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.

Tickets available now at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

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.

Tickets available now at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

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.

 

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.

Tickets available now at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

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.

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.

Tickets available now at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

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.

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.

Tickets available now at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

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.

Tickets available now (and selling fast already!!) at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

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.

Kris Drever & Chris Stout

Kris Drever and Chris Stout are icons of the Scottish roots culture and two of the most powerful contemporary voices to sing out of it in the last quarter century.

Both come from the Northern Isles (Kris from Orkney and Chris from Shetland) and represent the strength of those identities in the music they inhabit. Inherited through childhood, family and osmosis, you can hear the wind whistling through the strings, the rhythms washing against your animal self and the old stories whispering out from the ingleneuk.

In Glasgow in 2019 the two found themselves to be neighbours in the West End and began meeting up and playing music together. Both musicians found a sound of great interest and emotional power in these little get-togethers, and it soon became a more regular happening.

Now they’ve decided to share the experience with a wider audience. Come and hear songs and tunes you know and some you don’t, shining through the unique prism of these two ‘one of a kind’ musicians.

Kris is a guitarist, singer and founder member of the trio Lau. He’s a multi award winning singer songwriter and has played and written with a galaxy of stars (Eddi Reader, Roddy Woomble, Mark Knopfler, Kate Rusby, Jack Bruce, Karine Polwart…).

 

Chris is a virtuoso violinist, viola player and composer, founder member of the legendary Shetland band ‘Fiddlers Bid’ and long time collaborator of the genius harpist Catriona McKay.  He has performed in venues as storied as the Sydney Opera House and has composed for and performed with The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, The Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, The Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and a great many more.

Don’t miss Kris & Chris in the intimate atmosphere of The Old Malthouse, Chidham.

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.

Tickets available now (and selling fast already!!) at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

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.

McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle

If you somehow still don’t know that these guys are worth buying your ticket for now…. 🤷‍♀️  could you just please take our word for it and get yourself that seat at The Lens for March 4th.

They’ve been called ‘the legendary triumvirate‘.

They’ve been founding, former, and current members of bands such as Solas, The Battlefield Band, Flook, Lunasa & Capercaillie.

They’ve worked with musical pioneers including Joan Baez, Linda Thompson, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mark Knopfler, Bob Dylan, Paul Weller, Eddi Reader, Heidi Talbot, Kris Drever & John Cale.

You like The Transatlantic Sessions?  Then you’ve seen these guys already!

Michael McGoldrick, John McCusker & John Doyle are simply brilliant at what they do!  All three musicians have won global acclaim for being the absolute top shelf of trad Celtic music.  This will be their 7th WemsFest appearance (including several special online shows during the pandemic) and we are thrilled to have them back!

Michael McGoldrick – (Manchester) flute, whistles, Uileann pipes, bodhran, clarinet, conga

John McCusker – (Glasgow) fiddle, whistles, harmonium

John Doyle – (Dublin) vocals, guitar, bouzouki, mandola

“The Wishing Tree is exceptional and has to be a front-runner for album of the year” – Folk Radio

“A sparklingly tight programme… an excellent sound balance… never tiresome” – The Scotsman

“It takes a lifetime of playing to sound as effortless as these guys” – The Herald

“What an absolute pleasure to share in their warmth, intimacy and richly talented company” – Folking.com

Doors 7.30 for an 8pm show

Tickets available directly from Portsmouth Guildhall at the link here.

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.

Justin Adams & Mauro Durante

An acclaimed collaboration between Robert Plant‘s former guitarist Justin Adams, and Italian fiddle, guitar, and percussion player Mauro Durante.  Their music is rooted in the fascinating tradition of Taranta – the healing rituals of Southern Italy. It’s atmospheric and hugely danceable.

Justin Adams, guitarist, producer and composer, has been a chief collaborator with Robert Plant in his band, the Sensational Spaceshifters, co-writing a series of 4 albums and touring the world.  His production on landmark albums by Tinariwen and Rachid Taha highlight his feel for North African groove, while his award-winning project with Gambian maestro Juldeh Camara, ‘JUJU’, linked griot tradition with raw blues spirit.  His recent solo album of guitar atmospherics, ‘Ribbons’, was cited amongst the top 50 albums of the past decade by Songlines magazine.

Mauro Durante toured the world for many years with Ludovico Einaudi playing violin and frame drums.  He is one of the leading players in the pizzica style of Southern Italy and leads Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, who have played great festivals all over the world. Last year CSG were featured in their own concert at the BBC Proms (where Justin Adams guested with them) and they won Best Group in the Songlines Music Awards.

This new collaboration stems from a concert led by Ludovico Einaudi, the Notte della Taranta in Puglia, where the two first played together, recognising kindred spirits in the trance rhythms of Taranta which transcend “melancolia” or the blues. Together they create a raw, stripped-back sound that moves and mesmerises.

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 at Bookends and Harbour Records and online here

Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm start

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.