Stormcrow

Stormcrow was formed back in the distant days of 1987 by Chris McAneary (bass / vocals) Rick Huddleston (vocals / guitar / mandolin) and Mark Hadlett (vocals / guitar).

We played a number of folk clubs and festivals mainly in the North of England, but also including Cambridge Folk Festival (Club tent of course). In 1996 Mark H won first place in the Middlewich Seventh Boat and Folk Festival Talent Contest.

By the end of '96, the original line up had faded away and we formed a (supposedly) one off band to play The Gathering ‘s ‘Entertainer’s competition with Amanda (vocals), Jo Blair (vocals / wind instruments) and Mark Simpson (Bodharan / drum / vocals and a bit of guitar). We knew about three songs together and had fun singing around the camp fires even though the competition didn’t happen.The four of us continued to perform together, and recorded the eponymously titled Stormcrow, followed by Face the Future in 1997, most of the songs being written by Jo Blair and Mark Hadlett. 'Stormcrow' and 'Face the Future' were original released on cassette and then re-mastered for CD release as Chronicles.

By the end of 1998 Jo Blair and Mark Simpson had left the band, but by July 1999 the band was back in the studio recording Crow Circle. This album was named after a standing stone circle which Mark and Amanda were constructive in building in North Yorkshire. Recorded in a stone built shed, Mark and Amanda were joined by Barbara Howarth (drumming/percussion), Peter McDonald (bodharan) and Ingrid Bentley (percussion).

Mark’s daughter, Sarah, joined the band in 1999, when she sang with the band at the Silver Branch’s Lughnassad festival.

Celtic Twilight was released in 2005 and the live role-play flavoured album Here Be Demons in 2006.

A video of Monks of Satan was made at Goth Fest in April 2006 featuring the Monks from the song;
Brother Septimus played by Andy Brown
Brother Pancreas played by Dave Ayrton
Brother Tobias Taddin played by Edwin Ollis

Filmed on the Saturday afternoon around the 199 steps and St Mary's churchyard, great fun was had by all and a satisfying forty minutes of footage was produced.We were also filmed by local news cameras and appeared on the Whitby Goth section of the Local News.

The song Gargoyle is featured on the album John Barleycorn Reborn a compilation of English Dark folk music released by Cold Spring/Woven Wheat Whispers on 1 August 2007.

' Behind the Mask' was released on 31st July 2009 at the Station Hotel, Loftus and features guests Ian Swinburne and Mark Jenkins along with band members Sam Coles, Sarah Mason, Amanda and Mark.

Stormcrow albums are available from this web-site and Acoustic Rotherham http://www.jmucreate.com/stormcrow.html

In the late Summer and Autumn 2009 we helped Sam record her first solo album 'Woman of Wyrd & Other Tales (released 6th December 2009).

The band continues to play 'live' as often as possible and appearances include BBC Music Day Live, Pagan Festivals, Whitby Pirate Day and Festival on the Moor. We frequently add musical atmosphere at events hosted by Chimera Leisure.

Stormcrow are thinking about beginning to record the next album sometime in the near future.