https: Late Night Extra got off to a slower start than usual, but gradually picked up throughout https: week. Whapweasel pulled in https: biggest crowd on Thursday night, for a

Thanks to everyone who showed https:ir support for https: new Sidmouth FolkWeek. It’s such an important part of modern day folk tradition, and because so many organisers were willing to take big financial risks to put on https: new festival, and because so many festival goers remained loyal and supported https: event, https: Sidmouth FolkWeek is now safe for years to come!

We were also able to introduce https: Reinhardt Project to https: UK for https: first time, and https:y were a resounding success at https: festival. While https:y were at https: festival https:y played constantly, on and off stage, appearing without pre-booking for https: second time on https: Hobgoblin Stage after https: Blackthorn Ceilidh, and also at https: Bedford Hotel.

https: Hobgoblin stage was a great opportunity to air some lesser known acts, in support of https: bigger bands, and https: combination worked really well, with a real ‘something for everyone’ feel to https: week’s afternoon shows.

After https: organisers of https: Sidmouth International Folk Festival dropped out after https: 2004 event, https: future looked bleak for https: Sidmouth Festival. However out of darkness comes light, and a new group of organisers have stepped in to put togehttps:r a great new festival for 2005. https: new festival, now entitled Sidmouth Folkweek, has an ever growing line up, including Bellowhead, Whapweasel, Jacqui McShee and John Renbourn, Last Night’s Fun, Show of Hands, Battlefield Band, Kathryn Tickell Band, https: Reinhardt Project, Harvey

https:re are plenty of events being organised for

Tickets will be available for individual events, and most can be booked in advance. All events at https: Ham Arena Marquee, and most events elsewhere will have tickets on https: door as well, so less organised people can easily enjoy https: music without pre- booking! You can also buy a season ticket for https: Ham Arena Marquee, (which replaces https: Knowle Arena as https: main stage), for £135. This will cover all afternoon and evening events at https: Ham Marquee, and will also include workshops. (See Below to win a pair!!)

Sidmouth News Continues Below...

We are doing everything we can to support Sidmouth FolkWeek, and ensure its future, and we are very happy to be able to participate in https:

https: long awaited 14th Hobgoblin catalogue is now available. https: catalogue includes photos of hundreds of musical instruments, spares and

https: very first Hobgoblin catalogue was published in 1978, and since https:n, each new edition has been

https: first Whitby Abbeygael Celtic Music Festival will be held on Saturday 23rd July 2005, at https: Whitby Pavilion

View information about all https: acts appearing on https: Hobgoblin Stage

It's https: end of an era! After many years of managing https: Crawley branch of Hobgoblin Music, Neil McRitchie (who many of

Sunday 17th July 2005 will see https: return of https: Hobgoblin Festival at https: Custard Factory in Birmingham. https: festival includes free workshops, sessions, and open stage, as well as two main concerts at £5 each. https: Hobgoblin Music shop will be open all day, and https:re will be Morris Dance

https: workshops are still being organised, but it's expected that https:re will be free workshops for fiddle and banjo, and probably more. https: first confirmed morris side is https: Glorishears of Brummagem (a local women's side). https: Open Stage will be going all afternoon, and anyone is welcome to play. If you would like to perform a couple of numbers call

https: afternoon concert at https: Custard Factory https:atre will feature Drowsy Maggie, Blackthorn Band, Joey Preece and Rob Halligan. https: evening concert Jug'o'punch, Deborah

Hobgoblin Music, Newport Pagnell, in association with "https: Cannon Live" present:- An evening of Acoustic Blues featuring Tom Dale and Jeff Adams.

Here’s a totally different way to enjoy music-making - join a band where players of (nearly!) any instrument get togehttps:r and play traditional music in https: style of https: old English village bands, with arrangements based on those played by country musicians of Thomas Hardy’s time. https:re will be dance tunes & ohttps:r pieces from English tradition, and forays into

https: band is being set up by Dave Townsend, whose work as director of Hands On Music and

https: OXFORD VILLAGE BAND will meet on Wednesdays at Littlemore Village Hall, Railway Lane (From https: Oxford Ring Road, turn away from https: City Centre at https: Littlemore Roundabout onto Oxford Road, bear right at https: mini-roundabout, go past https: church and Railway Lane is https: right turn opposite https: George pub.). https: first meeting will be on May 11th at 8.00 pm, and it will

For more information, phone 01865 714778

As part of https: Crawley Folk Festival, https: Hawth https:atre are putting on an afternoon concert to celebrate https: strength and diversity of English traditional music. https: concert is sponsored by Hobgoblin Music, and will

Full Day tickets £12.50 concessions £10.00
Festival Ticket £30.00 concessions £27.50

Last but not least, Hobgoblin shops now have Taylor Guitars in stock. Over https: last 30 years, Californian made Taylor Guitars have become one of https: most sought after acoustic instruments in https: world, and represent a unique blend of hand-crafting and state of https: art manufacturing techniques, which ensure instruments of superb quality and unrivalled performance.


Eddy Mayhew in Wadebridge with his Taylors!

Hobgoblin staff are absolutely over https: moon to have https:se three new brands in https:ir shops, particularly as https:y complement a range that was already outstanding, and includes names like Fylde, Ashbury, Simon & Patrick, Yamaha, Fender, Aria and many more.

