Working with various Roots/Country-Rock band line-ups from his West Yorkshire base since the late 70s, Des Horsfall has had, in his own words, “a few skirmishes with fame”. In the mid 80s he fronted Blues-Rock band Raw Deal that was managed by the legendary Alexis Korner until his untimely death.
In the 1990s Des was to be seen in hit videos on CMT and as opening act for Joe Ely, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Chuck Prophet and many others.
After a decade of studio engineering and production work at his own analogue recording facility (Valve Studios), Des has ‘reemerged’ with his new ‘Rustic Rock n Roll’ outfit ‘Des Horsfall’s KUSCHTY RYE’ and critically acclaimed (Ronnie Lane/Slim Chance inspired) album‘The Good Gentleman’s Tonic’, which is to be the first of a trilogy. The album features Slim Chance members Benny Gallagher, Charlie Hart and Steve Simpson and was described by Ronnie’s old mate Pete Townshend as ” a killer record….KILLER!”
The fascinating follow up, and second in the trilogy ‘The Bastard’s Tin’ has just been completed.
Des is currently undertaking acoustic duo dates with various guests and occasional ‘full band’ and solo gigs .

Rod has played with many of the countries main jazz stars as part of the Ben Crosland Quintet, some include Alan Skidmore, Peter King, Don Weller, Art Themen, Guy Barker, Gerard Precenser, Steve Waterman, Jim Mullen and Mark Nightingale. He has played in Europe and featured at many Jazz festivals ( Brecon, Grimsby, Hull, Coventry, Manchester,Lichfield and Bracknell) and was with the Ben Crosland Band when featured on T.V. He also has performed with John Surman and John Warren as part of the Voice of the North and had to fight against the likes of Billy Jenkins in one of his Big Fights.

Rod then worked hard with his own quartet which featured Jez Franks on Guitar, Dave Walsh on drums and Ben Crosland on Bass. They released an album which received excellent reviews called “Who turned the lights out”. He has recorded a follow up album called ” Return of the Roomdarkener ” which also has Steve Lodder on keyboards.

Rod is now working with his new quartet called ELEMENTS – this features the talents of Richard Hammond /Bass , Richard Wetherall / Piano and Keyboards and Dave Walsh on drums. The new album also features Lea Mullen on Percussion. He also played with The ZAPPATISTAS 2004/5 and is now the sax player with the legendary BACK DOOR who are once again making waves on the scene.

Dave Rigg is harmonica player, vocalist and songwriter with the  844s.  He also plays in a traditional blues duo with his friend Bramly Scott. Over the years he has worked with a variety of bands, primarily Long Trick and The Ducks.

 Dave has featured in a Radio 2 session, played the British stage and the acoustic stage and festival fringe at the Colne Blues Festival and provided support for Wilko Johnson among others.

I have been making and recording music for the last 20 years and in addition to running Hebden Bridge Underground I lecture in sound design and music technology for HE FE students. I also work as a freelance sound designer for film, TV, animation, games, theatre, radio and art installations with clients including PlayStation and Lasalle College of the Arts. 

Richard, aka Wally, loves harmony. He plays in ska/rock band Owter Zeds and R&B band The 844s. He also writes, plays, sings, records and mixes as half of multi-instrumental and vocal duo Uncle Wally and Uncle Steve, and as a member of The Happy Valley Collective. He once played in a band called The Waterproof Sparrows with drummer Steve Porter, who left them to become Steve Peregrin Took, joining Marc Bolan as half of Tyrannosaurus Rex. 

