Ragged Bear Festival
25th October 2025
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Merry Hell
Merry Hell is a band founded on the ever evolving Folk tradition – music made by the people and shared by the people. Though our hearts and souls are tuned to the songs which came before us, we bring you new words and music forged from our own experiences, from the lows and the loves of our lives.
Our art is energy and our hope is unity. Our pleasure is to please: let the audience be the acid test and let the music speak for itself...
Greenman Rising
This is music that doesn't stand on ceremony; you won't find cute arrangements and cool sophisticated posturing.
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What you will get is the hardcore tradition reimaged for modern audiences. Driving dance tunes, songs about love, war, murder and betrayal. The soldier who rebels against an invasion and the sailor cheated when he comes on shore. Beautiful ballads and full on musical madness that'll get you dancing the night away.
3 Daft Monkeys
With Celtic and eastern influences, the 3 Daft Monkeys’ dynamic style of world folk music reflects the global village in which we now live. Their infectious dancing rhythms lead you through a musical journey of the senses and emotions, and will leave you breathless, enthralled and exhilarated.
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The band’s diversity is reflected in the acts for whom they have been invited as special guests, including touring across the UK and Europe with the Levellers, and opening for bands such as Hawkwind, Bellowhead, Show of Hands and Dreadzone, as well as headlining their own national tours.
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Not one to be missed!
Blackbeard's Tea Party
“Hold on to your tri-corn hats and be prepared to stamp your wooden legs – Blackbeard’s Tea Party are in town. Sea-shanties will be given a bombastic rock edge, and folk instrumentals will become late-night floor-fillers when this raucous bunch of reprobates hit the stage. They have dirt under their fingernails and a twinkle in their eyes, and you can expect fantastic musicianship, playful choreography and an unstoppable urge to move your body.
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Drums, electric guitars, fiddle, melodeon and 4-part vocal harmonies combine to create music that is drenched in tradition, but filtered through a kaleidoscope of modern rock and pop.
Established as the go-to band for late-night folkin’ shenanigans, Blackbeard’s Tea Party have played memorable sets at Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival, Fairport’s Cropredy Convention, The Rainforest World Music Festival in Borneo and many more. Their latest album ‘Kick the Curb’ was released in September 2022. ”
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Ragged Bear Favourites, Blackbeard's Tea Party are back.
The Lagan
The Lagan are a riotous band with their roots in punk rock with a heavy trad folk influence!
Starting in 2008 as a means to get together to play some songs and sink some jars, it quickly evolved into something bigger.
The band has since released a self funded full length album and an EP on Banquet Records, went on to tour around the UK and Europe, played on some of the finest stages with some of the finest bands in the world, and continues to go from strength to strength!
Full 2023 Lineup