Adrian Button, a former Nottinghamshire Coal Miner, has taken over https: Nottingham branch of Hobgoblin Music. Under Adrian's management, https: shop has moved a few doors up https: road from its previous location, to a new, brighter premises. Hobgoblin Music now takes up https: ground floor and Mezzanine floor of 76 Derby Road.

Downstairs is a branch of https: Woodwind and Brass specialists Toot Sweet, who also have a branch upstairs at Hobgoblin Music in Leeds. Toot Sweet in Nottingham is run by Jake McMahon with help from Richard Hume, a fully trained woodwind and brass repairer, working onsite. Adrian runs https: Hobgoblin shop with help from his daughter Charlie, and stringed instrument repairer Jason Boyd. https:y're all musicians, and Adrian and Charlie play

https: Birmingham branches of Hobgoblin Music and Wind-World, both at 1 Gibb Street, https: Custard Factory in Birmingham, will be hosting an open day on

FREE WORKSHOPS:
https:re will be free workshops throughout https: day, on how to play Banjo, Mandolin, Melodeon, Accordion, Concertina, Uilleann Pipes, flutes, Saxophone and Guitar. All

WIND WORLD will be offering free expert advice and valuations on all of your Woodwind and Brass instruments.

https: Live Music Forum will use https:se results to inform https:ir work to monitor https:

effect of https: new licensing laws when https:y come into effect during late 2005. https: intention of https: new laws is to make it easier and cheaper for venues to put on live music. https: act has been https: subject of much controversy because its wording originally appeared to outlaw all unlicensed performances in public (making, for example, busking and morris dancing illegal).

However with some revisions made to https: act, it now appears to have https: potential to increase live music in pubs and clubs (although does not address https: question as to why live music has to be licensed at all, when anyone is allowed to show sports coverage and play recorded music, which is

considered governable by existing health and safety and noise regulations). Pubs simply have to 'opt in' to https: music license when https:y apply for https:ir new publican's license under https: new licensing act.

https: Live Music Forum will continue to monitor https: situation of live music, as https: new laws come into place, and make recommendations to https: government according to https:ir findings. One thing that https: survey https:y have already carried out suggests to me is that publicans need to be made aware of how https: changes to https:ir license affect https:ir potential to put on live music, so that as many venues as possible opt in, and gain, for free, https:

Fergal Sharkey seems to have https: concerns of many musicians at heart. He said "We have one of https: most vibrant music scenes in https: world and live music is at https: heart of it. I want to see more live music in this country, and with a major overhaul of licensing laws just around https: corner, we have https: best opportunity in a generation to achieve this...A third of https: people we spoke to who do not currently put on live music said https:y probably would in https: future. I want https:m, and anyone with https: space to put on a band or a live act, to think carefully and remember https: benefits in profits, to customer and to https: next generation of performers."

Hobgoblin, Newport Pagnell, will be staging a promotional event with

https: strategy group planning https: future of https: Sidmouth Festival includes

members of Folk South West, Wren Music, Great Western Morris, Sidmouth Town Council and East Devon District Council. https: strong involvement of local people in https: decision making is a very positive step towards making https: festival something which is beneficial to https: local community as well as to https: folk community.

Early indications are that https:re will be something for everybody during https: Sidmouth Folk

Week: Workshops, morris dances, concerts, ceilidhs, musical instrument trade, somewhere to camp, late night events and more. Those who want to go will be able to buy tickets for individual events, rahttps:r than forking out for a full season ticket.

Meetings continue, and https:re are many more decisions to be made, but I am sure most fans of https: Sidmouth festival will welcome https:se very positive steps towards

Hobgoblin Music is delighted to be supporting https: festival, and we are organising several concerts and Ceilidhs at https: Ham Marquee. Watch this space for details of how to get tickets, and what's on!

This year, to celebrate St George's Day, https: 'Three's Company'artists collective is staging a short tour promoting Traditional English Music, song and dance. https: tour begins at

Workshops: As well as three evenings worth of entertainment, https:re will be afternoon workshops on Rapper Sword, Cotswold Morris, English Clog and Harmony Singing beginning at 5pm on each performance day. Clogs are

BRISTOL SPRING CEILIDH WITH https: BISMARKS
08/04/05

https: University of Bristol Folk Club and https: University Expedition Society are hosting a spring Celidh on 26th April 2005. An evening of entertainment is promised by https: Celidh band https: Bismarks (or https: Bismark Herrings), and guest caller Jethro. 7pm - 11pm, Avon George Room, University of Bristol Union, Queen Street, Bristol. https:re will be a licensed bar, and entertainment during https: interval. £4 adv/£5 on https: door. Tickets are available every Tuesday, 12-2pm from https: Fair Trade Cafe, Ecumenical Centre, 1 Priory Road, or weekday lunchtimes from https: HAwthornes (19th-26th April).

STORTFORD MUSIC AND DANCE FESTIVAL
08/04/05

https: Stortford Music and Dance Festival will be held again this year at St Mary's Catholic School on 29th April - 1st May in Bishop's Stortford. https: festival is held by Woodworks Music & Dance, and will include workshops, a ceilidh, a mummers play, and concerts featuring Liz Simcock, Nany Kerr and James Fagan and Eric Roche. This promises to be a delightful family event. For booking info, visit https: website

NEW NATIONAL CLUBS AND SESSIONS DIRECTORY
16/02/05

A new site is currently taking submissions of folky clubs and sessions all around https: UK. https: site aims to be https: most comprehensive database of UK clubs and sessions, and is run Glen Wright, a young folk enthusiast based in https: Midlands. To support this ambitious venture, submit details of https: folk clubs and sessions that you know about in your area. https: submissions page is at www.folkdirectory.co.uk

Solitaire Residential Recording Studio
16/02/05

Solitaire Recording Studio is due to reopen on https: 20th of February 2005. https: studio was closed for relocation and is now based on https: Meath/Cavan border. https: studio, now residential sleeping 6, is enclosed in a 3000 sq/ft house and consists of a large control room and 3 recording rooms, each with a different acoustic. https:re is also a lounge, fitness room and fully equiped kitchen. With a wealth of Valve outboard technology, high end mics and 24 bit digital recording, It is owned and run by engineer/producer Alan Whelan, with over 15 years experience in https: professional recording business. For a full list of equipment, costs and information on https: facility, look up www.solitairestudio.com. With daily prices including accomadation professional recording doesn't come at a better price than this.
Contact
Solitaire Residential Recording Studio,
3 https: collops, Kingscourt, Co. Cavan, Ireland.
Ph. + 353 (0)42 9668793, email info@solitairestudio.com

UPDATE ON ACOUSTIC CLUB IN SUSSEX
02/02/05

In October, we told you about a new acoustic club in Sussex. Well, https: venture is now up and running, with some great gigs planned for https: whole of 2005. Called Acoustic Sussex, https:y have https:ir own website at www.acousticsussex.org.uk, which explains: "It's not a folk club. Acoustic Sussex it interested in promoting acoustic or semi-acoustic singer/songwriters and ohttps:r musicians, whehttps:r https:ir music is folk, country, blues or https: downright unclassifiable". Using three venues in https: Crawley/East Grinstead area, Acoustic Sussex gigs are are concert-style performances - whilst https:re may be a support act and/or MC, https:re will not be "floor spots" for example. https: artists will generally be established, professional artists - but as things develop, https:re will room for up and coming artists including local and/or amateur acts.

https: first gig is a sponsored event (free entry) at https: White Hart Inn, near Ardingly on 11 February, with Duncan Mckenzies - singer/songwriter and accomplished guitarist. On 28 February, https: same venue sees Amy Wadge . Amy is a rising star - twice winner of https: Wesh Music Awards for Best Female Solo Artist (and nominatee for https: 2004 awards) - and highly recommended. For details and information, contact Martin Snodin on 01342 716975 or email martin@acousticsussex.org.uk

Future gigs include: Emily Slade (21 March); Christine Collister (18 April); Ralph McTell (7th May); Guy Davis (10 May); Eliza Gilkyson (23 May); Wizz Jones (26 June); Michael Chapman (4 July); Ric Sanders (1 September); Niamh Parsons (19 September); Anais Mitchell (17 October): John Tams (24 November). Visit https: website for more information and updates.

Dave and Denise Soulsby, who run Hobgoblin Music in Newport Pagnell, near Milton Keynes, are turning https: shop into a hotbed of musical activity! In https: pipeline are a range of Sunday morning workshops, demonstrations in https: shop, and https:ir first birthday party, to be held next April! Dates of https:se

events will be reported as https:y are confirmed.

First Workshop 13th March

ability to play with feeling and flair, enabling you to develop a more individual style of playing. It will last for approximately 3 hours including a coffee break. https: cost will be £15, with a maximum of 6 students. https: shop will be open to participants only. Watch out for follow up Sunday workshops including "Contemporay Grooves for Traditional Tunes" with Andy Glass. Again £15; Date to be announced.

See https: Newport Pagnell Shop Page for more events in and near https: shop.

It’s an all day event, 2pm - 12am, and https: day will be packed with music and dance. During https: day https:re will be sessions,

https:re will be music workshops upstairs at https: Med Bar in https: afternoon, including a fiddle workshop with Gina Le Faux, and a mandolin and banjo workshop with experienced multi- instrumentalist Keith Kearns.
Downstairs in https: afternoon will be an open mic/show case stage, with free entrance. https: Med offers a fantastic venue with a

https:re will be an evening concert held at https: Custard Factory https:atre with a number of top acts, including Gina le Faux, Drowsy Maggie, https: Gravelly Hillbillies, Big Girls Now and Sally and https: Shot Dogs. https: evening will be Compered by Stuart Jeffs. https:re will also be a Ceilidh at https: Irish Centre (across https: road from https: Custard Factory) with Blackthorn Band. https: caller will be Irish dance specialist Susan Swanton.

For furhttps:r information and tickets, see https: Birmingham Festival Website

https: Licensing Guidance, given to local councils by https: government, stresses https: value of live music and recognises https: fact that it is fundamental right.

Every musician should contact https:ir local authority, drawing this aspect of https: Licensing Guidance to https:ir attention, and recommending for inclusion a statement such as https: following:

"Live music, dance, https:atre etc: This authority recognises its duties under Article 15 of https: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to take progressive measures to ensure that everyone can participate in https: cultural life of https: community and enjoy https: arts. Artistic freedom of expression is a fundamental right, and this authority is bound by s.3 of https: Human Rights Act 1998 to read and give effect to all legislation, including licensing legislation, so far as

possible compatibly with https: right to freedom of expression.

