Wednesday 11^th October 2023

Robin Hood will be on site during the opening day. Well it wouldn’t be the Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival without him! He’s back with this bow, arrow and quiver to remind us all of our local hero. He’ll also be judging the cider competition too. Catch him for photos and medieval banter.

Acoustic Stage

19:00 – 20:00 - Ryan Farmer - Americana singer/songwriter from Nottingham, UK. With a range of influences coming from old time folk to the country classics to bluegrass and the blues, throw in some gospel and prepare for music to make you drink, dance, cry and praise the lord within the space of a few minutes. Born and bred in the middle of England he may be, Ryan evokes the sounds of the States through thoughtful songwriting of his own, storytelling with a soulful voice bringing every line to life. Playing with a respect and understanding that the genre deserves, it's a must hear sound for Americana fans across the country and beyond.

20:30 – 21:30 - Daudi Matsiko - Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Ugandan singer-songwriter and guitarist Daudi Matsiko carefully crafts modern albeit reverent folk. Deft, melancholic picking reminiscent of Nick Drake is tempered by contemporary percussion and instrumentation, and Matsiko’s vocals derive their strength from their seeming fragility, a warble in notes that may or may not be intentional. With every song, his confessional lyrics cut to the marrow.

Main Stage

17:45 – 18:30 – Bored Marsh - Bored Marsh are Joe Need (Vocals), Brad Westby (Guitar and backing vocals), Jade Bowman (Bass guitar) & Paul Mason-Smith (Drums). They are a powerful, reverb soaked, alternative quartet.  Not exactly at the start of their musical journey, these experienced musicians have been in various bands over the years, but are by no means creating music for the past tense. Their soaring guitars & powerful Ian Curtis-esque vocals make a noise that is as much for the future as it is inspired by a previous life.  With a recent headline show at The Bodega, a prime slot at the sold out Waterfront Festival, headlining The Riverside Festival and coming up supporting the likes of New Candys and The Warlocks, things are really picking up for Bored Marsh.

19:00 – 20:30 – The Comet Rockers - playing Rock n Roll, Rockabilly & classics from the 50’s. So, if you love Chuck Berry, Elvis, Eddie Cochran, Little Richard & Jerry Lee Lewis put on your blue suede shoes & get your kicks Jiving & Strolling to this fabulous band.

21:00 – 22:30 – The Shinkickers - Our final act, following our tradition of a blues headliner, is Shinkicker, an appreciation of, the Irish Rock Blues legend, Rory Gallagher.

Thursday 12^th October 2023

Around the site will be Zandra and her White Diamonds, lip syncing and dancing their way through some sing-a-long favourites. Zandra will also being collecting donations for charity and raising the profile of the local drag scene. This year Zandra will be encouraging you to part with your money for Danielle’s Flutterbyes.

"Our mission is to help young adults living with kidney disease between the ages of 18 and 40. We will also educate the general public on how to spot the early symptoms of kidney disease, what their kidneys do and how precious they are.”

Acoustic Stage

14:30 – 15:30 – Ant McAndrew - Ant Macandrew is a Singer / Songwriter who specializes in Folk / Pop!  His original songs are often compared to the likes of Mumford & Sons, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, The Fray, Scouting for Girls.  Working as a full-time musician over the last 5 years he has made his way through around 300 gigs per year, playing various venues throughout the UK and also venues in Belgium/Cyprus and Barcelona

18:30 – 19:15 – George Gadd - George Gadd has spent time relentlessly touring at festivals and support slots whilst packing out shows of his own, Notts lad George is a DIY folk-punk songwriter, blending heartfelt lyrics with big singalongs.

20:30 – 21:30 – Warren Ireland - Nottinghamshire based singer-songwriter Warren Ireland is a multi-styled musically proficient artist. Starting out busking on his home town streets, Warren can often be found around the UK in various forms, be it solo looping or full 5 piece band. A voice hard to pinpoint, and a commanding playing style, Warren is often referred as one to be watching over the years.

