Pocklington Arts Centre takes live music into the great outdoors

Two outdoor live music events will be staged at twilight in a beautiful woodland setting in Pocklington this summer as PAC launches Primrose Wood Acoustics.

Pictured: Martin Simpson. Photography: Geoff Trinder.

The events are being staged following a series of successful online and outdoor events held during the pandemic.

Virtuoso guitarist and singer-songwriter Martin Simpson will headline the first event at Primrose Woods, in Pocklington, with support by Yorkshire’s very own singer-songwriter Katie Spencer on Thursday 1st July at 7pm.

Leeds-based indie-folk/Americana band The Dunwells will headline the second Primrose Acoustics session on Thursday 8th July at 7pm with support by York based singer-songwriter Rachel Croft.

The Dunwells

This will not only be the first time PAC has taken their live music into the outdoors, giving their audience a chance to experience outstanding live music within a truly unique and Covid-secure setting, but also the first live music hosted by the venue since before the pandemic.

PAC director Janet Farmer said: “During the pandemic we’ve been doing a lot of walking in the Pocklington area including Primrose Wood.

“With its natural clearings and proximity to the town centre we immediately thought it would provide the perfect outdoor stage with a difference, so the idea of Primrose Wood Acoustics was born.

“As we prepare to re-open the venue, we are very much looking forward to being able to bring some truly unique events to our audiences. This is going to be something quite special.”

Regarded as one of the best guitar players in the world, Martin Simpson’s remarkable intimate solo performances go from strength to strength – every gig is a masterclass. He travels the length and breadth of the UK and beyond, giving rapt audiences passion, sorrow, love, beauty, tragedy and majesty through his playing.

Forty years after he recorded his first album, Golden Vanity, in 1976, Martin is known as a guitarist of formidable talent. Equally at home playing English traditional folk, American folk and blues and his own compositions, he is consistently named as one of the very finest fingerstyle guitar players in the world. Universally acclaimed as one of the finest ever acoustic and slide guitar players, and a fine banjo-picker to boot, his solo shows bear witness to an artist at the very top of his game.

Katie Spencer is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Yorkshire who writes songs imbued with the Northern landscapes of her home. Originally from Hull, the grainy imagery of the industrial docks and sea-fronts seep into her deeply personal songs of nostalgia, loss and love.

Artists like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and perhaps most evidently John Martyn, flow into her sound, carrying with them the warmth and idealism of the early 70’s folk and songwriter movements.

Pictured: Katie Spencer. Photography: Tom Arran.

The Dunwells are a talented Leeds based Indie-folk / Americana band with strong vocals, powerful melodies and heartfelt lyrics. Their debut album “Blind Sighted Faith” was released in 2012 following which they have released a further six albums/EPs.

The band have performed at both PAC and Platform Festival in recent years and have gained a large UK fan-base in addition to extensively touring the USA and appearing at SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas.

Rachel Croft’s song-writing is cinematic, moody and classic; atmospheric backdrops champion her powerful, dramatic vocals, smoothly blending folk, rock, and soul styles.

Her abilities have landed her in the spotlight of many UK festivals and tours across Europe, catching the attention of BBC Music, csgm blog, POPMUZIK and Liverpool Sound and Vision.

Rachel’s much anticipated EP “Reap What You Sow” drops this summer, and explores a more potent, bluesy style.

Rachel Croft

You can access the location from both main entrances to Primrose Woods via Burnby Lane and The Balk, with the event taking place close to the Burnby Lane (YO42 2QB) entrance.

Tickets for Martin Simpson, with support by Katie Spencer, on Thursday 1st July are £15 each. Tickets for The Dunwells, with support by Rachel Croft, on Thursday 8th July are £12.50 each.

Tickets are now on sale from the Pocklington Arts Centre website.

[Sara Morton – Pocklington Arts Centre]