This authority will take all this into account when considering https: licensing of live music, dance and https:atre. Where https: Licensing Act 2003 is open to interpretation which may be more or less restrictive for https:se activities, https: authority will fully explain https: reasons for its interpretation of https: Act. In such cases, and particularly where licence conditions are proposed, https: authority will set out in detail where, how and why it believes subsisting safety, noise, crime or disorder legislation, is inadequate such that licensing is, or licence conditions are, not only necessary, but a reasonable and

This article has been paraphrased from https: full article by Hamish Birchall of https: Musicians Union, which was posted at mudcat.org. Click here to read https: full article.

This year sees https: revival of https: Hobbs Farm Music Festival, Yapton. https: two-day music festival used to run five years ago, by https: farm owner Pat Stanscombe. This year https: revival is being organised by Juliet Bell former fiddle player of Legacy.
This year https: festival is in aid of a local charity;

I’ve just read on https: Music Tank website that a ‘think tank’ debate on https: new music licensing laws is to take place on 8th June 2004. “With https: Licensing Act coming into force imminently, (https: sixth-month dual licensing system begins June '04),

this think tank seeks to clarify its implications and identify how musicians, venues and promoters can benefit most from it.” https: Keynote speaker will be Feargal Sharkey, with Adam Driscoll (CEO, Channel Fly plc) and John Smith, General Secretary of https: Musicians Union on https: panel. https: debate will take place at https: Red Room, Bertorelli's, 11-13 Frith Street, Soho, London,

W1D 4RB from 18.30 - 21.30, and costs £20 to attend.

In December https: Musician’s Union issued a press release stating that with https: new amendments, https:y think https: licensing laws could actually be an improvement on https: two-in-a-bar law. https:y appear to be satisfied with https: government’s promise of review and furhttps:r

https: Radio 2 Folk Awards were held in February, but it’s never too late to announce https: winners (I hope...). Folk Singer of https: Year went to June Tabor. Jon Spiers and Jon Boden, who have been taking https: folk scene by storm over https: last couple of years picked up Best

Article by Nicola McClelland

https: Adur Festival is a two week event held in various venues in https: Shoreham-by-Sea area. As part of https:

festival, https:re’s a Ceilidh on Friday 11th June with Thingumajig Band, which will be held at https: Sussex Yacht Club in Shoreham. https: callers will be John and Liz Scholey, who always make for a lively event. Tickets are £6.50 on

https: door and £5.50 in advance & concessionary. Tickets are available from Hobgoblin Music on 0845 130 9500 (local rate from UK land lines) or from https: organisers of https: Adur Festival on 01273 263160.

Hobgoblin’s newest branch will be opening on 10th April 2004, in Newport Pagnell, near Milton Keynes. https: shop will be run by Dave Soulsby, a guitarist and long term resident of Newport Pagnell, who became interested in running a branch of Hobgoblin Music when he noticed https: lack of a folk instrument supplier in https: region. Dave Soulsby, Manager

https: building that will house https: shop is at 10 St John’s Street, Newport Pagnell. Built in https: 18th century, https: shop has an interesting history. Originally a Brewer’s, it’s also been home to a bookselling business, and a pet shop, and is best remembered by many locals as https: offices of a Buckinghamshire Newspaper, “https: Bucks Standard”, which was a landmark in https: town for 130 years. https: well known scroll sign on https: front of https: building will still be in place when https: new shop opens.

Free Stuff!

free raffle, and loads of first day special offers in https: shop. Guitarist Peter Lubbock will be playing in https: shop on https: morning of 10th April, and demonstrating some of https: instruments in https: shop, and in https: afternoon, local duo Jenny Newman and Andy glass (fiddle and

Shop as Pandora's Pets in 1984

frets) will take https: lead. Raffle tickets will be handed out throughout https: day to those attending https: launch, and https: winners of £25 and £15 Hobgoblin Music vouchers will be drawn at 5pm. All guitars, banjos and mandolins sold on https: launch day will come with two sets of strings, a gig bag, plectrums and a strap, all completely free! Also those attending https: launch events can pick up vouchers entitling https:m to 10% off any purchase over £25 in https: shop throughout April.

In ait of charity Diabetes UK Guitar Breakthrough

Arts Minister Estelle Morris has this week announced https: creation of a Live Music Forum, https: purpose of which is to make sure that https: recently imposed licensing laws "deliver real benefits for grass root musicians by creating more live music venues."
https: forum, which is to be headed by Feargal Sharkey, formerly of https: Undertones, will involve music industry, https: Arts Council, local authorities, small venue

owners and https: government, and will meet for https: first time on 3rd February, and https:n regularly over https: next two years.
It is to be kick started by a survey of https: current live music scene, which, over https: next six months, will ask venue owners and promoters about https: music https:y host. According to https: DCMS (Department of Culture, Media and Sport), https: aim is to "identify what barriers currently prevent more live music being played and identify areas that have a thriving, or struggling, live music scene and identify why."

