California meets Essex in this special country-Americana tour, featuring California singer-songwriter Cindy Kalmenson along with fast-rising Essex-based rootsy country singer-songwriter Florence Sommerville.
Cindy Kalmenson, one of the finest singer-songwriters currently working the West Coast club circuit, undertakes her second UK tour this June in support of her long-awaited HOME AGAIN fourth album. Droll and spirited, this talented lady displays an inner toughness with a sense of humour as well as a sense of perspective.
She has won many prestigious songwriting awards including most recently, the Rocky Mountain Folks Songwriting Contest last summer. With new vitality as a solo artist and with her new Trio as she continues to pursue her love of songwriting and performing. On stage she is very personable and engaging, using her natural humour and banter to win over an audience and then knocking them over with her dynamic voice and vivid songs.
Florence Sommerville released her latest single, (I’ll Be Your) Best Broken Heart to widespread acclaim and extensive radio plays this past January. There’s a raw rootsy quality to Florence’s music that belies her youthfulness. She doesn’t arrive as the next ready-made country star beauty figure Barbie doll. There is an unquestionable realness about the way Florence makes sense of life through her music. But she exhibits a surety of mind beyond her years, to create music that connects and inspires, and that will inflame a growing fire. An assured performer, she takes total command of any stage from the outset and allows her crystalline vocals to shine on her well-crafted original songs.
In 2025, WemsFest adds The Havana to its quiver of venues. The Havana is an atmospheric subterranean venue in the heart of Chichester. Easily accessible by public transport, come enjoy an evening out in Chichester’s premier grassroots music venue. The Havana’s licensed bar and cosy (unreserved) seating will ensure you are comfortable. Apologies however that this venue is not wheelchair-accessible.
Gasper Nali + Band (with special guest David Lughana)
Already dancing with anticipation! We’re thrilled to be bringing Gasper Nali back to our WemsFest stage at The Old Malthouse in Chidham Village Hall
Gasper Nali is a not-so-traditional babatoni player from the small town of Nkhata Bay on the shores of Lake Malawi. The babatoni is an African one-string home-made 3-metre long bass guitar, and with a stick and an empty beer bottle, together with a cow skin kick drum and catchy melodies, he creates the most amazing and danceable original AfroBeats possible!
Friday 6th June 8pm The Old Malthouse AKA Chidham Village Hall Chidham West Sussex PO18 8TP
Gasper’s unique style of Kwela music, sung in Chichewa, Malawi’s national language, has received an extraordinary amount of online attention after a video of him playing by the lake shore went viral with over 20 million views. He has been featured by CNN and in the documentary ‘Deep Roots Malawi’, jammed with Joss Stone, appeared on Wired for Sound – Malawi, remixed by Aroop Roy for Sol Power Sounds and been played by Iggy Pop on BBC 6!
His debut album, Abale Ndikuwuzeni, roughly translates to ‘People, I want to tell you’. It is a fitting title as Gasper’s songs, all sung in the Malawi national language of Chichewa, talk about life and strife in the country, often including social issues such as the rich and the poor, child marriages etc.
Gasper has toured the UK and Europe several times since his breakthrough video, playing in all environments from seated arts centre spaces to major festival stages. This year, Gasper will be transforming his customary one-man-band show and perform with a 3-piece band for the very first time in the UK. Along for the ride is Malawi born songsmith and cultural proponent Luhangah on additional vocals and percussion, as well as Gasper’s long-time producer and collaborator Mattias Stålnacke on guitars. Gasper will also release his new record “Chule Chule Iwe” to coincide with a UK tour in May/June of 2025.
“His music is simple but joyous, and totally infectious” – Songlines Magazine
“His songs are moving to hear and a spectacle to watch” – Simon Broughton, Evening Standard
Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm show.
Licensed Bar helps support WemsFest – As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks. All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.
If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.
