Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival 2023                              Festival Fringe                                                                 @the White Bear, Wheelock Street                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Thursday 15th June @ the White Bear                                                    

2pm FABFest Lounge Session; Our first music session is hosted by `Midwich. Musicians of all abilities very welcome to join us.

7pm FABFest Boaters Supper & Lounge Session; Delicious Boaters Supper plus acoustic music session in the lounge, hosted by `St Luke`s Buskers.                                                               Musicians of all abilities very welcome to join us.                                                                                                                                           

Friday 16th June @ the White Bear                                                                                                                                                

`A Feast of Folk & Roots!                                                                                                                                           

2pm FABFest Lounge Session; music session hosted by `DTs Allstars.                Musicians of all abilities very welcome to join us.

7pm Salty-Dog Blues Band; Old School Country Blues from the Dane Valley  Delta, and featuring Middlewichs` very own Blues Harp legend Fred Moores.                                                               

8pm Baxter; `the thinking man`s Peters & Lee- or something! Classic covers and random banter= Baxter> FABFest Favourites.                                                                          

9pm Billy & the Swampcritters; from San Diego they play a spicy gumbo of Blues/Cajun Stomp> its about to get lively!                                                                                     

Saturday 17th June @ the White Bear                                                                                                                                              

`Another Feast of Folk & Roots!                                                                                                                                         

1pm FolkDivas; Classical Folk-Nastee Chapel-the Hayes Sisters    Classical Folk combine their traditional musical styles with Cello & Guitar.                                                                      Nastee Chapel are Natalee & Steve. Their music is infectious- see for yourself.                                                                                                     the Hayes Sisters. Stockport`s finest trio are back, playing all manner of folk. 

3pm 3towns Roadshow; launching a new project showcasing artists from Middlewich, Northwich & Winsford; featuring Andy Blackshaw-          Craig `the Harp` Moores-Northwestern-Northwich Uke Club-Racing Demon

Hosted by 

  

3towns Roadshow is sponsored by HUSH BREWERY   

6pm Peter Price; is a guitarist/singer with a musical career which has so far taken him to festivals & concert venues throughout the UK, Europe, North America & more recently, Australia and New Zealand.  His performances take the listener on strange & exotic journeys from the country blues style of Robert Johnson, Blind Willie McTell, &  Leadbelly, to Latin American dances, Celtic Pipes, Harp tunes, Hymns & Indian Ragas.                                                                               

7pm Nastee Chapel; formed in 2019, Natalie Grace & Steve have brought their love for traditional folk music & poured in ideas from their eclectic musical backgrounds to create an innovative sound that will tickle the tastebuds of maestros & casual listeners alike, backed with their infectious stage presence> sit still if you can!  

8pm Just Above Snakes; a modern day folk duo from Lancaster and making their FAB festival debut. Inspired by greats such as Johnny Cash-Mumford & Sons-Lindisfarne, they bring foot-stomping energy to anywhere they play.    

9pm the BOAT BAND; they set sail in1989 gigging round Scottish Islands in a small boat. Since then they’ve travelled by land and sea, around Britain and beyond.                   En route they’ve picked up a huge and varied catch of tunes: Creole, Caribbean,  Gospel, Cajun, English, Zydeco and Blues – not much slips through the net.

`with us from the start in1990 and still packing a punch with their unique style and musical taste. A FABFest tradition to treasure.                                           

Sunday 18th June @ the White Bear

`A Final Feast of Folk & Roots!                                                                                                                                           

1pm Barrelhouse Jukes & Vox Americana; 2 groups alternate their sets to create an exciting start to the day.                                                                                                           Barrelhouse Jukes a well seasoned trio play interpretations of classic Blues & Jazz with a West Coast feel, ranging from T Bone Walker to Hot Tuna.                                          Great to see Pete & the guys (finally) at the White Bear!                                                            Vox Americana is a group of musicians from Staffordshire led by American singer/songwriter Helen Walford. Influences include Lucinda Williams, Tom Waits and Gillian Welch. Playing original material and carefully chosen covers for good measure.  

4pm Billy & the Swampcritters; are back for more foot-stomping tunes and songs, here with FAB Festival guests, plus a unique cajun dance for EVERYONE to try!   

5pm Loud Mouth Women; sing songs from around the world: sea shanties, pop classics, suffragette anthems and songs for the planet.                                                                     A Potteries Community Choir, they always welcome new members.                                  PLUS a special performance>>>                                                                                                              Kate Barfield & Esther Brennan; noted for wild harmonies and soaring melodies. Equally at home with folk, blues, sea songs and reggae classics. Not to be missed!   

6pm Rajasthan Brass Band; made their spectacular first appearance at the festival in 2014 and a decade later the band are back with another huge blast of brass and percussion, as they proudly celebrate their `Culture from the Desert. 

7pm Village Strays; (formerly Vicars Son) are hard hitting tunesmiths, using a plethora of instruments to transport you from drunken pub antics to the blistering great outdoors. Bring your dancing feet and enjoy Village Strays.

8pm Captain Stingray`s Groove Machine; they create a musical fusion influenced by a wide range of styles and cultures, playing a spicy blend of grooves from around the world to uplift the soul. Join us for a fabulous FAB Festival Finale!