Two days of traditional folk, Americana, folk rock, bluegrass and everything in between, all live and free in the Tuesday Market Place. From 10:30am until 5pm each day.
Folk in the Town returns to King's Lynn for a sixth time on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July 2024.
Richard Tree from KL1 Radio will be compere on both days and it will be streamed by KL1 and West Norfolk Radio.
More about some of the artists
Georgia Shackleton
Having recently released her debut solo album 'Harry's Seagull' to critical acclaim, Georgia is currently touring solo material across the UK and Europe performing music as a duo with guitarist Aaren Bennett. Georgia works with fiddle, voice, tenor guitar and drones to create crisp arrangements of old English folk songs, and new compositions. Her self penned songs and traditional re-workings achieving national radio play on BBC radio 2, BBC radio 4, and a BBC 3 live session.
Georgia takes great influence from the traditional singers of the East of England. Traditional material she performs often stems from her native East Anglia and her own compositions are often inspired by stories from the region and the area's unique, compelling landscape. Her solo album, ‘Harry’s Seagull’ is a celebration of East Anglian traditional music. The album is named after a tune she wrote and dedicated to Harry Cox, after the touching discovery that he kept a wounded seagull as a pet for a period of time.
"Harry's Seagull shows just how invigorating traditional music can be and how old songs sung with affection can sparkle like new. One of the freshest and most appealing folk albums of the year" Folk Radio UK
"It could be the best thing she's done in her career thus far" ⋆⋆⋆⋆ RnR magazine
"Beautiful songs" Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2
Man The Lifeboats
Man the Lifeboats play raucous, upbeat folk music, for those who like a drink with their tunes. This London five-piece use an array of instruments to craft songs with big choruses that tell stories. Formed in the wake of a blistering Skinny Lister gig back in 2016, Harvey, Rich, Sam, Aaron and Dan have taken their shared love of straight-up lyrics, lilting mandolin and fiddle melodies and stomping beats and created a sound that would not be out of place at a party at the end of the world.
Influences? Well, up there with Skinny Lister we have the Pogues, Bellowhead, Waterboys, Tom Waits, Dylan, Springsteen, Frank Turner, Holy Moly & the Crackers, and of course, Chic. Throw all that in a cauldron and you end up with a blistering live experience, tales of lost evenings, ballads of doomed love and shanties about whisky-soaked nights, Michael Palin, and the end of the world.Tonic for these troubled times.
Harry Unhinged
In the late 1980's through to the 2000 s a King's Lynn rocky band named Harry & the Hooligans was in high demand in lots of N.W Norfolk rock venues. After many years our brilliant drummer Rick Meek had to leave (ill health) and we became Harry Unhinged (no drummer: Altho' we used other drummers on rock gigs). We've all had a constant love of acoustic music but haven't played together since 2009 other than a feature gig at the Phil Lascelles monthly acoustic club get together at the Queen Vic, Snettisham where Adrian saw us and asked us to perform at Folk in the Town.
We've all been part of many other bands: Graham (bass player) has been with the brilliant Part Time Blues Band for around 30 years, previously with Maureen & the 3 Piece Suite & others in King's Lynn. Ed started with folk music then joined the Geoff Stinton Musicmen showband which was one of Norfolk's top all round entertainment bands in the '70's then the Tony Fields Selection, Mervyn J Futters Country All Star Band & of course Ed & Laura (a poppy, jazzy duo act).
Phil has been a mainstay with several King's Lynn bands and has also been a very successful solo artist being a great versatile singer for many years. Our material is selected from Ry Cooder, JJ Cale, the Wilburys, Bob Dylan etc. We hope you love it!
The Fried Pirates
The Fried Pirates, a motley 5-piece crew hailing from Norfolk, have been entertaining audiences across the county for over 10 years with their particular mix of toe-tapping, foot-stomping traditional folk and contemporary Americana.
With Adrian Tebbutt at helm, on mandolins and vocals, aptly aided by fellow pirates Roger Partridge on guitar and vocals, John Dollery on banjo, harmonica and cajon, Chris Jobson on flute, whistles, melodica, and percussion, and Sharon Clifton on vocals, their enthusiastic and fun approach is infectious.
