Hibernating since Christmas, now I feel like a turkey, making up for it, stuffing eighteen bands into eight hours, such is the beauty of Bradford Roots Festival…..

Impossible to provide detailed analysis of each with such a sizable quota, not without an essay-length review, and there’s the handful I missed. Suffice it to say, every act I witnessed at Bradford Roots Festival was top notch, and locally-sourced, just as we like it here on the De-viz-ine!

Over two years from 2019, our man Andy returned from the annual convention and reported back. I skipped through it and published. I need not doubt his words, dedicating my time writing something else. I wrongly assumed at the time, likely from its name, that the Bradford Roots Festival was a folk festival, rather “roots” I now believe refers geographically; it’s the music of the here and now. I discovered this for myself attending last year’s and unexpectedly hearing jazz and youthful grunge bands you wouldn’t usually hear at a folk festival!

Open any fire door to the wonderful Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon, and there’s another surprise behind it. The festival is an annual indoor feast of music over four stages, fundraising for the Centre itself, their Zone Club, a musical group for disabled adults, and a chosen charity, this year’s being Parkinson’s support. I like to define it as a convention of local musicians rather than a festival, only because it’s all indoors and winter, but it doubles up as either. Either way you view it, it’s a brilliant event for all ages. For the elders there’s a bar and food options, for the youngest there’s craft rooms, workshops and naturally for a festival in January, ice cream!

You could also see it as a taster for the wealth of musical acts we have on this circuit; you’ll find them performing in our local venues. Some I’ve previously tried and tested, others were new to me, and some essential to check off my ever-growing must-see list.

The latter true of the first, gutted to have been too late for Daisy Chapman at the acoustic Gudeon stage, Jol Rose followed. He’s the Swindon-based Americana soloist I met at a Swindon Shuffle of yore and been meaning to catch perform. Like all others, he didn’t disappoint, despite only catching his finale. Here’s a prolific acoustic magician with the experience under his belt to engage an audience. An open mic hour followed at this stage.

If Jol, though, came as no surprise, Thieves did. My next venture to the Wild & Woolley stage where blues is the order by day, and youth gather for indie by the eve, Thieves were playing an acoustic harmony not unlike the Lost Trades, and hey presto, I’m standing next to the one only Phil Cooper, one third of said Trades! He’s compere for this stage, and will perform at the bar stage later. As Thieves progressed through a sublime set of bluegrass I likened it more to Concrete Prairie, and of similar quality. I’m staring at the frontman from a distance, thinking, by Jove, that’s Adam Woodhouse, who I know as a soloist with a penchant for rock n roll covers. This new outfit, Thieves, only formed in June and is barking up his alley, you’d imagine the four-piece to have done this all their life. Adam tells me they’re playing a Sunday at The Southgate, Devizes, in April, well worth your attention.

The festival breaks for its foyer tradition of Holt’s morris dancers and children’s parade, known as the Wassall, then Phil Cooper takes the Bar Stage, kicking off with his own Road Songs, finding time to superbly cover Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Such is diversity on offer, when it’s time for some jazz hey presto, again, I’ve finally made my way to the Main Stage for The Graham Dent Trio. Jazz pianist with a double-bass player and Nick Sorensen on sax, this is divine melodic invention, contemporary and unique, though I knew what I was letting myself in for, I saw them last year.  

Drag myself away, for Bristol Uni indie four-piece, LilyPetals. New to me, confident youngsters with funky basslines over the archetypal rock, big tick from me. And a tick off my must-see list, Be Like Will on the main stage, a varied strong female-fronted three-piece pub circuit band who used the festival to play through their originals rather than their usual covers to appease a pub audience, which, either way, they’d accomplish with bells on. The new tune finale was a definite article to how rousing this band can take an audience.

The showstopper though, and it’s a big show to stop, came from Ruby Darbyshire at the Gudgeon. An absolutely spellbinding performance left the crowd in awe as others mingled outside praying someone would leave to replace them; few did. Ruby’s stage presence has drastically improved in a relatively short space of time, her talent to adapt from acoustic folk to jazz scat need not. With just the right balance of originals and covers, she held us in awe, was the only artist to get an encore, and through Sinéad O’Connor, Dylan, Bob Marley and Springsteen covers she nailed them all and made them her own. Particularly poignant, Ella Fitzgerald’s Misty, simply, wow!

Beguiling building layers of goth-rock were sounding from the Wild & Woolley, though, as Bristol’s female-fronted Life in Mono took to the stage. Evanescence in shape, yet solely idiosyncratic, here’s a euphoric original band to look out for. With Life in Mono indulgently ticked off my must-see, a new one on me rocked the main stage, the steady gypsy-dad-folk of The Mighty Rooster, prior to ensuring I was at the Bar for the unmissable Chippenham folk singer-songwriter, Meg. A passionate and thoughtful young artist, Meg delivers in such a unique yet proficient way I deem it impossible for anyone not to love her.