The East Pointers (with special guests Saije)
JUNO Award-winners, The East Pointers, are redefining the ever-evolving genre – modern folk – with dancefloor-shaking, ceiling-rattling, electro-trad breakdowns, and a glorious combination of folk, pop, and dance music. Already internationally acknowledged as musical trailblazers, their latest EPs House Of Dreams and Safe In Sound capture the furious energy of their live shows and push the boundaries of East Coast folk while lighting a path for a new generation of music lovers.
Fans of The East Pointers have Koady Chaisson to thank for being the kinetic force behind the JUNO-Award winning indie-folk trio since the group formed in 2014. The dancefloor-shaking, electro-trad glorious combination of folk/pop has brought so much joy to audiences around the world. And now, even posthumously, Koady’s energetic fire continues to blaze the musical trail onward.
It was on January 6, 2022 that Koady Chaisson of The East Pointers passed away from an unexpected heart aneurysm at 37. Those who were lucky to have been influenced by his creative and generous soul felt like a black hole had suddenly formed where the supernova of Koady’s light had been.
But before his passing, Koady, Tim Chaisson, and Jake Charron, had recorded most of the tracks for two new EPs. Unlike any of the The East Pointers’ material to date, these precious songs are shiny and melodic, nostalgia-flared, folk experimental pop but with the same driving trad hooks for which the band has become known and revered.
The first EP, House of Dreams, was released in September 2022 and was nominated for a JUNO Award in 2023. The second EP, Safe In Sound, was released in November 2023.
The East Pointers have toured extensively in the UK, USA, Japan, and Australia, in addition to their native Canada, and have become firm festival favourites around the globe. Their debut album Secret Victory won the 2017 JUNO Award for ‘Traditional Album of the Year’, their 2017 album What We Leave Behind and their 2022 EP House Of Dreams were nominated for JUNO Awards, and they have developed loyal fanbases in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the UK, Europe, Mexico, the USA, and Canada.
Our WemsFest audience were lucky to experience one of the last concerts The East Pointers played as a trio, in November 2021. We are delighted to welcome Tim and Jake back to our stage for the last date of The East Pointers’ UK Spring 2025 tour.
For this show only, The East Pointers will have support from special guests Saije!
Saije is an award-winning, indie-folk duo whose soulful harmonies, dynamic guitar-lines and percussive breakdowns breathe life into heartfelt stories. Their songwriting is crafted from the depths; stirring melodies bound together with graceful lyricism, and through multitasking techniques, the pair create a full-bodied sound enriched by flavours from their travels around the globe.
After being awarded Folk Alliance Australia’s ‘Young Artist of the Year 2019-2021’, Saije has toured extensively in Australia, throughout Canada in 2020 and most recently two 50-plus-date Europe and UK tours in 2023 and 2024, playing a plethora of sold-out performances and festival appearances, including at Woodford Folk Festival (AUS), Galway Folk Festival (IRE), Surfana Festival (NL), Magpies Nest (UK) and a Folk Alliance International Official Showcase (US). Saije have supported some of Australia’s most renowned singer songwriters such as Ziggy Alberts, Kim Churchill and Steph Strings. They continue to uplift both national and international audiences through their unifying performances and a warmth that fills small halls and overflows from large festival stages.
Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm show.
Licensed Bar helps support WemsFest – As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks. All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.
If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.
The Barleycorn Tavern, which is a stone’s throw from the Village Hall, are very kindly offering ticket holders 2 for 1 meals before the concert. You’ll need to call them and book at least 3 days before the event, and will need to show either your ticket or your WeGotTickets.com email.
XODUS – The Sounds of Marley
Following the popularity and success of Steel Pulse & Strictly UB40, this strong core of seasoned founding musicians have since formed the Bob Marley & The Wailers Tribute Band – XODUS, who are often joined on stage by reggae legend, Steel Pulse founding member/keyboard player & songwriter Selwyn Brown (who spent a significant amount of time touring with Bob Marley & The Wailers, on the same events billing with Steel Pulse back in the 1980s.)
