FOLKROOM PRESENTS: Steve Turner

“The foremost concertina player of his generation”- Living Tradition

“The best gig I ever saw” – Nancy Kerr

Steve Turner is Nottingham’s best-kept folk secret – a pioneer of highly sophisticated English concertina song accompaniments, stretching the boundaries of traditional forms, with one of the best voices in the business. He is a multi-instrumentalist, who also plays mandolin and tenor banjo, and he’s been tucked away at the edge of our city for years.

Steve began his career on the Manchester folk scene at the end of the 1960s with the Geordie band Canny Fettle, with whom he toured for eight years and recorded two albums.

In 1979, he won Melody Maker’s national “Stars of the 80s” competition, which persuaded him to turn professional. For the next 12 years, he toured solo, nationally and internationally, releasing four acclaimed albums with Fellside Records (Out Stack, Jigging One Now, Eclogue and Braiding).

After 13 years away from the folk scene, he made a welcome return in 2004, performing in folk clubs and festivals, and in 2008, producing his fifth album, the highly acclaimed ‘Whirligig of Time’, which featured UK luminaries Martin Carthy, Nancy Kerr and Miranda Sykes.

Since then he has released further albums, ‘Rim of the Wheel‘, ‘Spirit of the Game‘, ‘Late Cut‘ and ‘Curious Times‘ 2023. In December he released his tenth studio album, ‘Host of Furious Fancies‘, and we are privileged to bring him to Peggy’s Skylight for a rare hometown gig that will celebrate one of Britain’s finest folk musicians.

Support comes from Dan Chapman, whose gorgeous takes on traditional songs from both sides of the Atlantic will leave you breathless.

Line up:
Steve Turner
Dan Chapman