InOurArea Creative Cafe: An informal gathering to discuss and collaborate on local projects
In 2023, WemsFest launched a new initiative, ‘InOurArea’. We hope that this will be a regular opportunity for thinkers, doers, artists, activists, anyone who has an idea and wants to find local like minds to help discuss and collaborate!
We had a fantastic turnout at our inaugural InOurArea event in November 2023 – loads of connections made and ideas shared. Our second InOurArea event in November 2024 progressed discussion around a number of local topics including the idea of a year-round programme of cultural events in Emsworth.
We want to keep momentum growing amongst locals who are interested to be involved in making Emsworth and the surrounding area an even better place to live! Therefore, the third ‘InOurArea’ Creative Cafewill take place on Sat 8th February from 4-6pm, upstairs at The Crown Inn, Emsworth, PO10 7AW.
Bring an old friend or meet someone new Stay 10 minutes or 2 hours Share your idea or learn about others’
Wine and cheese provided by WemsFest to help lubricate any nervous introductions!
Please RSVP to Mark at adwemsfest@gmail.com so we know how much wine and cheese to order…
Let’s enjoy, discuss, and collaborate!
Jo Harman (and band)
A warm welcome to Emsworth for one of the most talented Blues artists to emerge in the past 20 years – Jo Harman will be the closing act for the 3rd Emsworth Blues Festival, presented by WemsFest and Harbour Records over the weekend of 17-18 January 2025.
Widely regarded as one of Europe’s finest ever soul/blues fuelled voices, Jo Harman is an international touring and recording artist who remains a genre-defying, independently minded artist of rare credibility. An artist who makes sincere and heartfelt music, The Mirror proclaimed her ‘UK’s finest female soul blues voice’ who, according to Classic Rock, writes ‘lip-biting beautiful songs’.
Jo released her second studio album ‘People We Album’ to much critical acclaim (see accolades at foot of the page) and no little commercial success. Indeed the ‘lead single’, ‘When We Were Young’ (featuring Michael McDonald) achieved BBC Radio 2 play-listing, as well as play listing on other mainstream national stations across Ireland (RTE1) and Europe. The album has also made various ‘best of’ lists, internationally.
‘Sometimes you hear a voice that leaves you speechless’ – Huey Morgan, Fun Loving Criminals on his BBC Radio 2 show
‘On course to be the finest UK female blues soul voice’ – Gavin Martin, Daily Mirror
‘Cracking rootsy blues singer well known to festival audiences’ – Mail On Sunday
‘What a voice!’ – Classic Rock Magazine
‘Stunning. Harman’s music mainlines the human soul’ – Classic Rock Blues Magazine
‘It was my great privilege to work with her. Listening to her interpret one of my songs was a spiritual experience’ – Michael McDonald (Soul superstar and Doobie Brothers frontman)
‘I believe this lady to be one of the finest singers this country has to offer! She really is tremendous! I hope our paths cross again’ – Rag N Bone Man
‘An exquisite album rooted in the classic, timeless music of past generations, and quite possibly the finest blue eyed soul vocal performance you’ll hear all year.’ – Get Ready To Rock
‘Jo mines pop, soul and gritty blues with conviction’ – The Daily Mirror
‘Jo Harman is an incredibly believable and soulful singer…perhaps right now UK’s finest’ – Chris Wells, Editor, Echoes
‘Just Stunning’ – Mail On Sunday
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.
Please park considerately. Church Path is parking for residents only, but there is plenty of free parking in town car parks off Bridge Street and Palmers Road.
FREE Blues! An afternoon in the Emsworth pubs
You heard it right, FREE MUSIC! As part of the 3rd Emsworth ‘January Blues’ Festival (Jan 17-18, 2025), WemsFest and Harbour Records Emsworth are delighted to present an afternoon of free Blues music in three Emsworth venues: Queenie’s Tearoom, The Crown Hotel, and The Coal Exchange.
Presented by WemsFest and Harbour Records Emsworth, this weekend festival features two ticketed nights of brilliant blues (Friday & Saturday) and one long afternoon of FREE MUSIC in Emsworth pubs!
Friday night’s opening concert at St James Church Parish Hall features Bex Marshall and her band, hot off a US tour.
Saturday afternoon at The Coal Exchange and The Crown Hotelfeatures Dino Baptiste, Mark Harrison, Michael Roach, and Ben Waters, who will rotate between the pubs, playing sets in both venues, between 1pm-5pm. This will be Dino’s fourth WemsFest appearance (!) and we are thrilled to welcome his boogie-woogie fingers and keyboard back to Emsworth. We are equally delighted to bring Mark, Michael, and Ben to WemsFest for the first time – all brilliant blues musicians with many accolades and accomplishments between them.
Saturday afternoon at Queenie’s Vintage Tearoom features the fantastic Debbie Cat 2pm.
Saturday night’s closing concert at St James Church Parish Hall features Jo Harman and her 7-piece band, including local vocalists Amba Tremain & Leonie Gale
At the evening shows, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beer from Langham Brewery 🍻 as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks.