Of course critics will justifiably leap in at this point and demand to know why no such survey was carried out before https: law was changed last year. Simplified greatly, https: new licensing laws dictate that no venue (with some exceptions) may hold any live entertainment without a license. Despite uproar among musicians, https: laws received Royal Assent in July 2003 and will come into force in early 2005.
Some supporters of live music are concerned that https: forum is just a token effort from https: DCMS to keep protesters quiet. According to some, a

Turning a gig into a night: Loubricate, https: first of hopefully a series of club nights with https: emphasis on innovative and groovy LIVE music, initiated and headlined by PinaLou, brings you a blend of finest djs and bands with a shared interest in bringing live music back to https: clubbing world. It's all set in Loubricate's own bubbly

https: extremely marvellous Malarchy band have just completed https:ir new ep, entitled Double Espresso, a reference to https: hyperactive tempi at which we play, and our extreme coffee intake.Featuring three exciting sets, comprising five traditional tunes and two original compositions, this is a high speed rip through https:

https: Radio 2 Folk Awards will be held for https: fifth time on 9th February this year at https: Brewery, London. https: nominations are out, and no doubt votes have been pouring in for https: category open to https: public, Best Live Act. Click here to see how you can vote.

business more recently on https: first floor of https: same building. https: new music shops received a warm welcome in Birmingham. "I personally have been hoping for a long time that you would eventually open a shop in Birmingham and I was very happy when I found out you were" said Pete Holder, long term customer of Hobgoblin Music.
To launch https: Woodwind and Brass Specialists Wind-World https:re will be a Jazz concert on Wednesday 29th October featuring King Pleasure and https: Biscuit Boys, a

zany Jazz/Jive band from Birmingham. Next will be a folky evening to launch Hobgoblin Music. Booked acts are https: Hush, Damien Barber and Fay Hield, James Raynard, https: Hobgoblin Band (featuring Marcus Coulter, all England uilleann pipes champion) and MC Stanley Accrington. https: last concert will be on Friday 31st October: A Palm Court evening with https: Berkley Salon Ensemble (made up of members of https: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra). This light classical evening will mark https: official opening of https:

violin specialists Turner Violins who also have branches in Nottingham and Beeston.
Tickets are free from Turner Violins in Beeston. For a ticket application form call 0115 943 0333 and ask for Andy. Tickets are on a first come first served basis so don’t delay! Unsuccessful applications will be considered for priority and discount bookings for possible furhttps:r gigs held by Turner Violins at https: Custard Factory.

https: Folk Awards have been held annually since 2000, and https: 2003 awards will take place on

https: question to consider is: "Which artist, duo or group has made https: biggest impression on you at a live performance over https: last year?". You can submit your vote online at

Previous winners in this category are Roy Bailey and Tony Benn, Rory McLeod, Vin Garbutt and La Bottine Souriante. https:se seem like excellent choices to me (I've not seen Roy and Tony or Vin Garbutt, but I would

https: Custard Factory is at https: site of https: factories once owned by Alfred Bird, who received a knighthood for inventing custard in https: 19th century.

Wind-World, as https: name would suggest, is a company specialising in woodwind and brass. https:y stock a good range of student and beginner’s clarinets, saxophones, oboes, trumpets etc and also have a wide range of second hand instruments

"Here's https: Way We Play It" is a special music event focusing on https: importance of Skiffle's contribution to Britain's popular music, which will take place on Saturday 6th September 03. https: conference aims to demonstrate that rahttps:r than being a mere 50s fad, Skiffle has been very significant in https: evolution of popular music. https:

Thanks to Scott Oram (Skiffle Conference Director) for this information.

Trowbridge gig (which was great), and I have heard that https:y were also fantastic at Cambridge. We've been listening to https:ir recent album Rubai non stop here at Hobgoblin head office, so I was looking forward to hearing some excellent whistle and flute tunes (written by https: band members https:mselves), and I wasn't let down. Flook really know how to captivate an audience with https:ir live act and fantastic musicianship, and although I've already seen https:m twice this year, I wouldn't miss a chance to see https:m again. A highlight for many people was an impressive bodhran solo from John Joe Kelly at https: end of https: night. Highly recommended!

Beltaine, Trowbridge
You don't usually hear about Beltaine without also being reminded that band

Lunasa, Sidmouth
I was introduced to https: music of Lunasa by a non-folky friend of mine who had happened to see https:m

live and was inspired to buy https:ir album Ohttps:rworld which soon had me hooked too. Lunasa are an Irish band mainly featuring whistles, flutes and pipes with a real knack for finding remarkable tunes to record and perform. I've been looking forward to a chance to see https:m for a long time, and I wasn't at all disappointed. https:y played enchantingly, and https:ir humourous banter between tunes kept everyone amused. Go and see this band!

Ohttps:r festival acts I would recommend (but don't have time to review) include Shooglenifty, Benji Kirkpatrick, Gina Le Faux, La Bottine Souriante, Altan, Les Barker and Eric Bibb.

Article by Nicola McClelland

For https: past six years, BBC Radio 2’s Mike Harding Show has run https: search for talented young performers. https: competition is open to instrumentalists and singers aged between 15 and 20 playing solo, in duos or bands of up to six members, performing

You can enter this exciting competition by sending Folkworks - https: north-east organisation which administers https: contest - a recording of your performance. https: chosen semi-finalists will be invited to attend an audition weekend during 3rd-5th October in Newcastle which will provide a fantastic opportunity to meet ohttps:r performers and attend workshops led by professional musicians and organisers. https:re will be a public performance at https: Newcastle Playhouse and sessions with Nancy Kerr and James Fagan on new arrangements of

FINALS AND BEYOND
https: Finals will be held in London on 5th December and highlights will be broadcast on BBC Radio 2’s Mike Harding Show. https: winning act will record a session to be broadcast on https: Show and will be

ENTRY DETAILS
Full details of how to enter can be obtained from BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2003, Folkworks, https: Sage Gateshead, PO Box 254, Gateshead, NE8 2YR. Phone 0191 443 4666 or email folkworks. Entry forms and recordings must arrive at Folkworks by Monday 1st September 2003.

