Doors open in the Sheepwalk at 8.30pm, live stuff starts around 9.00pm-ish and finishes 11pm-ish - but we sometimes over-run a little bit, but hey, you can catch up on yer beauty sleep another night!.

For all the latest developments please phone 07904 210218 or email Ramblin' Steve at ramblinsteve@whatscookin.co.uk

Wolf People / Christy & Emily

Kitchen regulars these days and still Annoyingly youthful! Wolf People are riding the crest of what is looking suspiciously like a New Wave Of British Prog and Psych. A head-tastic mind-meld of Haight-Ashbury highs and Ladbroke Grove grooves - with some jazzy Charles Lloyd-style flute flown in for good measure - these hairies'll have What's Cookin' regulars idiot-dancing in the aisles! If you've ever got down (or lit up!) to the Dead, Quicksilver, High Tide or Mighty Baby, you sure won't want to miss this. Keep them freaks a-rollin'!

A nice review of their last kitchen show HERE .

"Sonic sorcery! you'll be convulsing to the coloured lights in your mind", DAZED & CONFUSED MAGAZINE. "Awesome", TIME OUT.

Christy & Emily are a minimal psychedelic folk duo from Brooklyn.
www.myspace.com/christyandemily .

"Bewitching" TIME OUT NEW YORK. "Co-harmonize like c&w angels; fulsome, sweetly weary, a bit loopily lost" VILLAGE VOICE

Otis Gibbs

Indiana's Otis Gibbs is yer real deal troubadour.With a long beard, a truckers hat and a bag of sharply observed country-rock songs, some far enough to the left to make him a spiritual descendent of Wooody Guthrie and brother of Steve Earle. Otis is on a mission to fan the flames of discontent. His song 'The Peoples Day' was included in a Wall Street Journal list compiled by Billy Bragg of the 'Top Five Songs with Something to Say'. He is currently examining ways of using bird feeding a form of civil disobedience. This is a super quick return for Otis who is over in the UK for a few festivals. Think this'll be a great show at the North Star.

"A breezy melodicism with a leftist bent that aligns him with the Pete Seeger tradition of calling workers to unite while singing sweet easy tunes that invite people to sing along", THE NASHVILLE SCENE. "Not since Phil Ochs have we heard such a distinctly American blending of the personal and the political", HARP MAGAZINE. "Raw as an open wound...music as honest as the day is long", MAVERICK MAGAZINE.

Mudlow / The Jooks of Kent / Kingsize Slim

LEYTONSTONE FESTIVAL SPECIAL!

Mudlow have built their reputation on explosive (and often unpredictable) live performances and an outstanding debut album "Welcome to Mudlow Country". Successful support slots with numerous acts including Seasick Steve, Scott H. Biram, Black Diamond Heavies, The Detroit Cobras and the legendary Bob Log III haven't done them any harm either. A brief visit to the US last year culminated in a storming show at the Deep Blues Festival in Minnesota. Expect tales of murder, bar room braggarts, arson for insurance fraud and well rounded, well whiskeyed tones, filthy sax and grinding bass that drags the whole sound out of the edge of a swamp and into the corner of your local bar.
www.myspace.com/mudlow .

"Those Mudlow boys are crazy!", SEASICK STEVE. "Their seedy, growling version of the music of The Deep South, has the salt of the Channel in its lungs and the darkness of [Graham] Greene's bad boy, Pinky, lurking in the nooks and crannies. The obvious reference point is Tom Waits, though there are moments which remind of Springsteen's better work. And the lecherous saxes of the humungous brass section give an interesting and original air", BLUES MATTERS.

The Jooks of Kent are a gutbucket of punk-assed blues/rock'n'roll trio with old time spirit, and some times new strings! From filth-drenched electricity-powered amplified guitar hoedowns, with plenty oíspit in the old mouth harmonica, to unplugged acoustic slide and washboard, with real bathtub reverb.
www.myspace.com/thejooksofkent .

One man percussive fat boogie blues from Kingsize Slim. Dynamic in its nature, melodic and soulful in its heart
www.myspace.com/misterkingsizeslim .

www.leytonstonefestival.org.uk .

Southern Tenant Folk Union / Jim Byrne

LEYTONSTONE FESTIVAL SPECIAL!

Gleefully uplifting bluegrass melancholy. Comprising of members of The Coal Porters, Foghorn Leghorn, Case Hardin and The Handsome Stringbenders, The Southern Tenant Folk Union, play a gospel influenced mix of old-time, bluegrass and celtic folk music. Don't miss if bar-hopping ballads stuffed with fiddles and banjos is yer thang! One of our favourite bands and their first time in the kitchen for over a year!
www.myspace.com/southerntenantfolkunion .

"The smoothest bluegrass tinged country singing and playing you wish for this side of the Atlantic", MAVERICK. "Immense charm and skill", IRISH TIMES. "Roots music that knows few boundaries", THE LIST. "This music is easy to love", THE WORD, "A delicate, bruised collection of bluegrass, country & gospel", UNCUT.

From Glasgow, Jim Byrne plays an acoustic, bluesy folk and country style songs of love, heartbreak and the Scottish weather.
www.myspace.com/dexterslim .

www.leytonstonefestival.org.uk .

Barry'The Fish' Melton / Dave Arcari

LEYTONSTONE FESTIVAL SPECIAL!