Main Stage

13:00 – 14:00 – Carlton Male Voice Choir - who maintain a large and varied ‘progressive’ repertoire from sacred to secular, spirituals to show songs, classical to pop, serious to light-hearted, ancient to modern music, jazz to sea shanties all designed to suit wide variety of tastes. Each year the choir renews its repertoire completely, rejuvenating its sound and keeping audiences constantly thrilled.

15:00 – 16:00 – Musical Comedy – Something new for the first time, we will have a compared hour of musical comedy, at the time of writing one act is fully confirmed whilst the other is in the pipeline. The confirmed act is Friz Frizzle is a “Songruiner”. Armed with a piano, he’ll take the tunes you know and love and mess around with them until you don’t want to know or love them anymore. It’s better than it sounds. Nominated for the WeGotTickets Musical Comedy Awards 2017 and 2018, Winner of the TenFootCity Comedian of the Year 2017 and sell-out Edinburgh Fringe shows every year since 2015.

17:00 – 18:30 – The Meden Blazers - The Meden Blazers will be performing later in  the day, a local high octane rock and roll band from Warsop, Nottinghamshire, UK. 

19:00 – 20:30 – Seattle Thrift Store - a 5 piece grunge tribute band. Covering Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies, Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters, Hole, Temple of the Dog, Screaming Trees, Dinosaur Jr among a few others. They love everything alternative 90s!

21:00 – 22:30 – Lightstream - To finish off, covering all the great indie sing-a-longs are Lightstream. A 4 Piece Indie Pop Band from Newark, UK. If it's Indie/Pop floor fillers and bangers you're after, then you're in the right place!

Friday 13^th October 2023

During the day you may see people suddenly appear and perform some Pop-up Shakespeare, don’t worry they’ve been booked by us. Famous, and sometimes gore laden scenes will be performed throughout the day. Well it is Friday the 13^th.

Acoustic Stage

14:30 – 15:30 – Georgie – With a rich Americana soul sound, Georgie has supported the likes of Jake Bugg, Blossoms and Jack Savoretti resulting in songwriters all over the world wanting to work with her including the legendary Matthew E White who flew her out to Virginia, USA record her debut single.

16:30 – 17:30 – Concrete Rose (2 Piece Acoustic) - Giving the classic Jamaican roots reggae sound a modern twist, Concrete Rose are a Nottingham favourite. Their unique blend of lively feel-good melodies, jazzy instrumentals and soulful harmonies create the instantly recognisable sound of Concrete Rose.

18:30 – 19: 30 – Paul Carbuncle – A former winner of the Gateway to Southwell Festival open-mic competition, Paul Carbuncle appears armed with folk songs of Kent (via Nottingham), folk songs of Nottingham (via Kent) and “a formidable right hand”. According to the rather "unhelpful" but excellent blurb on his website: "... “Excellent!”, “Immaculate!”, “Wonderful views!”, “We had to ask for more towels!”. These are just some of the comments made by lovers of folk music who have stayed in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in Paul Carbuncle’s native county of Kent. Since the Midlands magazine Folk Monthly labelled him “bourgeoning”, back in the days before spell-check (2015), Paul has spent much of his spare time sitting next to the telephone ready for stardom to call. When the call finally arrived at tea-time yesterday, it came as a great joy to learn that he may have been mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance. In a recent interview with a lady who said she was from off of the telly, Paul deftly cleared up once and for all any mystery surrounding his chosen musical genre. “Some call it folk-punk,” he explained, “while others call it punk-folk. Either is fine, but over-blend it and you’ll end up with funk or polk, and I’m sure none of us wants that. It’s rather like mixing the grape and the grain… you’ve got to be careful not to wind up with muesli.”