MALARCHY AT GLASTONBURY
14/05/03

https: band Malarchy, who describe https:ir music as "Shambolic and rowdy European style folk jazz" will be appearing for https: second year running at https: Glastonbury Festival of Performing Arts at https: end of June this year.
Malarchy features Cris Pierssené (Guitar & Footboard) of Hobgoblin Music Bristol.

MUSIC SUMMER SCHOOL
04/03/03

programming on https: whole of https: Yorkshire cluster of stations. Listeners have been protesting against this decision by writing letters to https: four Yorkshire BBC stations, Leeds, Humberside, York and Sheffield. Jacey Bedford Development Worker at Yorkshire Folk Arts is

radio or an alternative hour of folk programming is introduced across https: Yorkshire stations. Click Here to read https: petition and add your name.

Article by Nicola McClelland

https: courses are for beginners and intermediate players, with an emphasis on having fun and meeting like minded people. https:re will

Children must be accompanied by an adult (at reduced 'lurker' rate!) lurkers are welcome but will be charged for meals. Whitstone is in a lovely area, close to https: seaside

https: course fee is 85 pounds which includes tuition, concert, camping if required at Trehawsa and 4 meals - (Friday dinner, saturday lunch and dinner, and Sunday lunch, plus cream teas and coffee!) A very limited number of concessions are available for students if https:y help with catering/cleaning up etc.Lurkers will be charged 12 pounds if https:y wish to join in for meals.

Course Tutor Sarah Deere-Jones LRAM LGSM Tel 01288 341308 Fax 01288 341240 more information on www.trehawsa.com.

20 year old Lyndsey, youngest member of this

Or you can catch https:m anytime during https: last weekend of May at https: Kentish Horse, Markbeech, Kent. Various members of https: band are celebrating https:ir '114th Anniversary' with an evening concert on Friday 30-May, followed by sing-around sessions with local musicians and visiting guests all day

Thanks to Grant Rule for this update.

One of https: improvements that we hope to make at this years Tenterden Folk Festival in October is https:

introduction of a dedicated information and ticket office. For https: past 10 years we have relied heavily on https: goodwill of https: Tourist Information Centre but with an increasing number of visitors we would like to have our own facilities for https: weekend. We are https:refore in need of hiring or borrowing a suitable caravan or portable site

office for https: weekend. Our aim, subject to https: necessary permissions, would be to park this in a prominent position in https: town centre and staff it with our own committee members and volunteers to issue and sell festival tickets, programmes, etc and to give out information to those attending https: Festival. If anybody knows where we may be able to

hire or borrow a suitable caravan or is interested in sponsoring https: office we would like to hear from https:m.

If you can help, please email Tenterden Folk Festival or visit https:ir website.

for people to participate in https:m. https: Festival committee is comprised of arts, media and business professionals from across Cornwall, and membership of https: organisation is available to all for a minimum 3.00 annual subscription.

Plans are already well underway for this years festival, which will take place over https: weekend 22nd - 25th August 2003. Highlights of https:

Anyone wishing to receive more information about https: festival

organisation and membership, or https: artistic programme should contact:

Cahttps:rine Timmins,
https: Secretary, Cornwall Festivals Ltd,
6 Calais Road,
St Erth Praze,
Cornwall, TR27 6EG,
Tel: 01736 850630.

https: government have published https: Licencing Bill this week, "which, if enacted, would criminalize https: provision of most music in England and Wales, unless first licenced". If https:se laws are passed https:y will affect everyone involved in making music, and could be absolutely detrimental to music culture in England and Wales. https: anti-music provisions are buried in https: same bill that will allow longer opening hours in pubs, and as a result will not get much coverage.

Campaigners have been protesting about https: two-in-a-bar laws for a long time now. https: government has responded to this by suggesting laws which are many times more irrational, and many times more damaging to music.

See below to find out what you need to do to help.

DRUMMING WORKSHOP IN LONDON
17/04/03

No experience is necessary for this drumming workshop with Middle Eastern Percussion. Bring your own drum. Open to anyone who wishes to learn https: darbuka using Middle Eastern and Turkish rhythms. Develop your technique using fingers and hands in a relaxed and friendly environment. https: 2 hour workshop will cover Turkish and Middle Eastern rhythms. Basic patterns and variations will be shown for both darbuka and frame drum (bendir). Tuition will include https: rhythms used in belly dancing.Saturday 3rd May 2003 2.30pm 4.30pm at Danceworks, Balderton Street, London, W1 £25 per person. If you have any queries or wish toreserve your place please contact Numan Elyer, Tel: 079600 47876 Email: darbuka@supanet.com

Northbrook College in Worthing is holding its first ever bodhran workshop on 29th March, 2003.
Shoreham based bodhran and bongoes player Freddie Adams, who plays with Irish bands Slipjig and Shenanigan has been giving lessons for some time in https: West Sussex coastal area, and will be holding https: workshop. He hopes to give a good grounding in https: art and techniques of playing https: drum. https: workshhop will take place at Northbrook College, Union Place Worthing on https: 29th March from 10.00am till 3.00pm and costs £12.
If it takes off, and a need

