‘Live at the Minack’ DVD out 30 Nov 2009
November 3, 2009
Back in May this year, Seth played an amazing sell-out show at the Minack Theatre in Porthcurno, Cornwall. Set on the cliff edge, the Minack Theatre is a beautiful and unique outdoor amphitheatre – a truly fitting venue for Seth’s story telling lyrics and foot stomping performances.
The magical show was captured for Seth’s first live DVD – released on 30th November. ‘Live at the Minack’ features songs from his three hit albums Kitty Jay, Freedom Fields and Poor Man’s Heaven, and perfectly captures this amazing venue in all its glory. The DVD will be available from 30th November.
Keep an eye on the Twitter feed for pre-order links.
Autumn/Winter UK Tour Starts Tonight
November 3, 2009
After a warm-up gig in Chesterfield on Saturday Seth’s UK tour starts with a vengeance tonight in Cambridge and takes in cities across the UK in November and December culminating with a night at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire.
We’re promised yet more new songs on this tour, after which Seth is heading into the studio to finalised the new album which is set to be released in Spring 2010.
If you haven’t got your tickets already, get them now by clicking one of the links below. Support on the tour comes from 6 Day Riot.
Autumn/Winter 09 Tour Dates
Tue 3 Nov Cambridge Junction
Tickets: 01223 511511 | www.junction.co.uk
Wed 4 Nov Aylesbury Civic Centre
Tickets: 01296 486009 | gigantic.com | ticketweb.co.uk
Thu 5 Nov Norwich Waterfront
Tickets: 01603 508050 | www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Thu 6 Nov Brighton Corn Exchange
Tickets: 02072 879482 | www.bigwheeltickets.com
Fri 7 Nov Poole Lighthouse
Tickets: 02072 879482 | www.bigwheeltickets.com
Sat 8 Nov Falmouth Pavillions
Tickets: 02072 879482 | www.bigwheeltickets.com
Tue 10 Nov Warwick University, The Copper Rooms
Tickets: 02476 572777 | www.seetickets.com
Wed 11 Nov Nottingham Rock City
Tickets: ticketmaster.co.uk | gigantic.com
Thu 12 Nov Edinburgh HMV Picture House
Tickets: www.ticketweb.com
Fri 13 Nov Manchester Academy 2
Tickets: 01618 32111 | www.seetickets.com
Sat 14 Nov Salisbury City Hall
Tickets: 01722 434434 | gigantic.com | ticketweb.co.uk
Mon 7 Dec Exeter University Great Hall
Tickets: 01392 263518 | www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Tue 8 Dec Oxford Town Hall
Tickets: gigantic.com | ticketmaster.co.uk
Wed 9 Dec Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
Tickets: gigantic.com | ticketmaster.co.uk
Thu 10 Dec Cheltenham Town Hall
Tickets: gigantic.com | www.ticketweb.co.uk
Fri 11 Dec Bristol 02 Academy
Tickets: gigantic.com | www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Sat 12 Dec London 02 Shepherds Bush Empire
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Watch: Solomon Browne Live at Shrewsbury Folk 09
November 3, 2009
Top quality official festival video of Seth’s live performance on the main stage at Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2009.
Watch: Cormac Byrne on-stage with Seth at Cropredy 09
August 21, 2009
A nostalgic moment for long-time fans, as Cormac Byrne joins Seth on-stage for a classic performance of ‘Lady of the Sea’ at Fairport’s Cropredy Convention 2009. Cormac, with his dazzling bodhran playing, was Seth’s original percussionist. Before he left the regular band this pairing of fiddle and bodhran for the high-energy Lady of the Sea was a staple of the live set. Cormac last toured with the band in Autumn 2007.
Cormac now devotes most of his time to his own band, celtic folk trio Uiscedwr (www.uiscedwr.com).
Other good videos (all on YouTube) from Cropredy – with its big stage, huge crowd, and massive light show – include this good quality recording of set-opener The Storm (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8Ktkv4pQKs) and I have a soft spot for this one of set closer Race to be King (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnN2k3Kr3C8) – despite the shakey camera – perfectly capturing the wild atmosphere of the night.
Last minute addition to Beautiful Days line-up
August 20, 2009
Seth is a last minute addition to the Leveller’s Beautiful Days festival this weekend, after Friday’s scheduled Big Top headliner, Richard Thompson, broke a finger.
