Tom Bliss has been compared as a writer with Steve Knightly, Steve Tilston, Jez Lowe, and even Bruce Springsteen(!) with many songs already being mistakenly credited as Trad Arr. His sympathy and enthusiasm for ancient musical forms and language, and his understanding of the craft of songwriting, from show tunes to hymns to pop, coupled with dilligent research and attention to detail, has made him one of the handful of performers on the folk circuit today whose work is admired by modernist and traditionalist alike.

Over the past six years he's built a solid reputation as a pro performer first with Slide, then with duo partner Tom Napper, playing folk clubs, theatres, arts centres, village halls and festivals - increasingly as a headline act - throughout the UK. While still touring both with Tom and with their quartet The Pipers Sons, Tom Bliss is now developing his career as a solo artist. This is because some of his finest songs (and traditional interpretations) work most powerfully with just one voice, (with or without an accomanying instrument). And the freedom to develop phrasing and dynamics within the mood of the material often permits a more intense, intimate delivery then can be achieved even with musicians as sympathetic as TN, TT and CP. Tom's also written many excellent songs that have never made it into the duo or quartet sets for one reason or another, and working alone lets him present new material as soon as it's ready - so solo gig audiences are often the first to hear a new 'classic.'

(Saturday afternoon Corn Exchange Bar, Saturday afternoon Songwriting workshop with Jon Harvison, Saturday evening Portcullis Club, Sunday afternoon Coachmakers Arms Garden, Sunday afternoon Boat Trip)