Held at Park Lane school from 8:00pm till 11:30pm. This band this coming year are The Bearcat Trio. There will also be a Cajun Dance workshop at the start of this event with Bob and Dace Fisher.

Tickets with be available from 1st October 2009 and are £7.00. The box office number is 01733 204055, if you would rather write the address is Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival Tickets, 4 Delph Street, Whittlesey, Peterborough, PE7 1QQ. Cheques to be made payable to Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival and please include a stamped addressed envelope.

THE Bearcats trio

“Infectious dance music as the best Cajun musicians in Britain come together” The Independent  “The ensemble sound is just right – getting the spirit without sacrificing the essential lift and good times” Blues & Rhythm   “I love the Bearcats man, they’re cool” Steve Riley “The state of the art in Brit-Cajun authenticity” Folk Roots.  “Cajun Tracks is marked by sensitive playing and a tasteful selection of traditional covers” Offbeat (USA).

The Bearcats are a traditional Cajun band with a reputation throughout Europe as the band to see when it comes to authenticity and an ability to put smiles on faces and feet on the dancefloor. Equally at home in concert or dance situations they have become many peoples first choice for Cajun music, combining skilled musicianship with depth, knowledge, sensitivity and soul. Their debut album Cajun tracks was well received both here in the UK and abroad, gathering rave reviews from magazines in the USA and receiving airplay as far away as Louisiana. Their long awaited follow up is now released and was described by Cajun Life and Times as “a fourteen track little gem”

The Bearcats were formed in the summer of 1991 by Chris Hall. He had spent more time than anyone else in this country immersing himself in the music of Southwest Louisiana. It came as no surprise that they rapidly established themselves as one of the few bands outside Louisiana who can capture the unmistakable but elusive sound of Cajun music.  “Y’all got a good rhythm” as Cajun musician D L. Menard said when they supported him on one of their early gigs. They have played with many other Louisiana musicians including Steve Riley, Eddie Le Jeune, John Delafose, Beau Jocque, Randy Vidrine and Mitchell Reed who all commented on their authentic sound and their understanding of that elusive Cajun spirit.

The trio line up features Chris Hall – Cajun accordion, vocals. Mitch Proctor – fiddle, vocals.  Murray Brailsford – guitar. This combination of some of the best-known Cajun musicians in the country makes them one of the most sought after outfits in their field for venues and festivals looking for a high quality band who can really get into the heart of Cajun music. Chris Hall is well known as one of the leading authorities on Cajun music in the UK and some indication of his reputation is that he was recently heard on CD and seen on TV performing with none other than Sir Paul McCartney and has also recently recorded with Bill Wyman and Kate Bush. When he is not playing with his other bands (R Cajun & the Zydeco Brothers and Zydecomotion) he tours with bands from Louisiana, runs the Gloucester International Cajun And Zydeco Festival has been known to present several Cajun music series on BBC Radio 2. Mitch Proctor is also well known as a member of R Cajun & the Zydeco Brothers, and is rated as one of this country’s favourite Cajun fiddle players with a great understanding of the subtleties of the style. Murray Brailsford is the newest recruit on guitar and has added a new rhythmic dimension to the band playing in the old Cajun style and the more modern Balfa style. Each member has a distinctive personal style and together they have the chemistry to create a rare magic when they get on stage. The approach is simple. Straight down the line, uncluttered, driving Cajun music, which defies the audience not to dance.

Selected band appearances: Saulieu Cajun Festival, France, Murcia Festival, Spain. Ostersund Festival, Sweden. Basle Festival, Switzerland.  Aalborg Festival, Denmark. Amsterdam Blues Fest, Holland. Raamsdonksveer Festival Holland Sidmouth Folk Fest. Soho Jazz Fest.  South Bank Fest, London. Trowbridge Fest. Bracknell Fest. Bury Cajun & Zydeco Fest. Richmond Fest, London. Belfast Fest, N.I. Galway Country & Roots Fest, Monaghan Fest. Omagh Bluegrass Fest. N. I. Gloucester Cajun Fest.  File Gumbo Cajun Fest, London.  Colne R’n’B Fest. Ironbridge Bluegrass Fest. Kent Custom Bike Show. Crazy Daze Bikers Fest and many more!

More information about the band can be found on the Swampmusic website at www.swampmusic.co.uk or contact Chris Hall, PO Box 94, Derby DE22 1XA.  Tel: 01332 332336 or email: chrishall@swampmusic.co.uk