Effra

Shooglenifty - Lighting up the stage with joy and verve has always been Shooglenifty’s usp, but with new fiddler in the shape of pint-sized fireball Eilidh Shaw they’ve upped the ante. After a summer of well-chosen festival appearances and a new album release, the Edinburgh-based Acid Croft pioneers are in sparkling form. The band will be showcasing some electric new tunes and a full-on set of old favourites. There will be dancing! Shooglenifty was formed in 1990 by musicians from the Scottish Highlands, Orkney and Edinburgh, its bright spark was the idea of fusing traditional and traditional-sounding melodies with the beats and basslines of a mixed bag of more contemporary influences. As happy playing a small highland village hall as they are on an outdoor festival stage playing to tens of thousands, the Shoogles (as they’re known to their fans) have promoted Scottish music all over the world for more than a quarter century. http://shooglenifty.com Sheelanagig for over a decade have brought their array of foot-stomping folk tunes to audiences across the globe. A quintet with a well-stocked armoury of stringed instruments – guitar, fiddle, double bass - added with the rhythmic energy of flute and drums and a bagful of joint-jumping tunes, these boys from the South-West England create a real dynamic which is inherent in both their furious dance medleys as well as their interestingly arranged original pieces. Putting the groove into a selection of traditional and original European Folk music dating from the medieval times to present day, it’s difficult – nay, impossible – for your limbs to remain stationary when you’re within earshot of them in full flight. The fact that they often play with a knowing wink shouldn’t obscure their impeccable technique, and outstanding musicianship that raises the roof in every place they play. 2018 sees an exciting brand new line up including flautist Luke Phillips-Griffiths fresh from the Newcastle Folk Music circuit, and Alex Bishop - acclaimed folk guitarist and luthier, who both bring an exciting new direction and energy to the groups much loved sound. Busying themselves this spring the band are preparing to hit the road to tour across France, Switzerland and Australia and will return for the summer festival season and a UK tour in November. http://sheelanagig.co.uk Effra - Contemporary folk trio Effra are Alex Bishop (guitar), Tom Newell (fiddle, mandolin) and Aidan Shepherd (accordion). Heralding from Bath, Shrewsbury and Canterbury respectively, they met in London in 2011. Although coming from rock, classical and jazz backgrounds, a strong connection was quickly formed, and they began meeting regularly to write and develop music that shared a common ground. Early performances were well received, and the band soon grew an identity of its own, fuelled by innovative ideas brought to the table by all three members. In 2012 after only a year since their first meeting, the band won the Bath Folk Festival ʻNew Shoots Competitionʼ on the strength of their compositions and high-energy performance. In 2014 they released their debut album, ‘Lose An Hour’ and toured extensively through 2015-16 with performances at BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’, Cambridge Folk Festival, and EFEx/Homegrown festival. In Spring 2017 Effra released their highly-anticipated second album. Below Ground captures the unseen subterranean world beneath our feet and the recording process saw the band trek to the source of London’s only fully concealed waterway (and musical namesake) the Effra river, as well as venturing within 96km worth of tunnels underneath the UK’s largest limestone quarry, Box Freestone Mine. http://efframusic.com