 |
 |
| |
 |
|
| |
Six years since the
acclaimed WOOLF MUSIC and once again held in the
imposing manorial setting of Cleeve House in
Wiltshire, the former home of the extended
Virginia Woolf family, Woolf II – A Terrascope
Celebration represents a gathering of musical
friends, old a new, each one beloved of the august
and ever-discerning Terrascope. The event might be
seen as a more stately, compact version of the
much loved and hugely influential Terrastock
festivals that criss-crossed America during the
1990s and 2000s.
Talking of old
friends, we have a couple of acts playing the
Saturday who we affectionately refer to as House
Bands even though they are likely to be horrified
by the very thought. THE BEVIS FROND have been
there from the start, Nick Saloman having
published the venerable Ptolemaic Terrascope
magazine so expertly and lovingly edited by our
very own Phil McMullen, still of course very much
at the helm of the current online incarnation.
Nick, and his most stable (in all senses) of
line-ups have a brand new album out that oozes
with the effortless not to mention timeless mix of
exhilarating psych rock and tuneful balladry.
The Bevis Frond
THOUGHT FORMS also
seem to have been around forever and can literally
lay claim to the house band mantle, their
formative line-up having learnt their chops
rehearsing in Phil’s spare room (god bless thick
sandstone walls and tolerant or deaf neighbours).
There are usually lengthy periods of gestation
between Thought Forms albums – their last one was
in 2016 - but word is they will have brand new
material to showcase by the time summer comes
around. We can’t wait. Completing Saturday’s noisy
triumvirate will be our favourite exponents of
gripping instrumental soundscapes, Manchester’s
DEAD SEA APES.
Other hardy
perennial Terrascope stalwarts on hand will
include a couple of former Abunai! ex-pats who now
comprise one half of London power poppers
DIVISIONISTS, the resurgent psych-folk duo THE
LEFT OUTSIDES and New York via Leicester and
Sheffield chanteuse SHARRON KRAUS who will be
bringing her band along for company.
Sharron Kraus
There’s a strong
Caledonian element to this WOOLF line up. As well
as the mesmeric KITCHEN CYNICS we’ll need to keep
a watchful eye on ALASDAIR ROBERTS, ALEX REX
(featuring the multi-talented Alex Neilson), SOUND
OF YELL and AILBHE NIC OIREACHTAIGH all of whom
will be playing jointly and individually. As both
Alasdair and Alex will also be coming off the back
of new albums (and in Alex’s case hot off a first
Alex Rex tour) this promises to be a
mouth-watering segment of our Sunday programme.
Alex Neilson (Alex Rex), Alasdair Roberts and
Stevie Jones (Sound Of Yell)
Terrascope has long
championed nimble fingered guitarists – Robbie
Basho, Jack Rose and Glenn Jones amongst them -
and so we are delighted to welcome TOBY HAY and
JIM GHEDI, young hotshots both, and whose
Hawksworth Grove Sessions of 2018, as well as
their hugely impressive solo albums this year,
point to a bright feature for them and indeed the
seemingly endangered stringed plank instrument.
Those craving slightly more esoteric and mystical
fare need look no further than the enigmatic and
usually elusive REVOLUTIONARY ARMY OF THE INFANT
JESUS, whom we’re immensely honoured to have
enticed out of hiding for a twilight Saturday
performance, while rising stars MESANGE bring a
bracing solemnity to the Main Hall on Sunday
evening, the perfect setting for the potent and
majestic interplay between Agathe Max (violin) and
Luke Mawdsley (guitar).
Mesange
ALISON COTTON’s All
Is Quiet at The Ancient Theatre was one of the
most revelatory releases of 2018 and we are
delighted that the Left Outsider has agreed to
perform one of her infrequent solo sets and which
is sure to pack more atmosphere than a small
planet. Other solo performers who will be facing
what in all likelihood will be a most benign and
receptive audience range from EMILY JONES, SILVER
STAIRS OF KETCHIKAN, DEAN McPHEE and STEREOCILIA
(surely the closest thing to a purely instrumental
Flying Saucer Attack). And speaking of the
disarming Emily, we are also joined by her old
collaborator Rowan Amber Mill who with Angeline
Morrison will perform as ROWAN:MORRISON and will
no doubt showcase their exquisite new “pagan folk”
album In The Sunshine We Rode The Horses.
Emily Jones
Stereocilia
So far so
frightfully British for the most part. However,
our globalist reputation remains undiminished as
we also welcome from the US of A, KOHOUTEK and
JESSE POE, who will be joined by Acid Mother’s
Templar MAKOTO KAWABATA from Japan, while
Australia is represented by the spiritual wonder
that is TRAPPIST AFTERLAND.
Other than that we
will have a People’s Free Stage for anyone who
wants to get up and have a go, which isn’t quite
as speculative as it all sounds given that many of
our friends are musically inclined and adept to
boot. Which kind of rules out that other “House
Band” the McMullen-Fraser Comb, Paper and Ukulele
Aggravation, no doubt much to the relief if not
celebration of a grateful Terrascope family.
If all that isn’t enough then this time Woolf will
be hosting a Print Fair, a festival within a
festival that brings Phil’s love of music and
printing together in one special place. Featuring
workshops and demonstrations of letterpress and
screen printing, there will be plenty of chance
for you to all get down, get hands-on and get
downright inky.
Woolf II – A Terrascope Celebration takes place on
the weekend of 8th and 9th June 2019 at Cleeve
House, Seend, Nr Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 6PG.
Tickets are limited to 200, are priced at £65
(with limited one-day tickets now also available)
and can be purchased here:
https://www.wegottickets.com/f/11900
Event information and playlists can be found here:
For further enquiries please contact event
director Ian Fraser ianf@terrascope.co.uk
Logo: Lisa Paice
|
|
|
 |
|
|