Sometime after 11pm in the cinema tent on Saturdy 22nd August at the Green Man festival, The Memory Band will gather once again to perform songs and music from Paul Giovanni's score to the classic 1973 film The Wicker Man. We will be performing to a cut-up remix projection of the original film.

The band will feature Sam Carter whose new album Keepsakes is now on general release, Hannah and Liam from The Accidental, Jess Roberts, multi-instrumentalist Sarah Scutt, Quinta, Tom Page Rob Spriggs and special guest appearances from Lou Rhodes and Jon Thorne, both of whom have been out on the road with Lamb again this year.

Our show will be part of a night of events curated by our good friend Kieran Evans, more details here.

After having a ball at the Caught By The River Event on Saturday, here's a list of a few other things that are coming up this month.

This coming weekend I'll be heading up to the Latitude to help out Adem and some other fine folk performing a set of songs in the cinema tent after a screening of "From Here To before" the wonderful film by Kieran Evans about Vashti Bunyan.

On Saturday 25th July I'll be performing a free show at the Union Chapel as part of the daylight music festival, the odd friend may make an appearance too. The wonderful Nancy Wallace will also be performing a set, Doors are at midday so come early.

Sunday 26th July 2009 - Supersonic Festival, Birmingham
The Memory Band play music and songs from The Wicker Man
As a tribute to the magical work of Paul Giovanni and friends The Memory Band will be performing songs such as Gently Jonny, Willow's Song, Corn Rigs and many more from the soundtrack to the classic 1973 film The Wicker Man, The musical line up will be the usual Memory Band alignment of talents both known and emerging led by producer Stephen Cracknell.

From the county of Rutland comes young guitarist and singer Sam Carter whose second album "Keepsakes" is being released in August. From the heart of Wessex we have Sarah Scutt a multi-instrumentalist and our musical arranger recently returned from touring with James Yorkston and Lisa Knapp. From The Accidental whose album "There Were Wolves" was released  last year we have London born singer and video-maker Hannah Caughlin. Also singing with us all the way from Sunderland is Jess Roberts who as well recording tracks for the next Memory Band album is recording her own solo album. Long-time Memory Band member Rob Spriggs and his fiddle are on board as is Quinta who released her own solo album "My Sister, Boudicca" this year and has also worked with the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Bat For Lashes and Orphans and Vandals.

More details can be found here:

http://www.myspace.com/hungryhill
http://www.theaccidental.co.uk/
www.myspace.com/hannahcaughlin 
http://www.myspace.com/jessrobertssongs
http://www.samcartermusic.co.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/sarahscutt
http://www.myspace.com/iquinta

thats all for now
 






S

This coming Saturday July 11th we will be performing music from The Wicker Man at this literary event run by our favourite blog Caught By The River. If you don't know Caught By The River take some time to look it over and enjoying some of the finest writing out there.
http://caughtbytheriver.net/2009/07/cbtr-on-the-south-bank/

At 2pm on Saturday 27th June
The Park Stage Glastonbury Festival 2009
The Memory Band play music and songs from The Wicker Man
Featuring Dot Allison, Adem, Hannah Caughlin and Liam Bailey from The Accidental, Jess Roberts, Joe Goddard from Hot Chip, John Smith, Tom Page, Rob Spriggs, Quinta, Sarah Scutt and Sarah Campbell and Dan Gibbons from East London Brass + special guests
We are not performing in conjunction with any screening of the film, this will simply be a tribute to the magic of Paul Giovanni's songs and music. You can expect to hear Gently Jonny, Willow's Song, Corn Rigs and many more performed by an all star cast of talents both known and emerging.

I've managed to assemble a special line up of friends and musical acquaintances for the Glastonbury set. Among those confirmed to appear are Dot Allison , fresh from mastering her new album who will be openeing the show singing The Widow's Lament http://www.dotallison.com/. Bringing his many skills will be our good friend Adem  who recently provided the score for the film In The Loop http://www.adem.tv/. On loan from The Accidental and providing general mayhem will be the vocal talents of Liam Bailey and Hannah Caughlin http://www.theaccidental.co.uk/ . From Liverpool comes guitarist extraordinaire and singer John Smith  who also has a new album about to be unleashed on the World and who will be opening the acoustic stage on Fridayhttp://www.johnsmithjohnsmith.com/ . New Memory Band members Jess Roberts and Tom Page , both fresh back from tours in the US & Europe will be on board as will our long time violinist Rob Spriggs http://www.myspace.com/hungryhill. Also playing violin will be Quinta http://www.myspace.com/iquinta whose own solo album is out now. from James Yorkston's band we have poached another multi-instrumentalist who is also our musical arranger Sarah Scutt and bringing their horns to the occasion will be Sarah Campbell and Dan Gibbons from East London Brass http://www.east-london-brass.co.uk/.

