Ian Prowse

A welcome return to the Cruck Barn after too long a gap for the fantastic Ian Prowse. As the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of Pele, Ian took strongly melodic and political songs onto a major label and into the charts (even scoring a number one hit in South Africa). As soon as Pele split, Ian started work on his next band, Amsterdam, who recorded the amazing 'Does This Train Stop On Merseyside' - which regularly reduced the legendary John Peel to nostalgic tears whenever he played it on the radio. So beloved are Amsterdam, that Elvis Costello took them on tour and even had them back him live on the Jonathan Ross Show on television. Nowadays recording as a solo artist, Ian switches between playing live with Amsterdam (sometimes very successfully recreating classic Pele albums) and touring solo - or with a small clutch of superb folk musicians. Whether alone or mob-handed, it's all 'Ian Prowse', and always a powerful and emotional experience. Not for nothing is he called 'the Scouse Springsteen'! Great vocals, great energy, great songs - unmissable! PLUMHALL are Michelle Plum and Nick B Hall, a feisty Yorkshire based duo whose award winning self-penned songs are already winning them plaudits from the likes of R2 Magazine (4 stars), Miles Hunt (The Wonder Stuff), Steve Knightley (Show of Hands) and many more. The pair deliver guitar and harmony driven textures of folk, Americana and pop, and have have been wowing audiences on the live acoustic circuit in the UK. Winners of the Yorkshire Gig Guide Outstanding Songwriters award 2014, PLUMHALL were recently joined on stage by Bob Dylan's legendary guitarist Larry Campbell for a performance of Senor (Tales of Yankee Power) at the BBC Radio 2 award winning folk club The Black Swan in York. PLUMHALL's debut album THUNDERCLOUD was released on 1st September 2014 through Splid Records and Proper Distribution, and is already BBC radio playlisted. The album has just been hailed one of The Guardian and Observer's Hidden Gems of 2014. Plans to tour Canada, the US and South Africa are in the pipeline. Michelle Plum is a former member of Chumbawamba, Waking the Witch and The Accidental Tourists, and in her own right has supported Aimee Mann, Capercaillie, Ralph McTell, Nerina Pallot, Texas and Shane MacGowan to name but a few. She also provided guest vocals for Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts' UK spring 2013 tour. More recently, Michelle's other session work has taken her on tour all over Europe. Nick B Hall has been a member of the Hall Brothers band nearly all his life, and has supported Fairport Convention, Hugh Cornwell, Show of Hands, Kate Rusby, Glenn Tilbrook plus many more. He also provided session guitar for Magna Carta on their 2010 South African tour. More recently, Nick appeared as a musician in the Christmas 2015 episodes of Coronation Street. Together as Plumhall Michelle & Nick have supported Miles Hunt and Erica Nockalls of The Wonder Stuff, Phil Beer, Ian McNabb, John Otway, Larkin Poe, Dan Donnelly & Jon Sevink, The South, Andy White, Henry Priestman, Chas & Dave, Graham Gouldman, Albert Lee and Peter Tork of The Monkees among many others. Peter Tork even invited them onstage to perform Daydream Believer with him. A very special moment! Recently, Michelle and Nick appeared as special guests on a pair of shows on the Al Stewart UK tour - at Manchester Bridgewater Hall and the London Palladium (where they sang a verse on one of Al's songs). Another very special moment! Nick and Michelle recently wrote original songs for (and supervised and arranged folk music for) forthcoming movie 'The Runaways' - in which they also appear! By the time of this show, Plumhall will have released their hotly-anticipated second album 'The Ghost Of Noise'. Nick & Michelle have just been presented with a matching pair of Tokai CE 140 E electro-acoustic guitars, and they are very proud of their new endorsement deal with Tokai Guitars!