Popular folk band to return to Roundabout gig

The Hey Down Treaders, who play an eclectic mix of styles centred around folk, will play the Roundabout for the second time, having played a sold out show at the inaugural event last year.

The unusual gig gives the band and audiences the opportunity to perform in a space where the crowd encircle the band, offering a rare kind of intimacy.

The band also all play in a circle, facing each other, offering a unique way of performing that allows the members more interaction with one another than if they were playing in a line.

Wayne Scurrah, who plays guitar and sings in the band, said: "The most fun thing about this gig is the atmosphere because of the 360 degree crowd.

"The sound is amazing and the crowd is really close to you. The audience can see what everybody in the band is doing so it is good for both the audience and the band.

"The opportunity to play here came up because we are a local band. Last year we had just started gigging and there was quite a bit of interest because we have all been part of Cumbria's music scene for a while.

"At this gig we will be previewing out new debut album, 'As I Walked Out', which will probably come out late this year. We'll be playing songs from that as well as some of our other material."

The Hey Down Treaders can be relied on to give an accomplished performance, with years of gigging experience under their belts between them.

Keyboardist Colin Blakey has played with the Waterboys in the past, while drummer Kevin Sharkey has experience with the likes of Thom Yorke and Groove Armada.

At this year's Roundabout, The Hey Down Treaders will be performing with guest musicians who will be playing the string arrangements from the forthcoming album.

Alongside this gig, Roundabout will also be hosting a run of theatre performances, along with stand-up comedy and a spoken-word gig from Furness-based collective Some Some Unicorn.

The Hey Down Treaders performance will take place on Saturday October 8.