We have a few surprise guests lined up for our choir too.

For those of you who will be onsite on Friday morning Jess, Tom, myself and the odd friend will be performing a Memory Band set in the Guardian Lounge at 11am, previewing material from our next album.

It promises to be a wonderful weekend we hope to see you there.

Stephen

Tomorrow night The Memory Band bandwagon rolls up to the North West for a return to Hedge. It's billed as Stephen Cracknell and friends and those friends will include Jenny McCormick and Tom Page from The Memory Band so you get the picture. Also on the bill are Harp and A Monkey and the very wonderful Jon Thorne. The event is at The Carlton Club in Whalley Range. It's a great venue with a lovely crowd which I played last year with The Accidental.

full details are on the flyer. http://tinypic.com/r/e6bsya/5

It's that time of the year again, spring is kicking in and once again we've been fortunate to be invited to the anuual Fence Records Homegame festival in Anstruther. I first went up a few years ago to check it out. I'd met a few of the Fence collective at the first Green Man festival and over the years we had played together on bills and I'd become a fan of their music and the way they go about things.

That year I travelled up with Adem and helped out when he did one of his Assembly events in a  village hall there. It was a great weekend, the sun shone, the music was fantastic and the drinking and parties went on until the small hours. That weekend I first heard Hannah Caughlin singing with The Bicycle Thieves, on a Saturday afternoon as we drank tea and ate home made cakes I heard her fill a room with her voice and I was blown away, soon after we started working together and that led to her being part of The Accidental.

I returned two years ago with Nancy and Jennymay to do a Memory Band set, the sun shone again and once more it was a great weekend. I remember Malcolm Middleton put on a great show, but not much else, it was quite a weekend.

So this year I've been invited back to play again. The new Memory Band singers Jess Roberts and Jenny McCormick will be with me and I'm looking forward to seeing lots of music and catching up with folk, including a few of my oldest friends from Hungry Hill, where I grew up. I'm particularly looking forward to catching The Pictish Trail, I've been listening to his album a lot this last year and also hearing King Creosote do songs from his amazing new album.

Going up to The Homegame is for me the best way to start the festival season. It's the way festivals should be.

Stephen

Hello again

Our first show in a while takes place at the Lexington in London next Wednesday 18th March,Here are links to tickets and to the flier. The rehearsals with the new line up have been going well and we're really excited about this gig.

For those of you heading up to the Homegame in April we will be performing on the Friday night so get there early!

There's a whole bunch of other things being thrown into the pot here at Hungry Hill so we hope to have some more announcements soon.

ttfn

Stephen

After a highly entertaining sabbatical with The Accidental last year I am gathering The Memory Band back together again to take on the World  once more. With long-time member Nancy Wallace off moonlighting as a solo artist (her album Old Stories is out now on Midwich Records) I've invited two new singers to jump on board the folk express.

From Sunderland comes Jess Roberts and from Manchester comes Jenny McCormick. We have a bunch of new material recorded and will be playing our first gig on 18th March at the revamped Lexington in Islington, followed by a trip to the ever wonderful Homegame in Anstruther.

In addition this year hopefully The Memory Band we will be performing a live set of all the songs and music from Paul Giovanni's score to The Wicker Man at a few select events.  Well that's about it for the moment.  expect more news in the coming months.

ttfn

Stephen

We have been beavering away here on the hill with various different projects and the first of those is now let loose upon the world.

I have been moonlighting from The Memory Band and the result of that is a new outfit called The Accidental. Its a band made up of Sam Genders from Tunng, Hannah Caughlin from the Bicycle Thieves and a new singer/songwriter called Liam Bailey as well as my good self.

the first release from The Accidental is out now, a lovely 7 inch single on Static Caravan which includes two remixes of our tracks by Mike from Tunng and Benge. Buy it here before they run out!

There will be a single on Full Time Hobby around the end of March and the full album "There Were Wolves" will be released on April 14th also on Full Time Hobby, with Thrill Jockey releasing in the US.

More details can be found via
our website
myspace
facebook

We are also giving away a free download of the track Illuminated Red which can be accessed at the Full Time Hobby website
Then this coming Wednesday 27th February we are playing our debut live show at the in London at the electroacoustic club. It promises to be a top night with a great line up of bands, so if you are London based and in the mood come and join us. Tickets can be purchased here

There's a rather lovely article in The Times today about strings in new music:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article2229501.ece