The Road To Peterloo

— Ballads & Broadsides from the Radical North West —

News

North West Tonight

12th Sep 2019

We were thrilled to be invited to perform a song for North West Tonight to commemorate the bicentenary. If you missed the broadcast, you can watch us performing The Triumph of Liberty beside the new Peterloo monument below.

Festival full houses, dates added

1st Sep 2019

Onstage at the Spa Theatre, Whitby Folk Week

Onstage at the Spa Theatre, Whitby Folk Week

The folk festival season continued as it began, with full houses at Broadstairs and at the lovely old Spa Theatre in Whitby. In between those we had a really nice night at the Tyneside Irish Centre, with several old friends in the audience.

Laura's cap of liberty at Whitby Spa Pete’s introduction of replica Caps of Liberty to be worn during ‘With Henry Hunt We’ll Go’ has not proved universally popular with the band – particularly in a venue as hot as the Spa – but we think you’ll agree that Laura carries it off well.

We’ve added a new date at Shakespeare’s in Sheffield on September 29th (see ‘Gigs’ page) and are discussing dates for future performances in Scotland. Next stop, the Barlow in Edgworth, an area from which many marched to St Peter’s Fields 200 years ago.

Summer Tour in full swing

10th Aug 2019 Onstage at Manchester Central Library
Onstage at Manchester Central Library

We’re well and truly back on the road again! Laura’s returned from her maternity, and we celebrated by selling out the performance venue at Manchester Central Library on August 1st. Then down to Sidmouth Folk Week where the ‘House Full’ signs were up again at the Manor Pavilion Theatre, and we had a great audience with us all the way.

Gathered around the mikes at BBC Media City, Salford

Gathered around the mikes at BBC Media City, Salford

We also fitted in an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Front Row’ review programme, for which we performed ‘The Triumph of Liberty’ and got interviewed by a very enthusiastic presenter. You can listen on catch-up with BBC Sounds

So, onwards and upwards… to Broadstairs Folk Festival for a performance on August 12th, then to Newcastle, and then to Whitby Folk Week, which we’re really looking forward to. One or two more dates in the pipeline for the Autumn as well. Watch this space!

Live dates, CD on sale!

27th May 2019

So, now we’re up and running! Our sold-out debut gig at Glossop Labour Club was great fun, and we had a good night at Mellor Brook Community Centre as well. At the time of writing Laura is taking a few weeks off for her maternity leave, but we’ll all be back in action for Manchester Central Library on Thursday August 1st, and don’t forget it’s a 6.00 pm start. Tickets via Eventbrite.

In the meantime Pete and Brian are helping out Dr Alison Morgan – whose book ‘Ballads and Songs of Peterloo’ has been such an important source for us – by adding musical illustrations to her talks at various local libraries – including the Working Class Movement Library on July 3rd and Ashton-under-Lyne on July 29th.

The CD has just received its first review in The Living Tradition magazine, and we’re very pleased with it, and with the feedback we’re getting from buyers.

To buy your copy, go to Media and Shop.

Downloads are available through our Bandcamp page.

Feature in Living Tradition Magazine

16th Apr 2019

Living Tradition Magazine

We are thrilled to have a front cover feature in the current (April/May) Living Tradition magazine. Read all about the project and what we’ve been up to in our interview with Simon Haines.