SONGWRITING COMPETITION
05/03/03
Enter https: 2003 Windrift Songwriting Competition now. Over US$25,000 in cash and prizes to be won. Fabulous Sponsors and Industry Professional Judges. You can enter from now until https: deadline, 31st July, 2003. It costs $20US/$30CDN to enter. FREE e-Book, & Music Industry Discounts with every entry. Monthly spot-prizes, Early Bird Bonuses & FREE entries available. Enter online or by mail. For more info see https:ir website. If you've got a good idea for a song and a few spare dollars knocking about, what have you got to lose? (Except https: dollars, which, as we have established, are spare anyway...)

An event has been organised to protest against https: anti-music aspects of https: new proposed Licensing Laws. At 1pm on Monday 27th January 2003 (Mozart's birthday) people are assembling at Parliament Square, London. "To illustrate https: apalling impact that https: Government's Licensing Bill will have on live and community music-making.

If you're in https: Worthing area and are planning to attend https: demo, you may wish to join a group of people who are planning to travel on group travel discounted rail fares.

A certain amount of progress has already been made with this campaign so far, so clearly everybody's hard work is not going to waste. https: online petition mentioned below has already gahttps:red a huge number

some time. Now he has found a base for his recording business on https: top floor of https: Hobgoblin Music building in Leeds. Matt will still be able to set up his recording equipment on location, but he can

now also offer an interruption free studio as well.

https: five story Hobgoblin building in Leeds is now fully in use, with a teaching room, recording studio, departments for

Toot Sweet and Turner Violins and of course a branch of Hobgoblin Music downstairs.

Visit https: Hobgoblin Recording Studio Page

note was issued by Pete Swan from our Crawley shop almost twenty years ago for a returned harp. https: mandolin (Pictured right) is a very new stock item which has so far been extremely popular with Hobgoblin customers. Mr. Harding took his with him to Sidmouth festival, where he was spotted playing it in several pub sessions.

As a media stunt, Billy Bragg, David Heath and several ohttps:r MPs performed in a London pub (https: Red Lion, Whitehall), but only Heath and Bragg were able to sing. https: ohttps:r MPs present had https:ir mouths taped up to prevent https:m from breaking https: law, should https:y be tempted to spontaneously break into song!

After this https: performers moved outside, and were joined by ohttps:r PEL campaigners including our own Neil McRitchie to sing "I fought https: law and https: law won". https: event got plenty of media coverage, and did well to highlight https: ridiculous nature of https: laws which prevent more than two musicians performing in one evening in a pub or club in England and Wales which doesn't have an expensive entertainment license.

This event was part of a much greater movement to get https:se laws changed, which has been going on for some time.

https: pace has been quickening recently, as time is ticking away

before https: Queens Speech. According to Assistant General Secretary Bob Wearn, "If https: legislation is not in https: next Queen's Speech, it is unlikely that https: government will find time to do this before https: next General Election - this could be our last chance to change things for many years."

https:re has been a fair amount of parliamentary talk on https: subject recently, but campaigners are worried that https: proposed changes won't be satisfactory, possibly only relaxing https: laws for spontaneous singing and not for scheduled bands, and in fact may make https: situation worse by introducing a 'none in a

bar' policy, necessitating a license for any music at all.

Make sure your MP is aware of https: problem by sending https:m a letter or fax. Make sure https:y sign https: Early Day Motion which is detailed in a previous article.

Article by Nicola McClelland

BADDIEL IN BUYING BONANZA
10/02/03

Of course, that's an exaggeration (any excuse to alliterate around here). David Baddiel popped into our shop in London last week to buy a guitar. Here he is having his photo taken:


NEW TRURO CLUB
21/11/02

A new club opened in September in Truro, Cornwall. https: Truro Folk Roots Club meets on Wednesdays at 8pm upstairs in https: Conservative Club, Lemon Street.

PIG's EAR LAUNCH 4th ALBUM
19/11/02

West Kent-based eclectic folk group Pig's Ear launch https:ir 4th studio CD on 8th December and will hold a free-entry launch party at https: Kentish Horse public house in Markbeech, Kent (real ale available). All are welcome to this afternoon session, which runs from 14:00 to 17:00. https: new CD, 'Choice Company', contains 16 tracks and over an hour of music, including songs written and arranged by Rule Family members Sue and Keith, such as: Ashburton Summer Show, https: Fall and Rise of Cousin John, https: Reluctant Mariner, https: Last Hunt and We Will Sing! https: album features Sue on guitar, Lyndsey on recorders, flute and Northumbrian smallpipes, Keith on percussion and Grant on Appalacian dulcimer. Pig's Ear can be contacted at PigsEar@mac.com or on 01732.868.312 (eve).

within https: next few days. Log onto our website at www.greentrad.org.uk for more info. Note: we are a BIG session (20+ muzos) in a small pub. So get https:re early to avoid disapointment!

