Bellowhead to celebrate 20th anniversary of 'Burlesque' at Princess Theatre

A good night out is promised on November 17 at the Princess Theatre when Bellowhead are in town. The folk band with a mighty 11 members promise a rip-roaring show as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first full-length album ‘Burlesque’. The band has 2 silver discs and has won 8 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, and they are the most‑awarded group in the history of the Folk Awards.

‘Burlesque’ was the album that won them their first award and includes some of their best-known songs, including London Town and Rigs of The Time. For those of you who don’t know the album, for the first few seconds of the album, one hears what sounds like an orchestra tuning up, and then they launch into "Rigs of the Time," it’s a punchy number with horns and thought-provoking lyrics

When you’ve got eleven musicians in one band, you’d better make sure every last one of them earns their keep, and Bellowhead certainly do. A lot of imagination has gone into it, and the end result is hugely entertaining. The live show threatens to be a blast.

One of the band's founding members, Jon Boden, has won 11 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and it's fair to say he's hugely influential in folk circles. Along with being a multi-instrumentalist and member of several bands, he is also the chap who came up with A Folk Song a Day back in 2010. The idea was to inspire others to build a collection of songs and promote social singing. He has a book coming out next month telling the story of the project. The completed book has 365 songs in it. In addition, there have been 12 digital albums (one for each month) released.

If folk music is your thing, you might be able to grab a spot to see Steve Knightley & The Winter Yards Band, joined by special guest Megan Henwood, for a cosy evening of songs and stories in the beautiful medieval barn at Higher Eggbeer Farm on the 8th November. It's a rare chance to catch the band in such a unique venue, complete with a very small audience, making for a really special night. Please contact Alistair Scott-Lawson on 07850 136131 or email [email protected]. There may be a few tickets left. Failing that, they play the Exmouth Pavilion on 6th December.

Steve Knightley is one of the UK’s most respected folk singer-songwriters and is probably best known as co-founder of the much-admired folk duo Show of Hands. Having spent decades with Show of Hands, Steve now performs solo and with The Winter Yards Band, bringing together traditional folk music and powerful storytelling with a modern feel to it. It seems to be proving a hit with audiences across the country.

And if that’s not enough, another headliner from the folk world will be at Ashburton Arts Centre on 5th November. Yes, folk favourite Martyn Joseph, one of the UK's most respected singer-songwriters, will be playing live. His performances are known to be full of energy, and with just his acoustic guitar and harmonica, he seems able to make it sound like a full band.

Over a 40-year career, he has released 27 studio albums and won awards including Best Male Artist at the BBC Welsh Music Awards. People have hailed him as “The Welsh Springsteen, a reflection of the energy and length of his live shows. Martyn is a committed activist, co-founding the Let Yourself Trust, which has raised over £1 million for causes worldwide.

Let Yourself believes that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference. It raises awareness, supports worthwhile causes and helps shine a spotlight on people and communities who need to be heard and could do with a helping hand. One of their current projects helps the Children's Choir for SE Cornwall.

I would say combining folk music and being kind is a perfect match.