LEVERET
March 2026
If you bring together three of the finest English folk musicians of this century, the chances are that magic will happen, and that was most certainly the case when Leveret made their Mottram debut.
Between them Sam Sweeney, fiddle and viola, Rob Harbron, concertina, and Andy Cutting, melodeon, have a plethora of awards, and having seen them play it's easy to understand why as they weaved their way through a stunning evening of tunes and melodies.
With a repertoire of more than 180 tunes to choose from, and a set list that is never the same from gig to gig, it was remarkable how the evening came together, with tunes and melodies blending seemlessly together as they drew together a spellbinding evening of music.
New album Lost Measures provided half the material played, with opening numbers Captain Drivers Delight/There and Back Again and set closer Ianthe/Aphelion bookending a set that spanned their entire twelve year career.
Particular highlights of the evening were Oh the Days When I Was Young, The Glory of the Sun/the Road to Poynton and the achingly beautiful Evening Hymn, whilst encore Once a Night/Buckland Downs left feet tapping and pulses racing.
A fabulous night of music from a brilliant set of musicians!
EDWINA HAYES
May 2026
Some people just make the world a better place by being in it, and Edwina Hayes is one of those people, after a wonderful evening of music, anecdotes and positivity at Mottram St Andrew in early May.
Blending her own material with a classy selection of cover versions, she entranced the audience with a mixture of humour, pathos and anecdotes from her twenty plus years of performing live.
All About Love and Leave a Light on for You opened proceedings and demonstrated her own songwriting skills, whilst covers of John Prine's Speed of the Sound of Loneliness and Blowin in the Wind showcased her ability to interpret other people's material and paid homage to those who have influenced her. Waiting for the Guy to Die was hilarious and the self-penned Auntie Brenda's Song was a particular highlight of the first half.
The second half opened with Across the Great Divide before the fabulous and heartbreaking Pour me a Drink, written about, and dedicated to, her father, who seemed to have led quite a life! Folk classics Caledonia and Who Knows Where the Time Goes again demonstrated her excellent voice and guitar playing, as did Famous Blue Raincoat and a lovely version of Fields of Gold, which ended the second half.
She returned for one final song, and it was a stunning version of And the Band played Waltzing Matilda, the best version of the Eric Bogle classic that I have ever heard.
Charming, self affacing, life affirming and hugely entertaining, a wonderful evening with Edwina Hayes.
MERRY HELL
May 2026
The much delayed but much anticipated performance by Merry Hell proved to be a triumph as they played to our first ever sell out crowd and brought our spring season to a fantastic foot stomping conclusion.
Comprising largely of the Kettle family, Andrew Kettle, vocals, Virginia Kettle, vocals and guitar, John Kettle, guitar, Bob Kettle, mandolin, plus Lee Goulding, keyboards, and Simon Swarbrick, on fiddle, they delivered a 21 song masterclass of classic folk rock. Played and delivered with energy and passion, songs ranged from the upbeat and uplifting to the serious, but all underpinned by warmth, humanity and a real sense of humour.
Tracks played spanned their entire career and included in the first half: Stand Down, Lean on me Love, Bury me Naked, The Dead who Built this Town, Come On England and Spy in a Previous Life. The momentum was maintained in the second half with fan favourites including: There's a Ghost in our House, Rage like Thunder, Vagabond Army, Don't Say I Say us and The Baker's Daughter, before a final acapella version of When we Meet Again.
A standing ovation ensued, justly deserved for a band who gave it their all and then some. Powerful stuff indeed!