ANNOUNCING OYSTERBAND FORUM Exclusively for Oysterband: a place where fans can share stories, memories, photos etc of the last 47 years of Oysterband’s history as you’ve known it. Welcome to Oysterband Forum: www.facebook.com/groups/oyste... - do come and join us there!

It looks like the blind auction in aid of Big Trek 4 Palestine (www.justgiving.com/page/bigtrek...) will have raised at least £2750. Alan, Sean and Ian are thoroughly chuffed that bidders have been so generous. Thank you!

NEWS: Following the retirement of Oysterband as a touring act, John Jones has launched a new trio with Ray Cooper (Chopper) and Al Scott! You can find more details at www.johnjonestrio.org, including UK dates for The Song Goes on Tour in April/May. The remaining Oyster bruvs wish them all the best!

Sign up for Oysterband’s continuing newsletters at www.oysterband.co.uk/email-list/m... !

Coming later this week: a new instalment of our occasional newsletter, with new content. Sign up to receive Oyster newsletters at www.oysterband.co.uk - click on Email List.

Hi all I know now what David Bowie meant when he said, near the end of his life, “It was all good. Even the bad bits were good.” The Long Long Goodbye Tour turned out to be the best possible way to sign off - whatever memories any of us were carrying of disappointments, disagreements, years ...

And so the Long Long Goodbye train reaches the buffers, at Tønder Festival near the Danish/German border. Just as Shrewsbury was the right festival to tie up our career in England, Tønder is right for northern Europe.

Thank you.

For those of you not in Shrewsbury: you’ll be able to find our set live-streamed on the festival homepage shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk/sff-live-2025/ at 9.30pm on Sunday. The stage is ready and waiting!

Yup, really relaxed and looking forward to seeing everyone at Shrewsbury on the 23rd/24th!

Can we ask for your help? If you think musicians should get a fairer share of streaming revenue, could you sign this petition and share it with your friends: www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/ch... Thank you! Oysterband x

Shrewsbury Folk festival - weekend tickets have sold out! In a challenging climate for music festivals, this is a testament to the special nature of Shrewsbury Folk Festival - a truly superb and justifiably popular weekend. But ...

Ely Folk Festival, sunset …

It’s nearly the summer festival season! Starting next weekend in Germany. What’s your favourite festival memory with Oysterband?

Hello Ely Folk, it's Saturday line-up day and what a line-up! Folk legends @oysterband.bsky.social, The Dhol Foundation, an amazing Americana evening headlined by Danny & The Champions of the World and loads more, free parking and free Under 12s. All for £64! Tickets: elyfolkfestival.co.uk/tickets/

The set list from our show in Holmfirth: open.spotify.com/playlist/6xO... (usual apologies to those who don’t use Spotify - feel free to suggest other formats for creating a playlist)

Played at last night’s show with best wishes for Sir David Attenborough’s 99th birthday this week: youtu.be/5Da676yC1nQ

The Original Oyster Ceilidh Band and Friends!

The Homecoming Tour! And it’s only right to be in Canterbury, where it all began … starting off with Native Son. Canterbury, thank you and farewell. Let’s make this a night to remember.

as usual for May Day we've been listening to @oysterband.bsky.social all day; it's the perfect soundtrack because you start with Hal-and-Tow and then it's unions, self knowledge, joy, growth and liberation theology all day (and a few other things too but a lot of tuneful consciousness raising!)

May 1st #SongOfTheDay 🎶 youtu.be/9Ruvmo5bCGg (But will this be played at any of the shows on the Homecoming Tour, starting tomorrow?!)

The final Oyster ceilidh in Kent, 3rd May www.outsavvy.com/event/25342/... #Kent #Canterbury #DancingAsFastAsWeCan

Homecoming Tour coming in May: perfect for me to finish back in The Pennines where it all began for me: the music, the singing, humour, walking and friendship. Holmfirth Picturedome, one of the North’s great venues - Put out the Lights - one more time. JJ www.picturedrome.net/tickets/Oyst...

As part of their Long, Long Goodbye homecoming tour, founding members of Oysterband return to Canterbury on Sat 3 May for a final ceilidh in Kent. The original Oyster Ceilidh Band + special guests in The Westgate Hall - one last night of ceilidh magic. Tickets: www.outsavvy.com/event/25342/...

Tonight’s show in Folkets Hus, Struer, Denmark is going to look great!