XODUS: The Sounds of Marley will play Westbourne Community Hall (AKA Westbourne Club, River Street, Westbourne, near Emsworth, PO10 8TG) on Friday 30th May
This will be our first show of 2025 in association with our Brighton-based partner African Night Fever and we can’t wait to get in the groove and dance the night away!
Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm show.
Limited unreserved seating with plenty of room for dancing.
Licensed Bar helps support WemsFest – As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery 🍻 as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks. All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.
If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.
Siobhan Miller Trio
One of Scotland’s most celebrated folk singer-songwriters, Siobhan Miller embarks upon an intimate trio tour, joined by two of Scotland’s finest musicians: Innes White on guitar and Charlie Stewart on fiddle. This acoustic setting is the perfect opportunity to see Siobhan’s richly celebrated Scottish folk songs up close and personal.
Siobhan’s musical prowess has earned her numerous accolades, including four BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards; Scots Singer of the Year titles and a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Traditional Track. Her discography boasts five solo releases, all of which have been shortlisted for BBC Alba STMA Album of the Year, including her latest album, Bloom.
An out and out, freewheeling celebration of much-loved Scottish songs, Bloom deftly balances a love of traditional song with modern influences. Joyous and cathartic, it adds to the wide ranging accolades and radio-play enjoyed throughout Siobhan’s solo career.
Having grown up in Scotland’s rich folk scene, Siobhan has been a regular performer at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections festival, where she was Artistic Director for the 2016 Opening Concert and featured amidst the star-studded Transatlantic Sessions line-up in 2022, duetting with Paul Brady and Sarah Jarosz.
Siobhan’s unique vocal style has been honed through collaborations with many of Scotland’s top musicians, including Eddi Reader, Kris Drever, & Phil Cunningham. She has also made guest appearances with the National Theatre of Scotland, spent a season on Broadway, returned to the US for a month-long residency in Boston’s Majestic Theatre for Brian O’Donovan’s Celtic Christmas, and can be spotted on US/UK TV drama Outlander.
This is a rare opportunity to see Siobhan Miller in intimate surrounds, and experience her stunning vocals and lyrical songs in a truly special setting. WemsFest are delighted to be introducing Siobhan, Innes, and Charlie to our audience – though we suspect plenty of you will need no introduction to her music!
Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm show.
Licensed Bar helps support WemsFest – As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks. All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.
If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.
The Barleycorn Tavern, which is a stone’s throw from the Village Hall, are very kindly offering ticket holders 2 for 1 meals before the concert. You’ll need to call them and book at least 3 days before the event, and will need to show either your ticket or your WeGotTickets.com email.
Richard Wood’s East Coast Kitchen Party (CANCELLED)
**UPDATE** Unfortunately for reasons beyond the control of WemsFest and The Crown Inn Emsworth, this gig has been cancelled. We apologise to all who were planning to attend.
Just announced! Richard Wood’s East Coast Kitchen Party!
One of the world’s finest fiddlers plays an extremely rare English date and brings all the atmosphere and fun of a Canadian East Coast Kitchen Party with him and his two accompanying musicians, Kimberley Holmes (piano) and Brent Chaisson (guitar)
Wednesday 7th May 8pm (VENUE CHANGE) The Crown Inn (upstairs), 8 High Street, Emsworth, PO10 7AW
Named by MacLean’s Magazine as one of the Top 100 Canadians to watch in the 21st Century, 5x East Coast Music Award, multi-Music PEI Award-winning Richard Wood has blown away sold-out audiences around the globe with traditional-born, fiery brand of Celtic music.
Richard has played for Prime Ministers, Senators, Governors General, Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III, princes, princesses, and the Emperor of Japan, but he is most proud to have entertained Canada’s Armed Forces in the North Pole, Bosnia, and twice in Afghanistan.
