As we reach the end of the summer festival season, we look back at some of the live music highlights from the past three months.
In July, Erazer attended the inaugural edition of Tapestry Festival, a free Southampton event which celebrated folk, roots, blues and music from all around the world. One act on the lineup was Muireann Bradley, the Irish blues guitarist who has wowed audiences across the globe.
Chatting to Erazer ahead of her performance, the County Donegal teen said the visit was her first time in Southampton. “We went about today and had a wee walk and got some food,” Muireann said. Hopefully, we will be back another time to see more. We’re getting to see such a nice part here with all the old walls,” Muireann added, referencing the stone walls which overlooked Tapestry Festival.
Aged just 18, Muireann recorded her debut album, which was received with critical acclaim, just three years ago. She told us it was her Dad’s love of the blues that got her into the genre. “I grew up listening to all that old blues,” she said. “[My Dad] was really obsessed with it. He plays guitar himself – he taught me to play.”
Muireann started her Tapestry set with Candyman, a song by the late blues legend Reverend Gary Davis. You may have seen Muireann perform the same song on Jools Holland’s Annual Hootenanny a few years ago, which you can watch below:
“It was kind of by luck,” Muireann said about how she got on the bill for the prime-time New Year’s Eve BBC show. “I’d only released my debut album a few weeks before, and they got in touch with us.”
Muireann and her management sent the record to Jools’ producers, only for the Hootenanny team to say they had already heard it. For the performance itself, the producer had the idea to ‘bring the lights down and not use a band.’ “They had the idea to do a similar thing to what Seasick Steve did back about ten years ago,” Muireann said, referring to the American blues singer known for his homemade guitars.
Whilst in the studio, Muireann got to meet Jools himself, as well as Maggie May hitmaker and 2025 Glastonbury star, Rod Stewart. On the topic of music legends, later this month, Muireann will be joining Peggy Seeger in London for a multi-generational in-conversation event. As part of the Subterranean Festival, Muireann will speak to the 90-year-old folk music icon about her career. “It will be really cool to meet Peggy. I’m getting nervous about it as well,” she said.
Joining American guitarist Marcus King and the UK’s Toby Lee, as part of the modern blues revival, Muireann said it was the musicians from the 1920s that she takes inspiration from. “Most of my inspirations are all the old guys,” Muireann said, citing Blind Lemon Jefferson and Stefan Grossman specifically. “There are not many young people playing the blues, so it’s good to see [a growing scene].”
Tapestry Festival ran from Saturday, July 19 to Sunday, July 20, with a lineup that also featured kora player Seckou Keita and folk star Sam Lee. Organisers hope the event will return next year.
