FOLKROOM PRESENTS: Martin Simpson

“One of the virtuoso instrumentalists of the English music scene”  – The Guardian

“Martin is in a class of his own. He is such an expressive player; he is ingenious in his use of the guitar. You can listen to one of his songs and three or four minutes in, he has only used the top four strings and not even played a bass note yet, and when he does, it feels like an orchestra coming in. His clarity of playing is just amazing.” – Jackson Browne

The remarkable intimate solo performances Martin Simpson gives go from strength to strength – every gig is a masterclass. He travels the length and breadth of the UK and beyond, giving rapt audiences passion, sorrow, love, beauty, tragedy and majesty through his playing. We are privileged to offer an opportunity to catch Martin in the intimacy of Peggy’s Skylight this April.

“What’s it like being the best guitar player in the world…?”

Martin’s modesty and grace prevented him from answering this BBC Radio 4 interviewer’s question recently, but the facts speak for themselves. Forty years after he recorded his first album, Golden Vanity, in 1976, Martin is known as a guitarist of formidable talent. Equally at home playing English traditional folk, American folk and blues, and his own compositions, he is consistently named among the very finest fingerstyle guitar players in the world.

He is listed in Gibson Guitars’ Top 30 Acoustic Guitarists of all time, and Acoustic Guitar readers voted him number 12 guitarist in the world in 2005.

Universally acclaimed as one of the finest ever acoustic and slide guitar players, and a fine banjo-picker to boot, his solo shows bear witness to an artist at the very top of his game. Whether interpreting traditional material or singing his own potent self-penned songs, Simpson is a remarkable storyteller: captivating and profoundly moving. His own songwriting produced the poignant ‘Never Any Good’, from Prodigal Son, 2007’s Folk Album of the Year.

Martin’s most recent solo album, Skydancers, was released in March 2024. The album is a twin release featuring a live CD recorded at gigs and a studio CD including some of Martin’s absolutely favourite musicians.

He has had the most nominations of any performer in the 18 years of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, an astonishing 32 times, including 13 nominations for Musician of the Year, an accolade he won twice.

A virtuoso player without question, but above all, Martin Simpson conveys his diverse treasure trove of material from the heart, performing with rare subtlety, intensity and honesty. A true master of his art. Join us to welcome Martin to Nottingham for one of our most exciting Folkroom events to date!