Blackbeard's Tea Party

File:Dave Boston, Martin Coumbe and Tim Yates.jpg

The band originally formed after Paul Young and Laura Barber decided to put together a ceilidh and busking band in order to make money to supplement their income. The other members were asked to join and were either friends from University or previous bandmates from other bands.

Their first act was to record the EP Heavens To Betsy as promotional material to send to ceilidh clubs and festivals. In order to fill space on the EP four songs that has been loosely arranged beforehand by Paul, Martin, Tim and Yom were added. This led to Blackbeard's Tea Party performing as a concert band as well as a ceilidh band.{{cite journal |last=Hardwick |first=Oz |title=Blackbeard's Tea Party |journal=R2 Magazine|volume=2 |issue=28|date=July–August 2011 |page=24}}

The EP was released on 27 November by the band with a gig at the Melbourne Pub in York. In the months that followed the band promoted it heavily by busking, playing concerts and festival appearances in 2010 at Beverley Folk Festival and Galtres Festival. The track "High Barbary" was played on Mike Harding’s Folk Show on BBC Radio 2.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00r7pml |title=BBC Radio 2 - Mike Harding, 10/03/2010 |website=Bbc.co.uk |date=2010-03-10 |access-date=2020-06-09}} The EP received a small amount of critical praise, gaining a positive review in R2 Magazine{{cite journal |last=Hardwick |first=Oz |title=Heavens to Betsy |journal=R2 Magazine|volume=2 |issue=27|date=May–June 2011 |page=99}}

File:Stuart Giddens and Laura Barber.jpg

Throughout 2011 Blackbeard’s Tea Party cemented their reputation as a formidable festival act with performances at Sidmouth, Shrewsbury, Galtres, Beverley Folk Festival as well as appearances at numerous smaller festivals.

Throughout this period they were also busy recording their debut album Tomorrow We'll be Sober. It was produced by the band's bassist Tim Yates and like Heavens To Betsy was self-released with no professional backing. The band released the album on 22 October 2011 at a gig at The Duchess venue in their home town of York. The album was critically received well with positive reviews in numerous Folk magazines{{cite journal |last=Jones |first=Simon |title=Tomorrow We'll be Sober review |journal=Froots Magazine|volume=347 |date=May 2012 |page=64}} and websites{{cite web|url=http://www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/BlackbeardsTeaParty.html |title=FATEA - Home |website=Fatea-records.co.uk |access-date=2020-06-09}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.brightyoungfolk.com/gigs/tomorrow-well-be-sober-blackbeards-tea-party/record-detail.aspx |title=Tomorrow We'll be Sober - Blackbeard's Tea Party |access-date=1 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130224174410/http://www.brightyoungfolk.com/gigs/tomorrow-well-be-sober-blackbeards-tea-party/record-detail.aspx |archive-date=24 February 2013 |url-status=dead }} including a 5-star review in R2.{{cite journal |last=Hardwick |first=Oz |title=Tomorrow We'll be Sober |journal=R2 Magazine|volume=2 |issue=31|date=January–February 2012 |page=71}}

Shortly after the release of Tomorrow We'll Be Sober, Paul Young left the band and was replaced by Stuart Giddens.

2012 involved another prolific festival run for the band, with repeat performances at Sidmouth and Shrewsbury as well as a successful appearance at Cambridge Folk Festival and many others.

File:Blackbeard's Tea Party at Cropredy 9th August 2014.jpg

On 7 November 2012, Blackbeard's Tea Party posted a photo of Yom's Cajon in a recording studio on their Facebook page. Shortly after they revealed that work on their next album had begun. It was released on 8 April 2013, followed by the band's first UK headline tour.{{cite journal |title=Tour information |journal=R2 Magazine|volume=2 |issue=37|date=January–February 2013 |page=48}} Initial response to the album has been positive, with the song "The Valiant Turpin" receiving airplay on numerous BBC Radio Shows{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01601c7 |title=BBC Radio Shropshire - Genevieve Tudor's Sunday Folk, Rapsquillion |website=Bbc.co.uk |date=2013-03-24 |access-date=2020-06-09}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0166mnr |title=BBC Radio York - BBC Music Introducing in York and North Yorkshire, 23/03/2013 |website=Bbc.co.uk |date=2013-03-23 |access-date=2020-06-09}} as well as Mike Harding's podcast.

They continued to tour the album throughout 2013 and the early part of 2014, before embarking on their biggest run of festivals to date, with 20 performances over the summer. During this festival season, the band made their first overseas appearances, with performances at the Costa Del Folk Festival in Spain, and the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak, Borneo.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2014/06/22/sape-music-among-others-on-first-night-of-rwmf/|title=Sape music among others on first night of RWMF|date=21 June 2014|website=Theborneopost.com|access-date=2020-06-09}} This summer also saw them reaching out to a wider fan-base with shows at large festivals including the Glastonbury Festival and Fairport's Cropredy Convention (where they played to a sell out audience of 20,000 people).

File:Blackbeard's Tea Party, Towersey 2018.jpg 2018 (Laura, Yom, Dave, Stuart, Martin, Tim)]]

Blackbeard's Tea Party released their third album Reprobates on 9 October 2015. The seven songs on the album were thematically linked - telling stories of nefarious, rebellious or villainous characters. The album was well received by fans and critics, and received radio play including on the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show.

After touring the Reprobates album throughout 2015 and 2016, Blackbeard's Tea Party significantly beefed up their sound by introducing two full drum-kits (as opposed to hand-percussion) for the first time. This new sound was captured on the EP Leviathan!, released on 13 April 2018. The EP featured songs documenting the whaling industry.

The introduction of two drum-kits was not well received by some folk music fans. After appearing at Towersey Festival for the second time in 2017, they were invited back to play the main stage 'finale' in 2018. Talking to the festival in 2017, Stuart discussed the band and their relationship with the wider folk scene, saying: "We have always been on the 'naughty step' of folk music."{{cite web|url=https://mailchi.mp/towerseyfestival/blackbeards_tea_party_tickets |title=Who do BLACKBEARD'S TEA PARTY want to see? Plus TVAA and Towersey ticket news |website=Mailchi.mp |access-date=2020-06-09}}

In March 2020, Tim Yates and Martin Coumbe left the band in amicable circumstances. They were replaced by Paddy Lester-Rourke on bass and Benjamin Trott on guitar.{{cite web|title=Pirates ready to come ashore at Grayshott Folk Club|url=https://www.farnhamherald.com/news/pirates-ready-to-come-ashore-at-grayshott-folk-club-567935|first=Paul|last=Coates|date=14 Oct 2022|work=Farnham Herald|access-date=27 Mar 2024}} Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the band collaborated virtually, writing new material which would eventually become the album Kick the Curb, released on 30 September 2022.

The album was warmly received by fans and critics, as were live appearances at festivals in the summer of 2022 including Gate to Southwell Festival and Folk on the Farm. The band experienced a successful headline tour in the autumn and winter of 2022 with many sell-out shows. At the end of 2022, Liam Hardy left the band (again, in amicable circumstances).

In March 2024 the band announced their 7th album, We Are People, to be released in September 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1497685280792341|date=17 Mar 2024|author=Blackbeard's Tea Party|title=We release our new album ‘We Are People’ this September|access-date=27 March 2024}}

File:101866 Laura Dave Blackbeard's Tea Party Ely Folk Festival 21-07-09.jpg

File:Benjamin Trott and Paddy Lester-Rourke.jpg

• Laura Boston-Barber (2009-present) – Fiddle
• Dave Boston (2009-present) – Percussion
• Stuart Giddens (2011-present) – Lead Vocals, Melodeon
• Paddy Lester-Rourke (2021-present) - Electric Bass
• Benjamin Trott (2021-present) - Electric guitar

• Paul Young (2009-2011) – Lead Vocals, Melodeon, Acoustic Guitar
• Martin Coumbe (2009-2021) – Electric guitar
• Tim Yates (2009-2021) – Electric Bass, Double Bass
• Liam ‘Yom’ Hardy (2009-2022) – Cajon, Cymbals, Percussion

{{#tag:timeline|

ImageSize = width:750 height:auto barincrement:20

PlotArea = left:120 bottom:90 top:10 right:10

Alignbars = justify

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy

Period = from:01/01/2009 till:{{#time: d/m/Y }}

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4

ScaleMajor = increment:5 start:2010

ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:2009

Colors =

id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals

id:melo value:coral legend:Melodeon

id:aguitar value:brightgreen legend:Acoustic_guitar

id:violin value:purple legend:Fiddle

id:eguitar value:green legend:Electric_guitar

id:bass value:blue legend:Bass

id:perc value:lightorange legend:Percussion

id:cajon value:yelloworange legend:Cajon

id:drums value:orange legend:Drum_kit

id:album value:black legend:Studio_album

id:ep value:gray(0.6) legend:EP

id:bars value:gray(0.99)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

BarData =

bar:Paul text:"Paul Young"

bar:Stu text:"Stuart Giddens"

bar:Laura text:"Laura Boston-Barber"

bar:Martin text:"Martin Coumbe"

bar:Patrick text:"Paddy Lester-Rourke"

bar:Tim text:"Tim Yates"

bar:Ben text:"Benjamin Trott"

bar:Dave text:"Dave Boston"

bar:Yom text:"Liam 'Yom' Hardy"

PlotData=

width:13

bar:Paul from:start till:01/11/2011 color:vocals width:3

bar:Paul from:start till:01/11/2011 color:aguitar width:7

bar:Paul from:start till:01/11/2011 color:melo

bar:Stu from:01/11/2011 till:end color:vocals width:5

bar:Stu from:01/11/2011 till:end color:melo

bar:Laura from:start till:end color:violin

bar:Martin from:start till:01/03/2020 color:eguitar

bar:Patrick from:01/03/2020 till:end color:eguitar

bar:Tim from:start till:01/03/2020 color:bass

bar:Ben from:01/03/2020 till:end color:bass

bar:Dave from:start till:01/01/2017 color:perc

bar:Dave from:01/01/2017 till:end color:drums

bar:Yom from:start till:01/01/2017 color:cajon

bar:Yom from:01/01/2017 till:31/12/2022 color:drums

LineData =

layer:back color:album

at:22/10/2011

at:08/04/2013

at:09/10/2015

at:30/09/2022

layer:back color:ep

at:27/11/2009

at:13/04/2018

}}

• Tomorrow We’ll Be Sober (2011)
• Whip Jamboree (2013)
• Reprobates (2015)
• Kick The Curb (2022)
• We Are People (2024)

• Heavens To Betsy (2009)
• Leviathan! (2018)

{{Reflist|33em}}

• {{Discogs artist}}
• {{Allmusic}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:British folk rock groups

Category:Musical groups established in 2009

Category:2009 establishments in England

Category:Musical groups from York