The Americana Music Association UK has announced their Showcase Festival line-up as part of AmericanaFestUK 2018. The annual festival curated by the AMA UK is a two-day event, held across various venues in Hackney, East London, which this year falls over January 31st and February 1st, 2018.
The full two day event incorporates the AMA UK Awards Show (1st Feb) at Hackney Empire, music industry Conference (31st Jan 1st Feb) consisting of expert daytime panels and talks held at Hackney House, plus an evening of carefully curated Showcase gigs (31st Jan) across four well-loved live music venues; OSLO, Paper Dress Vintage, MOTH Club and The Empire Bar.
The Awards Show will be hosted by legendary broadcaster Bob Harris OBE and will feature performances from nominees and award winners. Robert Plant will receive the AMA UK Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of his contribution to the Americana genre over the span of his career and life in music. Mumford and Sons will receive the AMA-UK Trailblazer Award 2018 and Billy Bragg will deliver this years keynote speech at the Conference (read our recent news article here for the full list of nominess).
The Showcases are an absolute highlight of AmericanaFestUK and comprise twenty-six hand-picked emerging artists from the trans-Atlantic Americana music scene, all chosen due to their rising popularity from music fans, press and the industry itself. This presents the artists with a unique opportunity to perform in front of an enthusiastic public and industry figures who can open further doors to the Americana community and wider music industry. Listen to their Spotify Showcase playlist below:
Being lucky enough to be chosen to play a showcase is a privilege that is already leading to opportunities I wouldnt have had access to previously, with the high quality of contacts that AMA UK is becoming known for – Yola Carter, AMA-UK Member and Recipient of Artist of the Year award 2017.
The latest addition to the showcase line-up for is the extraordinary Lone-Star bred collective The Texas Gentlemen. The go-to backing band for an array of Americana stars, including Kris Kristofferson and Joe Ely, who make their first UK live appearance in a not to be missed show as part of AmericanaFest UK.
Showcase only wristbands are available for £25, which includes entry to all four venues buy here www.theamauk.org/tickets
Showcase Artists, Venues, and Stage Times (PM):
The Empire Bar
6.30 7.00 Elles Bailey
7.30 8.00 Jacob Dinesen
8.30 9.00 Robbie Cavanagh
9.30 10.00 Donald Byron Wheatley
10.30 11.00 Orphan Colours
OSLO
6.30 7.00 Lauren Housley
7.30 8.00 Beth Bombara
8.30 9.00 Jaime Wyatt
9.30 10.00 Rev Sekou
10.30 11.00 Texas Gentlemen
Paper Dress Vintage
7.00 7:30 Little Folk
8.00 8:30 James Edwyn and the Borrowed Band
9.00 9:30 Kashena Sampson
10.00 10.30 The Remedy Club
11.00 11.30 The Fargo Railroad Co
MOTH Club
6.00 6.30 Joana Serrat
7.00 7:30 Prinz Grizzley
8.00 8:30 Colin MacLeod
9.00 9:30 The Buffalo Skinners
10.00 10.30 The Americans
11.00 11.30 Curse of Lono
MOTH Club Acoustic
6.30 7.00 Benjamin William Pike
7.30 8.00 Steve Grozier
8.30 9.00 Lunch Special
9.30 10.00 The Often Herd
10.30 11.00 Tyler Childers
More information on the Conference, Awards Show (including full list of nominees) and AmericanaFestUK 2018 can be found at www.theamauk.org