Come All Ye - Open Stage Night   Weds 1st September : £2.00

One of our famous Come All Ye - Open Stage Nights, home to a wealth of local talent playing all sorts of styles! Performers and audience both welcome. No mics, no amps, just pure acoustic music!

THE CARRIVICK SISTERS   Wednesday 8th September : £5.00

A fantastic young duo from South Devon, twins Laura & Charlotte Carrivick have been taking the bluegrass and folk worlds by storm with their superb songs, harmonies, and instrumental skills! Despite their relatively young ages, the Carrivicks are no strangers to the big stages of the acoustic music scene, having performed at dozens of festivals and other venues across the UK. The twins play a superb selection of material on a variety of instruments including guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle and dobro, all underscoring their lovely vocal harmonies, with a unique blend of vocals that only two siblings can create! Laura & Charlotte have been performing together for a number of years, and since 2006 have released three CDs - the twins rose to national prominance when they were finalists in the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards competition. With many venues and artists, including Ralph McTell, singing the Carrivicks' praises, this talented twosome are fast becoming one of the hottest acts in folk and bluegrass in the UK!

Come All Ye - Open Stage Night   Weds 15th September : £2.00

One of our famous Come All Ye - Open Stage Nights, home to a wealth of local talent playing all sorts of styles! Performers and audience both welcome. No mics, no amps, just pure acoustic music!

CLOUDSTREET   Wednesday 22nd September : £5.00

An exciting return appearance at the Willows from this fine Australian act, a duo brimming with musical vitality and dazzling vocal harmonies! Cloudstreet are Nicole Murray and John Thompson, two individuals with a wealth of musical experience behind them - between them they play guitar, fiddle, whistle and flute, and have quickly risen to great acclaim in their native Australia for their diverse and highly entertaining live performances. Performing an eclectic mix of British, Celtic and Australian folk songs along with original compositions and some driving instrumentals, Cloudstreet pride themselves on their awe-inspiring vocal harmonies and are much loved for their great humour and entertaining presentation. Please come along and support this great duo!

Come All Ye - Open Stage Night   Weds 29th September : £2.00

One of our famous Come All Ye - Open Stage Nights, home to a wealth of local talent playing all sorts of styles! Performers and audience both welcome. No mics, no amps, just pure acoustic music!

MIKE SILVER   Wednesday 6th October : £5.00

It's been a few years since this terrific singer-songwriter last played the Willows, but now Mike is back! Mike has long been regarded as one of the finest troubadours on the UK folk and acoustic scene, having played hundreds of clubs and festivals up and down the country for the past three decades. His powerful, melodic vocals have drawn comparisons with artists as diverse as Phil Collins and James Taylor, his skillful guitar work provides a subtle yet engaging backdrop to his terrific repertoire of original songs, and his music somehow seems possessed of a magical, timeless quality that appeals across the genres. In 2003, Mike became something of a household name when BBC Radio 2 began giving regular airplay to his song "Not A Matter of Pride", exposing many people to Mike's music for the first time. A consummate professional performer, the chance to see Mike Silver in concert is an experience you don't want to miss!

Come All Ye - Open Stage Night   Weds 13th October : £2.00

One of our famous Come All Ye - Open Stage Nights, home to a wealth of local talent playing all sorts of styles! Performers and audience both welcome. No mics, no amps, just pure acoustic music!

SHOWCASE SPECIAL featuring JO & GRAHAM
and RICK WILLINGS   Wednesday 20th October : £2.00

Extended sets from some of the finest local talent around!

This latest Showcase Special features two more great acts! JO & GRAHAM together make up one of the Willows' most popular resident acts - both admired and loved for their solo floorspots at the club, in 2008 they teamed up to form a hugely popular and successful duo, showcasing beautiful vocal harmonies, great and varied material (everything from Kate Rusby to Don Williams to Buddy Holly and all points inbetween!) and engaging live performances. The second 40-minute set of the evening belongs to legendary Sussex showman Rick Willings, a fantastic singer-guitarist who has been a great friend of the Willows' since the very beginning! Rick is best-known on the south coast for his work with hugely successful bands Big Yellow Taxi (and the band's acoustic equivalent, Taxi Home) and also the legendary Pied Merlin. A great multi-instrumentalist and singer, this Showcase set offers a rare chance to see Rick performing solo.