One of the ironies of this Long Long Goodbye tour is that we discover new and beautiful venues filled with people who are there to celebrate with us … as well as some who have never seen us live. So we kick off the Danish leg of our tour at a packed Tørning Mølle. This is …

30 Day Music Challenge (in triplicate) Day 25: A song by an artist no longer living: Oyster Edition Rowan Godel wasn't a member of Oysterband, but her astouning voice features on multiple albums. There's a nicer arrangement of this on her one album on Bandcamp but this lockdown vs. seemed to fit.

Hoping this brings a smile to your weekend ... an Alan Prosser track from around 1980, saved from oblivion by Dave Foister, and with Jim Hackford on backing vocals, squeaky toy and drums: www.reverbnation.com/oysterband/s...

#Top15Best3AlbumRun @oysterband.bsky.social Deserters (91) Holy Bandits (93) Shouting End Of Life (95)

A CONCERT FOR ANT is announced for 13 April at O2 City Hall, Newcastle. Acts appearing will include Levellers, Justin and Dean from New Model Army, and Penetration - plus a genuinely ‘very special guest TBA', (it’s not us, before you get carried away) - so it'll be a stonking evening. 1/4

Our last festival appearance in Germany! Blacksheep Festival, 28th June: www.blacksheep-kultur.de Schlosspark Bonfeld, Bad Rappenau, DE-74906. Tickets: blacksheep-festival.reservix.de/p/reservix/e... Meet You There!

“A powerful and moving experience” - review of our set at the West Coast Folk Festival in Blackpool earlier this month: atthebarrier.com/2025/01/27/w...

#NowPlaying, @oysterband.bsky.social ‘Wayfaring’ From their wonderful 2002 album ‘Rise Above’ #MusicSky

We've just added some more gig reviews to our live section. www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/live/ Help support live music by buying in advance. @oysterband.bsky.social @rhiannongiddens.bsky.social

And now we hear Gabriel Yacoub has gone too. What a melancholy week. If you never heard his Malicorne project, check it out now.

Raising a tall one tonight to honour the passing of the great Garth Hudson. Last of The Band and a gentle genius. A Garth joke: “What does the local guitar hero say when he knocks on your door? — Here’s your pizza!”

It was fantastic to see the Oysterband play their final Scottish gig tonight. It’s been a long, long journey from first hearing their cover of Billy Bragg’s ‘Between the Wars’ played on Radio Scotland.

www.celticmusicradio.net/oysterband-s... “There weren’t six members of Oysterband in the hall, there were hundreds.”

A phenomenal gig at St Luke’s Glasgow for Celtic Connection last night. The crowd sang louder than the band!

Update on our Homecoming shows in May: Canterbury on May 2nd is sold out; and there’s just a handful of tickets left for each night in Ludlow on 7th and 8th May. Cromer, Cambridge and Holmfirth still available though. www.oysterband.co.uk/tour-dates/

(1/2) Dear Oysterfans, 2024 has been a tumultuous year for us, and we couldn’t have done it without you. We have some big occasions coming in 2025 too, starting as soon as Blackpool and Glasgow in January. We hope to see you again along the road.

#NowPlaying Holy Bandits from the titans of British folk rock, @oysterband.bsky.social After nearly 50 years together, they’re calling it a day in 2025, with some final shows in the UK, Denmark, and Germany

Thank you NHS workers 👏🏻👏🏻💙

Aaargh, got that wrong! How blush-making. It’s 01 Tørning 02 Halkær 03 Struer 04 DAY OFF 05 Aalborg 06 Ringe 07 Silkeborg - Lunden 08 Greve (for CPH) See Oysterband.co.uk for (accurate, dammit) details

Our warm thanks to everyone who turned out to our shows this last three very busy months. A Long Long Goodbye will continue into 2025, but meanwhile, despite the turbulence of the times, may your festive season indeed be “merry and bright”, and peaceful too. Love, Oysterband

NEW! Additions to the Danish part of our farewell A Long Long Goodbye tour in March 2025. Final version: 01 Tørning 02 Halkær 03 Struer 04 Aalborg 05 Ringe 06 Silkeborg - Lunden 07 Greve (for CPH) More details at Oysterband.co.uk

My pick: the great British singer June Tabor with Oysterband covering Love Will Tear Us Apart. Sublime www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-pW...

Alan Prosser says: "Not a Christmas song, but hoping it brings you a smile for Christmas!" youtu.be/z5c2lQ_8-FU