Richard Wood’s lucrative 30-year career includes highlights such as touring with musical heavyweights like Shania Twain and The Chieftains, and performing around the world at places like Lincoln Centre, the Kennedy Centre, and the prestigious Carnegie Hall. Wood has appeared on special televised events and programs such as The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, and treasured Canadian programs of days-gone-by like Up Home Tonight and The Rita MacNeil Show. Richard also performed for a special Canada Day on Parliament Hill, which was nationally televised by CBC in front of a live audience of over 100,000.
His Canadian Folk Music Award-nominated and ECMA-award-winning 8th album, UNBROKEN, was mastered by legendary multi-Grammy-Award-winning Bob Ludwig from Gateway Studios.
Along with winning countless championships as both a step dancer and fiddler, Richard has also earned the Don Messer Memorial Trophy, twice!
One of Prince Edward Island’s best exports and always the proud Island ambassador, Richard has brought his highly sought-after, energetic brand of music around the world, touring extensively in Australia, Europe, Asia, and all across North America.
PLEASE NOTE THAT WE HAVE CHANGED THE VENUE AND TICKETING STRUCTURE FOR THIS EVENT – DO NOT BUY TICKETS USING ONLINE LINKS – INSTEAD, TICKETS WILL BE SOLD ON THE DOOR ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-ADMITTED, ‘PAY-AS-YOU-FEEL’ BASIS Come join us for this very special ‘kitchen party’ in the pub!
Licensed bar at all WemsFest events
GNOSS (SOLD OUT)
A welcome back to WemsFest, but to a new venue, for this multi-talented and award-winning Scots band. GNOSS combines the talents of Aidan Moodie (guitar/vocals), Graham Rorie (fiddle/mandolin/electric tenor guitar), Connor Sinclair (flute/whistles/vocals), and Craig Baxter (bodhran/percussion) – and they have 3 fabulous albums which exemplify their forward-thinking take on traditional music coupled with the warmth of their live shows.
‘Album of the Year’ Nominees, Scots Trad Music Awards 2019 & 2021 ‘Up and Coming Artist of the Year’ Nominees, Scots Trad Music Awards 2017 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award Semi-Finalists 2016 Danny Kyle Award Winners 2015
“Gnoss are one of those rare birds in folk: a group you can name after hearing their first notes.” – Folk Radio UK
Gnoss’ signature sound is a rich tapestry of acoustic layers; outstanding musicianship, deep traditional roots and contemporary compositional flair combine to create songs and tunes brimming with character. Triple Scots Trad Music Awards nominees, the band have built an invested following through their forward-thinking take on traditional music and the unique warmth of their live shows. This has been proven through three consecutive sellout appearances at Glasgow’s world-famous Celtic Connections festival.
Their 2019 release, ‘Drawn From Deep Water’ was met with widespread praise (“a refreshing blast” – RnR) for its exemplary interplay, nakedly emotional playing, and well chosen material. The 11-track album brought Gnoss to entranced audiences across France, Italy and Denmark, not to
mention the length and breadth of the UK.
Their follow-up album, ‘The Light of The Moon’, continued to demonstrate Gnoss’ dedication to their craft that places them firmly at the fore of what’s happening in Scottish folk and earned them a nomination for Album of the Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards. Described as “an invigorating new direction for the Gnoss boys” by Songlines, this album took Gnoss’ online fanbase by storm gaining over one million streams in 2022.
With the release of their third album, 2023’s ‘Stretching Skyward’, Gnoss reignite their collaboration with producer and engineer, Scott Wood (Skerryvore), further exploring their acoustic roots whilst incorporating new, electronic elements. Launch dates included performances across the UK and Europe, including standout appearances at the Orkney Folk Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival, Towersey Festival and Denmark’s Tønder Festival.
Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm show.
Licensed Bar helps support WemsFest – As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks. All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.
If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.
