Thursday 17th January
Mad Marston Hares & A Bit of Nonsense
Doors: 7pm - Music from 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here or Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only)
‘Keeping it Local’
Mad Marston Hares
Mad Marston Hares are an expressive acoustic trio who play songs and tunes from all over the world including America, Scotland and Ireland. Everyone loved them so much when they did a support spot last year and so we had to have them back.
A Bit of Nonsense
A Bit of Nonsense are Bill McKinnon and Anne Tarrant. Bill has been around the local folk scene for many years and runs numerous ‘Folk Sessions’ around the county. This will start the year with a bang!
Thursday 14th February
Granny’s Attic
+ support
Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here or Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only)
Granny’s Attic – Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne (Melodeon, Concertina, Vocals), George Sansome (Guitar, Vocals) and Lewis Wood (Fiddle, Mandolin, Vocals) – are a folk trio who play the tradition with verve, energy and their own inimitable style.
These three young men are all exceptional musicians and fine singers and play English traditional and original music. Formed in 2009, they have since played at clubs and festivals up and down the country, and have been heralded for their lively performances and maturity beyond their years in their delivery and selection of traditional songs.
For more information:
www.grannysattic.org.uk
Thursday 7th March
Steve Tilston
+ support
Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here or Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only)
Steve Tilston is one of our most celebrated songsmiths, widely recognised within the world of folk and contemporary music; the words, arrangements and subtle, quite superb guitar playing could be no one else.
The story of Steve’s “lost” letter from John Lennon inspired the Hollywood movie Danny Collins starring Al Pacino in the title role, now available on DVD.
We are thrilled to welcome Steve back to the Unicorn for another evening of fantastic music.
For more information:
www.stevetilston.com
Thursday 5th April
IOTA
+ support
Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here or Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only)
IOTA (Sally Barker, Marion Fleetwood and Anna Ryder) are returning to the Unicorn!
Anna Ryder is an original and inventive singer-songwriter with a musical style that, although based in folk, spans an array of genres. A multi-instrumentalist musical dynamo.
Marion Fleetwood has been a familiar face in the British folk world for nearly 20 years. With a voice which has been described as ‘mesmerising’ and ‘siren-esque’.
Whether as a member of revered fem-folk group The Poozies, or a solo artist supporting Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Richard Thompson, Sally Barker brings any song gloriously to life.
For more information:
www.annaryder.co.uk
www.marionfleetwood.co.uk
www.sallybarker.co.uk
Thursday 16th May
Nicki Gillis
SPECIAL EVENT
Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here or Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only)
Our first special event of 2019 brings an Australian singer/songwriter to our wonderful venue. Nicki has a voice that ranges from ‘smooth as honey’ to ‘rockin your socks off’. This gig forms part of her 2019 tour and will be supported by a group of musicians from this country including Abingdon’s own Cozy Dixon on drums.
Originally from Western Australia, Nicki relocated to Sydney in 2004 to further her music career and quickly became well known as a quality independent (unsigned) Australian performer. Her professionalism and stage craft stood her apart from her contemporaries and she rapidly became the recipient of numerous awards across all different genres of music.
For more information:
www.nickigillis.com
Thursday 13th June
Kevin Dempsey
+ support
Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here or Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only)
Kevin Dempsey is a master performer and whether in an intimate acoustic environment, or at a large festival, Kevin fills the air with spellbinding music. Kevin has played and recorded with some of the most famous names in the business, but his only visit to the Unicorn was with Dave Swarbrick’s Lazarus, which also included the late Maartin Allcock.
Kevin is an unassuming sort of bloke. His quiet manner and laid back attitude hide a multitude of extraordinary talents as guitarist, singer songwriter, composer, arranger and producer. His wide experience shows in his versatility and ability to turn his hand, and guitar, to many different styles and genres and, for a long time, he has been sought out by other musicians.
For more information:
www.kevindempsey.eu
Thursday 12th September
Gerry Colvin
+ support
Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here or Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only)
Gerry wowed the audience at the Unicorn when he came here last year and told the audience that he would be back, so we are so looking forward to Gerry returning with his band. You will not be disappointed!
