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Thursday, 20 October 2011

Steve Tilston and Becky Unthank talk about living in Hebden Bridge and the upcoming Folk Roots Festival

Steve TilsonSteve Tilston and Becky Unthank talk about living in Hebden Bridge and their Folk Roots Festival; 19 November at the Trades Club. (Listen now to the 20 minute interview)

Hebden Bridge is a great place to live for music and musicians and ‘tailor made’ for a folk festival,  according to leading folkies Steve Tilstona and Becky Unthank. Steve was part of the singer songwriter revival in the early sixties and early 70s having many songs recorded by the likes of Fairport Convention and being praised by John Lennon.

Becky is part of thre Unthanks, current stars of the latest folk revival. They are both involved in organizing the Hebden Bridge Folk Roots festival on 19-20 November..

In an interview with Dave Boardman on www.hbfolkfest.co.uk (originally on Phoenix Radio, Halifax) they describe their excitement at playing together at the festival and the joy of living in a ‘folk ghetto’ in the pennine town.

‘Its really lovely to get a chance to play with Steve, lots of people know about his guitar playing and songwriting,’ says Becky.  ‘Since moving to Hebden it really feels like I’m part of a community. There’s so many musicians around who come in and out of Hebden’

‘Hebden Bridge is tailor made for a folk festival of its own.’ He knew Becky as one of the ‘Whitby Babes’ along with her sister Rachel, Kate Rusby and whole new generation of female folk singers who were taken to Whitby Folk Week by their parents.

Though it is based at the Trades Club, Steve plans to expand the festival  to cover the whole town over the next few years

All performers are Yorkshire based. Headlining will be Chumbawamba, Grace Notes, Maia, Roger Davies and Ewan McLennan, who, according to Becky has a ‘gorgeous voice’. Flossie Maliaville is French, but since she’s been in the North of England she speaks English with a  Darlington accent.

On Sunday 20 November there will be a showcase of local musicians, a free event.

Betty UnthankThe interview highlights the nature of folk music being based in communities. ‘It seems natural,’ Becky says, ‘to sing about what you know. There are so many great songs to pick up and re interpret’.

Folk is ignored by the national media even though it reflects localities across the country. It really is the musuic of the people

Both are Beatles fans. With the Unthanks Becky has recorded Sexy Sadie, which can be heard on the website as part of the interview.

Becky is also part of an Unthanks pre Christmas tour in which they interpret the songs of Robert Wyatt and Anthony and the Johnsons. They will appear at the Hebden Bridge Picture House on 5-6 December as part of that tour.

See also

Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival

Listen now to Phoenix Radio interview with Steve and Becky.

HebWeb News: The best of folk at Hebden Bridge's Folk Roots Festival in November (August 2011)

 

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