Blakeley & Son

Hastings father and son folk-duo Blakeley & Son have grown their reputation locally over the years while developing a varied sound that is capable of both excitement and sublimity.

Garry (father) has a long standing reputation as a fiddle player of great technical versatility, with an excitement that gets the audiences before him dancing unstoppably. in the past he has supported artists such as Christy Moore and Steeleye Span, and the legendary Barry Dransfield.

Ed (son) provides the accompaniment and additional instrumentation, which often takes the duo's sound to many different unexpected places, much further outside of traditional folk music than an average audience might ordinarily be comfortable with. Somehow, they never leave the genre entirely though, and there is always a feeling of great musical comfort that emanates from the undeniably traditional routes of their playing style.

Over the years the duo have attracted the best in local talent, and are often accompanied by some of the greatest musicians the area has to offer. They regularly invite others to play at their shows.

Their newest album Nuts & Bolts has been described at subtle yet exciting, and features an astonishing array of guest musicians that the duo have worked with in the past, including the likes of John Spiers (ex Bellowhead), Phillip Henry (Edgelarks), Phil Hudson (The Lighthouse Family), and Roger Flack (The Tabs).