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  Blues and Roots Radio Awards: 
Let The Music Speak for Itself MERRY HELL TO RELEASE 28 TRACK, 2CD COLLECTION 
Buy now on Bandcamp Don't Walk On Me 
A huge music fan, as part of a project funded by Wigan Healthy Arts and Merry Hell, with the support of The Music Projects, John told his life story to our own Bob Kettle, who turned this into the attached song - 'Don't Walk On Me' Recorded with the help of our guitarist, producer John Kettle, sung by Bob, with a vocal contribution from John Melia, 'Don't Walk On Me' tells of his hurt but also the effect that finding the love of his wife, Elizabeth, has made to his life. 
Hoping that you like the song - if you are able to give it a spin, then please let us know and we will tell John that his song and message are being shared. In the words of Bob, The more attention it (the song) gets, the more its purpose will be fulfilled - to bring light into the life of a good-hearted man who has suffered dreadful abuse. Listen to Don't Walk On Me Don’t Walk On Me My Daddy was a hardworking man, Chorus I’ve had to take the lies and hate They laughed at me, they put me down Chorus I met a girl, she is my world So you can laugh and you can lie Chorus x2 From the Merry Hell family - your introduction to carbonhobo - 'Somewhere Down The Northern Line' taken from the soon to be released album 'Memoirs From The Crooked Road' carbonhobo is a new project from our fiddle player Neil McCartney and features contributions by friends from both @Merry Hell and The Big Geraniums as well as his son Ben. Hoping you like it - more to come soon!
DON'T MISS OUT
At The Brindley Arts Centre, Runcorn
We were absolutely delighted to have entered the official Folk Charts as a new entry at No.24, alongside new entries from The Levellers and The Pogues as well as albums by the likes of Show of Hands and Fairport Convention. Click here to view the latest chart
We have also been included in this weeks Official Folk Albums Chart Show Click here to watch the Official Folk Albums Chart Show 5th AnniversaryReleased on July 4th to mark the 5th anniversary of the succesful quadruple heart bypass operation performed on our manager, Damian. The song was originally written to mark his recovery from a previous heart attack and return to running. If you enjoy the track - please make a donation - however small to support the British Heart Foundation. Also, the track can be downloaded for free from our website but we ask that people make a donation if they do this - from each according to their means! All hail our NHS! http://merryhell.co.uk/mp3/BandOnARun.mp3.zip Here are his own words from July 3rd: 5 years ago today was a little of a low point. I was that ill that, late in the evening, the sheer physical effort of cleaning my teeth was enough to send my heart rate high enough to trigger the alarm on the Nurse station on the ward and staff came dashing to check what the problem was. Waiting in Wythenshawe Hospital for my bypass operation, I had been in hospital for nearly a month after a couple of heart attacks - I had been unable to walk more than around 30 feet in that time without something unpleasant happening. So fast forward to yesterday - I did a half marathon - although in fairness I did walk most of it - a little bit of a contrast (I would have waited until today but the weather forecast didn't look too good). So, tomorrow - the anniversary of my quadruple bypass op, I will be doing something a little special along with help from Merry Hell and hopefully you will support it. Keep watching. It isn't a Chumbawamba cover - but - I get knocked down.... 2020 Folking Awards Winner
MERRY HELL: WINNERS OF BEST LIVE ACT AWARD FROM THOSE LOVELY PEOPLE AT FOLKING.COM - Thanks to all who voted for us - we do put a lot into trying to make our gigs an event - a celebration of the joy we feel in sharing our songs - days like today it all makes sense! www.folking.com/the-2020-folking-awards-the-results THE HOURGLASS TRILOGY
Merry Hell release 'Leave It In The Ground' a digital single, available to download and stream from all the usual places. A video will be relased at the same time. THE HOURGLASS TRILOGY - A SERIES OF 3 DIGITAL SINGLES (PLUS VIDEOS) When Merry Hell started thinking about a new album and the writers brought their fresh ideas to the band, it was a surprise that 3 of us, Virginia Kettle, Bob Kettle and Neil McCartney had each written songs that gave voice to concerns about our environmental impact and the climate emergency. Each has a different voice but all have that positive, joyful Merry Hell feel. As is true of our previous releases, we are neither strident nor condemnatory. We do not preach, we seek to ask questions of ourselves and encourage others to do the same. The new songs are strong and the messages are united. Let us look at our own behaviours and how we can make positive changes for the benefit of all, whilst we hold up the mirror of truth to those who place profits and gain above the common good. The series will also serve