Goblin Band and Craven

Goblin Band

Goblin Band has been a rising star of the London folk scene for the past two years, attracting fans from across genres and receiving praise from established folk legends such as Martin Carthy.

The group formed organically from intimate sessions run out of Hobgoblin Music, a folk instrument shop in Central London, organised by a group of queer folk obsessive friends and shop employees.

While their sound is rooted in the traditional music of the British Isles they also draw widely on medieval and early music, as well as folk traditions from abroad. Their debut album, Come Slack Your Horse!, features passionate performances of six traditional songs that hold political messages still deeply relevant today.

Perhaps what sets them apart most is their sense of charisma and fun - their flamboyant live performances are known to encourage raucous and joyful audience participation, reminding us of folk music’s community-centred origins.

“They can play and they can sing and they’re fearless…When I saw Goblin Band singing recently, I just thought, “Why didn’t I think of that?’’ - Martin Carthy

Craven

Bristol/Stroud based Craven perform traditional ballads with crafted arrangements. Their genre-bending sound world takes influences from punk, electronic dance and classical chamber music. Approaching the heavy themes of traditional folk with irony and wry wit, they find queer and contemporary ideas in old songs, and bring out new meanings for new contexts.

Their debut release, Baby Vs Crow', exemplifies this tongue-in-cheek attitude. A mixtape consisting of six traditional folk songs, it showcases their breadth of sound from the bright, punk-lead "Arthur McBride", to the darker "Crow on the Cradle'' with synth-like arpeggiation.

Craven is composed of Will Bremner (Melodeon/Concertina), Elian Moisey (Double Bass/Viola da Gamba), and Rhiannon Takel (Fiddle/Mandola).

Doors open at 7pm, on-stage at 7.30pm.

Promoted by EFDSS.