ELBOW JANE   Wednesday 27th October : £6.00

An exciting five-piece band from Merseyside, blending acoustic folk instrumentation with a fresh and exciting sound and energy, Elbow Jane have fast established themselves as one of the hottest bands on the UK folk and acoustic scene. Collectively and individually, the band's members have worked with and supported artists as diverse as Kate Rusby, Allan Taylor, The John Wright Band, Jools Holland, and many others. Whether performing in folk clubs or on the main stage of festivals, the band bring the same energy, excitement, commitment and enthusiasm to their performances. With their beautiful, melodic, harmony-driven vocals underscored by acoustic guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, keyboards, bass and percussion, the band's popularity has recently seen them signed to legendary folk label Fellside Records, resulting in a new album, "3 Side Island". Please come and welcome this exciting young band as they make their Willows debut!

Come All Ye - Open Stage Night   Weds 3rd November : £2.00

One of our famous Come All Ye - Open Stage Nights, home to a wealth of local talent playing all sorts of styles! Performers and audience both welcome. No mics, no amps, just pure acoustic music!

JEZ LOWE & THE BAD PENNIES   Weds 10th November : £7.50

A much-requested return appearance from one of the world's most popular folk bands, fronted by a legendary singer-songwriter! Jez Lowe has had a long and exciting career, working extensively both as a solo act and with the Bad Pennies - his albums have been critically acclaimed and his songs have been recorded by some of world's finest folk acts. In 2008, Jez's longstanding contribution to the world of folk was acknowledged with a nomination for "Best Folksinger" at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards! Together, Jez and the Bad Pennies (Jez's legendary band which has always included some of the finest talent the UK folk scene has to offer), are set to deliver a fantastic evening of upbeat entertainment with superb vocals, musicianship, material, and chorus songs! Don't miss your chance to enjoy a performance from one of the finest acts the folk scene has to offer!

Come All Ye - Open Stage Night   Weds 17th November : £2.00

One of our famous Come All Ye - Open Stage Nights, home to a wealth of local talent playing all sorts of styles! Performers and audience both welcome. No mics, no amps, just pure acoustic music!

JOHNNY SILVO   Wednesday 24th November : £4.00

He's back! One of our most popular guests from years past, Johnny Silvo has been entertaining audiences in Britain and abroad for over 30 years, having first played the Willows in 1972! He's been described as "arguably the most talented all-round entertainer on the folk scene today", possessing a singing voice of great volume, clarity, tone and versatility, complimented by some fine guitar work. However, it is perhaps his skills as an entertainer that have kept Johnny at the top of his field for so long, loved by audiences wherever he goes for his warmth and humour, and for his fine selection of material. Come along and enjoy an evening from a man rightly regarded as a living legend!

Come All Ye - Open Stage Night   Weds 1st December : £2.00

One of our famous Come All Ye - Open Stage Nights, home to a wealth of local talent playing all sorts of styles! Performers and audience both welcome. No mics, no amps, just pure acoustic music!

MICK GROVES - SPECIAL XMAS SHOW   Weds 8th Dec : £4.00

Another Willows appearance from this terrific singer & guitarist, this time with a unique festive flavour! Mick made a name for himself as a member of The Spinners, Britain's foremost folk group for over 30 years - during that time, the group made countless TV and radio appearances, as well as regularly selling out major concert venues across the country. Although the band amicably disbanded in 1988, public demand saw them play reunion tours for a further five years before finally calling it a day. Mick briefly retired from playing music professionally, but in the past few years has made a triumphant return to the world of folk music, with a debut solo CD produced by Phil Beer! For this latest appearance at the Willows, Mick is set to serve up a festive treat - one of the Spinners' most popular shows was always their famous Christmas concerts, and Mick has revived that tradition for his solo career! Featuring a mixture of well-known songs and carols along with more obscure and sometimes thought-provoking Christmas-themed material, all delivered with Mick's trademark engaging ease and "feelgood factor", this evening promises to be a really special night to remember for years to come! Don't miss it!

THE CHRISTMAS PARTY   Wednesday 15th December : £2.00

Our annual Christmas celebration, this has always been a very special and popular evening each year and so we hope that this trend will continue! We had a brilliant Christmas Party night last year, and this year promises more of the same, with floorsingers and musicians all welcome, a huge buffet supplied, a bumper raffle, and closing with our special Christmas Song & Carol Session where everybody is welcome to join in and sing or play along, either from the floor or on stage. Please note that, due to the popularity of previous year's parties, our plan at the moment is to kick off the evening at 8:00pm sharp. Whether you're a singer, musician, or if you just want to come along and join in the festivities, a very warm welcome is guaranteed - please come along and help us celebrate this special occasion!