The Demon Barbers

Traditional ballad from the singing of Nic Jones about two brothers, jelousy, a fight, death and consequence. Additional second verse written by Damien Barber

From the album:

WAXED 2005

First studio album and debut for Ben Griffith on drums. ” Recorded with space and rewarding clarity by Oliver Knight it is an album rich in texture and variety. This is not folk rock, not just electrified trad, but something fresh, new and challenging. Nine tracks. Every one a gem. Overlook it at your peril!” Nigel Schofield, Free Reed

Lyrics by Damien Barber and inspired by Kett’s Rebellion, a 16th Century uprising in Norfolk that saw 16,000 peasants storm and hold Norwich City 4 weeks in protest over the enclosures laws that saw common land being stolen by already wealthy landowners. They were finally forced oto retreat out of the city by the Earl Of Warwick’s superior, mercenary forces with the battle eventually culminating in the massacre of over 3000 rebels at the Battle Of Dussingdale in 1549. Robert & William Kett, the landed ring leaders, were tried and found guilty of treason and hung from Norwich Castle and Wymondham Abbey.

From the album:

The Adventures Of Captain Ward (2010)

“The Barbers have pulled out the stops as they bid to make as thrilling a racket on CD as they do on stage…throw in some vigorous tune sets, the stirring political steel of Pound a Week Rise, the irresistible chorus of Rise Up and a gloriously passionate Bryony Griffith vocal on Bonny Boy and you have something of a spectacular. BBC Music – Colin Irwin

The Demon Barbers are very proud to announce that our record label, Demon Barber Sounds, has signed the wonderfully talented Maz O’Connor and will be releasing her debut album on 2nd July 2012!

Originally from Cumbria but currently based in Cambridge, Maz is one of the most promising voices to emerge on the folk scene in recent years.

From a keen folkie family, attending several Folkworks Youth Summerschools sparked an interest in folk song, and winning the Young Performer’s Competition at Fylde Folk Festival back when she was just 13 led to a few spots singing solo.

When she was 16, Maz’s brother Joe O’Connor entered and won the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award with the band Last Orders, and when the band were asked to play at major U.K. Folk Festivals, Joe’s bandmates persuaded him to let his little sister join them as a guest singer. Summer 2007 saw them play to crowds at Cambridge Folk Festival, Towersey Village Festival, Sidmouth Folk Festival and Fairport’s Cropredy Convention- nerve-racking but exhilarating experiences!

Since then Maz was a finalist in the 2009 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award and has gone on to perform with Matthew Jones on guitar at many U.K. festivals, as well as appearing at Somersound in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and a festival of traditional music in Asturias, Spain with Last Orders. Maz’s sets feature a mixture of contemporary, traditional and original songs, accompanied by guitar, shruti box, and piano.

Join Maz on Twitter & Facebook

LISTEN to an exclusive preview of Maz’s debut album on The Demon Barber Radio Show!!

Broadcast on Sheffield Live 93.2 FM

Friday 25th March @ 13:00

LISTEN LIVE

With special guest Jim Molyneux talking about sheep & Spencer The Wild Rover who has just returned from his travels to Cromer.

Playlist:

Maz O’Connor – Rambling Free

Merry Hell – Blink & You’ll Miss It

Fay Hield – The Parsons Gate

Peter Bellamy – Motherless Child

Tracey Chapman – Fast Car

Jack McNeil & Charlie Heys – Last Orders

Jim Molyneux – 1952 Vincent Black Lightning

Donovan – Mountain

Maz O’Connor – Stormalong

Prima clogerina with The Demon Barber Roadshow & Time  Gentlemen Please! writes about what a great year she’s had…

I had a pretty exciting year last year! I was selected to take part in a programme about Clog dancing for a BBC4 documentary, “Come Clog Dancing”. My challenge, with the help of presenter Charles Hazelwood, (and essential back up from TGP dancers Tiny Taylor, Fiona Bradshaw and Bobak Walker!) was to teach 200 beginners to clog dance and choreograph a flash mob clog dance which took place at Newcastle’s Monument. It was such an amazing experience and I have received so much positive feedback following the programme, it really gave English clog dancing a boost which is fantastic! (more…)

Our first festival of the year!

