Last year was both a significant and frantic one for The Trials of Cato which saw the band transform from buskers into BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winners following the release of their debut album Hide and Hair. That release made quite a splash, one that was pretty much predicted in the opening lines of Peter Shaw’s review here on Folk Radio:
Rising stars The Trials of Cato are about to hit the earth’s atmosphere with a bang, so sit back and enjoy the fireworks. Something very special has landed.
We caught up with them last year at Folk by the Oak where Folk Radio’s David Weir conducted a video interview with the band which is well worth watching if you’ve not seen it:
The band formed in Beirut, Lebanon, but within a year of returning to the UK had gained the attention of the likes of Cerys Matthews (BBC 6 Music) and Mark Radcliffe (BBC Radio 2). In early 2019 they won Best Emerging Artist at the inaugural Wales Folk Awards, and within six months they were double BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominees. Their debut Hide and Hair was voted Best Album by BBC Radio 2 listeners at the 2019 Folk Awards, gain frequent national airplay and has cemented their reputation as one of the most exciting acts on the UK folk scene.
The Trials of Cato are descending on venues across the UK to debut new material from their hotly anticipated second album, due out later this year. Be sure to catch them on one (or more) of their dates below.
Trials of Cato Spring Tour
15/02/2020 East Riding Theatre, Beverley, East Yorkshire
27/02/2020 The Barn in Baston, Baston, Lincs
28/02/2020 Settle Victoria Hall, Settle, North Yorks
29/02/2020 Biddulph Town Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
01/03/2020 The Lexington, London
04/03/2020 The Forge at The Anvil, Basingstoke
05/03/2020 The Castle Hotel, Manchester
06/03/2020 Roots Music Club, Doncaster
07/03/2020 Wadsworth Community Centre, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
11/03/2020 Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Worcestershire
12/03/2020 Telfords Warehouse, Chester
13/03/2020 Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
14/03/2020 Holywell Music Room, Oxford
15/03/2020 Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
16/03/2020 Forest Folk, North Boarhunt, Wickham, Hampshire
19/03/2020 Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham
20/03/2020 The Greystones, Sheffield, South Yorks
21/03/2020 The Gate, Cardiff
22/03/2020 Kingskerswell Parish Church, Newton Abbot, Devon
24/03/2020 Dartford Folk Club, Dartford, Kent
27/03/2020 The Stables – Stage 2, Milton Keynes, Bucks
28/03/2020 Hush Live Music, Folkestone
31/03/2020 Junction 2, Cambridge
01/04/2020 Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth, North Wales
02/04/2020 The Louisiana, Bristol
03/04/2020 Calstock Arts Calstock, Cornwall
More here: https://www.thetrialsofcato.com/