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A quick introduction to our band…
In 2011 Cate and I met and she had an awesome idea about creating a new feel for Ceilidh music as she felt as a caller, other areas of Folk and Roots were getting their fair share of contemporary reworks but ceilidh and the chance to dance were being left behind so to speak. She played me a set of electronic clips of a tune that she had but could not find anyone to build what she saw and it was instantly clear to me what she wanted to create. With that idea in mind we decided we should start from scratch…no other musicians and if it turned out to be good enough then it would attract the right people who would also see what we were striving to achieve. That ethos seems to have paid off as when we started creating tunes there was just us in a bedroom with a pc, a blank canvas and an idea and now we have a band full of amazing people who love what they do…have a look at our photos!! Our first performance was given to us by Kim Hedley (to whom we are very, very grateful) at Broadstairs Folk Week and featured just the three of us (Nick, Cate and Phil) and the laptop. The sound engineer (Eryk) who was there and loved what we do is now our preferred engineer, doing both our first Ceilidh at Broadstairs and biggest at Cambridge on stage two…with the entire marquee dancing their heart out (that was a lot of people!)…what a night!
Since our start in 2011 we have been emerging into the folk world creating Ceilidhs and Concerts where fantastic folk musicianship meets technology, sweeping you into the next generation of full tilt late night concerts or dance extravaganzas. We are aimed at attracting the younger audience back into the world of Folk and Ceilidh with our contemporary dance beats, bass lines, pads and sounds that are mixed with a “Ministry of Sound” club feel, with a fusion of the grooviest folk tunes and songs we can find…perfect to get the party started!
If you have a longer slot (2-3hr plus) for a ceilidh we also have our Evolution Ceilidh, offering “Folk for All”. The Ceilidh begins with a trio (Box, Fiddle and Guitar) and evolves throughout the night, via Cajon, Drums and a good dose of folk rock until you end up with the full Urban Folk Theory electric line up. This is further enhanced by the pads, loops and sounds we have crafted for each track plus guests from earlier in the night…From Trad to Techno! This has been very popular and hugely successful wherever we have taken it with fabulous comments from the audience and artists alike.
We have already played at festivals including Towersey’s 50th Village Festival (returning in 2018), Cambridge Folk Festival with our Evolution Ceilidh on stage two, Sidmouth Folk Week, Ely Folk Festival, Poole’s Folk on the Quay, Bromyard, Broadstairs Folk Week for three years, Chippenham Folk Festival, Cromer’s Folk on the Pier for two years and concert sets already booked for next year as well as being approached by other festivals for the summer
Our Usual line-up for the Evolution Ceilidh is: Dan Bones (Acoustic guitar, Bouzouki), Mark Jolley (Bass, Fiddle), Phil Wilcox (Accordion, Bass), Rosie Butler-Hall (Fiddle), Will Allen or Simon Care (Melodeon), Nick Haynes (Drums, percussion, Bass and track composer), Cate Haynes (Fiddle, Vocals and Caller) with Callers of your choice and a selection from the above for our concert sets.
We look forward to hearing from you.
The Urban Folk Theory.
“I’m always interested in people trying to do something a little different with the music without annihilating it and you seem to have got the balance perfectly right.” Colin Irwin, Mojo, The Guardian,
“I booked UFT to get something special and different, what I got was more than that, something very special. It sounds trite but they are a band not to be missed!” Andy Stafford, Chippenham Folk Festival
