Jumpin Hot Club “Country Cantina 2026 ” @ The Barn at Easington Co Durham: 12/13th June 26′
Photo’s /Juan Fitzgerald Text /Juan & friend
This year’s artist quotes…
It was truly special – and one of the most magical places I’ve ever been. – Savannah Gardener
it’s such a beautiful thing that you have created and curated – Jeri (The Fountaineers)
It was so, so lovely to come up north and be part of it. Hannah said it was the best birthday she’s ever had – Keiron (Hannah White)
What a fab weekend. we loved it – Peter Bruntnell
We had a great time at the festival, I wish we could have stayed the whole weekend. Gravedancer.
What a treat ! – Low Line. The best show of our tour, so we stayed for the duration – Bob Sumner
I had a hell of a day mixing on Friday, such lovely people and the music was fantastic. Was really happy to be a part of it– Thomas (Sound Engineer)
In the run up to the event Jon & Nicola who live on the farm, prepare the way with Nicola’s fantastic art & crafts work & Jon’s handyman ‘ship to ensure the 13th Country Cantina, like all the others, will be your highlight of the year. Shippy early appearance on the farm, ensures that everything runs smoothly, alongside Martin who runs the bar (Firebrick beer was on tap) and La Fiesta on food duties & Hey presto….
5pm on Friday 12th June, The Cantina opened to the sizzling food/beer & the sweet sound of 78 shellac records being played out on the porch, on an old portable player, to welcome people into this tiny Festival.
6.30pm and everyone took their seats inside the little barn for the highly anticipated live music. The mellow vocals of CRANE HOUSE were an easy & probably perfect way to start any such event. Jess and Jeanie having spent the last two years honing their duo vocals & were happily harmonising beautifully in the barn, with a hot band behind them as the opener. A unique cover of Joan Armatrading’s.“ Love and Affection “ was also a rather pleasant late teatime surprise. Following on we had the award winning singer- songwriter PETER BRUNTNELL who came up from London to play songs from his new record “Houdini And The Sucker Punch ” & a couple new tunes, as a Festival treat. The young videographer Jack commenting that his rough-hewed voice would work absolutely anywhere. HANNAH WHITE also came up from London, such is the Cantina’s growing reputation & on her birthday too, & proved to be one of my favourites. Hannah is an AMA UK award winner songwriter and mainly sang tunes from her last album “Fine Day”. Songs of her hard life growing up in London, as a teenager with absent parents Her lyrics were sheer poetry & accompanied by her husband, the guitarist KEIRON MARSHALL, she mesmerised the audience. Headlining the first night at 10.00pm we had DAVID BROAD AND THE MEANWOOD VALLEY STOMPERS (Meanwood being a suburb of Leeds). In their three button suits and ties the Barn quickly became a Speakeasy from the 1930s & with their authentic hipster jazz and blues music, songs by Bessie Smith and Rosetta Thorpe were played with gusto & style by this awesome trio .” San Francisco Bay, Blues” “Bright Light’s Big City” and appropriately for the last song ” Let Me Go Home Whisky ” were tunes not a million miles away from what Shippy’s 78s played to welcome everyone here & with a sing around the campfire outside afterwards (& no rain), we were having yet again, another fantastic Cantina.
DAY 2
You had to get up early, to catch the “open mic” session beginning 10.15am on the porch outside the barn . Ken , Steve, Mark, Alex, Nikki, Shippy & even David Broad did a couple songs each, to set a high mark for the coming day.
We started off in a nice mellow soulful mood officially too, on the veranda at 1pm with self-penned acoustic songs by TOMMY ARCH, while everybody searched for their seats and a table outside on the grass. What a great voice Tommy has, although his fur coat wasn’t ideal for the sunny weather. The chilled mood continued with EMMA ROBSON and SAM SHIELDS who provided lovely harmonies and a Townes Van Zandt tune, sang to perfection, for good measure. The LOWLINE are Afra Jurkiewics on banjo and Joe Mansfield on violin. The duo are based in Wales and were booked from a tip off by Rob Griffiths, the resident sound guy for the Cantina. Their folky old timed fiddle/banjo tunes certainly hit the mark ,with the crowd sat lazing out in the sun, and multicoloured flags flapping in the breeze. Master of ceremony Steve Drayton was having a one- man party this year, even bringing a homemade farm with plastic animals in a box, as the audience had to guess the name of the pig into the diorama. …. AND NO I cannot remember the name. Next up we had local Heaton cowboy Rob Heron entertaining with 15 songs in 30 minutes and as usual, he yodelled his heart out. Another favourite of mine of the festival was from Vancouver in Canada BOB SUMNER and ETIENNE TREMBLAY on backing guitar and vocals. Their honest to damn – good country music drifted nicely along with brotherly harmonies and Stetson hats, the highlight being the song ” New York” about a long distance relationship. We had the teatime interval while everyone tucked into Lentil Dahls, Bob and his band mates went to the beach & Shippy had some 78s playing again (no Spotify here) .
After tea, the evening kicked off inside the barn after a vote of 60/40 % , rather than outside, as it was getting too breezy & cold. American songsmith Baker, GRAVE DANCER came with his buddy from Ireland Feren. The duo were hilarious & really good entertainment with jokes, deep folk songs and an Irish lament that made a total winning formula for the audience . An international bluegrass trio called the FOUNTAINEERS followed with songs and tunes & some really hot musicianship. Especially the fiddle player Jeri from Australia, while her Del Mc Coury ditty, almost sounded sacred. Now we were coming to one of the two headliners with SAVANNAH GARDNER AND THE RECOVERING GOOD GIRLS. Again cowboy Stetson hats were witnessed and spangly costumes too, as the trio entertained us with gritty emotional & rootsy songs and many about break ups like “City of Cowboys” “I’m a lonely cowgirl in a city of cowboys ” The American frontwomen Savanna’s jazzy voice blending with her honky tonk country music which is quite soulful, & her trio with Carmen on a Bass Uke and Holly Carter on gretch guitar/ peddle -steel kicking up a quiet storm. We loved them !
Finally at 10.15pm came the headliners from Newcastle THE KING BEES”, bringing old authentic Chicago blues back to life, with the recognised blues quintet set up of Harmonica, Guitar, Keys, Double Bass and Drums. Looking like slick 1950’s Down home bluesmen in their vintage suits they also took the setting up a couple decades to a 50’s Juke Joint. Just like old times, dancing was witnessed well over midnight inside & even outside the barn, as the band played 5 encores. What do you expect with such a good singer in Michael Littlefield & Scott on harmonica who just lives the blues.
As the dying embers of the campfire flickered out, all the hard work put in to make the Cantina succeed was openly recognised by everybody. So let’s raise a glass to 2026 as we mosey on down the road and look forward to Cantina 2027 .
