TRADarrr
It’s 45 years since Liege & Lief almost single-handedly created the genre folk-rock. Since then, that simple marriage of traditional music and electric instruments had been suborned and sidetracked, dissected and documented, Oystered, Albioned and Steeleyed.
Time for a fresh approach. Enter TRADarrr.
Punningly recalling the assault of the new which Fairport’s 1969 LP represented, they have reimagined folk rock, painting from a much larger palette, introducing the tints, tones and textures of a whole panoply of musical genres. As you’d expect, here are the precision percussion, searingly tasteful guitars, melodic basses and fiery fiddles that one associates with the genre. But in addition, one finds brass in truly British styles – the dazzling brightness of Purcell, the oomph of Elgar, the emotive richness of a Yorkshire brass band soloist - but also hints of jazz, trad and modern, and even the occasional mariachi riff), string sections, and countless astute references to a long legacy of pop and rock in its many forms. Not to mention 5 class vocalists, taking turns to deliver stand out performances.
With members including PJ Wright, Guy Fletcher and Mark Stevens, Marion Fleetwood , Gregg Cave and Gemma Shirley, they have understandably been called a ‘Folk-Rock supergroup’. Leave that for audiences to decide, but they have acquired a reputation as a great festival band, clearly enjoying what they do and delivering it with energy and style.
Band biog courtesy of Nigel Schofield
After the critical acclaim of their debut album, Cautionary Tales, the band have competed their second studio album, 'Further Tales of Love! Death! and Treachery!'
Reviews:
‘richly layered, expansive and continually rewarding’
Living Tradition
‘TRADarrr, as their name suggests, aren't re-inventing the wheel but what they are doing is making it a damn site more interesting and exciting to watch as it goes round!’
Fatea
‘a great band’
Folking.com
‘ambitious, imaginative and startling. It sizzles from start to finish. Essential listening.’
Spiral Earth
Website: