How about this for the ultimate Nettlebed Folk Club line-up? Cara Dillon, Sam Lakeman, Feast of Fiddles, Maddy Prior, Chris While, Julie Matthews, Kellie While, Steve Knightley, Phil Beer, Miranda Sykes, Mike McGoldrick, John McCusker, Benji Kirkpatrick, Paul Downes, Jackie Oates, Megan Henwood and Charlie Dore.
All will be on the bill on Monday, July 14. Tickets for the show were snapped up long before the bill was announced, and to meet demand, a live stream has been organised so those who want to celebrate can do so, wherever they are in the world.
A week later, a second celebration show takes place when Peter Knight’s Gigspanner Big Band performs a special concert.
Not bad for a club that started in 1975 when the new landlord of Nettlebed’s The Bull Inn asked Mike Sanderson to organise a regular folk night in a bar with just 40 seats. The pub closed in 1990, but the music lived on, moving over the road to Nettlebed Village Club. This can seat up to 200 music lovers, is more spacious than its original home and has seen the club become one of the major venues for the folk scene circuit.
Over the years, just about anyone who is anyone in the world of folk has performed on its stages, while other acts have honed their craft, team-ups have been formed, and new bands have been launched.
“If I roll the clock back all those years ago to when the landlord asked me to run some folk evenings, I never thought that 50 years later we would still be running them in Nettlebed,” he says. “I’ve programmed every show that has been on in that time.
“We have had some interesting ones over the years. For example, Feast of Fiddles was originally a one-off show for Valentine’s Day. Thirty years later, it’s a band that goes on a national tour for two weeks every year.
“In 1997, the BBC approached us to stage The Nettlebed Sessions, six live concerts that went out live on Radio 2. Another one was hosting a warm-up gig for Steeleye Span, who were supporting Status Quo at Wembley Arena. We ended up with a very, very interesting rocky show, which would be appreciated by Status Quo fans and our regular audience.
“There have been lots of highlights over the years, some from up-and-coming artists like the group Talisk with Mohsen Amini and his amazing concertina playing … there really are too many moments to mention them all.”
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Such is the reputation of the club that at a recent Folk Awards, BBC Radio 2 Folk Show presenter Mark Radcliffe told those in the Royal Albert Hall that it was ‘..very much the Nettlebed Folk Club of the South Kensington area’
Mike and his team – all of whom are volunteers – were also asked to help out with the production of the ITV detective drama Midsomer Murders. Among the episodes, they helped stage a music festival for which they were asked to provide more than a dozen performers, plus a 100-strong audience for three days of filming.
Among those taking part were Seth Lakeman, Lucie Jones, Paul Downes and Clarke Peters.
The Series 17 episode can be watched for free on the streaming service ITV X: https://www.itv.com/watch/midsomer-murders/Ya1096/1a7317a0030
In addition to a DVD of the episode, a soundtrack was released by Silva Screen records, https://www.silvascreen.com/silcd1476-midsomer-murders/, which also can be listened to on Spotify:
Two special gigs to mark Nettlebed Folk Club’s 50th anniversary
The 50th-anniversary events help Nettlebed Folk Club celebrate its significant birthday, and Mike Sanderson is thrilled with the support they have received from both artists and audiences.
“We were amazed by the response from the artists when we first invited them to perform, and also amazed by the response from the audience as well, simply because we didn’t tell anyone what the lineup was until a few weeks ago. They bought tickets on trust, which was amazing,” he says of the sold-out show.
“We thought if we advertised the lineup, it would cause a tidal wave of response.”
Even without audiences knowing the names of the performers, demand was such that tickets sold out instantly. There won’t be a waiting list, so people who want to catch folk music history being made will need to buy a live stream pass for £20.
“We did quite a lot of live streaming during Covid lockdowns and Steve Knightley suggested that we should livestream the show. His contacts oiled the wheels and Folkscape is coming to live stream the event.”
The support from performers wanting to return to Nettlebed Folk Club has bowled over Mike. Last September, he sent the invite to performers who had been involved with the club over the years and responses came back very swiftly.
“It’s going to be quite the show,” he says.
The following week, the Gigspanner Big Band perform. Mike says this is because they had prior commitments on July 14, performing in Whitby. Instead, they will play seven days later.
“(Musicians) Peter Knight and John Spires are two people we would have loved to have had with us on the 14th, but they can’t as they are gigging elsewhere. The compromise is to run a second night, and it means we can facilitate a few more things as well,” Mike says.
“They have put something on their website, giving us some credit with the formation of the band as they played their first-ever gig at Nettlebed Folk Club.”
Two special gigs that will be talked about for a long time.
Nettlebed Folk Club is more than just a club
With Nettlebed Folk Club being a non-profit group led by volunteers, it should be no surprise that the camaraderie is real.
“It takes a whole gaggle of people to make the Club run well. Everyone does what they do well, and we put square pegs in square holes … we are lucky we have managed to do that,” Mike explains.
“You can’t run something of this nature without a strong team of people. They have been there since lunchtime, setting up the room ready for 7pm, setting up the PA, doing the sound checks and all the rest of it. Then, at the end of the night, they will break it all down again.”
The club has been a staging ground for talent including the likes of Megan Henwood and Jackie Oates playing as a duo, while also being the genesis of the famous collective Feast of Fiddles, among others, as Mike explains: “John Spiers is one of the founder members of Bellowhead. He first came to Nettlebed on a bus which broke down, and he had to get a lift. He wasn’t coming to play, but to see one of his heroes perform, John Kirkpartrick.”
Performers and volunteers are one thing, but without an audience, there would be no Nettlebed Folk Club.
Mike says they have a dedicated support base that comes to the shows and ensures the club will continue for years to come.
“We have a database of regular ticket buyers. It’s effectively a free-to-join membership list, we send them monthly newsletters and make it as easy as possible for them to get tickets.”
Why do people keep coming back? Why do new people keep turning up? Mike thinks one of the reasons, apart from the extensive list of top acts performing, is the quality of the sound system.
“We keep the quality high and provide the technical back-up to ensure people have a good night. I’ve been to many gigs where you come out thinking the band were probably great, but you couldn’t hear a word, it was too loud or whatever. We go the extra mile to ensure what goes in from the stage comes out the other end perfectly. There is nothing worse than not enjoying an evening because of a technical reason,” he explains.
And there is more great music to come
The 50th birthday parties on July 14 and 21 bring the anniversary season to a close, but this isn’t the end for Nettlebed Folk Club. Mike has already booked the next season and published gigs all the way to Christmas this year.
“We will launch the season with Seth Lakeman. Once again, it’s a big name coming to a small venue. Even though he is a huge performer, he has always done the occasional gig for us, originally coming to the club to support Steve Knightley,” Mike says.
“We had a night in September where we had a date we wanted to fill, so I gave Seth a call and there we go: he’s playing on Monday, September 22, to kick off the autumn season.”
Mike is showing no signs of stopping, taking a moment to thank his wife for her support of his musical endeavours over the years – after all, organising an event a couple of times a month is no small undertaking.
“It’s a journey I’m very proud to be on,” he says. “It’s been very long, interesting and satisfying.”
How can people book tickets for the Nettlebed Folk Club shows, including the 50th anniversary live streams?
The first 50th anniversary show has sold out, but this will be live-streamed via https://www.folkscape.live/ Tickets for this cost £20, and the show starts at 7pm. The streaming firm says “With the live show sold out, this live stream is the must-watch concert of 2025, featuring some of the finest talents in English Folk music celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Nettlebed Folk Club”.
The line-up, in no particular order, includes
- Cara Dillon & Sam Lakeman
- Feast of Fiddles
- Chris While, Julie Matthews & Kellie While
- Steve Knightley
- Phil Beer
- Miranda Sykes
- Maddy Prior
- Mike McGoldrick & John McCusker
- Benji Kirkpatrick
- Paul Downes
- Jackie Oates, Megan Henwood & Charlie Dore.
There are still a handful of tickets left for the 50th anniversary event on Monday, July 21, where the Gigspanner Big Band will perform. These cost £27.50.
Tickets for Seth Lakeman on Monday, September 22, are also on sale costing £24.
The Nettlebed Folk Club website, https://nettlebedfolkclub.co.uk has details of all upcoming gigs through to Christmas 2025, with 2026 gigs to be announced in the autumn.
These gigs are:
- October 6 – John Tams
- October 21 (Tuesday) – Chris While & Julie Matthews
- November 10 – Feast of Fiddles Originals
- November 24 – Paul Downes & Phil Beer – 24 November
- December 15 – St Agnes Fountain
Events mostly take place on Mondays, with doors opening at 7pm and the gig at 7.30pm. The venue is Nettlebed Village Club in the High Street. The village is near Henley-on-Thames.
Tickets can be booked by calling the box office between 10am and 8pm on 01628 636620 or 01628 603670.
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