Sing-along shanties, terrible tales of death and woe, songs of love and lust, and rousing anthems are all delivered in the pirates’ inimitable style – the perfect addition to any folk or beer festival.
Peddars Way
Peddars Way invite you to wander down their musical path on a journey of discovery through a blend of poignant lyrics, memorable melodies, catchy choruses and close harmonies. A fusion of folk, country, rock, pop and blues that evokes the emotions and resonates with audiences of all ages.
Chris Moorhouse, an accomplished guitarist, vocalist, composer and seasoned professional, joined forces with relative newcomer and Sharon Clifton in 2022. Sharon has helped bring Chris’ original compositions back to life. More recently they have started collaborating on song writing, combining their eclectic musical influences.
The Norfolk-based duo mix the old with the new, delighting audiences with a sense of the familiar, whilst surprising them with fresh material, all of which is easy on the ear and offers a glimpse of its romantic underbelly. There is no doubt that your shoulders will sway, your feet will tap, and you may just find you go home with an earworm or two!
Their original music has been played on numerous radio stations across the country including local stations West Norfolk Radio, Poppyland Radio, KL1 Radio and Radio West Norfolk. Their latest single, Disappointment, a light-hearted look at online dating, released on 31 January 2024, was reported by Rodney Collins as ‘doing really well on his weekend radio show’.
2024 will see the launch of their first album ‘Under the Stars’.
Find out more at peddarswaymusic.com.
Different Accents
Different Accents are a band that have been together for around about 10 years but have been getting together in sessions for many years. The band consists of Banjo, Dobro, Guitar, Mandolin and upright bass.
Our main love is Bluegrass and Country with a splash of folk and blues. All members of the band have been playing for over 30 years individually and love to make good music together.
Chris Moore
Chris Moore is a guitarist and singer with a particular interest in interpreting traditional folk songs. His music brings energy and vibrant guitar arrangements to both the old songs and his own songwriting. Over the years he has acquired a broad range of musical influences, from folk musicians such as Richard Thompson, Nic Jones and Bellowhead, and the worlds of blues, jazz and classical music.
Chris has been playing music in various settings since his early teens. During his time studying music at Bangor University, Chris played in several bands, including as a bass player in a jazz trio and blues / rock band and lead guitarist in a progressive rock band. This was also the time that he started to develop his interest in interpreting traditional songs.
Chris's Album 'Old Roots and New Shoots' is available on download from Bandcamp and on CD.
Gypsy Candlesticks plus Guests
King's Lynn, Great Britain native Yve Mary B Brook met Luverne Alabama native Tony Brook in 2010. They have been creating music together ever since.
Yve has performed from London’s Royal Festival Hall to Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe to Festival Too! Tony has opened shows for the likes of Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Government Mule.Together they blend Americana Folk Indie Blues into a Truly Trans-Atlantic Experience.
Joe & Mary
Joe & Mary are a quirky acoustic duo hailing from North Norfolk who love to travel around sharing their music wherever they go, playing original, traditional and rarely heard covers in the genre of Country-Blues & Americana - Gospel. At its best!
They've been so lucky to be invited to play at cool pubs, cafes, fine restaurants, colourful artisan creative events - including live local radio sessions and have had music aired by the BBC.
From intimate venues to headlining main festivals, they really do pack a punch having Deepdale Festival, the famous Albatros Ship, Strumpshaw Tree Fair, Harlequin Fayre, Maverick Festival 'Jimmie Rodgers' stage; also 'The Travelling Medicine Show' stage, CB2 Cambridge, Grapevine - Ed Sheeran Ipswich Festival, Folk In The Town, Norwich Arts Centre, Cromer Folk On The Pier, Sheringham Little Theatre to name a few, but Joe & Mary enjoy whatever the gig, meeting up with old friends and making new ones along the way...
Romy G
Romy’s music and songwriting life starts way back in the early 1980’s in her home Town, London, with her first band, an all female five piece called Drunk on Cake, playing their own brand of original music at popular independent and thriving venues, such as Camden’s Powerhaus and Dingwalls to Brixton’s Ace Club, and later finding herself in an 8 piece World Music band called Speaking in Tongues, gracing the stages of the ICA and The Marquee and filling out the Borderline as resident band. Her claim to fame was headlining an evening with support by an extremely talented Tori Amos making her mark on the Uk.