For the afternoon music, you just need to get yourself to your favourite venue – Queenie’s Vintage Tearoom (beautifully hidden on the Portsmouth-bound platform at Emsworth Railway Station), The Crown Hotel, or The Coal Exchange) – in good time to get a seat! Then, enjoy your favourite beverage and let the music come to you.
The Bex Marshall Band
Raunchy blues-rock from the lady who wears her heart on her sleeve – Bex Marshall will be the opening act for the 3rd Emsworth Blues Festival, presented by WemsFest and Harbour Records over the weekend of 17-18 January 2025.
‘….at last a woman who plays guitar like a goddess, sings like an angel, writes like Dylan and smiles like the devil’ – Booker T.
UK British Blues Award winner and 4 time European Blues Awards nomineeBex Marshall’s unique style of guitar playing is a combined technique of slide, blues rock, ragtime and roots pickin’.
Her voice is a powerful melting pot of old black woman’s heartache and rock diva soul. Bex is a writer of distinction and notability. She pushes the boundaries of blues. Her songs have been called ‘timeless touches of genius’, and now she tours internationally solo or with a three-piece band which augments her unique style of of virtuoso playing. Born In Plymouth, Devon, she was the product of two very different families: blue-blooded landed gentry (her great grandfather was the Squire of Cornwall) and Irish Romany (her great grandmother was the original fairground fortune teller Madam Olga).
As a child at family gatherings, her uncles would always play and stand her on the table to sing. At 11 years old she was given a 1963 Gibson Hummingbird by her Uncle David and started playing – she got hooked on instrumentals and classical guitar standards, which stretched her fingers and gave her a great basis for her own music to develop: flamenco, ragtime, country chicken pickin’, rock, and on to blues and roots where she is now in her element.
She always had a passion for travelling; it is in her blood. Trained as a croupier at 18, she began her travels around the world working gaming tables on cruise liners to Park Lane, even dealing illegal poker games in Amsterdam. She hitchhiked the coast of Australia on cattle trains – always with a guitar on her back, living and storing tales.
‘Bex Marshall is a heartwrenching singer, a dazzling guitarist, and a charismatic stage presence. Whatever she does, you’re in safe hands… but heh, not TOO safe’ – Charles Shaar Murray
‘…sounds like a breakthrough album’– Rock n Reel (R2) UK
‘…Marshall’s album is of such class and maturity, without an apparent weakness or filler’ – Blues Matters UK
‘…As a writer she’s mastered the art of making new material sound like its been found in long-forgotten vaults’ –Net Rhythms UK
‘…She has harnessed the power of the blues without resorting to cliché or plagiarism’ – Spiral Earth UK
‘…deserves wider recognition for her spit and saw dust vocals and fluid resonator guitar licks’ – Classic Rock Magazine UK
‘..Marshall’s competent axework has Mark Knopfler’s feathery touch’ – LA Weekly US
‘…the blues ‘Black Guitar’ culminates in a slide guitar clamour Derek Trucks would be pleased to call his own’ – Downbeat Magazine US
‘…a younger version of Bonnie Raitt. Seldom do we hear such blues inflected rawness in female guitar players and its so refreshing to hear it done with such authenticity and assurance’ – Folk and Roots Magazine UK
‘…..Bex Marshall’s voice draws up the ghosts of old blues women’s heartaches’ – Outlaw Magazine US
‘…the absolute stand out on this album is Marshall’s vocals’ – Root of Rock Magazine NZ
‘….She has all those essential vocal frailties that make the difference between soul and soulful’ – Folk and Roots Magazine UK
Bex’s first release ‘Bootlace’ was released on Numinous Records in 2002. Her second album ‘Kitchen Table’ (released May 2008) pushed Bex to number 13 in the USA ‘UK artists chart’ and number 20 in the USA national Americana Music Association Chart. ‘The House Of Mercy’, released Sept 17th 2012, received stunning reviews worldwide along with her stand out sessions recorded for Paul Jones‘s & Bob Harris’ BBC radio 2 shows. ‘The House Of Mercy’ won 3rd Best British Blues Album of the year Award 2013 and is featured in DOWNBEAT magazine’s ‘Best Album of the Year’ list 2013 with a rare 4-star review. Guests musicians on the record are Don Wayne Reno (banjo), Dale Reno (mandolin) & Jake Byers (acoustic bass), all from Hayseed Dixie, plus B J Cole (dobro), Eileen Healy (fiddle) and Brigitte DeMeyer adding backing vocals, along with The Bex Marshall Band of Barry Payne (acoustic bass), Crispin Taylor (drums), Danny Bryan (percussion), Toby Baker (keyboards) and newest edition, gospel singer Shola Adegorove.
Bex Marshall’s brand new album ‘Fortuna’ was released and distributed through Dixiefrog Records in March 2024 alongside three single releases supporting the album: ‘5am’, ‘I Cant Look You In The Eye’ (remixed & re-released) & ‘Preaching To The Choir’.
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.
Please park considerately. Church Path is parking for residents only, but there is plenty of free parking in town car parks off Bridge Street and Palmers Road.