Steve Tilston is one of our most celebrated songsmiths, widely recognised within the world of folk and contemporary music; the words, arrangements and subtle, quite superb guitar playing could be no one else.
“The more you listen, the more there is to discover.” – Bob Harris

The story of Steve’s “lost” letter from John Lennon inspired the Hollywood movie Danny Collins starring Al Pacino in the title role, now available on DVD.
Fatea Awards Male Vocalist of the Year 2015, proof if needed, that after 45 years in the business Steve can still deliver the goods; His CD Truth to Tell is one of The Telegraph’s best folk albums of 2015 too.
Released July 2018… Distant Days a paired back voice and guitar recording; nineteen tracks – solo acoustic recollections or musical markers in the diary, chosen largely by public selection, plus a trio of previously unrecorded tunes.
In 2007 a 5 CD boxed-set was released Reaching Back: the Life and Music of Steve Tilston by Free Reed, the company behind the Richard Thompson anthology.
Back on song-writing form, he released Ziggurat in 2008 from which A Pretty Penny made it into Acoustic Magazine’s top 50 songs.
In 2009 his early career was hi-lighted in a book Bristol Folk, the story of Bristol’s powerhouse folk & blues scene in the 60s & 70s, and the Bristol connection is marked once again in 2018 when Steve features in a major exhibition Bristol Music: Seven Decades of Sound at M Shed Museum in Bristol.
His 2011 release The Reckoning garnered 4-star reviews in the Guardian, the Observer and the Scotsman, a guest appearance on Later with Jools Holland and the BBC Four Songwriters’ Circle series, plus a Folk Award win for the best original song. Followed, in 2013 by the highly acclaimed trio album Happenstance. Steve was also commissioned to write for the Olympics Radio Ballads series and the Harbour of Songs project.
Born in Liverpool and raised in the Midlands, Steve made his recording debut in 1971 with the classic An Acoustic Confusion and has been turning out quality albums ever since. Life by Misadventure, And So It Goes, Solo Rubato and Such and Such all featuring first-class song-writing and stylistically Tilston, marking him out as one of this country’s finest writers, whilst the instrumental Swans at Coole is testament to his guitar virtuosity. Though known as a songwriter, Steve has always had an ear for the tradition and included new interpretations of old favourites on his original recordings. Of Many Hands is his first “all-traditional” album; with unique arrangements of timeless classics. There’s also a “best of” anthology, The Greening Wind and a live album Live Hemistry recorded on tour with Fairport Convention.
He joined an illustrious band of guitarists including Martin Simpson, Michael Messer and Wizz Jones, when he was invited to contribute to the Guitar Maestro series of DVDs; a combination of live studio performance and interviews, revealing the real passion behind these talented musicians…If anyone ever deserved the moniker Guitar Maestro, it’s Steve Tilston!
The writer of the classic songs The Slipjigs and Reels, Here’s to Tom Paine, The Naked Highwayman and the award-winning The Reckoning, he is also a published author. Steve’s first novel All for Poor Jack is an historical tale set in Bristol and the New World, full of colourful characters. It’s a mighty good read and has been enjoyed by the likes of Bob Dylan no less!
He’s toured with John Renbourn’s Ship of Fools, traditional singer Maggie Boyle (the classic recordings Of Moor and Mesa and All Under the Sun), as guitarist with Ballet Rambert, with Maartin Allcock and Pete Zorn in WAZ! with Brooks Williams and with his daughter Martha. Plus collaborations with alt-country band The Durbervilles and old Bristol pals Keith Warmington and Stuart Gordon as the Steve Tilston Trio. His latest project is with fellow songwriter Jez Lowe, the duo CD The Janus Game featuring all new co-writes is out now!
Others have also recorded Steve’s songs. Here’s to Tom Paine is the adopted theme song for the Tom Paine Society of America and we’ve lost count of the number of versions of The Slipjigs & Reels!

I have been drumming regularly on the local Bradford, Leeds scene and beyond for the past 35 years. I have been fortunate enough to play and record with so many good musicians and bands over that time. From jazz and jump jive with Three Men & A Bass to drum & bass and funk with the Whipping Post, ambient soundscape to soul with the Forgetting Room, rocksteady to reggae with Pepperjam, African to Irish with Somebody’s Brother (to name just a few!) This is no exception. Martin is one of the finest guitarists I have had the pleasure of playing with. I really enjoyed recording this album with him and, having produced a couple of albums of my own, I admire his vision. Thanks for having me on these recordings and thanks for recruiting the fabulous Hue Bradly on bass. Always a pleasure.