Roadshow is performing Friday night

Make a weekend of it!

Under 12s FREE (more…)

Our good friend Maggie Boyle has started on a fantastic new project!

In April and May 2012 I will be taking to the road and visiting great songwriters in their homes, to talk to them about their work and to record some of their music.

The setting for these interviews will be kitchens the length and breadth of the country. In my view, these hubs of domesticity are the most natural and traditional places to encourage a relaxed sharing of music and ideas.

While on my travels, I will be joined by David Crickmore of BBC Radio Leeds (and co-presenter/producer of The Durbervilles Folk & Roots Show), who will be jolly companyy – while he makes a documentary for the wireless. (more…)

A few months ago we had a guest blog from John Richards focussing on the plight of the folk club scene in the UK. The outcome of this blog was the development of a new organisation FOLK 21

Folk 21 aims to help sustain and support a thriving “guest booking” folk club scene in the UK. The group is open to anyone – organisers, would-be organisers, artists, agents and fans – to discuss the issues facing folk clubs, exchange ideas, tips and advice, and help build a thriving network for the future. (more…)

The Demon Barbers website has been undergoing some rigorous spring cleaning over the last few weeks due to unprecedented attempts by spammers to upload malware to our pages.

As you can see from this picture Rosie, Ben, Lee & Will are all very happy that we’ve had the all clear from Google and that our site is secure again.

To help give additional ongoing security we have taken the decision to disable the comments from our posts along with site membership.  We will now be using a simple newsletter opt-in form that reduces the risk of hackers gaining access to our site.

This form can be found in the top right of our screen so please don’t be shy!

We usually send out a newsletter every month or so and no contacts are passd on to third parties.

All users who have previously registered will be automatically added to our e-mailing list.

We do appreciate your feedback though so please continue to keep in touch on

FACEBOOK or TWITTER

Thanks!

The Demon Barbers

Broadcast on Sheffield Live 93.2 FM

March 29th @ 18:00

March 30th @ 13:00

LISTEN AGAIN

With special guests Belinda O’Hooley & Heidi Tidow

ARTISTS FEATURED:

Bob Dylan

Bob Wood

Denny Bartley

Eliza Carthy

Kelly Joe Phelps

Kenny Loggins

KT Tunstall

Martin Wyndham Read

Melrose Quartet

The Dubliners

Young Tradition

Our good friend, former TGP dancer and member of Black Swan Rapper is launching a new sword dance based project…

‘The Traipse’ takes a modern twist on traditional sword dancing into pubs and schools in Yorkshire as part of the Cultural Olympiad

Traditional sword-dancing gets a modern twist in ‘The Traipse’, a new project that will see dancers hot foot it onto the streets of Barnsley, Grimsby, Hull and Sheffield from 26 – 30 March 2012. A specially formed troupe of five sword-dancers, storytellers and musicians, ‘The Traipse’ is one of over 100 events taking place this year in an ambitious programme of events entitled ‘Imove’, the Legacy Trust UK’s celebratory programme for Yorkshire and part of the Cultural Olympiad. (more…)

The UK’s No.1 Folk & Hip-Hop Dance Extravaganza is to be filmed for an exciting new documentary at the Harrogate Theatre on 1st March 2012. The live performance of Time Gentlemen Please! will be incorporated into a feature length documentary charting the history of The Demon Barbers electric folk band and the evolution of this unique dance show. (more…)

Broadcast on Sheffield Live 93.2 FM

February 22nd @ 14:00

February 24th @ 13:00

With special guest Fay Hield

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN AGAIN

(more…)

A few months ago we posted an article on Tanisha Allman winning the Cheshire & Lancashire Clog Dancing Championships for the second time in a row. Last Friday Tanisha, who is still only 12 years old, teamed up with her friend Jessica Roper to create a fantastic new routine for the latest ‘Got To Dance’ show on SKY1

It was touch and go on the day with the girls temporarily only getting 1 of the 2 votes they needed until Ashley Banjo, from Diversity, changed his mind and put them through to the next round! Unfortunately the producers didn’t like this turnaround and took the girls off the shortlist after the show was broadcast.

Well done to Tanisha and Jessica though and respect for putting English Clog dance out there!

Check out their routine: