After a festival-packed summer, The Urban Folk Quartet continue to celebrate their year-long 10th anniversary with an Autumn 2019 tour.
The dozen dates take The UFQ from Derby’s last surviving coaching inn (The Old Bell Hotel) to a 14th century Devonshire church (St Mary’s, Kingskerswell), by way of several arts centres and theatres.
Marking a decade together, the summer months saw the band temporarily transform into an eight-piece, and reimagine material from across their career. With added strings, brass and bass, the so-called ‘extended line-up’ made notable appearances at such major festivals as Green Man, Kendal Calling, Shambala, Shrewsbury and Towersey – where their electrifying set concluded with a standing ovation!
Now back to their core quartet – Joe Broughton (fiddle, mandolin, guitar), Paloma Trigás (fiddle), Tom Chapman (percussion) and Dan Walsh (banjo) – are out with a completely new set in readiness for their forthcoming new studio album, provisionally titled On The Things We Can Change.
Says Tom: “We’re really looking forward to playing these new tunes live, especially after the summer festival shows, which were very much about looking back and celebrating how far we’d come from our first gigs, in 2009.
“Rearranging some of those old tracks for the extended line-up has really invigorated us, and you can already hear that broader sound in the new material – it still sounds like The UFQ, but things are definitely moving into new areas. On stage it sometimes sounds like there’s still eight of us up there!”
Formed in the West Midlands during the summer of 2009, The Urban Folk Quartet quickly garnered a reputation for playing live, hosting high-energy, genre-defying acoustic shows featuring dazzling musicianship that left audiences breathless. After playing their first four concerts in four different countries (UK, Spain, Italy and Belgium) the quartet released their self-titled debut album in 2010. Five more long-players have followed to widespread acclaim with the most recent, Live III, released in 2016. Their seventh album will follow late 2019/ early 2020.
Though rooted in folk music, The UFQ’s sound defies easy categorisation, pulling in influences from Galicia and the Mediterranean, Asia, Europe, as well as American bluegrass and Celtic traditions.
For full details of The UFQ’s touring schedule see: www.theufq.com
LISTINGS
The UFQ – 10th Anniversary – Autumn Tour
Friday 27 September 2019
Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3NR
T: 01308 424 204
7.30pm
£16
www.bridport-arts.com
Thursday 3 October 2019
The North Wall Arts Centre, South Parade, Summertown, Oxford OX2 7JN
T: 01865 319450
7.30pm
£16/ £14
www.thenorthwall.com
Friday 4 October 2019
Derby Folk Festival – The Old Bell Hotel (Ballroom), 51 Sadler Gate, Derby DE1 3NQ
10.30pm
£10/ £8
www.derbyfolkfestival.co.uk
Tickets via: derbylive.co.uk
Thursday 10 October 2019
The George, 1 Broad Street, South Molton Devon EX36 3AB
8pm
£14/ £12
www.thegeorgesouthmolton.co.uk
Tickets via: theploughartscentre.org.uk
Friday 11 October 2019
St Mary’s Church, Church End Rd, Kingskerswell, Newton Abbot TQ12 5LD
7.30pm
£14
www.worldunlimited.co.uk
Sunday 13 October 2019
The Place, Bradgate Road, Bedford MK40 3DE
T: 01234 354321
7.30pm
£14/ £12
theplacebedford.ticketsolve.com
Friday 8 November 2019
Threlkeld Village Hall, Main Street, Threlkeld, Cumbria CA12 4RX
T: 07733 790308
8pm
£15/ £8
www.threlkeldvillagehall.org
Saturday 9 November 2019
Prohibition Bar, 25-27 Pink Lane, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne NE1 5D
8pm
£15
Also: Musicians Workshop 3pm-5pm, £10. Combined gig/ workshop ticket £20.
TyneValleyFolkTrain.co.uk
Friday 15 November 2019
Blaxhall Sessions, Blaxhall Village Hall, Church Road, Blaxhall, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 2DX
T: 01728 688452
7.30pm
£14
wegottickets.com/folkeast
Friday 22 November 2019
The Vyne Theatre/ Berkhamstead Arts Centre, Northbridge Road, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 1EH
T: 01442 818283
8pm
£14
www.berkhamstedartscentre.co.uk
Wednesday 27 November 2019
Stamford Arts Centre, 27 St Mary’s Street, Stamford, Lincs PE9 2DL
T: 01780 763203
7.30pm
£15/ £13
www.stamfordartscentre.com
Saturday 30 November 2019
The Swan Hotel, 73 High Street, Maldon, Essex CM9 5EP
8pm
£16.50
mactheatre.org.uk
MEDIA ASSETS / CONTACTS
The UFQ are available for selected interviews.
For all image and interview requests, please contact us:
Four Four Eight 