10 Musicians you will see at Folk Festival on the Dock

It’s almost August Bank Holiday weekend and have we got a treat for you! How do you fancy a four-day freebie merging Liverpool’s best musical talent and maritime heritage?

Folk Festival on the Dock is taking place right across the bank holiday weekend and the programme is bursting with brilliant local artists performing acoustic sets. From traditional sea shanties and choral performances to contemporary artists and award-winning singers and song writers playing acoustic sets in stunning surroundings.

Totally family friendly, Folk Festival on the Dock invites you and yours to head on down and sample some new music, have a few drinks or a family dinner in one of the tonnes of restaurants and bars, and maybe discover your new favourite band!

Here’s our top ten performers that you simply must see this bank holiday weekend!

The Christians – Playing an acoustic set in the unique Tate Gallery setting, Liverpool legends, The Christians performance is bound to be a sell-out. Get your tickets here.

Eleanor Nelly – Fresh from her stint on our stage at Liverpool Loves, LIMF graduate Eleanor will be flying the flag for a new wave of local artists at this year’s festival.

Laura J Martin – Singer/Songwriter and flute player, Laura J Martin is making a home-coming trip to perform tracks from her stunning 2016 album ‘On The Never Never’ on Sunday 28^th August. She also has a winning fringe in our humble opinion!

Blair Dunlop – BBC Folk Award Winner, Blair will also be performing at this year’s festival before embarking on a UK tour supporting former Bellowhead frontman Jon Boden. More info here.

Henry Priestman – Henry is delighted about performing alongside guitarists Pete Riley, Les Glover and violinist Pete Whitfield, as they play live in the Tate Gallery, writing on his Facebook they’re like ‘3 naughty school kids’ when they get together. We can’t wait to see them live!

Sam Winston – Sam also took to social media to share his excitement about playing Folk on the Dock saying “V excited for this one, the dock is gonna rock” Check out his most recent live performance with BBC Radio Northampton here.

Karen Turley – Northern Irish born Karen has been playing the guitar since she was 15 and following a once in a lifetime trip to Nashville (on a song writing course no less) she is stopping by her adopted home of Liverpool to show us what she’s got! Catch Karen on bank holiday Monday.

The Lost Brothers – Irish duo The Lost Brothers recorded their last album ‘New Songs of Dawn and Dusk’ at Parr Street Studios and will be joining the Saturday line up at the Albert Dock.

Winter Wilson – Folk with a splash of blues is the name of the game for Kip Winter and Dave Wilson. With a reputation for creating beautiful harmonies theyre sure to pick up even more fans as they play Folk on the Dock on Saturday 27^th August.

Tom Kitching – Riding high on the waves of his first solo album ‘Interloper’ released 18 months ago, fiddle playing Tom is bringing his vibrant style of performance to Liverpool this bank holiday weekend.

It’ll come as no surprise that we’re a UNESCO City of Music with that line up!

If you’d like to get involved the Albert Dock are still looking for support by calling on artists and promoters that fall within the folk, acoustic and roots genre to get in touch and join the party – from buskers, choirs, and dancers to percussion bands and spoken word performers.

Canal boat owners and artisan food and contemporary hand-craft merchants are also urged to get in touch, while volunteers to help with the operations are also called upon.

Interested artists, promoters and merchants can email programming@fitthebill.com, while volunteers should contact volunteers@fitthebill.com.

Part of the Albert Dock Liverpool 175 strategy, and supported by Liverpool City Council, Folk Festival on the Dock will also feature the premier of a brand new sea shanty for the modern day. Commissioned by Albert Dock, and written by Jason Ellis and Kathryn Rudge, Our Liverpool Song will be performed during a unique choral event on the Sunday (August 28, at 12.30pm). Voices on the Water will see choirs singing the new song across the Colonnades at Albert Dock, paying homage to the role Liverpool has played in importing and exporting folk music around the world via the seas and its waterways.

A second free stage will provide a platform to promote new and local talent in Anchor Courtyard. The Stan Ambrose Stage has been launched and named in tribute to the long-running BBC Radio Merseyside host of Folkscene, who recently passed away. Stan was renowned for his passion for encouraging emerging talent.

More details are available at www.albertdock.com and of course we’ll be posting updates as they go live.

We’ll see you there!