Such is the tight schedule though, should I need waiver artists we’ve seen and featured before in favour of ones I’ve yet to catch live? Trowbridge soul artist extraordinaire, Frankisoul is due on the main stage; anticipation brewing from the crowd while the band frustrate themselves with minimal setup times, resulting in a few technical mishaps, would, in any other circumstances be somewhat off-putting, but, fact is Frankisoul is such a character, and such a vibrant and sublime soul vocalist, hiccups were easy to polish over, still, they came up smiling and were my second showstoppers of the festival.       

Cliché is putty in Frankisoul’s hands, if his only cover, Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive is so, and they rinsed their originals with gusto and stylish proficiency, even down to a moment of hilarity upon Frankisoul mimicking the coat stage gimmick of James Brown. It’s these originals which gravitated me towards them, reviewed here, I shivered apprehension comparing him to likes of Luther Vandross, particularly Otis Redding, and yeah, live there’s a hint of eighties soul, of Kool & the Gang, but now I know he can live up to these.

Meanwhile the wonderful Courting Ghosts were unplugged at the Bar Stage, with their amazing blend of folk-rock, and Melksham’s finest youth band The Sunnies rocked the Wild & Woolley. One I’ve been aching to catch, yet I didn’t catch enough of due to Frankisoul gluing me to my seat, if I liken The Sunnies to Devizes-own sensation, Nothing Rhymes With Orange, I think it’s fair to now state, The Sunnies angle slightly to more indie-pop, their originals tinged with a carefree and indeed, sunny-side-of-the-street feel; a blessing to watch, bloomin’ marvellous!

With lively function band the Corporations attracting those left standing to the main stage, crowds lessened at the Wild & Woolley, sadly just when the epic finale was due. Yeah, it’s Devizes’ Nothing Rhymes with Orange’s headliner; those in the know and a few curious punters stayed to observe our hometown’s fever as the boys pulled out their typical energetic and competent show. Evermore is their attraction spreading, with gigs lined up as far as Manchester now, NRWO, I’ll be banging on about their brilliance for a while yet it seems!

Conclude this now, Worrow, in some manner, you’re sounding boring! I Know, but, over a colossal word-count only teetering on covering all the happenings at Bradford Roots Festival, and only the one day of it too, I struggle to find anything to grumble about. What a way to start the year, Bradford Roots Festival is amazing, the shell, The Wiltshire Music Centre is a blessing to our county, the value for money is righteous, the atmosphere is equable and convivial, and long may it be so.

Trending…..

REVIEW – White Horse Opera’s Cosi Fan Tutte @ Assembly Rooms – Saturday 21st June 2025

Another Triumph for WHO Andy Fawthrop Following the excellent recent production of La Belle Helene at Devizes’ Wharf Theatre back in March (see here), White…

Jun 22, 2025

News & Chat About Wiltshire Music Awards on Don’t Stop the Music Radio Show

Despite being a tad under the weather last week, I was delighted to join Eddie Prestidge of Wiltshire Music Events on Swindon 105.5 radio to…

Jun 22, 2025Jun 23, 2025

PREVIEW : “The Mikado” at The Mission Theatre, Bath, July 22nd-23rd 2025.

by Ian Diddamsimages from Jon Lo Photography Ask the typical man – or woman –  in the street which Gilbert & Sullivan performances they can…

Jun 20, 2025Jun 22, 2025

REVIEW – The Lost Trades @ The Piggy Bank, Calne – Tuesday 18th June 2025

Five Have An Out-of-town Experience You can’t always get that live music experience you crave by simply staying within the walls of D-Town.  Sometimes, and…

Jun 19, 2025

“The Taming of the Shrew” at the Rondo Theatre, Larkhall, Bath, June 18th-21st 2025.

By Ian DiddamsImages by Josie Mae-Ross and Charlotte Emily Shakespeare wrote several plays that were termed in the late nineteenth century “Problem Plays”. These were…

Jun 18, 2025Jun 18, 2025

Devizes Arts Festival Relive the Eighties with Riviera Dogs 

Together in Electric Dreams…. at The Corn Exchange Fashionably late for Devizes Arts Festival, I’d like to thank Andy and Ian for informative coverage of…

Jun 16, 2025Jun 16, 2025

REVIEW – Devizes Arts Festival– Mark Watson – Corn Exchange – Friday 13th June 2025

Welsh Favourite Comes to Devizes Andy Fawthrop The Devizes Arts Festival came up with another of its heavy hitters last night with a packed house…

Jun 14, 2025

“Prostitutes Marry In May,” Devizes Arts Festival at The Wharf Theatre, June 11th, 2025.

by Ian Diddamsimages by Ian Diddams, Play on Words Theatre, and Devizes Arts Festival Who was paying attention in history at school when they covered…

Jun 13, 2025Jun 13, 2025

REVIEW – Devizes Arts Festival– Julian Costello Quartet – Assembly Room – Thursday 12th June 2025

Nice place.  Nice music. Nice. Andy Fawthrop The Devizes Arts Festival has almost run its course, with only a couple of days to go, but…

Jun 13, 2025

Meet Henry, the Hollychocs’ Chocolate Duck Helping Cystic Fibrosis

Poulshot’s Award-winning chocolate studio Hollychocs is proud to launch a heartfelt charity campaign in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust UK, with a charming chocolate…

Jun 11, 2025Jun 11, 2025