THURSDAY 23RD JANUARY

ME FOR QUEEN

SUPPORT: PATRICK GRIFFIN

Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.15pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here, Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only), or ON THE DOOR

With a voice often likened to Carole King and Regina Spektor, a classical piano training, and influences ranging from Björk to Chopin, Me for Queen – the creative alias of Mary Erskine – is rapidly winning acclaim for her beguiling ‘soul-folk’ songcraft, blending traditional folk story-telling with a contemporary edge. Growing up feral in rural Fife/Scotland in a big old house near the sea, years of classical training together with a Blues guitarist for a father make for an interesting mix of Soul and Folk.

THURSDAY 27TH FEBRUARY

DUOTONE

SUPPORT: ROSWELL

Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.15pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here, Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only) or ON THE DOOR

Duotone is acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and live looper Barney Morse-Brown. He released his spellbinding new album A Life Reappearing on 4th May 2018. Like an alchemist, Duotone weaves a plethora of instruments of an epic orchestral power - including his pioneering and unconventional cello playing - with a masterful use of a looper for his gentle vocals, which wraps each song in a blanket of intimacy.

THURSDAY 26TH MARCH

JIM MORAY WITH TOM MOORE

SUPPORT: WATERFAHL

Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.15pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here, Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only) or ON THE DOOR

Jim Moray is amongst England’s finest interpreters of traditional song. His relentlessly innovative recordings can truly be said to have changed the sound of folk music since the early 2000s, and he has won fans and admirers far outside of the folk scene without ever betraying his traditional roots. A five-time BBC Folk Award winner, his songs have been featured in a season finale of Grey’s Anatomy, he has appeared on-screen singing a specially composed song for Dr Who spin-off ‘Class’, as aliens attack the earth, and he has presented documentaries on traditional music for BBC Radio 3.

THURSDAY 30TH APRIL

EMILY MAE WINTERS

SUPPORT: THE PEOPLE VERSUS

Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.15pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here, Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only) or ON THE DOOR

Fast rising star on the U.K. Folk/Americana scene Emily Mae Winters has that rare quality in a singer that makes critics reach for the superlatives. Described as having a voice that “stops you in your tracks” and “arresting, enthralling, tantalising” by Folk Radio UK, Emily combines straight-to-the-heart bittersweetness with her own unique passion and drama in
performance.

THURSDAY 21ST MAY

THE SHACKLETON TRIO

SUPPORT: CHARLIE LAW

Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.15pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here, Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only) or ON THE DOOR

The Shackleton Trio are Georgia Shackleton (fiddle, vocals), Aaren Bennett (guitar) and Nic Zuppardi (mandolin). Natural talents of the folk tradition, their self-penned material blends seamlessly with their imaginative yet authentic re-workings of traditional folk standards, influenced by British, American and Scandinavian folk traditions, with a regional twist from the group’s native East Anglia.

THURSDAY 25TH JUNE

ELIZABETH & JAMESON

SUPPORT: BERNARD HOSKINS

Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.15pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here, Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only) or ON THE DOOR

Elizabeth & Jameson is an award-winning collaboration comprising two rising stars of the UK acoustic music scene. Hannah Elizabeth and Griff Jameson have joined forces to create an indie-folk sound which encompasses both their individual musical backgrounds. Hannah’s influences are firmly planted in traditional folk-roots, whilst in contrast Griff has formed his musical reputation within folk pop/rock genres.

THURSDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER

NINEBARROW

SUPPORT: CRAIG JOINER

Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.15pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here, Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only) or ON THE DOOR (£17)

Ninebarrow are a multi-award-winning folk duo, who are impressing audiences across the country with their innovative and captivating take on the folk tradition. Described by Mark Radcliffe as sounding ‘like two halves of one voice’ and by Mercury Music Prize nominee Kate Rusby as ‘absolutely amazing’, Jon Whitley and Jay LaBouchardiere combine breath taking vocal harmonies and melodies, delivering original songs that are inspired and rooted in the landscape and history of the British Isles.

Tickets will be £17 on the door for this gig only, so buy early for £15.

THURSDAY 1ST OCTOBER

THE WILLOWS

SUPPORT: BEN MORGAN BROWN

Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.15pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here, Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only) or ON THE DOOR (£17)

With their 3rd album ‘Through The Wild’ winning critical acclaim from all directions, an exhilarating live show and a new line-up featuring some of the foremost musicians on the UK roots scene, The Willows have never been in a better place. Taking influence from the both sides of the Atlantic the band continue to defy pigeonholing, with their unique songwriting taking precedent above all else.

THURSDAY 12TH NOVEMBER

CUP O’ JOE

SUPPORT: NIKKI PETHERICK

Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.15pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here, Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only) or ON THE DOOR (£17)

Cup O’Joe is a close family trio who have been playing together from their early teens. Comprising brothers Reuben and Benjamin and sister Tabitha, they were raised in the traditions of bluegrass and folk, and it is these traditions that their music is rooted in. They blend the intricate tones of bluegrass, folk and jazz to create their own progressive acoustic sound. Their mix of original and re-imagined traditional songs are the ingredients for an energetic and enthusiastic performance.

THURSDAY 3RD DECEMBER

FRED’S HOUSE

SUPPORT: JOE HICKS

Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.15pm
Tickets: £15 - Available here, Mostly Books, 36 Stert Street, Abingdon, OX14 3JP (cash only) or ON THE DOOR (£17)

Fred’s House are an award winning band based in Cambridge. They make summery, 70’s West Coast inspired folk/rock but have their own distinctively fresh sound that is very much part of now. This group of musicians have the rare ability to sweep you away with their gorgeous harmonies, moving lyrics, infectious melodies and uplifting grooves. Among their many influences are the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Lissie, Missy Higgins and Janice Joplin.

About Us

Music At The Unicorn is a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers. We bring brilliant musicians, singers and songwriters to Abingdon and we also give opportunities to local upcoming musicians. We give them a stage and let them play to an appreciative and knowledgeable audience.

Huge thanks to all our supporters, to Mostly Books for selling our tickets and to The Friends of Abingdon for continuing to look after the Unicorn Theatre.

Online Booking Information

An online booking fee of 75p is added to the ticket price. This pays for the Paypal credit card payment system.

Booking process:
1. Select a show
2. Click on 'Buy tickets'
3. On the shopping cart page, choose the number of tickets you want.
4. Purchase your tickets using a credit or debit card - you do not need to have a Paypal account. Click on 'Check out' to purchase tickets without signing up for a Paypal account.
5. Paypal will take contact details from you but this is just so that you can receive the receipt.
6. When you purchase tickets you will receive an email receipt from Paypal. We do not send out a separate receipt.

WE DO NOT POST TICKETS.
When you arrive at the theatre, for the performance, all you need to do is to give your name to the box office.

If there are any problems please get in touch: info@musicattheunicorn.org.uk

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!