as a taster for our next album Emergency Lullabies, currently approaching completion. There will also be a video accompanying each of the singles. We are not eco warriors, we are not perfect, most of us have cars and we are all still learning how to be more thoughtful about our behaviour. However, whilst we recognise both our own actions and shortcomings, we applaud and salute those individuals and groups who, by their actions and words, inspire us to individual and collective action. Their bravery in the face of political and indeed physical threat on an industrial scale is an example to us all. We all know who they are, let us support them the best we can. Finally, we applaud our own children, who are, in many cases, far more aware, active and engaged than we are and should have been. Enjoy the music. Listen to the words, make up your own minds and let us all take the actions we believe to be right. Merry Hell with The Social Isolation Choir and the Key Workers Chorus release Beyond The Call - a song for the NHS.Our song featuring many of your voices and images will go live on our Facebook and YouTube channel fro 7.30 AM Wednesday 15th of April - we hope that you like it and if you do, that you will share it with anyone who might appreciate it. CLICK HERE to listen to the MP3 The night that the UK entered lockdown due to COVID-19, John wrote this song as he reflected on the situation. A demo version was shared on our Facebook page and the response was fabulous, so we decided to record a full band version - quite a technical challenge for some of us, as it had to be done remotely, rather than in the studio where everything could be controlled by John. As we talked about it, we decided that, based on the comments received, the song wasn't just about our feelings but thoughts and concerns shared by so many, so we decided to open the song up to as many of those voices as we could. Over a weekend, we used our social media to invite friends and fans to record themselves singing along to the chorus (we even provided a tutorial) and send us their contributions. We collected all the files, added them to our own (including members of our own families) to produce 'The Social Isolation Choir' and The Key Workers Chorus' - many of the contributions coming from people working on the front line. At the same time, we invited the singers to send in images of themselves and images of their loved ones who were working to keep us safe or to bring us back to health. These images were included in the accompanying video. About 150 voices were added to ours and we received many pictures of a whole lot of fabulous and dedicated people, nurses, doctors, care workers, delivery drivers, shop workers, radiographers, audiologists drafted in to support ward staff, members of all the emergency services and friends who are doing their bit however they can. A huge round of applause each and every day to every one of them. May they all stay safe. An acknowledgement as well for John Kettle for masterminding the sound production and Neil McCartney for the video, both having brought their own kind of magic to the mix in a phenomenally short space of time. Finally, we hope that you enjoy it, share our love and admiration for all concerned with the dirty end of the fight against the virus and please spread that love if you do. All best wishes The absolute world premiere of our documentary: 
If Life is a journey, ours has been more of a mystery tour wrapped up in an adventure that we really want to share. Wherever we go, we feel love and togetherness between band members and the people we meet. It’s a real privilege to be part of that, so we want to give our audience a deeper sense of who we are, where we come from, where we’ve been and where we’re going. We took our new camera behind the curtain, into our dressing rooms (when we had them), into our homes, on the road, to the soundchecks and service stations – and, along the way, into our thoughts, dreams and concerns. We hope that you’ll enjoy a peek into our experience of being a band – and into the joy of being Merry Hell, in what was a fabulous year for us. This collage of sights, sounds and memories is dedicated to the friends we’ve made and those we hope to meet in future. After showing our documentary, there will be a Question and Answer session involving all members of the band for approximately an hour. Tickets include a copy of the DVD of the documentary. We offer a single ticket at £12.50 to include a copy of the DVD and a ticket for 2 people for £17.50 that includes admission for those 2 people but only one copy of the DVD.  We are delighted with bells on to have won the prestigious Folking.com Best Band Award for a second time!! Thanks to all who helped make it so. Great to win in the company of our friends: Reg Meuross Music - Soloist of the Year Award The Men They Couldn't Hang - Best Live Band Award and especially our Wigan hometown mates Vision Thing - Rising Stars Award  Here are some reviews and notable mentions of our new acoustic album Anthems to the Wind.