The South Side Racketeers, and DJ Rob Moore
Blue Beat, Ska but most of all Jamaican RnB will pour out of the speakers for this classic night featuring 80% of self-penned material along with some all-time classics. When you hear this beat you’ll want to move your feet !
The South Side Racketeers were conceived on a stag night about four in the morning sometime in 2004! Four friends with a common love for sixties Blue Beat, Ska, Jamaican RnB and other music decided to form a band incorporating the above influences into their own material. A few choice cover versions including ‘Ali Baba’, ‘Bartender’ and Renegade’ complemented the bed of contemporary sounding but original cuts written by the four.
The Racketeers without doubt are one of Portsmouth’s finest and certainly one of the most popular bands in the area since the early days of ‘Empitfish’, ‘The Caravans’, ‘Six Gun Sound’ an the early 80s. Now a six/seven piece-piece band playing Jamaican RnB, Trad Ska, with lashings of rare Soul, The Racketeers are not a total covers band with 80% of self-penned material. Charismatic to the end with consistently tight and lively performances, The Racketeers can be seen performing in venues across the south of England. The band have their eyes and ears firmly focused on the future. So, when you hear the beat and want to move your feet just dance to the Racketeers and the sun will keep shining!
Licensed bar helps support WemsFest – As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks. All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm start – but no admission after 9pm.
If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.
Please park considerately.
Feast of Fiddles (note early start time 7.30pm)
The clue is in the name !
Born in Nettlebed on Valentine’s Day 1994 as a one-off special concert, Feast of Fiddles has done 29 spring tours, 26 festivals and has 7 CDs to its name. Not bad for a bunch of old folk-rockers!
This is a band of friends that puts on a show of huge dynamic range performed with passion, joy and a liberal dose of fun. Fiddlers Garry Blakeley (Band of Two), Ian Cutler (Bully Wee), Marion Fleetwood (Trad Arr, Sandy Denny Project), Tom Leary (Joe Brown), Brian McNeill (Battlefield Band), and Simon Swarbrick (Merry Hell) bring a large range of fiddle playing styles to the rock back-line – all held together by legendary drummer Dave Mattacks, Martin Vincent on guitar, Dave Harding on bass, and genial host Hugh Crabtree on accordion. This is a live music entertainment like no other on the circuit which is guaranteed to be enjoyed by even the most doubting of friends dragged along!
“Absolutely awesome!” – Sue Marchant, BBC East
“Britain’s fiddling supergroup” – Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2
“The best fiddle players of a generation” – Ian A Anderson
** NOTE EARLY START!!** Doors open 7pm for a 7.30pm start.
Licensed Bar helps support WemsFest – As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks. All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.
Please don’t try to park on Church Path or the other small local roads – there is plenty of free car parking in local car parks.
If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.
Steve Knightley – The Winter Yards in Spring, Solo Tour 2025 – SOLD OUT
The ‘Winter Into Spring’ tour features songs from the critically acclaimed Winter Yards album, described as “a deeply atmospheric journey” (Spiral Earth) and “a must-have for anyone seeking unforgettable music” (Here Comes the Song). Alongside these new favourites, Steve will revisit and reimagine some of his most iconic songs in a completely fresh performance.
WemsFest are thrilled to be part of Steve’s ‘Winter Yards in Spring’ Solo Tour 2025! Don’t miss your chance to experience one of the UK’s finest singer-songwriters. Known for his “powerful narratives and captivating stage presence” (Rock and Reel), Steve promises an unforgettable evening of music and stories. Book now—tickets are limited.
Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm show.
Licensed Bar helps support WemsFest – as always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks. All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.
If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please get in touch with us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.
The Barleycorn Tavern, a stone’s throw from the Village Hall, is very kindly offering ticket holders 2 for 1 meals before the concert. You’ll need to call them and book at least 3 days before the event, and you’ll need to show either your ticket or your WeGotTickets.com email.
as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks. All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.
