Calico Thieves

Event information

The Band says:-
We had a fantastic year in 2024 - we were very honoured to play at the wonderful Broadstairs Folk Week in August, and also at the amazing community festival BunkFest in Wallingford. Exciting plans are coming together for 2025 - watch this space!
What can you expect from a live gig? We've got songs of revenge and illicit love, cheery little gospel songs about dying, and lots of accompanying laughter and banter - come and hear Sarah trash-talk each of us while Doug adjusts his guitar into ever more elaborate tunings before we set off into some melting harmonies, fiery fiddle melodies and blistering guitar licks!
We cover everything from bluegrass and country to murder ballads, old jazz standards and gospel, plus the odd bluesy original thrown in for good measure. And we're keen on mixing it up with our own take on old favourites like Britney's Toxic and the Dead South's gorgeous minor version of You Are My Sunshine. In 2023 we played at the Croydon Folk and Blues Festival and Kew Village Market as well as in pubs around south-west London, including our Brentford residency at the Northumberland arms, and had a glowing review from the wonderful Doug Welch on Radio Kent Upload.
Our origin story? One cold January night in 2019, singer and guitarist Sarah Weir strapped her guitar to her back and set out in search of music and song. At the Old Packhorse in Chiswick, she stumbled across fiddle player Cath Nelson, and the pair bonded over shared tales of love lost - and a passion for Emmylou and Michelle Shocked. Together we became Calico Thieves, joined in 2021 by guitar genius Dr Doug Field and in 2022 by bass player extraordinaire Mark Waterfield. Now we’re on a mission to dress up in our finest stage gear, play and sing our hearts out - and spread the joy of American roots, country, gospel and blues!