Rising folk star brothers to play The Vale next month

They've opened for Lankum, gone down a storm at Cambridge and Sidmouth Folk Festivals, performed at Parisian circuses and now they're coming to The Vale in Mossley on Saturday, March 16.

And according to Manchester folk legend Mike Harding, booking The Brothers Gillespie is something of a coup.

The singer, songwriter, broadcaster and comedian said: “Warning to all folk fests and clubs.

"Book these lads while you still can because I have a feeling that they aren't going to be short of work."

The Brothers Gillespie - James and Sam - were born and raised amongst the fells and valleys of Northumberland and say music comes to them most strongly when walking in the borderlands with their backpacks and instruments.

Described by Folk Radio UK as ‘showing British acoustic music in its best possible light’, their songs often describe relationships with wild places.

Their current tour, stopping off at locations including Bristol, London, Sheffield, Nottingham, Stratford and of course Mossley, showcases their third album The Merciful Road, which was called ‘one of the finest albums you will hear this year’ by Folk London.

It is a collection of songs inspired by troubled times and was recorded in a cottage by the banks of the river Tweed, in the Scottish borders.

Support comes from Manchester singer-songwriter and street musician Chloe Lawrence, who was born in Essex and grew up in southern Spain.

Performing on a Spanish nylon string guitar, Chloe combines sprinklings of classical folk music and intricate finger-picking with her own fierce, independent modernity.

According to the Brothers, who grew up in the historic village of Wall, near one of the best preserved stretches of Hadrian's Wall and bordered by the rivers South Tyne and North Tyne, "Our music is inspired by the still wild soul of the land in which we live, a land alive with presences, not owned by anyone.

"It is about seeing with the eye of the heart and recovering our imaginations.

"It is about finding home, belonging and each other in a world which is singing to us as we sing to it."

Amelia Bayliss, general manager at The Vale, said: "The Brothers Gillespie have a reputation for magical and atmospheric live performances and we can't wait to see them at The Vale. 

"Audiences in Tameside and Saddleworth are well known for their love of folk music and this promises to be a very special night."

The Brothers Gillespie and Chloe Lawrence are at The Vale, Unit 2, Vale Mill, off Micklehurst Road, Mossley OL5 9JL on Saturday, March 16, 2024.

Tickets are £12.50 from the link here

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