Here's a lovely review of Anthems to the Wind from Jez Denton, Radio Bicester broadcaster and Tarka Blowpig website supremo! Cheers Jez and look forward to seeing you at a gig soon. We've also been getting some great support from the folk radio community, here are a few... We were delighted to be told that 'Drunken Serenade' will be Record of the Week on Lionheart Radio. Broadcasting to the beautiful county of Northumberland, the station can also be heard via the web at https://www.lionheartradio.com/ Many thanks to all concerned! Thanks to our friend and man of taste and discerning musical taste Dave Watkins of Always On Sunday for making Anthems to the Wind his album of the Week! Delighted that our friend Jem from Glastonbury fm has made Anthems to the Wind his album of the week on his World Beat show. We enjoyed meeting him at our gig in Wiveliscombe earlier this year and look forwrd to bumping into him again. Just trying to think where they might have a festival in his part of the world that we might enjoy playing! We are delighted to be Album of the Week on www.bluesandrootsradio.com look out for the hour long special featuring an interview!! Delighted that our friend Liz Franklin has made Anthems the Wind her album of the Week on her EdenFM Show. Plenty other great music as well. Thanks Liz! Delighted that our friend @Roger Pettit has decided to make Anthems to the Wind the featured album on his Roots and Shoots with Roger Pettit on Felixstowe Radio show this very night - he's been with us pretty much since the start - and our gratitude continues to increase! Big thanks to Alternative Roots on BrumRadio.com where your host and ours Mike Davies has been kind enough to make Anthems to the Wind his featured album. Delighted that Anthems to the Wind will be the Album of the Week on Gary Hazlehurst’s Radio Nova Folk Show. Much appreciate!! Oh and not to mention the Album of the Year nomination!! In the year that keeps on giving! Blues and Roots Radio have included ‘Anthems to the Wind’ in their nominations for Album of the Year. The station brings together over 50 broadcasters and their shows from around the World, featuring shows from Canada, The USA, Australia, The UK & Ireland and several other European countries. We are delighted to be included and feel that everyone on the list is already a winner! Have a listen and get to know some great music!
 Awards - Bloody Hell! We've only gone and won 2 of the things! BEST BAND and BEST LIVE ACT in the hugely respected Folking.com Awards. We haven't prepared a speech but we'd like to thank our Mums and Dads, all those of you who voted for us and those lovely folk at Folking.com who nominated us in the first place (which is where the honour lies). We can honestly say that it's put a spring in our strides, a twinkle in our eyes and a flutter in our hearts. Hurrah! www.folking.com/the-2018-folking-awards/  Our new single Bury Me Naked is available now from Amazon or from our online shopYou can even sing along with the subtitled track here
Click here to read the 2017 news stories
We are ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED to see Merry Hell nominated in the Best Band category of the 2017 Folking Awards - up against some stiff opposition - please take a moment to go and vote (it's the third category - you need to click on the link - scroll down the page then follow the voting form through until you see the best band category) Please don't leave it to others - and if you feel like spreading the love amongst your family and friends, then feel free. CLICK HERE TO VOTE 
Make Merry Hell with the Kettles! A Song Writing Weekend Course Dates: 17th – 19th February 2017 Times: Friday 7.30pm – 10pm / Saturday 9.15am – 9.30pm / Sunday 10am – 5pm Venue: The Music Projects, 830 Ormskirk Road, Pemberton, Wigan, Lancashire, WN5 8EX Cost: £150 per person Merry Hell have joined forces with Healthy Arts and The Music Projects to offer a Songwriting course with Bob, Virginia and John Kettle in Wigan. Spend the weekend with three of Merry Hell’s songwriters learning how they write their songs and working creatively with them to produce and record a new and original song. Booking Information Booking & Cancellation Policy – The deadline for booking is 31st January or whenever the course is full, whichever is sooner. If we do not get 10 participants, the course will not go ahead and you will be refunded in full. However, if the participant cancels after this date, no refunds are available. Suitable meal breaks are built into the weekend. Light refreshments (tea, coffee, biscuits) will be provided. Accommodation, transport & meals are the responsibility of the participant and are not included in the price. Partners’ websites: Accommodation & Restaurant suggestions: 'We Need Each Other Now' - the new song from Merry Hell - a song for our times. This video was put together bysongwriter/ musician and broadcaster George Papavgeris after he received a promotional copy of the song. Not only was he moved to make the video but you can also see George and his band playing a version of the song a mere 2 days after first hearing it!
