| 1:00pm | Songwriting Masterclass | 1:00pm | Songwriting Masterclass | |
| 2:30pm | Doors | 2:30pm | Doors | |
| 3:00pm | Intro Dean | |||
| 3:15pm | Charlotte Campbell | 3:00pm | Nia Nicholls | |
| 3:50pm | Richard Digance | 3:35pm | Namywa | |
| 4:25pm | Reset / Break | 4:10pm | Reset / Break | |
| 4:30pm | Tracey Curtis | 4:15pm | Lach | |
| 5:05pm | Jess Silk | 4:50pm | Ben Norris | |
| 5:40pm | Reset / Break | 5:25pm | Reset / Break | |
| 6:00pm | Dinner Intermission | 6:00pm | Dinner Intermission | |
| 7:15pm | Boothby Graffoe | 7:15pm | Martha Bean | |
| 8:00pm | Graham Gouldman | 8:00pm | Dean Friedman | |
| 9:00pm | Reset / Break | 9:30pm | Reset / Break | |
| 10:00pm | Beatles Sing-Along | 10:30pm | (semi-secret, surprise guests) | |
| 11:00pm | Hang Out | 11:00pm | Hang Out |
