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ben waters
friday headliner
"Key shattering Boogie Woogie" is how the Guardian newspaper described Ben Waters after a concert at Ronnie Scott's—known for energetic performances and powerful renditions of early boogie-woogie and Rock n' Roll. Waters always plays music that he loves, the music of his heroes Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Amos Milburn, Little Richard, Ian Stewart and a host of other piano players. This is the music that makes him happy.
This is why he has devoted 35 years to touring the world, a devotion that's not about fame, money or popularity, just about a love of music!
Funnily enough, this nonchalance to fame and focusing on the music he loves has led Waters to work with some of the biggest names in the world: Jools Holland, Cher, The Rolling Stones, Jeff Beck, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Imelda May, Mick Hucknall and many more.
BASKERY
saturday headliner
The queens of banjopunk, three Swedish sisters by the name of Baskery, who’ve played music since they were old enough to hold an instrument. Baskery play a combination of classic ‘roots music and Americana’ with a twist of rule breaking punk turn this much loved style of music on its head. Their sound oozes style and playfulness.
They have toured with Robbie Williams and played Glastonbury.
bobby & steve
Acclaimed DJs, pioneering promoters, long running radio presenters, record producers and business partners in the iconic Groove Odyssey brand, Bobby & Steve have reached legendary status in the soulful house and disco & soul scene.
They have been two of the most respected names in dance music for over thirty-five years and continue to be constant figure-heads in championing the soulful house sound.
In March 2020, Bobby & Steve contracted Covid-19. They were both placed in induced comas and as a result of this Steve has been diagnosed with a rare brain injury and is in hospital. Bobby was not going to carry on without his twin brother, but has decided to continue flying the Bobby & Steve flag whilst waiting for Steve to be by his side in the future!
kima otung
Kima is a Welsh-Nigerian Pop/R&B artist. Her musical journey, which began at the Welsh National Youth Opera at age 14, has matured into a multi-instrumental talent with a sound enriched by classical and gospel influences. In 2023 she headlined Budweiser’s BRIT Awards showcase and performed at BAFTA.
Her live sets on prominent platforms like BBC Radio and appearances at venues like the VIP Stage at Wembley Stadium and The Ballroom at The O2 Arena, have fortified her reputation as a captivating live performer.
RIVER ROOTS
Free spirited singer-songwriters River Roots are a good-vibe, acoustic folk-roots duo from the UK. A powerful symbiosis of soulful male/female harmonies that will take you out of your head and straight into your heart.
River Roots have a playful uplifting vibe that will nourish your soul as they seamlessly weave between soothing melodies to funky upbeat feel-good songs. Their music is majorly influenced by a nomadic lifestyle and the profound experiences and connections made on their travels.
“It’s infectious, it’s raw and just effortlessly cool” – Sarah Gosling, BBC Introducing
killabeatmaker
KILLABEATMAKER, a Colombian DJ, Producer, and Singer-Songwriter, is renowned for his unique fusion of Pan African rhythms like Afrobeat and Amapiano with South American Indigenous music, encapsulated within the context of urban and global club sounds.
The Live-Set show, featuring three musicians on stage—Guadalupe Giraldo on drums and Indigenous flutes, Julian Ramirez on percussion and backing vocals, and KILLABEATMAKER himself—creates a grooving and mystical experience. His energetic performances include beatboxing, rapping, singing, and electrifying DJ beats.
tribo da gafieira
with Aleh ferreira
Brainchild of international drummer/percussionist Felix Gibbons, Tribo da Gafieira is a collective of some of the finest Latin Music players in the UK.
This year they are featuring Aleh Ferreira, singer of the legendary Banda Black Rio and a household name in Brazil after his huge hit 'Dona da Banca'. These musicians have played with international stars ranging from Bjork, Elvis Costello and The Specials to Gilberto Gil to name but a few.
Gafieira is a weekend dance in Brazil, so Samba and Forro are always favourites, but you might hear R'n B, Samba-Funk, Rap, or even Reggae. This year they hope to end their set with a mini-Carnival Parade, so if you play, bring a drum for the final number. If you prefer to dance...Tribo have all the grooves to make you move.
emily
burridge
with BJ Cole
Virtuoso cellist Emily Burridge will open with some of her solo programme of mellow cello music in which she utilises sampling and looping technology enabling her to multi track harmonies and rhythms resulting in an exciting and innovative programme of new music for the cello. A reviewer wrote ‘Emily Burridge lifts the subtle art of cello to new dimensions with her inspirational, moody, soulful and joyous musicianship.'
She will then be joined by her long standing colleague BJ Cole, pedal steel guitarist of famed repute. His uniquely eclectic style of playing first made an impact on the British music scene in the early 1970's. His iconic performance on Elton John's classic 'Tiny Dancer' put him in place as the go-to pedal steel player for numerous major artists and bands
RUBBER BUS
Rubber Bus began life circa 1994 in Brighton. Quickly finding favour with the festival crowd due to a combination of their upbeat reggae-influenced songs and sometimes lengthy, dubbed-out improvisations, Rubber Bus performed at many festivals in the UK and Europe. They planned a UK tour and have been rehearsing new material, but since the Covid-19 Lockdown in spring of 2020, have instead been preparing material for a new album in their own respective studios.
We're thrilled to see them live and back on stage here in Semley.
meg bannister
Megan Bannister is a singer songwriter from London and winner of the 2024 tri-borough Future Sounds competition. Growing up in an area of such vibrant culture with a music obsessed family she has been immersed from the beginning with all genres of music ranging from Arcade Fire and Radiohead to Florence and the Machine and Amy Winehouse. Her musical style draws influence from jazz, blues, rock and indie combining to create a distinctive, groovy sound.