Romy later moved to Norfolk for a quieter lifestyle and started to make her own mark on the world when she decided to go solo and begin recording her own music.
“I’ve always been a fan of songwriters who can take a step back from life, really look at it in detail, make sense of it and then turn that perspective into something beautiful. A modern and feistily independent example of such is Romy Gensale” Helen Robinson, Sounds Magazine.
Romy’s signature, eclectic songwriting style offers dark and angry songs such as Scream and Changing You; thoughtful story telling in How Much More and If You Get Real Close and compassionate heartfelt songs such as Little Bird and Disappear.
The Whickers
7 piece West Norfolk based country and folk band. Currently raising money for Tapping House, a charity close to their hearts.
The Bounty Hounds
The past 18 years or so have seen The Bounty Hounds performing on folk festival stages across the country from the Welsh Borders to the South Coast, from The West Country to North Yorkshire, from the Midlands to East Anglia.
So, who are The Bounty Hounds? Much more than just another folk band with a drum kit, this is real folk/rock. Who says so? well, we do, but don’t just take our word for it.
“Extensive use by the band of electric guitar differentiates it from the hundreds of other 'folk rock' bands on the circuit at the moment.” (FATEA)
Well established as a festival band, and again, don’t just take our word for it.
“Bringing traditional and their own songs to life with a beat and a bounce. Folk-rock at it's best” (Swanage Folk Festival)
Featuring Kev’s driving bass lines, Mart holding the whole thing together behind the drum kit, and Chris’s searing electric guitar driving the back line, with Robbie’s powerful melodeon and John on Guitar, Bouzouki, Mandolin, Banjo and vocals providing the folky influence at the front.
Currach Crew
The Currach Crew is a two man band of Markus and Brin.
Markus Bischoff - Originally influenced by Hard Rock, Heavy Metal and Blues, Markus played lead guitar in various Rock Cover bands. Due to lack of time for a big band, he founded together with two other musicians a small Acoustic Band playing cover songs from all kinds of centuries and countries. Still enjoying the former music styles, he discovered his liking for Folk Music and Sea Shanties, despite the total absence of the sea and ships in Southern Germany.
Brin Siller - Brin grew up in a Scottish family, where Folk Music was the standard diet. He sang in Folk Clubs on Tyneside, in Hertfordshire and in Norfolk. A member of the Blakeney Old Wild Rovers for over 15 years, and more recently the Leisböhler Seemöven Shantychor in Germany, he teamed up with Markus one year ago to sing and play Sea Songs, Shanties and Celtic Folk music. Together they have been gigging in their local area since last year.
Ouse Washes Molly Dancers
Ouse Washes Molly Dancers have been performing the traditional Molly dances of the Fens since 1984. Based in Norfolk, UK, we regularly perform at major international festivals in the UK and beyond. Our powerful dances and mysterious stories from the depths of the Fens provide our audiences with a memorable experience! New members are always welcome to join us.
Although some of our very earliest dances were adapted from existing molly and morris dances, most of our dances have been inspired by the rich store of myths, legends and folk-tales to be found in the Fens of East Anglia. Old or new, our dances remain firmly rooted in tradition.
The King's Morris
The King's Morris was formed in 1978 performing Cotswold Morris dances from many traditions across middle England.
The King's Morris present dancing tours in North-West Norfolk on bank holidays, and on some Friday evenings in Summer we dance outside local village pubs. On the second Sunday in September we invite several other dance teams to join us for massed Morris in King's Lynn (as part of Heritage Open Day). Like many other teams we perform on Boxing Day to mark the "re-discovery" of Morris dancing in 1899 by the folklorist Cecil Sharp. And we take great pride in presenting the traditional King's Lynn May Garland on May Day.
The dancers outfits consist of white shirts and trousers, and light grey top hats. Their baldrics, bellpads and hat ribbons are in the King's Lynn town colours of blue and yellow. We wear the old heraldic shield of the town, showing three dragons' heads, on our baldrics. Our musicians perform the traditional dance tunes on fiddle, melodeons, accordion and pipe-and-tabor.