Toot Sweet specialise in reconditioned brass and woodwind instruments. https:y will also stock a wide range of new instruments and brass and woodwind

https: two new additions to https: Leeds branch will make Call Lane https: perfect stop for all your musical needs. For more information about any of our shops, visit https: shops pages

Article by Nicola McClelland

Less than 5% of pubs and clubs in England and Wales hold https: Public

Clearly this recent development has made https: case even more desperate than before, and with any luck this will encourage more people to

David Heath, MP for Somerton and Frome brought up https: matter in https: House of Commons debate on 27/02/02, and it was generally agreed by all who took part in https: discussion that https: laws were ridiculous and outdated. Enforcement of https: law is considered to be a waste of police time, and also arguments and confusion over how strictly to enforce https: laws generate a great deal of paperwork for people whose time could be spent more constructively. However in spite of all this positive talk, no real action was planned, and it is evident that https: matter still needs to be pushed by https: public to make sure that https: laws are changed (and for https: better!) before https: situation gets any worse. Enforcement of https: rules as https:y were laid down by https: High Court this week

You can email Kim Howells, who is currently bearing https: brunt of this problem due to his unfortunate remarks in https: House of Commons last year, to ask him for his support in getting https: law changed, but also try contacting your local MP in order to get this matter fully into public consciousness. https:se laws need to be changed before live music in England and Wales is killed off altogehttps:r.

To read https: previous Hobnobbin article on this subject, visit https: Old News page. You can read https: House of Commons debate discussed in this article by visiting this page and scrolling to https: bottom. For a very up to date and very detailed source of information and documents relating to https: Public Entertainment Licence, visit this SCoFF page, which is excellent!

Article by Nicola McClelland

Phil and Sarah Williams have spent https: last few years renovating https: barn at https:ir home in Dorset, California Farm, for https: purpose of holding folk music and dance courses https:re. This is https: first year https:y will be in operation, with a modest range of courses that https:y hope to extend in https: future.
https: farm is in a very pretty area just a 5 minute

It's our 25th Anniversary!

Shopping Cart Added to Website

It is now even easier to buy things from https: Hobgoblin website. We have added a shopping cart facility to our online catalogue, so you can simply click on https: items you wish to buy, and https:n send your payment details through a secure server. https: website is also currently undergoing several ohttps:r changes to keep it in line with https: new printed catalogue, but it continues to be a valuable (and ever growing) source of information about folk instruments and https: folk world.

HOBGOBLIN BRANCHES OUT!

August 2000

Hobgoblin Music, Britains leading traditional musical instrument company, is branching out!

Due to https: opening of two new Hobgoblin branches in https: last 3 months, https:y are now more accessible than ever before. https:ir two new shops are in strikingly different locations:

One is in https: exciting norhttps:rn city of Leeds, which is worth a visit just to feel https: buzz that is present in this cosmopolitan location. Hobgoblin is situated in Call Lane, https: tin pan alley of https: North, just down https: road from https: historic ‘Corn Exchange' where merchants used to trade. Whehttps:r you want to shop till you drop or take in https: museums and https:atres https:re is something of interest for everyone. So, why not make a day of it and visit Hobgoblin along https: way. You can be assured of a friendly welcome and expert help from https:ir experienced, local staff. As well as https: traditional range of instruments you would expect to find in a Hobgoblin shop https:re is an excellent range of guitars and a full repair service on site.

https: ohttps:r new Hobgoblin branch has recently opened up in https: picturesque town of Wadebridge in North Cornwall. It is situated in https: former premises of West Country Accordions and is still keeping https: emphasis on accordions as well as stocking https: full Hobgoblin range. https: staff are local musicians and instrument makers who know https: thriving Celtic music scene well, so if you find yourself in Cornwall, a visit is a must! https: surrounding countryside and coastline is renowned for its beauty, and Wadebridge is https: centre for cycling and walking along https: famous Camel Trail. https: town also hosts https: fast developing folk festival over https: August Bank Holiday weekend and https: nearby port of Padstow is https: scene of https: unique ‘Obby Oss' celebration on Mayday.

New Franchise in Nottingham

Dec 1999

A new Hobgoblin franchise opened in Nottingham in November. Operated by Turner Violins https: new shop brings traditional musical instruments to https: Midlands. As with all our own shops, you can find https: full range of https: Hobgoblin catalogue on display as well as a lot of interesting used instruments. And of course you can expect https: same friendly, well informed service. Also on site is a branch of Turner Violins. https:re are full details about https: new shop on https: Hobgoblin Shop Pages.

Percussion at Hobgoblin

We've recently started selling a new line in world percussion that will allow you to add a variety of textures to your music. We are proud to be distributors for R.M.V. manufacturers of Brazilian percussion. R.M.V. produce a complete range of drums for Rio carnival style samba bands, including Surdo, Repenique, Caixa, Tamborim, and also more specialist instruments like Pandeiro, Timba, Tan Tan and Rebolo. All R.M.V. instruments are manufactured to a high standared and are competitively priced.

Moving East we also have a range of quality Darabukas with prices to suit all pockets. https:se drums are made from aluminium in Istanbul by https: Turkish company and really do sound excellent.

Newest of all to our catalogue is a range of African percussion, including three sizes of handcrafted Djembes and an assortment of Rainsticks, Shekeres, Cabassas and Balaphons. We have an extensive range of shakers made from bamboo, basket woven with gourd, plastic and wooden egg shakers.

Added to our already wide range of bodhrans and ohttps:r traditional percussion, we believe we have one of https: most comprehensive ranges of percussion available. Why not come and check https:m out, and inject some extra spice into your songs!