Unamplifire 2019

Unamplifire is The Nest Collective’s one day festival celebrating roots and folk music, with unamplified performances running non-stop across different stages, indoors and out.

This June we return to the best hidden venue in London: The Master Shipwright’s Palace. Take in the views across the Thames while you enjoy songs by the fireside, then stroll indoors with music happening all around you, as you explore this incredible 16th century building.

At the Nest Collective, we have always felt that the experience at our shows where there are no microphones has been the most intimate and special, so we decided to create an entire festival around this. No amplification, no sound checks, no waiting for bands to plug in; just pure continuous music over multiple areas & stages.

Craft beer, French wine, Breton cider and Gosnell’s London Mead. Delicious freshly prepared food.

Lineup:

Eliza Carthy

Multi-award winning, singing, fiddling, legend of British traditional music • “brave and anything but predictable” – The Guardian

Will Varley

A generational talent who has gone from fake-ID wielding busker to filling the Royal Albert Hall • “Powerful, Political & Pertinent” – The Independent

Firefly Burning

Straddling the divide between Sufjan Stevens and Steve Reich – part art-folk song, part minimalist chamber music • “fresh, original and often audacious” – MOJO

The Hut People

Accordion/percussion duo take the audience on a musical journey around the world • “Truly infectious!” – R2 magazine

Sarah Jane Scouten

Canadian country folk chanteuse • “A sterling example of the top grade Americana coming out of Canada.” – Folk Radio UK

Laura Cannell

Experimental composer/violinist • “The raw beauty of her melodies glimmers through prickly thickets of stark chordal drones” – The Wire

Derek Gripper

South African guitar virtuoso • “One of the most interesting things I’ve heard on guitar in twenty years” – John Williams

The Murphy Beds

Traditional and original folk songs with close harmonies and deft instrumental arrangements • “Beautiful, crystalline songs” – Huffington Post

Priscilla Andersohn

Smooth, soulful sounds from this Kenyan born singer, songwriter and prolific collaborator



What the audience said:

“Brilliant festival. Superb quality of music and really cosy great atmosphere. More!” – Jon Herring

“A totally magical evening, such an amazing setting with excellent music.” – Oli Dillon

“…only caught 2 hrs of Unamplifire acoustic fest but saw 5 (astonishing) bands and had my soul profoundly nourished” – @MaraCarlyle

“Wonderful music from across these isles & around the world – thanks for a fab evening” – @imogenmathers

“Unamplifire of The Nest Collective is beaut…best campfire singalong too”– @no_commentary

“My kind of marathon. Eight glorious hours of kaleidoscopic music in a hidden palace.” – @tsokolow