Top US band heads to Steeple Morden to pay tribute to bluegrass festival’s Phill

A noted group of bluegrass musicians from the United States will be blowing into North Herts on Saturday night to help pay tribute to a stalwart of the East Anglian finger-picking scene.

Phill Morley was the co-founder of the annual East Anglian Bluegrass Festival.

He was a well-known character on the local music scene, noted for his extensive collection of bluegrass instruments, but his reputation stretched much further afield.

That’s why, after his death following a long illness in September last year, top American bluegrass exponents Special Consensus decided to include a North Herts date to their UK tour as a tribute to a widely-respected musician.

The concert at Steeple Morden Village Hall on Saturday night offers a rare opportunity to catch one of the big names in the bluegrass field in an intimate setting.

Tickets will be available on the door subject to availability, but you can make sure of your place by reserving a place via the website at www.eabg.co.uk.

Doors open at 4pm, and the band will be playing sets from 5pm to 6pm and again after the interval from 7.30pm to 9pm,

Tickets are £16 in advance or £10 on the night, and you want to get picking bring your instrument, because Special Consensus leader Greg Cahill has promised to host a jam session after the concert.

This year’s festival will be held in Steeple Morden over the midsummer weekend, from Friday, June 19, to Sunday, June 21.

You can find out more about what’s in store on the festival website.