Grace Petrie Live At All Hallows, with Jamie Fletcher

‘”Hello,” said Grace Petrie sweetly. “I’m a protest singer.” Murmurs of approval. “Actually I’m a socialist, feminist, lesbian, left wing protest singer…” The place erupted.’ (The first lines of The Guardian review of Cambridge Folk Festival 2017.)

Grace Petrie found herself on a packed main stage on the Friday afternoon of Cambridge Folk Festival 2017 seven years after she stared to attract attention with her emotive anthem Farewell to Welfare, which captured perfectly the spirit of the new wave of dissent in austerity Britain.

A folk singer, songwriter and activist from Leicester, UK, she has been writing, recording and touring relentlessly ever since. She has racked up tour supports with Emmy the Great and Billy Bragg, and has also made her mark in the comedy scene supporting comedians Robin Ince and Josie Long. She’s appeared at Glastonbury four times at the invitation of Billy Bragg, as well as an eclectic genre-crossing mix of festivals Latitude, Musicport, Blissfields, Shrewsbury Folk Festival, Greenbelt and more including of course Cambridge Folk Festival. She has collaborated with some of the most respected names in folk, including Leon Rosselson, Roy Bailey and Peggy Seeger.

Her unique takes on life, love and politics, and the warmth and wit with which they are delivered, have won over audiences everywhere, across the alternative, folk, political and comedy scenes, amassing her over 15,600 Twitter followers and nearly 6,600 likes on her band Facebook page and has individual Youtube videos with over 93,000 hits.

She has quietly become one of the most respected songwriters working in the UK today. She is a frequent guest on BBC Radio 4’s the Now Show, has appeared on Channel 4’s Random Acts and has been featured in The Guardian, Diva Magazine and The Independent On Sunday’s 2013 Pink List of influential LGBT figures.

Diva magazine nominated Grace for their 2018 Activist Award, presented to an LGBT activist whose work highlights inequality while advocating for positive, meaningful change.

In May 2018 a Kickstarter campaign for her first full studio album, after five previous available-at-gig-only albums. She raised £10,000 in just 24 hours and went on to achieve £18000 in the two week campaign. The album, ‘Queer As Folk’, was released in September 2018 and has gone on to be named a top 10 Folk Album of 2018 by Mojo magazine..

What the media said about Queer As Folk:

‘Queer As Folk may well turn out to be one of my albums of the year’ Folking.com

‘She offers hope and solidarity, born out of absolute conviction and with no trace of empty sloganeering….this wake-up call is one to be both welcomed and wholeheartedly embraced.’ fRoots

‘Petrie has delivered a personal and political statement of the highest quality in a magnificent tradition.’ Morning Star

‘An album of personal and political power, passion and perception, it is hugely persuasive proof that Petrie most deservedly earns her place at the table.’ Folk Radio

‘She’s the urgent, pulsing, compassionate talent this world desperately needs.’ Deborah Frances-White writing in The Observer

‘Probably the most intelligently crafted album you’ll hear this year’ ****R2

‘Just when you thought that what folk music needs right now is a strident left-wing female causing a bit of carnage, here’s Grace Petrie.’ **** Mojo

Grace is a Live At All Hallows veteran, having played solo, with the her wonderful band The Benefits Culture, and twice in 2017 first as part of Coven (with O’Hooley & Tidow and Lady Maisery) and then as a double headliner with Hannah James. We’re nearly beside herself that in 2019 she’ll be playing Leeds Arena in January (supporting Frank Turner, at which the LAAH team will be at the front cheering her on!) then our intimate venue in on Easter Saturday. As Rev Heston, Vicar of All Hallows, said when we emailed to book the church “Hurrah, I’m looking forwards to some Grace Petrie Easter agitation!”

Supporting Grace at this gig is Jamie Fletcher. Jamie is a Theatre and Film Director, Musician and Trans Activist and is based in Leeds. Her work is multi-disciplinary, bold, entertaining and not afraid to take risks. It is most definitely Queer. She has her own production company ‘Jamie Fletcher & Company’ and also works independently with a range of artists, performers, dancers, writers and musicians as well as theatre and film companies. In 2016-2018 Jamie Fletcher & Company presented the 5 star new musical Dancing Bear to great success.

Jamie is a talented singer, multi-instrumentalist and performer. She has performed as a session musician on television and has toured with different bands and theatre companies throughout Europe. She composes music and has received support, commissions and residencies to create and direct new multi-disciplinary film and performance from some of the UK’s most innovative arts venues including Leeds Playhouse/West Yorkshire Playhouse (Leeds), Contact and The Palace Theatre & Opera House (Manchester), Battersea Arts Centre (London). She doesn’t often perform at gigs these days, so we’re very lucky to have her supporting Grace for this Live At All Hallows gig.

Tickets available in advance online here and will be at at Jumbo Records in early 2019. Advance tickets £12 (plus booking fees). Tickets on the door £14. Doors for the gig open at 745pm, music likely to start at around 815pm.

There are two ticket options for this event:

Advance tickets £12 (plus booking fees)

Available online now and from Jumbo Records early 2019

On the door £14

Venue website: https://allhallowsleeds.org/

Venue phone number: 0113 242 2205

Venue email: emily@rainbowjunktion.org.uk