| Bellowhead | |
|---|---|
Bellowhead performing at the 2008 Celtic Connections festival |
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| Background information | |
| Genres | English folk music, electric folk, folk rock, folk |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Westpark, Navigator, Proper Music Distribution |
| Associated acts | Spiers and Boden, Belshazzar's Feast Hannah and Sam |
| Website | www.bellowhead.co.uk |
| Members | |
| John Spiers, Jon Boden, Benji Kirkpatrick, Paul Sartin, Rachael McShane, Ed Neuhauser, Pete Flood, Andy Mellon, Brendan Kelly, Justin Thurgur, Sam Sweeney | |
| Past members | |
| Giles Lewin, Gideon Juckes | |
Bellowhead are an English contemporary folk band originally brought together by John Spiers and Jon Boden. The eleven-piece band plays traditional dance tunes, folk songs and shanties, with arrangements drawing inspiration from a wide diversity of musical styles and influences. The band includes percussion and a four-piece brass section, and is particularly renowned for its energetic live performances. Bellowhead's musicians play more than 20 instruments between them; with six members providing vocals.
Contents |
The idea for the band came to Spiers and Boden while the duo were in a traffic jam on tour. The longer they sat in traffic, the more friends they thought to invite to join resulting in an initial ten-piece band. Before they had time to rehearse, the band were invited to play the first Oxford Folk Festival in April 2004, and were an instant success on their debut.[1]
As a result, they independently released a five-track EP, classified as English World Music, entitled E.P.Onymous, which generated very positive reviews. The following year, after only four gigs, the band won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Best Live Act 2005 for their live performances at festivals around Britain, including Cambridge Folk Festival and Womad Reading.[2] In 2006 Gideon Juckes joined the band, primarily playing the tuba, and they released their first full-length album, Burlesque, featuring material from the Napoleonic Wars, the American minstrel movement and sea-shanties from Brazil . They also appeared alongside Red Hot Chili Peppers, Keane and Thom Yorke on the BBC music programme Later... with Jools Holland, winning praise from Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis. In the 2007 Folk Awards they won Best Group and Best Live Act,[3] the following year they won Best Live Act once more.[4]
Towards the end of 2007 they became Artists in Residence at the Southbank Centre,[5] making their inaugural appearance with a Christmas Revels event. This was the first of many events there, including a nautically themed New Year's Eve party to celebrate 2009/10 with a silent disco and an ABBA themed céilidh. Going into 2011 the band once again hosted a New Year's Eve party, this time with a circus theme.[6]
In 2008 Bellowhead released their second album Matachin[5] and performed at the Proms which was broadcast live on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3.[7] Sam Sweeney joined the band on fiddles and bagpipes following the departure of Giles Lewin. The following year in August the band were approached about recording music for a 20th anniversary episode of The Simpsons.[8]
Bellowhead were named Best Live Act at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2010 for an unparalleled fourth time;[9] during this year Ed Neuhauser replaced Gideon Juckes on helicon and sousaphone. On 4 October in the same year, Bellowhead released their third studio album, Hedonism, which had been recorded in Abbey Road Studios. The album was produced by John Leckie.[10] In honour of the new album, the band developed a new ale named after the album. Several band members were involved with brewing process.[11] They finished out the year performing on Jools' Annual Hootenanny as well as hosting a circus themed event at the Southbank Centre.
Bellowhead also perform the theme tune on the new The Archers spin-off, Ambridge Extra.[12]
In May 2011, at the 02 academy in Bournemouth, the band recorded their new live DVD, Hedonism Live, which will be released in late November.[13]
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [14] |
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| 2006 | Burlesque
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- | |
| 2008 | Matachin
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73 | |
| 2010 | Hedonism
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57 |
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