In 1965, Barry co-founded Country Joe and the Fish,and began a career as a guitarist and singer, recording and touring with "Country Joe" McDonald as a duo and with various bands, with his own bands and as a solo artist under the name Barry "The Fish" Melton. In the 80's he entered the legal profession and is currently Public Defender of Yolo County, California, and serving as the President of the California Public Defenders Association (so be warned...behave yerselves!). He continues to play music and tour,including a long stint with Dinosaurs, a band of 60s veterans that included Peter Albin and David Getz (Big Brother and the Holding Company), John Cipollina and Greg Elmore (Quicksilver Messenger Service), Papa John Creech (Hot Tuna and Jefferson Starship), Spencer Dryden (Jefferson Airplane and New Riders of the Purple Sage), and Jerry Miller (Moby Grape). So ya could say he's been round the block a bit! Barry did a show for us last year and it jam-tastic!
www.counterculture.net/thefish .

Slide guitarist & songwriter Dave Arcariís alt.blues sounds owe as much to trash country, punk and rockabilly as they do pre-war Delta blues and have been showcased via five internationally-acclaimed album releases. In 2008 Dave was invited to showcase at the North by North East (NxNE) music festival in Toronto, Canada and he was a finalist the UK Indy Music Awards 2008 reaching the top four in his category (best male solo artist). With more than 150 UK dates a year plus shows in Finland, Estonia, France, Germany and Canada, he is one of the hardest gigging live artists on the circuit. A series of shows with the Alabama 3, Seasick Steve, Son of Dave and Jon Spencer along with his relentless UK and European tour schedule have established him as a formidable international solo performer who is fast building a reputation as a 'hell-raising National guitar madman'.
www.myspace.com/davearcari .

www.leytonstonefestival.org.uk .

Mi Mye / Mary Epworth & The Jubilee Band / Lucas Renney

LEYTONSTONE FESTIVAL SPECIAL!

Mi Mye was born in the summer of 2003 in Skerray Village Hall, North Scotland when Jamie Lockhart set up an 8 track tape recorder and recorded his first batch of songs with a fiddle, a melodica, and guitar. Jamie born in Scotland but currently folking up Wakefield with some well chosen accomplices. Folk rock that rocks out without being rock thanks to liberal use of pianos, organs and fiddles. Jamie's fractured brogue of a voice is broken and wistful, filled with longing, with the coarse vulnerability of Shane McGowan or Peter Perret of the Only Ones. Their new 7" is out now on Trash Aesthetics. I think this may be one not to miss!
www.myspace.com/mimye .

Folk rock, psychedelia,pub shanties, with a bit of country the marvelous Mary Epworth & The Jubilee Band. Mary probably best describes it herself "I write songs with roots in country and folk, filtered through a love of sunshine pop, gypsy music and psychedelia, about life, love, and british mammals" Mary's vocals have featured on records by lots of our favourite people including The Broken Family Band and Alan Tyler.
www.myspace.com/maryepworth .

"It's 1966, and Shirley Collins is fronting Moby Grape, dating Gene Clark and being produced by Joe Meek. Mary Epworth is down the front, taking notes, whilst the rest of the band try to turn a Banjo into a flux-capacitor", HAND OF GLORY RECORDS. "Mary looks and sounds as though she could raise the spirit of the earth all by herself - what a voice!", ROCK'N'REEL.

Ex-Golden Virgins Lucas Renney has just finished recording his debut solo album 'Strange Glory' for Brille Records. Its produced by Bella Union boss and former Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde, and the album features Midlake's rhythm section Paul Alexander and McKenzie Smith on bass and drums, and fellow Bella Union artist Stephanie Dosen on backing vocals.
www.myspace.com/lucasrenney .

www.leytonstonefestival.org.uk .

LEYTONSTONE FESTIVAL SPECIAL!

We close the Leytonstone Festival with our 2nd annual Sunday picnic in the lovely surrounds of Henry Reynolds Gardens. Real ales, beer & BBQ will again be provided by the North Star. There will a large selection of arts & crafts stalls from Leytonstone Arts Trail. And as to the music we have Little George Sueref and his band, The Coal Porters, The Snakes, The Loving Cup, Graham Larkbey & The Escape Committee, and Jawbone, with the usual suspect djs entertaining you with some of that recorded music stuff in-between the live stuff. Last year we had an absolutely lovely time, with sun, happy dancing children, happy drunken parents, and a demand we do it again...so we are! Pray for sun!!!

www.leytonstonefestival.org.uk .

Alan Tyler & The Lost Sons Littlefield (2 set special!)

Wranglers-wearing Alan Tyler began his pioneering English country rock adventure back in the early nineties with his band The Rockingbirds (now back on the scene!). Inspired by the cosmic American music of Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers, they made two critically acclaimed albums on the Heavenly label. The band went on to tour extensively, with main stage festival appearances at Glastonbury, Reading, Phoenix, Cambridge, and Finsbury Park Fleadh. They also made numerous TV appearances including Later with Jools Holland, Top of the Pops. Alan's new band has built a formidable reputation on the flourishing London alt-country scene (which includes Alanís own club, Come Down and Meet the Folks), playing sets which combine his own great songs with outstanding versions of country and honky tonk tunes by the likes of George Jones, Townes van Zandt, Hank Williams and, yes, Waylon Jennings. He is one of the very few artists who is able to successfully tell his tales with lyrics originating from an unmistakably English standpoint. Backed by the finest musicians to be found outside of Nashville, Alan Tyler & The Lost Sons of Littlefield have a developed a reputation for always delivering the best in live performances. Their most recent album 'Lonesome Cowboys' was released to great reviews last year.
www.myspace.com/alantylerandthelostsonsoflittlefield .

"The UK's greatest country talent", MOJO

To be confirmed!

Coming up...

Sat 1 Aug - The Maybelles / The Water Tower Bucket Boys
Wed 5 Aug - The Evangenitals (Cosmic Square Dance from Alabama!)

Remember our Saturday shows at The Sheep Walk are now the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month. If theres a 5th Sat in a month we might do one then as well (if yer very good!).

rockin' country fried music...