Tickets for the festival are sold out.
Backstage at Cropredy with Radio FiveLive
August 19, 2009
Seth Lakeman plays Kitty Jay backstage at Cropredy. Click for full size version. Photo from @wittertainment
Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode caught up with Seth backstage at Cropredy last Friday for an exclusive performance of Kitty Jay and short interview, before his field-storming headline performance that night.
You can listen again on iPlayer until this Friday (starts around the 58min mark after the Kermode film reviews) and on the Simon Mayo podcast (at about 16min mark).
Listen to the podcast
Download » (right-click and choose ’save target…’)
Background folk/punk mashups by Ade Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds.
Watch: Seth performing The Leveller’s, ‘The Boatman’ (2005)
August 6, 2009
Seth accompanies The Lev’s Simon Friend on the classic Leveller’s track, The Boatman. Simon was a surprise guest at this gig with Seth Lakeman and Benji Kirpatrick at Ely Folk Club way back in January 2005.
Thanks to Mary Stokes for the find.
More winter tour dates
June 3, 2009
The winter tour is filling out with eight additional dates announced. See the gigs page for the complete list of Winter 2009 tour dates known so far.
New dates:
Tue 3 Nov Cambridge Junction
Tickets: 01223 511511 | www.junction.co.uk
Wed 4 Nov Aylesbury Civic Centre
Tickets: 01296 486009 | gigantic.com | ticketweb.co.uk
Thu 6 Nov Brighton Corn Exchange
Tickets: 02072 879482 | www.bigwheeltickets.com
Fri 7 Nov Poole Lighthouse
Tickets: 02072 879482 | www.bigwheeltickets.com
Sat 8 Nov Falmouth Pavillions
Tickets: 02072 879482 | www.bigwheeltickets.com
Tue 10 Nov Warwick University, The Copper Rooms
Tickets: 02476 572777 | www.seetickets.com
Thu 12 Nov Edinburgh HMV Picture House
Tickets: www.ticketweb.com
Tue 8 Dec Oxford Town Hall
Tickets: gigantic.com | ticketmaster.co.uk
See the gigs page for the complete list of Seth Lakeman Winter 2009 tour dates.
See also: Tickets on sale for UK Tour, Nov/Dec 2009, and other gig news, 1 June 2009 »
Bright Young Folk interview Seth Lakeman
June 2, 2009
Bright Young Folk interviewed Seth before the London Union Chapel gig on 24 May 2009. The video interview is in two parts. The first is devoted to the new tracks showcased on the tour and Benji Kirkpatrick joining the band line-up, and is probably the most in-depth interview to date on plans for the next album – which will be the first not produced by Seth and brother Sean. The second part covers questions sent in by website readers.
Part 1, on the next album:
Part 2, in which BYF put some of your questions to Seth, including his favourite Equation record, writing on the fiddle and working with brother Sean:
You can add your own comments on the interviews on the Bright Young Folk website.
See also: More winter tour dates, 3 June 2009 »
Tickets go on sale for a number of dates on Seth Lakeman’s winter 2009 UK tour this morning, Mon 1 June.
Dates so far include:
Thu 5 Nov Norwich Waterfront
Tickets: 01603 508050 | www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Wed 11 Nov Nottingham Rock City
Tickets: ticketmaster.co.uk | gigantic.com
Thu 12 Nov Edinburgh HMV Picture House
Tickets: www.ticketweb.com
Fri 13 Nov Manchester Academy 2
Tickets: 01618 32111 | www.seetickets.com
Sat 14 Nov Salisbury City Hall
Tickets: 01722 434434 | gigantic.com | ticketweb.co.uk
Mon 7 Dec Exeter University Great Hall
Tickets: 01392 263518 | www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Wed 9 Dec Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
Tickets: gigantic.com | ticketmaster.co.uk
Thu 10 Dec Cheltenham Town Hall
Tickets: gigantic.com | www.ticketweb.co.uk
Fri 11 Dec Bristol 02 Academy
Tickets: gigantic.com | www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Sat 12 Dec London 02 Shepherds Bush Empire
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.co.uk
See the gigs page » for details and more dates as they are announced.
