Gemma Williams better known to most of you as Woodpecker Wooliams had a lot to celebrate at the weekend after being asked play to play at Yoko Ono’s Meltdown Festival in London, next Saturday (15th June), opening for Cibo Matto.
Her last album ‘The Bird School of Being Human’ (10th September 2012, Robot Elephant Records) features on Folk Radio UK where she has been a regular playlist artist since we were introduced to her music by the independent label Autumn Ferment Records in 2009 with Diving Down. Her label biography then was:
A resident of Brighton, a keeper of bees, a watcher of badgers, a lover of Russian Dolls and a practising shaman, Gemma took to music after her study as a midwife had to be put on hold after a series of debilitating seizures threatened her health. A move to the Devonshire countryside to revitalize was called for and Woodpecker Wooliams hatched. After a live slot on BBC radio Devon and airplay courtesy of Tom Robinson, the Merry Woodpecker is now quickly working her way around Brighton and London’s venues and has several festival dates lined up this summer.
Described by The Guardian as sounding like ‘a homicidal Disney heroine, singing songs of violence and desire’ there is no getting away from how unique she sounds. We love her music!
Here’s some recent footage from Serralves Festival show in Portugal:
Other forthcoming Dates:
20/06/2013: The Singapora Lounge, Rochester
28/07/2013: CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL (The Den)
[09/08/2013: w/ Ghostpoet @ Wilderness Festival]
10/08/2013: WILDERNESS FESTIVAL (London Folk Guild tent)
11/08/2013: SUPERNORMAL FESTIVAL
17/08/2013-18/08/2013: WOOLFE MUSIC (FESTIVAL)
30/08/2013- 01/09/2013: END OF THE ROAD FESTIVAL
05/09/2013- 08/09/2013: BESTIVAL FESTIVAL
[07/09/2013: w/Ghostpoet @ BESTIVAL]
17/10/2013: Woodpecker Wooliams & The Local Present: ‘The Birds and The Bees’ @ Electrowerkz
Woodpecker Wooliams and friends present ‘THE BIRDS AND THE BEES’ extrvaganza with live music and art at Islington’s Elektrowerkz venue.
A night of music celebrating that great regenerative, creative force; ‘The Birds and The Bees’ . A multi-sensory hive space, hosting musical performances from Woodpecker Wooliams and special guests as well as a specially curated, one-night, pop-up, gallery of bird- and bee-themed artists’ works.