| Hank Wangford |
| As in previous years, the festival offers a rich blend of local and visiting talent. One of the most eagerly anticipated visitors this year is the legendary Hank Wangford, together with his group the Lost Cowboys. If Daniel O’Donnell is the acceptable, brightly scrubbed face of British Country Music then Hank Wangford is its dark, guilty conscience! 
Hank has been “feeding from the miserable underbelly of country music” for over 20 years, inspiring others like Billy Bragg and educating us in the process through his Channel Four television series 'Big Country' and 'The A-Z of C & W'. Throughout all his endeavours Hank manages to preach the art of crying and dancing at the same time, no mean feat! Even his most suicidal songs invariably have a jaunty jolly beat. As the New York Times observed 'If you want originality, something that still has the bit and twang that drained out of so much country, about the time they opened Opryland - then there is only one man to see. His name is Hank Wangford'. Hank is at the Picture House on Monday 25 June. |