Steve Tilston

Event information

The Farncombe Cavern is pleased to welcome back Steve Tilston, who performed here last on the on the 13th June 2010.
The writer of the classic songs “The Slip Jigs and Reels”, “The Naked Highwayman”, and “Here’s to Tom Paine” has a new album out on Hubris Records. Entitled Ziggurat, hear Tilston deftly weave his mastery on a dozen new insightful songs of love, loss, war and gold, plus the reworking of a couple of gems from the tradition; with special guest musicians Dave Bowie, Chris Parkinson, Richard Curran, Fin McArdle and Maggie Boyle.

Steve Tilston is one of this country’s greatest song-writers with many of his songs considered modern folk-song classics and covered by the likes of Fairport Convention, Dolores Keane, John Wright and others. He’s also renowned for the way he takes a favourite traditional “old chestnut” and makes it his own. His career was marked last year by the release of Reaching Back a 5-CD boxed-set retrospective. Not one to stand still though and with “Madame Muse” on his heels, Steve is “reaching forward” with this new collection.

Born in Liverpool and raised in the Midlands, Steve has been quietly ploughing his own artistic furrow, turning out quality albums since the early 70s; again it has born fruit with the masterful new album. In the past he has toured as guitarist with Ballet Rambert, as a member of Ship of Fools, with John Renbourn and more recently with WAZ! He is a celebrated artist both in Britain and abroad, winning accolades in Europe, Australia and the USA, where “Here’s to Tom Paine,” has been chosen as the theme song for the Tom Paine society of America.

Steve is one of the most engaging performers on the scene today.

“…in better form than I’ve ever heard him.” MIKE HARDING, BBC RADIO 2

“Gently intoxicating and uplifting stuff” MOJO MAGAZINE, UK

“His music has a flow and poignancy which makes it stand out from the plethora of singer-songwriters on the scene” GUITAR MAGAZINE, USA

“Steve is of that rare breed of singer, songwriter and guitarist who actually excels in all departments” FROOTS MAGAZINE, UK

“His songs are at once familiar, yet objects of wonder” RHYTHMS, AUS