Bringing Queer Ceilidhs to festivals!
- Nat natbrookesmusic@gmail.com
- Oct 13
- 4 min read
Whilst I’m keen not to fall into the trap of turning these little blog posts into an exercise in patting my own back, I have decided to sail perilously close to that self aggrandising wind once again with some more reflection on recent triumphs.
This summer I was lucky enough to play for ceilidhs with Queer Folk at two festivals, Sidmouth Folk Festival in Devon and Shrewsbury Folk Festival in Shropshire.
I’ve not had many opportunities to play at festivals and I’ve certainly not played on such large stages at festivals before. Some folk musicians seem to develop a cool, apathetic aloofness to playing to large audiences at these incredible venues., I’ve never been very cool and whilst I’m not loud or showy, I always wear my heart (if somewhat quietly) on my sleeve. I was ecstatic to have been booked for those gigs and I definitely think it showed!
Queer Folk, was founded by Sophie Crawford and George Sansome to champion queer folk musicians and unearth queer folk music and song. They started hosting ‘Queer Ceilidh Dance Parties’ in partnership with EFDSS at Cecil Sharp House back in 2022 and I’ve played for every single one. They are some of the best gigs I’ve ever played and they are also hugely popular. Playing to the queer audiences that these ceilidhs have attracted is probably one of the most affirming things I’ve done in my life; these gigs are pure joy.
Playing for queer ceilidhs at festivals felt different. In some senses it was the equivalent of putting the Queer Ceilidh Dance Parties on steroids. So many elements felt like they were the nth degree; big stages and big dance floors, dynamic lighting and more experienced dancers. Beforehand, I had been concerned that it might feel like we were importing this beautiful thing that appears to be ceilidh shaped but isn’t, into a hole that really only had room for the ceilidh aspect. At the Queer Ceilidh Dance Parties, the ceilidh dancing is a mechanism (all be it a fun one!) that enables the building of community. They are queer, safe spaces where acceptance and belonging and solidarity and celebration define the spirit of the event. That translated to festivals, they were joyous but they were also about resistance and visibility.
We played against our sparkly backdrop with twenty-seven placards hanging from the cross bars, all bearing different messages of strength and defiance, and painted in the colours of the trans pride flag. With statements like ‘trans rights are human rights’ and slogans like ‘we are not a distraction from war and climate disaster’ hanging over our heads as we played to the crowds at Sidmouth and Shrewsbury and it felt powerful. It felt so significant that in the same year that the Supreme Court decided that the quasi science taught at middle school trumped actual biology, that our identities and our beliefs and values and our humanity were platformed at two of the biggest folk festivals in the UK. Folk music might be rooted in the past and the spaces that folk music happens in don’t always feel inclusive or safe, but so many folkies are socially progressive and firmly believe in human rights, workers rights, gay rights, trans rights, women’s rights and immigrant. I had an incredible time playing for both festivals. Thank you to Tash Daly (Sidmouth) and to Rosie Butler-Hall (Shrewsbury) for booking us and putting your faith in Queer Folk!
It was a joy to be able to share the experience with my partner Beth, my best friend Lisa, and with George and Sophie who started Queer Folk. Sophie and George put their faith in Beth and I by choosing to collaborate with us for the Queer Ceilidh Dance Parties three years ago, and have stuck with us since! I am so grateful to have had those opportunities and to call them both my friends. Sidmouth and Shrewsbury were both fantastic fun and to have so many friends from the folk scene come to support us felt deeply emotional. Thank you!
There is also a deeper personal significance too. Back when I was at University, I was persuaded to go to Sidmouth Folk Festival by a couple of friends, Tom and Crispin, who I’d met at a tune session. That was twelve years ago. I had a great time, danced into the wee hours at the Bulverton and I met new friends, including Beth. It took two years for the stars to align but we started dating shortly after our second Sidmouth Folk Week together. It was beautiful and poignant to be able to play on a stage we had both dreamed of playing on for so long as we approached our ten year anniversary. The Bulverton did not disappoint!
I saw you on both stages, and loved dancing to your music. Joyful to hear that playing for those dances meant so much to you. All the people up on those grand stages look so cool and nonchalant.