This year’s Underneath the Stars Festival (21-23 July 2017) is shaping up very nicely with a line-up featuring some of our favourites. The festival began life back in 2014, established by Kate Rusby and her family-run record company Pure Records. Like Pure Records, the festival carries that same independent trait which is reflected in their choice of artists. So if you want a family-friendly festival with a cracking line-up, street theatre, family activities and workshops, and a beautiful setting, then this may well tick all your boxes and a few more. The festival takes place at Cannon Hall Open Farm in the South Yorkshire village of Cawthorne.
Newton Faulkner, Kate Rusby, Show of Hands, Lucy Rose and Raghu Dixit have already been announced as headliners for this year’s Underneath the Stars Festival. The latest additions are Edward II, a powerful English roots band that uniquely blend the rhythms of the Caribbean with traditional songs from the British Isles – be ready for some upbeat, rock-steady rhythms & blazing horns! Inimitable Scots wordsmith and Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble; actor, songwriter, producer & theatre legend John Tams; following their acclaimed album release “Two Wolves” Marry Waterson and David A. Jaycock who will bring their distinct, dark and dreamlike portrayal of English folk song; the vibrant new Celtic whirlwind that is Ímar featuring 2017 BBC Radio 2 Best Musician nominee Mohsen Amini; Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra with their infectious toe-tappin’ mix of western swing, country blues, ragtime hokum and whatever else gets thrown in; one of Northern Ireland’s finest instrumentalists and interpreter of traditional song, Damien O’Kane; Sheelanagig, a quintet with a well-stocked armoury of stringed instruments and a bagful joint-jumping European folk tunes; blistering Country-Soul singer Yola Carter who was the recent recipient of UK Artist of the Year at the UK Americana Awards 2017; and something to really light the “fun fuse”,The Destroyers with their dazzling stage show which combines huge madcap energy and immense musical virtuosity.
Below, we’ve put together a Underneath the Stars Festival video preview of the artists announced so far.
Underneath the Stars, Festival was established in 2014 by Kate Rusby and her family-run record company Pure Records. After a career spanning more than two decades – no small feat in itself in the current music industry – the Rusby family decided it was time to bring together and share their passion of Folk & Roots music and celebrate the region the Rusby tribe has been born and raised for centuries. Kate herself comments “It’s just so lovely to be bringing the music and musicians we love to our beautiful corner of Barnsley, and it seems to come around so quick, it’s amazing! I can’t wait to see the brightly coloured big-tops going up in the fields and the whole site being made to look magical, it always signals a special summertime treat is about to begin”.
More acts are due to be announced throughout the coming months together with details of street theatre, family activities and workshops. Details about Underneath the Stars Festival and how to attend can be found on the Festival website www.underthestarsfest.co.uk.