Tickets are also on sale for two dates in Swansea and Cardiff in late September.
European Tour, October 2009
Prior to the UK dates Seth will be touring mainland Europe and Scandinavia, with a number of dates in the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark during October 2009. See the gigs page » for details.
Summer Festival News
Seth has been officially added to the line-up for Glastonbury and V Festival. He’ll play Glasto’s Avalon stage on Sunday 28 June, and V Festival (location TBC) on Sun 23 Aug.
Seth is also appearing at a number of smaller festivals, including Brecon Jazz Festival (Fri 7 Aug) and the first Harvest at Jimmy’s, at Jimmy’s Farm of TV fame in Suffolk on Sun 13 Sep. There’ll also be a unique opportunity to catch Seth playing completely solo, without his usual band, at local Devon festival, Chagstock, on the edge of Dartmoor on Fri 17 July .
Full list of summer 09 festival appearances on – you guessed it – the gigs page »
Two interviews with Wales Online
May 31, 2009
Seth Lakeman gave two interviews in local Welsh press to promote the recent tour, which stopped off in Cardiff on Sat 23 May. They’re both up on WalesOnline.
On the benefits on being with a major label:
“when it comes down to it, you still can’t beat that massive marketing push major labels are able to provide so that’s what we did in signing for Relentless.
To be honest, the label didn’t do as much promotion for [Poor Man's Heaven] as it has for others, but to get the album in the pop charts was quite cool.
I think the amazing thing for us was that it showed us how many dedicated followers and fans we have.”
On album.next:
“I have already written my next album; I’ve got 20 or so songs to chose from, and I will be playing a lot of those [on the tour]”
… He promises his next record “pushes the rock envelope even further”…
“I can see myself making all kinds of records in the future, dance, rock, whatever. I am very ambitious.”
And, in what I realise for some will be the most important part of the interview, it is confirmed that yes, Seth Lakeman does have a “very lovely” girlfriend.
Full Interviews:
‘Seth Lakeman grows his own success‘, Gavin Allen, Western Mail, 22 May 2009
‘Seth Lakeman is one of the cool folk‘, Gavin Allen, South Wales Echo, 20 May 2009
A couple of interviews in local West Country press ahead of Seth’s UK tour, which kicks off tomorrow.
North Devon Journal, Thu 14 May 2009
The North Devon Journal interviewed Seth ahead of his gig at Barnstaple’s Queen’s Hall on Thu 18 May.
Seth has been holed-up at home on Dartmoor over the winter writing new material:
"I prefer to write here. I find it quite difficult to be anywhere else. I like to go out and explore while I’m doing it to try and feed off the wilds."
If you made it to any of the March club dates you’ll have already been privileged to hear the results of these wild winter rambles. But if you didn’t, never fear. Seth promises those attending the forthcoming tour gigs won’t miss out:
"We are going to play loads and loads of new songs," he reveals. "You will hear the music from our other three records but we’ve got some exciting new stuff."
…
"I love performing. It’s my favourite part of music. It’s great fun to get a reaction from the crowd and I hope that they go away with a different perception of how acoustic music can be played. That is quite unique in what we do."
On a more light-hearted note, he reminisces about the ghost he once shared a house with (who, according to other interviews, also used to randomly turn on the gas):
"She was a nice ghost . … She used to send us out every night to the pub … We couldn’t help it. We had to go. She locked the door behind us."
Yeah. Right.
Lots more in the full interview: Seth Lakeman tells Rosanna Rothery why he believes in ghosts », North Devon Journal/thisisnorthdevon.co.uk , Thu 14 May 2009
ThisIsCornwall, Wed 13 May 2009
Minack Theatre, Cornwall © Mat Strange
A much shorter piece, whose main interest is that it confirms plans to film the gig at Cornwall’s dramatic open-air Minack Theatre next Tues for a live DVD release.
"It really is such an amazing venue," said Seth, … "We are one of the first to play and record there – it is a real privilege and we are all pretty excited about it – let’s just hope we get some good weather."
Full story: Seth Lakeman returns ‘home’ for Minack gig », ThisIsCornwall.co.uk, Wed 13 May 2009.
Seth nominated for Ireland’s Music Awards
May 15, 2009
Seth has been nominated for Best Male Vocalist in Ireland’s Music Awards, which celebrate the best in traditional Irish, celtic and folk music.
