All folks at Warwick Folk Festival

THERE'S more to Warwick Folk Festival than folk music.

The festival, which this year takes place from July 25 to 28, has firmly established itself not just nationally but internationally, and the 34th staging will feature more than 130 events.

Aside from some of the cream of the folk music crop, there will also be blues, country and rock, even a little hip-hop, and plenty of traditional dancing,and even a little street dance.

The bill includes:

* Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman - the husband-and-wife duo Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, have been lynchpins of the UK's burgeoning folk-acoustic revival over the last two decades.

* The Demon Barbers XL - critically and publically acclaimed electric folkies, deeply rooted in the tradition but totally contemporary.

* O’Hooley and Tidow - hailed as the best act of the prestigious Cambridge Folk Festival, the multi award-winning duo are now one of the most popular and unique acts on the contemporary folk scene.

* Niall Teague and the Fast Company - emerging new talent in the Irish music scene, who in a short space of time, have put their own stamp on the traditional and folk genre.

* Brent Mason - since the release of his first album 'Head For The High Ground' in 1992, he has established himself as one of the most prolific and literate songwriters in the Atlantic region.

* Salvation Jane - burst onto the Australian Folk scene in the early 1990s, arising from a desire to explore and showcase pure Bluegrass harmonies and any other vocal style that took their fancy.

* The Old Dance School - harness energy from the elements, and inspiration from their adventures across wild British landscape.

* James Findlay - following on from winning the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards in 2010, he released his album Sport & Play to glowing reviews.

* Jess Morgan - singer-songwriter who is steadily building a name for herself in roots and folk music. Accompanied by acoustic guitar her style has been likened to classic east then west coast songsmiths of the 1970s.

* Less Barker - writes strange poems, and though originally from Manchester, he's now Welsh.

The main festival events take place in the grounds of Warwick School, with concerts in the main marquee and the neighbouring Bridge House Theatre. Other events take place in and around the town centre, from back-room music sessions to free admission open air concerts.

Visit www.warwickfolkfestival.co.uk for further details.

Buy photos» O’Hooley and Tidow. (s)

Buy photos» James Findlay. (s)

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