DELIGHTED and PROUD that 'Loving The Skin You're In' has been chosen as the Song Of Wigan Pride. Click here to read the 2016 news stories
Merry Hell have only gone and been nominated for another award. Those fine folk at Folking.com have included the band in the Best Group category for the Folkies Awards, alongside some of the cream of the UK folk scene. This time it's a public vote, so anyone who wants to, please follow this link and vote Merry Hell. You know it makes sense (you have to go through the different categories to get to the Best Group!). A Concert for the Refugees - Tuesday 23rd February 2016
It was absolutely fantastic to win the Fatea Award for best group/duo yesterday - particularly given that a couple of years ago we were delighted to have been chosen as first support to Bellowhead and now being nominated in the same category as them is almost unbelievable. However, what has been particularly wonderful has been the response from our friends/fans who appear to have shared our delight who have been so quick to 'like' and 'share' our good news on Facebook. It all adds to our feeling that things are happening for Merry Hell and that this is because what we do actually strikes a real chord with the people who listen to our music and come to our gigs. Thanks again and onwards into 2016. COMPETITION TIME
Song Writing with Bob, Recording with John 
A message from Bob: Song writing workshops with Bob Kettle: Recording session with John Kettle (full day in a professional studio): The venue for the workshops and recording will be: Click here to read the 2015 news stories
Delighted that 'Ghost...' Has been nominated for an award as 'Best Album by a band' for 2015 by Folkwords. If you look at the calibre of the nominees you can see we are in with some big shots as well! If you haven't yet seen the acousticish line up of the band then here's a review that will give you a good idea of what to expect. Why not share it with someone involved in the booking at your local folk club, Arts Centre or venue - remember people invvolved in organising gigs are always beng contacted by bands saying how great they are - but it comes as a breath of fresh air when people who attend the club or venue suggest that they book an artist as it makes them more confident about making a booking and that people will come!! The same is true of festival organisers!
The DVD is available to order on our shop now.
Click here to read the 2014 news stories
 BIG NEWS! Merry Hell are proud to have enlisted in The Armistice Pals.This is a fabulous community of Folk musicians who are coming together to mark the 100th Anniversary of World War 1. We will be releasing a 'Perfect Day' style version of Pete Seeger's anti-war classic, 'Where Have All The Flowers Gone?', on Sunday 9th November - the week of The Armistice. The song will be available as a download, CD single and a limited edition vinyl 7". Andrew and Virginia will feature alongside some of the UK Folk world's most distinctive voices and alongside a number of international allies. The musical backing for the track will be supplied by the band. Please visit the Armistice Pals Facebook Page and 'like' it to make sure that you are kept up with developments - and have a look at the website at www.armisticepals.co.uk to see the incredible line up that we will be part of. If the Armistice Pals were a festival, it would be the best line up of the year! The project is not a celebration of war; it is a marking of the start of what was supposed to be 'the war to end all wars' and the senseless slaughter that followed, with its devastating affect on both the loved ones and communities which the soldiers left behind, all too often not to return As this is is a community project, there will be Armistice Pals events across the country in the week of the release of the song and we invite people to look for ways to get involved. Click here to read the 2013 news stories
 A big thank you to Mike Harding for playing a track off the new album on the Mike Harding Folk Show.Click here to listen to the shows podcast.
Click here to read the 2012 news stories
 BLINK... And You Miss It will be featured on Stafford FM's What The Folk Is That show tomorrow (Monday 27th February) between 8-10pm. So many thanks to presenter Gary Hazlehurst who will be playing a few tracks and if you want a listen then go to www.staffordfm.com
Click here to read the 2011 news stories
Can you guess which band and which album has been included?
The Stroke Association is the only charity solely concerned with helping everyone affected across the UK. Our vision is to have a world where there are fewer strokes and all those touched by stroke get the help they need. The Stroke Association can only provide life-changing support and research with your help. Please help support The Stroke Association's vital work by sponsoring me online. Just visit fundraising.stroke.org.uk/MerryHell. All donations are secure and sent directly to The Stroke Association. If you are a UK taxpayer, The Stroke Association will reclaim 28 pence for every pound you donate, through Gift Aid (at no extra cost to you). This way your donation is worth even more. Make sure you click the Gift Aid box. If you would like to learn more about the vital work of The Stroke Association, please visit: www.stroke.org.uk
Click here to download the flyer.
The band were delighted to be selected to play as it was one of our main ambitions for our first year. Entrance to Haigh Fest is £2.00
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Come and join "Merry Hell", "Grateful Fred" and "The Good Intentions" for this acoustic concert in the lovely surroundings of The Nordic Church.
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