Oysterband – A Long, Long Goodbye Tour! (SOLD OUT)
Going out on a high!
Since they started as a noisy, politicised ceilidh band in the late Seventies, Oysterband have remained true to their beliefs and never wavered as they’ve worn their hearts on their sleeves whilst delivering a plethora of acclaimed albums, winning multiple awards, and travelling the world. Now they’re taking the tour bus out for it’s last ride – and stopping in Emsworth on the way!
John Jones (vocals & melodeon), Alan Prosser (guitar), and Ian Telfer (violin) are joined by longtime producer Al Scott (bass), Adrian Oxaal (cello & guitar) and Sean Randle (drums)
Let’s give them the send-off they deserve !
“We’re hanging up our travelling shoes, but we’re taking a year or so to say goodbye to our lovely live audience. And we mean to enjoy every minute!”
Emerging in the early 80s from their folk club and ceilidh band days, Oysterband infused both the tradition and their own songs with a passion and energy that was electrifying for the time. Polkas, politics and a heaving dance floor seemed just right for Thatcher’s Britain. Signing to new roots label Cooking Vinyl, headlining English Roots Against Apartheid, playing Glastonbury and the Fleadh several times each, touring with The Pogues in Europe and Billy Bragg in North America, hosting the Big Session Festival….. all gained them a large and loyal international following.
Their collaboration with June Tabor in 1990 produced the cult-classic album Freedom & Rain, and it was renewed 21 years later for Ragged Kingdom, one of the best-selling folk-rock albums of the new millennium.
Winners of several BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including Best Band twice, Oysterband’s song-writing has never stood still, and classics such as The Oxford Girl, When I’m Up (I Can’t Get Down), Everywhere I Go and Put Out The Lights have entered the folk canon.
“It’s been a long, tough, joyful journey, but the time has come. In the words of our own song Granite Years, we’re waving you a long, long goodbye…..come help us celebrate!”
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.
Tickets available now (well – there are about 5 left at the time of posting!) at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm start
Please don’t try to park on Church Path or other local roads – there is plenty of free car parking in local car parks. Better yet, take the bus or train! St James Church is less than 5 minutes’ walk from either.
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.
InOurArea Creative Cafe: An informal gathering to discuss and collaborate on local projects
Last year, WemsFest launched a new initiative, ‘InOurArea’. We hope that this will be a regular opportunity for thinkers, doers, artists, activists, anyone who has an idea and wants to find local like minds to help discuss and collaborate!
We had a fantastic turnout at our inaugural InOurArea event last November – loads of connections made, ideas shared, and projects progressed.
The second ‘InOurArea’ Creative Cafe will take place on Sat 23rd Nov from 4-6pm, upstairs at The Crown Inn, Emsworth, PO10 7AW.
Bring an old friend or meet someone new Stay 10 minutes or 2 hours Share your idea or learn about others’
Wine and cheese provided by WemsFest to help lubricate any nervous introductions! Please RSVP to Mark at adwemsfest@gmail.com so we know how much wine and cheese to order…
Let’s enjoy, discuss, and collaborate!
Capercaillie (SOLD OUT)
Some of the world’s most sought-after Celtic musicians in one band! We are looking forward to an amazing night with legendary Scottish folk band Capercaillie 🙌🏽 A rare opportunity to see such a stellar line-up in a small, intimate, setting. Come along and be dazzled!
(Please note that Jarlath Henderson will be playing in lieu of Michael McGoldrick at this concert)
Celtic music trailblazers CAPERCAILLIE celebrate 40 years with ReLoved, new album featuring the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and select UK live dates – we are so excited to be one of them! Capercaillie will be performing live in a rare run of UK live dates in November featuring the band’s full line-up of Karen Matheson (vocals), Donald Shaw (accordion & keyboards), Charlie McKerron (fiddle), Manus Lunny (bouzouki & guitar), Michael McGoldrick(flute, whistle, & Uilleann pipes), Ewen Vernal (bass), David Robertson (percussion) and James Mackintosh (drums).
Widely respected trailblazers of Celtic music, Capercaillie are credited with being the major force in bringing Gaelic music to the world stage and inspiring the great resurgence so evident today. From their homeland roots of Argyll in the highlands of Scotland, the band’s musical journey has seen them tour 30+ countries, sell over a million albums, perform in Rob Roy (1995) alongside Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange, and enter the pop charts with Coisich a Ruin – the first Gaelic single to reach
the Top 40.
To celebrate their 40th anniversary, Capercaillie release a new album “ReLoved” realising their their dream of creating full symphonic arrangements for their music. Comprising material from their much loved repertoire it encapsulates the spirit of the band with strident waulking songs from the Hebrides, hypnotic groove infused instrumentals and epic modern ballads and love songs.
“The most vibrant and exciting band in the field of Celtic music” – Billboard
“Securely ranked among the Celtic world’s top live bands. . . Capercaillie walk the trad/contemporary line with admirable poise” – Songlines
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 other 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.
Wine and cheese 
provided by WemsFest to help lubricate any nervous introductions!
as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks. All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested in the local community.