20:30 – 21:30 – Myles Knight - Finally, over in the land beyond the undercroft (in Woodhead Hall that’s where the stage is  – although it does sound a bit like a horror movie!), is Myles Knight, a Nottingham born Singer/Songwriter, who has been described as a 'Quick Witted' and a 'Stellar' Songwriter with a 'Distinctive Tone'. Myles Knight, provides a fusion of Indie Rock vibes with Blues undertones. Knight’s first debut single “Black And Blue” was released in March of 2019, his first self-titled release which would be accompanied by a sold out single launch at Rough Trade.

Main Stage

13:00 – 14:00 – The Boutones - A Midlands based four-piece covers band: two guitars, bass & drums, plus lead vocal & harmony vocals by all. They consist of an experienced line-up, with many years combined gigging experience.​Musically they take great material and make it their own. A bluesy, souly, vintage vibe with some punky attitude and a touch of Americana. This is topped with bags of energy, and a typical Boutones swagger.
Some better-known songs will sit alongside something less familiar - all of it will sound like them! They do like to cover a cover! Their aim is to make you sing, dance, smile and maybe a little inquisitive.

15:00 -16:00 – West O the Moon - A three-piece cover band from Bingham. They play covers of rock hits and pop hits (in a rock style).Playing songs from the 60s to the modern age, they hope to please all generations.

 17:00 to 18:30 – Rattus Inheritus - who have been kicking up a rumpus recently all over the country. ..."YOU DON'T HAPPEN TO PLAY THE GUITAR DO YOU?"... is the first thing Glenn said to Doc, after noticing him watching Hugh Cornwell intently live at The Rescue Rooms. After a few pints, a plan was formulated to form a Stranglers covers band, with Doc on lead vocal and guitar duties and Glenn on bass and vocals. Joining them was Glenn's Nutty Boys band mate O on keys and finishing off the lineup was The Grocer on drums. Their Ethos - To play the music of their musical heroes that formed the soundtrack to their youth, and not take themselves too seriously. The Stranglers music played by fans for the fans.

19:00 – 20:30 – Saguaro - apparently their name is the same as those cacti we see in the westerns. Five really good musicians who play pure country, a few songs you’ll not have heard before and some that you’ll know given a different twist, no backing tracks, they don’t need them.

21:00 – 22:30 - The Activators - An 11-piece band whose eclectic style transcends Ska, Reggae, Celtic, Punk and Dub, even venturing into Balkan folk and Tango! Their energy, style and liking for utter mayhem have led to them becoming regulars on the live music circuit in the UK and in Europe. One thing is for sure, when The Activators walk on to any stage, things start to get very interesting! Music Beyond Boundaries - check it out!!

 Saturday 14^th October 2023

Time TBC (when they feel like it!) – Foresters Morris Men – The Morris Men will appear at some point during the day and at a venue of their choice to wave their “clean” hankies at you at jingle their bells about.

Acoustic Stage

14:00 – 15:00 – Jimi Strange – local singer songwriter Jimi Strange, with his mix of rock, folk, and blues, complemented by his strong vocals. Jimi Strange manages to span all these genres and more – definitely a name to search out for on the local music scene.

 16:00 – 17:00 – Ben Mark Smith - Nottinghamshire, UK based singer-songwriter Ben Mark Smith draws comparisons to artists the likes of Frank Turner, City & Colour and Damien Rice.  After a few years building his fan base, supporting acts like The Sherlocks, Miles Hunt (The Wonder Stuff), Red Ken (Ferocious Dog), John Joseph brill, Gecko and Non Canon, as well as performing at such festivals as Dot To Dot, Y-Not Festival, Here For The Music and Derby Folk Festival, Ben released his debut single ‘Who’s The Girl?’ to critical acclaim, a song which gained a cult like status amongst the Nottingham & Derby music scene. A few months later saw the release of the singles ‘One Year On’, ‘Thanks For The Adventure’ and the charity single ‘Dog & Parrot’, which all received strong praise from fans and critics.  Lockdown brought along a ton of time to write and be creative, which finally brought about the creation of Ben’s debut album ‘Drinking Games’ and the formation of his gigging band ‘Ben Mark Smith and The Balancing Acts’.  Ben’s emotive story telling and passionate performances have enabled him to connect with a very attentive audience, gaining him a strong following as he continues to perform and release new music.  What People Say: “He’s no Rick Astley!”  - Mum, “Sounds like the Arctic Monkeys” - NME, “Who?” - General public

18:00 – 19:00 – Tash Bird - From the self-release of her debut EP ‘Normal is Boring’ reaching top 20 in the iTunes UK singer-songwriter charts back in 2016, local acoustic sensation Tash Bird is making her mark on the music industry one show at a time and shows no signs of slowing down.  Embellishing every tune with her husky vocals and candid balladry, her relatable lyricism and colloquial stage presence never fails to leave audiences wanting more and feel like they’ve made a new mate in Tash.  A seasoned favourite of the Nottingham music scene, Tash has performed at various festivals around the country including Y Not, Splendour, Beat The Streets, Dot To Dot, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and gained multiple airplays on BBC Introducing and BBC Radio Nottingham. Having scored a plethora of support slots for the likes of Frank Turner, Skinny Living, Grace Petrie, Mike Dignam, released multiple singles throughout 2021 and showcased these at gigs around the UK.  Over the last few years, Tash has seen her sound flourish in a huge way. In alignment with her own developing confidence and obvious mastery of her unique acoustic style, she has re-invented her music and paved a path for further creative pursuits and new ideas.  Between her innovative sound and thriving career, plans for her highly anticipated EP launch are well underway, so be sure to keep Tash Bird on your radar.

20:30 – 21:30 – Whisky Stain - Blues drenched riffs, hymn crushing hooks, and a mean blast of bloody punch drums. Powerhouse duo WHISKY STAIN are notorious for their huge live sound and energetic performances.  Practiced and honed, distilled to a fierce gospel gut punch perfection, these boys are not to missed! There's a long trail of venues and festivals in their wake and a slick catalogue of EPs and singles.  Hand picked by BBC introducing, scouted for Y Not, Bearded Theory, Deerstock Festival and others, the soundtrack to Sky Atlantic's hit series Ray Donovan... These are just some of their highlights to date.

Main Stage

13:00 – 14:00 – The Beat Institute – High energy 60s' hits by the Who, Kinks, Stones, Beatles, Animals, Yardbirds and more - come on down!

15:00 – 16:00 – Jess Breame – Singer songwriter based near Nottingham, Jess Breame brings together a blend of country and Americana whilst maintaining sophisticated pop sensibilities. Her musical influences range from classic country to southern rock plus legendary British pop acts and modern indie. Her new album, The Circus, was released on 04^th September 2023.

17:00 – 18:30 – Beggers Belief – A high energy covers band, covering popular rock music from the last five decades.

19:00 – 20:30 – Verbal Warning - Rising like a phoenix from the ashes of the early eighties band, the new-look Verbal Warning spluttered into life in 2005. Trying to keep the spirit of old school punk rock alive, the band retained some of the old songs as well as writing some new ones, as the new line-up took the band, having actually learnt how to play with their instruments, off into a slightly more melodic direction, making sure to retain the energy of Punk Rock - the comment at practices often being “Are we sure that’s fast enough?” A mix of politics and humour rub shoulders, and the band always try to make live shows as entertaining as possible, doing sets with new songs mixing with the old plus a selection of crowd-pleasing covers. If someone shouts “Duck” watchout for the flying yellow plastic......

21:00 – 22:30 – Rebel, Rebel - Headlining on the final night are Rebel, Rebel. Performing the classic songs from David Bowie’s golden years. This six piece band captures all of the energy and brilliance of the Bowie legend and his many alter egos’. From Ashes to Ashes to Ziggy Stardust, calling at many stations in-between, the band lovingly recreate Bowie’s unique catalogue of masterworks. A fusion of Sound and Vision incorporating dance, mime, costumes and props ensures that Rebel, Rebel provides a thrilling Bowie experience.