It’s The Great Escape in Brighton next weekend (10th-12th May). There are many Willkommen related bands playing as part of the Alternative Escape on Friday and Saturday, thanks to our friends at Neighbourhood Music. These events are free to wristband-holders and “normals” alike.

Friday 11th May at the Fishbowl (Facebook event here) features Woodpecker Wooliams, Rozi Plain, Emma Gatrill, Eyes & No Eyes and The Mariner’s Children (solo). Plus many more great but less affiliated people including Hot Feet and Sam Brookes.

Saturday 12th May at the Hydrant (Facebook event here) features Redwood Red and Laish plus Emily & The Woods and more.

Both events start super early at midday so set your alarm for 10am latest so you can get some breakfast.

Woodpecker Wooliams is off on tour to Germany / Switzerland for two weeks with Fiona Sally Miller on 6th March. The dates are here. If you want a tour treat email or Facebook either of them with your postal address and they’ll send you a postcard from one of the destinations.
They’re also both currently booking a second May tour for Russia / Ukraine / Poland.

Copies of the Russian re-release of ‘Patryoska’ (original Italian basket edition sold out) on cassette will soon be available, as will Chicago-based cassette label Love Lion‘s pressing of the collaborative film soundtrack ‘Anni’  made with OCDC.

Check out Woodpecker Wooliams here for more information. I heard she might have just recorded an album so that’s very exciting…

We have an extra special show this weekend arthritis grounds of Charleston house. The house was owned by Virginia Woolf’s sister Vanessa Bell with her husband Duncan Grant and over the years became the artistic home of the writers and painters that made up the Bloomsbury Group – including Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, E. M. Forster and Lytton Strachey.

We’re not quite as influential as the Bloomsbury Group (yet!) but as a Sussex via London based community of like minded thinkers it seems like a nice fit to be playing in their beautiful home.

The lineup features Rowan Coupland, Animal Magic Tricks, Woodpecker Wooliams and Laish. The event runs from 10pm – 11.30pm this Friday (24th) and forms part of Charleston’s excellent short story festival, Small Wonder. The event is totally acoustic.

Tickets are available directly from Charleston on 01323 811626. The capacity is only 50 and at the time of writing I know there are fewer than 5 tickets remaining.

Keep September 11th and 12th free because we have two extra special Willkommen all day shows!

Saturday September 11th sees Diane Cluck and Anders Griffen, Wig Smith, Alessi’s Ark, Robert Stillman, Animal Magic Tricks, Woodpecker Wooliams and Redwood Red bring their beautiful music to the beautiful West Hill Hall – all for just £7. Doors are at 4pm. Lots more details to be announced soon, tickets are available from Wegottickets.com now and Resident Records shortly.

In the next few days we’ll be announcing an even more exciting show for September 12th, with an extra special guest headliner, in an absolutely extraordinary venue, with three stages…  so keep checking back.