In the 1970s Gerry joined pop band ‘The Man Upstairs’. They released three singles and toured with ‘The Smiths’.
In the early 1980s he co-founded and fronted the legendary John Peel favourite skiffle-cowpunk indie outfit ‘Terry & Gerry’. This seminal band toured Europe and the USA and appeared on countless Radio and TV shows including “The Tube” and “The Old Grey Whistle Test”. Their five singles and album all reached No.1 in the indie charts. In 2010 Cherry Red released ‘Let’s Get the Hell Back to Lubbock’, the definitive ‘Terry and Gerry’ compilation.
For more information:
www.gerrycolvin.co.uk
Thursday 3rd October
The Churchfitters
+ support
Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here or Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only)
Our Patron Dave Pegg highly recommended that we should bring the Churchfitters to Music At The Unicorn. They now live in Brittany, but often come over the Channel to play. They have played Cropredy on 2 occasions. Churchfitters play a large range of instruments, but you need to see for yourselves what can be done with Mercedes hubcaps and brief cases!
Churchfitters are multi-instrumentist Geoff Coombs from Essex, Rosie Short who joined the band having previously been playing in a London-based traditional Irish outfit and Boris Lebret with his astonishing array of home made scrap-metal instruments unique in the world.
For more information:
www.churchfitters.com
Thursday 14th November
Ric Sanders & Vo Fletcher
+ support
Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here or Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only)
We all know Ric from Fairport Convention but we are pleased that Ric is finally coming to play at the Unicorn Theatre. Ric is bringing Vo Fletcher who is a wonderfully talented Guitarist/Vocalist.
Over the years Ric has worked with Rick Wakeman, Dave Cousins of Strawbs, Jethro Tull, Robert Plant, Roy Harper, Gary Brooker of Procol Harum, Pentangle, Gordon Giltrap, Andrew Cronshaw, June Tabor, Martin Simpson, Charlie Landsborough, All About Eve, The Mission, Fred Thelonious Baker, Catherine Howe and John Etheridge (guitarist with Soft Machine and Stéphane Grappelli) with whom he co-led the group 2nd Vision.
For more information:
www.dottedline.me
Thursday 5th December
Listen Listen
SPECIAL EVENT
Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.30pm
Tickets: £20 - Available here or Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only)
'Listen Listen' formed in 2017 to recognize and to celebrate the music of the late Sandy Denny, who is considered a founder of the British folk-rock movement, and perhaps its most important female singer. Sandy died in 1978, however her songs remain as fresh, poignant and as beautiful today as the time that they were penned. The repertoire of 'Listen Listen' reflects the amazing legacy of work left behind by Sandy, through her work with the early incarnations of Fairport Convention, the sublime Fotheringay, and also her incredible repertoire of solo work.
Who had played at the Unicorn?
Richard Thompson, Show of Hands, Reg Meuross, Steve Tilston, Bob Fox, Dave Swarbrick, The Lark Rise Band, Phil Beer, The Dylan Project, Julie Felix, Strawbs, The Albion Band, Richard Digence, Ashley Hutchings Rainbow Chasers, Chris While and Julie Matthews, Little Johnny England, Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman, Tyde, Fay Hield Trio, Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston, Benji Kirkpatrick & Blair Dunlop, Gilmore & Roberts, O’Hooley & Tidow, Lady Maisery, Hannah James & Sam Sweeney, Faustus, Kings of the South Seas, Leveret, Gordon Giltrap, Megson, Dan Walsh, Louise Jordan, The August List, The Askew Sisters, Charlie Dore, The Willows, Megan Henwood, Jess Vincent, Seth Lakeman, Ninebarrow, Charlotte Campbell, Martha Tilston, Hannah James & Tuulikki Bartosik, Dalla, Said The Maiden, The Urban Folk Quartet, Ross Couper & Tom Oakes, Lucy Ward, Megan Henwood & Jackie Oates, Edwina Hayes, Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage, IOTA, The Gerry Colvin Band, Moonrakers, Three Pressed Men, TRADarrr, Anna Ryder, Sally Barker, David Nachmanoff, Dave Pegg and AJ Clarke!
Huge thanks to our supporters!
