Artisan (UK)
There are no Artisan gigs scheduled after 17th September 2010. They never say 'never again' but at present there are no further plans. Future appearances depend on the right offer at the right time. Please enquire.
"Artisan aren't a hard act to follow. All I have to do now is get up here on stage and burst into flames."--Valdy, Canada.
Soundfiles:
Left Right, Right Left
Christmas Eve 1914
What Am I Bid?
More information (video and music) at:
www.artisan-harmony.com
"The harmony work is sharp and unfussy, the words are worth listening to, the tunes are good and the group convey a real energy and enthusiasm in their singing." -- Nick Beale, Folk Roots, UK.
When Artisan hung up their tonsils in November 2005 they weren't adamant about saying: Never again, but they knew they were going to wait for the right time to do a reunion tour. A combination of Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival's persistent invitations, and especially their upcoming 25th anniversary event, and Artisan's own itchness to sing some harmonies again has persuaded them out of retirement - briefly - in July, August snd ||September 2010. What a tour. A tlour-de-force, in fact. They have recorded another studio album (Random Play, 2010) which is available from the albums page of their website.
The songs are, as much of Artisan's material, humorous but with a deeper meaning lurking below the surface. You'll have your fun but you'll come away with a deeper understanding of the issues being sung about. And, as always, the harmonies of Jacey Bedford, Brian Bedford and Hilary Spencer are as wonderfully tuneful and rhythmic as any to be found on the folk scene today.--Dirty Linen, USA
A Brief History of Everything Artisan-ish
Gestated in 1984 and birthed in 1985 as a fun thing to do, Artisan kept getting invited to play more and more gigs until finally they kicked their day jobs into touch and went full time in 1989, playing folk clubs and festivals in the UK with a few side-trips to Belgium and Germany. In 1994 North America beckoned, first Canada and then the USA. Audiences loved them. In the next eleven years, between touring up and down the UK they did thirty North American tours playing everything from house-concerts to big outdoor festival stages such as Vancouver and Winnipeg Festivals and the Philadelphia Folksong Festival, playing to 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 people at a time. They even toured to Australia via Hong Kong. Heady stuff.
And it was still fun.
Fourteen albums and a concert DVD later they decided that you can have too much fun, sometimes. Travelling takes its toll (more than the singing) and they all had a hankering to do something a bit different. Brian's recording studio, Hilary's duo gigs with Grant Baynham (as Quicksilver) and Jacey's writing and folk agency all drew them to the conclusion that it had been twenty great years, but it was time for a rest. That was 2005. They did a farewell tour, a massive closing concert (DVD still available) and retired (dis)-gracefully to work on other things.
Still friends.
Five years later a short tour in July, August and September 2010 which makes longtime fans happy and gathers a whole host of new fans too. What next? Who knows. It depends on the right offer frlm the right venue or festival at the right time.
"Our Back Yard is a treasure box of social commentary done a cappella. If you're intrigued with lyrics and the purity of the human voice, it's for you." --Crossroads Magazine, USA
"I would cheerfully sell my soul to the Devil for Hilary Spencer's voice."--Claire Giles, Shirefolk
"Tremendous in their sheer ability to sing and entertain."--Venue Magazine
"A velvety tenderness that no other harmony group comes near." --Taplas Magazine, (Wales)
Artisan on stage at Summerfolk Festival, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, August 2010