Oysterband

British folk rock band

Oysterband (originally The Oyster Band) is a British folk rock and folk punk band formed in Canterbury around 1976.

The band formed in parallel to Fiddler's Dram, and under the name "Oyster Ceilidh Band" played purely as a dance band at first. The name Oyster comes from the group's early association with the coastal town of Whitstable, Kent, known for the quality of its oysters. Their first album, released under the Oyster Ceilidh Band name, was Jack's Alive (1980) on the Dingles record label. Subsequent albums, as "Oyster Band" (sometimes "The Oyster Band") were released on the band's own Pukka Music label: English Rock 'n' Roll: The Early Years 1800–1850 and Lie Back and Think of England, followed by 20 Golden Tie Slackeners and Liberty Hall. For the album Step Outside they added Russell Lax on drums. Step Outside mixed self penned songs, often with a political theme, with reworkings of traditional standards such as "Hal an Tow".

After the 1987 release Wide Blue Yonder Kearey left the band to be replaced by Chopper (real name Ray Cooper). Subsequent albums included Ride, Little Rock to Leipzig and the June Tabor collaboration Freedom and Rain. Following this the band changed its name to Oysterband. Drummer Lee Partis (who for several years was billed only by his forename) replaced Russell Lax for 1992's Deserters before Holy Bandits in 1993 propelled the band to the forefront of a booming folk rock scene alongside bands such as The Levellers. In the 1990s, the band adopted a more overtly political stance, recording the harder The Shouting End of Life and collaborating with Chumbawamba to record "Farewell to the Crown", released as the B side of the "Tubthumping" single. But recent releases Deep Dark Ocean, Here I Stand, Rise Above and Meet You There have seen the band return to a softer, more melodic sound, while recent tours under the banner The Big Session have seen the band offer exposure to several young, emerging folk musicians like Dan Donnelly, The Handsome Family, as well as veterans such as June Tabor. James O'Grady (Uilleann pipes, fiddle, flute, vocals) regularly appeared on the Oysters' albums and tours in the last few years. John Jones, James O'Grady and Ian Telfer provided vocals and instrumentation on Chumbawamba's album A Singsong and a Scrap, and Oysterband provided vocals for the song "Hull or Hell" on The Boy Bands Have Won. In 2007, long standing drummer Lee Partis took a break to concentrate on his work as a psychotherapist, counselling in prisons. In August 2008, he confirmed he would be leaving the band permanently. The band then appointed Dilwyn Davies as replacement drummer. Following a 30th anniversary concert in December 2008 the band took a six month sabbatical, during which John Jones and Chopper both made solo albums. The band returned to the studio in 2011, teaming up once again with June Tabor and releasing Ragged Kingdom in September at a sell out concert at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall. For at least some dates on the Ragged Kingdom tour, they are also joined on bass and guitar by Al Scott, who produced the album. On 8 February 2012, June Tabor and Oysterband won Best Traditional Song, Best Album and Best Group at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Ragged Kingdom, with Tabor also winning Folk Singer of the Year. Ray Cooper announced in December 2012 that he would leave the band at the end of the Ragged Kingdom tour in February 2013, to pursue a solo career. Adrian Oxaal, formerly of rock band James, replaced him on a few gigs late in 2012, and took over in 2013, although it was unclear whether he would become a full time member of Oysterband. The band also featured Al Scott on bass at some gigs. Pete Flood, formerly of Bellowhead replaced Davies on drums. On 5 February 2024, John Jones, Alan Prosser and Ian Telfer announced on Facebook that Oysterband will be retiring as a touring band, although they plan a 'long goodbye.'