Belshazzar's Feast (band)

Belshazzar's Feast
Belshazzar’s Feast at The Bell Inn, Adderbury, on 26th November 2016 by Suzanne Peedell.
Background information
Also known as	FeastieBoys
Origin	Oxfordshire/Dorset, England
Genres	English folk music, comedy
Instruments	violin, oboe, cor anglais, piano accordion, vocals, slide whistle
Years active	1995-present
Labels	Unearthed (previously Wild Goose)
Associated acts	Faustus, Bellowhead, Pagoda Project, Playford Liberation Front, Hoover The Dog, Ida Red, Cwm Dancing
Website	belshazzarsfeast.com

For the Biblical story from the book of Daniel, please see Belshazzar's Feast, for other uses please see

Belshazzar’s Feast are an English folk music duo comprising singer/oboist/fiddler Paul Sartin and piano accordionist Paul Hutchinson. The pair have a reputation for slapstick spoken, physical and musical comedy as well as fine musicianship.

Sartin and Hutchinson met in the mid-1990s when they were both members of the folk-rock band Life Of Reilly, who existed to write music to satirise the construction of the Newbury bypass. After a few performances they left the band to form a duo. They initially set out working for ceilidhs and social dances, working with caller Andrew Shaw on a project exploring the work of 18th century composer Nathaniel Kynaston, which led to two albums – Mr Kynaston’s Famous Dance volume 1 (2000) and volume 2 (2002). Another album drawn from social dance repertoire - John Playford’s Secret Ball – followed in 2001.

During 1996 and 1997 Sartin and Hutchinson formed the core of the Breezeband, backing Scottish singer Ian Bruce. Two recordings were released - A Kind and Gentle Nature (WildGoose 277) and Annie Laurie (Ruglen 103), while the band played some UK dates and undertook a tour of Germany.

As Belshazzar’s Feast their other early recordings were song and tune sets, showcasing a developing concert repertoire – One Too Many in 1996, Drop The Reed in 1998 - albeit displaying the same irreverent twist that distinguished them from the social dance norm. They toured America and Belgium during this time, mostly playing for social dances.

The duo formed the basis of ceilidh outfits Belshazzar’s Dance Band (Sartin, Hutchinson plus Mark Powell), and – briefly – Bazza’s Dog, an amalgamation of Belshazzar’s Feast, Hoover the Dog, and Mark Powell.

After a period of hiatus where other work took precedence, they relaunched Belshazzar’s Feast in 2008 with the album Food of Love.

Their first winter/Christmas-themed album – Frost Bites – followed in 2009, which earned them a nomination for Best Duo at the 2010 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. A second winter-themed album, Stocking Fillers, was released in 2012.

Another album of concert material, Find The Lady, was released in 2011. This album had elements of the pair’s spoken comedy included in some, but not all, of the tracks.

Belshazzar’s Feast generally undertake two tours per year, one in the spring and one in the run up to Christmas. In addition, when not touring, they work together for charity organisation Superact, putting music into places where a formal concert would not work – for example hospitals or care homes. They were the support band for Bellowhead’s tour of the UK in 2009.