Vote for Seth at www.irelandsmusicawards.com/nominees.php?c=18&id=83
Sister-in-law Cara Dillon is up for Best Female Vocalist, alongside fellow former Equation member Kate Rusby. You can see all the nominees across all categories at www.irelandsmusicawards.com/nominees.php
Voting closes on 15 July 2009.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony as part of The World Fleadh festival in Castlebar, Co Mayo on 1st August.
Support Acts for May 2009 Tour
May 12, 2009
Update 21 May: Benji Kirkpatrick played support at Minack Theatre on Tue 20 May, but for the rest of the tour will be playing as part of the main band and not as a support act. There will, apparently, be no support act for most of the dates except Bath and possibly Barnstaple.
Sorry for the confusion. I still thoroughly recommend Benji’s solo album though ;-)
Benji Kirkpatrick will play support for all bar two dates on Seth’s forthcoming UK tour, which kicks off in Birmingham this Sunday, 17 May at the Minack Theatre on Tue 19 May. Support for Birmingham on 17 May will be from Megson and Nancy Elizabeth, with local band Inu appearing at Bath on 3 June.
Benji Kirkpatrick:
Support at Minack Theatre, Tue 19 May
Band member all other tour dates
Photo © Hugo Morris
Perhaps best known as founder member of Bellowhead and Faustus, committments to which have left little time for his own solo career, Benji is a gifted player of guitar, bouzouki and banjo as well as a singer/songwriter. A long-time collaborator with Seth Lakeman, they toured as a duo and as a trio with Oysterband’s Jon Jones in Seth’s pre-Mercury Music Prize days, and Benji has guested on most of Lakeman’s albums, with Seth returning the favour on Benji’s 2008 solo album, Boomerang.
Where Bellowhead and Faustus deliver new takes on traditional material, Benji’s solo work sees him follow in the footsteps of Nick Drake and Richard Thompson with original, self-penned contemporary songs which reflect his traditional roots but are never purely "folk". Boomerang struggled to achieve the exposure it deserved after Benji’s committments to Bellowhead and Faustus left little time to tour with it. Still, he’s recently managed to pack in a few solo dates with fellow former Seth Lakeman band member Cormac Byrne (bodhran) and Sam Norman (double bass).
After playing support at Minack Theatre on 19 May as a solo artist, Benji will be joining Seth’s regular band of Sean Lakeman (guitar), Ben Nicholls (double bass) and Simon Lea (percussion) for the rest of the tour.
Benji Kirkpatrick Links
Website | MySpace
Boomerang: Amazon | iTunes | Spotify
Here’s Benji – joined by Seth Lakeman on fiddle, and Megson’s Su Hanna – at one of his few solo dates of 2008:
Megson & Nancy Elizabeth:
Birmingham Symphony Hall, Sun 17 May
Support at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall will be provided by folk duo Megson, and singer Nancy Elizabeth.
Megson are highly rated folk duo Stu Hanna and Debbie Hanna-Palmer. They have released three albums since coming together in 2004, including 2008’s critically acclaimed Take Yourself a Wife, which earned 4-star reviews from The Guardian and Songlines magazine.
In the incestuous world that is folk music, Stu Hanna of was producer on Benji Kirkpatrick’s album, Boomerang.
Megson Links
Website | MySpace | Last.fm
Take Yourself a Wife: Amazon | iTunes
Nancy Elizabeth is a contemporary singer/songwriter from Manchester, with a vaguely Dido-esque vocal style that contrasts to the strong folk vein of the other support acts for the tour. Her most recent solo album is 2007’s Battle and Victory, but she also appears in more recent collaborations on James Yorkston’s When the Haar Rolls In and with Susumu Yokota on mother.
Nancy Elizabeth Links
Website | MySpace
Inu:
Komedia Bath, Wed 3 June
Members of local Bath folk act, Inu, will be support at Komedia on 3 June. Marick Baxter (Flutes and Whistles)
Louise Baxter (Guitar and Vocals) and Beth Porter (Cello) play strong, fairly straight renditions of Irish traditional music (and none the worse for it). They have a new album out, The Thousand Mile Journey, which you can buy from their website.
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