About

Greenman Rising is a folk band based in the English Midlands.

What they say about Greenman Rising

The throng then returned to the main and suddenly more crowded stage, as Greenman Rising raised the tempo of the evening. Offering modern takes on perennial favourites amongst their high octane set, we were Bound for South Australia aboard The Bonny Ship the Diamond, in the company of Captain Kidd, and indeed a character of their own invention, Captain Low! Not many bands feature a lead bodhran (and vocalist) but as Steve Bentley prowls the stage, engaging both his band mates and the audience, his cut off jacket and back patch gives him a touch of the biker – the question being, is he Folk Angel or Hell’s Folkie? His interplay with fiddle player and vocalist Jen Waghorn drives the band dynamic, ably backed by contributions from the band, conjuring a spirit that fills the room, a band made for a folk festival if ever there was one!

You want a festival to end with a bang and there’s no better way of doing that than bringing on Greenman Rising followed by Blue Rose Code. Greenman Rising love being on the stage, love playing together and love pleasing an audience. All five artists bring something extra to the performance from the drive of Steve Bentley’s percussion to the honeyed voice and thrilling fiddle of Jen Waghorne. Then add in songs from the other band members and traditional tunes and shanties that have the audience roaring back the refrain and a good time is guaranteed.

  • John Bownas

“Greenman Rising definitely delivered the goods for the Beautiful Days bandstand. Small outdoor stages are always at the mercy of the weather, but despite the poor conditions we saw a better-than-average crowd clustered close to the band as the rain came down. And there was dancing too. Lots of it in fact - which is always the best sign when it comes to marking out a great festival band from an also-ran.”

  • Tori Rushton— Fab Fest Organiser and Stratford Folk Club Organiser.

“FAB FEST (Folk and Beer Festival) in Stratford Upon Avon is becoming a very popular summer festival. This year in 2016, we had some amazing acts on who really brought the festival alive with their folky tunes and dancing rhythms especially Greenman Rising who have played for the festival 2 years in a row. They have gone down so well each time that the good news is they will be FAB FEST’s Headliner in 2017 by popular demand from the crowd. Can’t wait to host them and see their performance on stage.”

What we do

This is music that doesn’t stand on ceremony; you won’t find cute arrangements and cool sophisticated posturing.

What you will get is the hardcore tradition 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.

Members:

  • Steve Bentley - vocals, bodhran, percussion.
  • Andrew Wigglesworth - melodeons, whistles.
  • Ed Bentley - acoustic and electric guitars.
  • Rebecca Park - fiddle, bassoon, recorder.
  • Jen Waghorn - vocals, fiddle, mandolin.
  • Richard Sullivan - guitar, mandolin, mandola.
  • Izzy MacLachlan - vocals, whistles, cittern, guitar, flutes.

We also work as a dance band.

Greenman Rising have played at many ceilidhs/barn dances, working with many top callers. We’ve played everything from dance clubs, parties, weddings, AGMS, balls and other celebrations. Check our booking list to see some of the things we’ve done.

Our dance band line-up is more flexible with a basic setup of melodeon, drum and guitar right up to the full band lineup. Contact us with your requirements.

We have a full powerful, modern sound system (fully PAT tested) and five million pounds of public liability cover.

Some of the callers we’ve worked with:

  • Chris Mulvey
  • Hugh Rippon
  • Paul Weir
  • Cate Bannister
  • Hannah Bright
  • Dave Hunt
  • John MacDonald
  • Ben Robinson
  • Ian Carter
  • Jen Morgan

PS. If you’re looking for a caller, then we would happily recommend any of the above.