Merry Hell

History

Guitarist and songwriter John Kettle and his brothers, mandolin player Bob and vocalist Andrew were members of the 1990s folk rock band The Tansads. In 2010, over a decade since they last performed together, former members of the band reunited for a series of concerts in St Helens. Following the successful gigs, some of the musicians involved, including the three brothers, decided to continue as a band, but rather than use the Tansads name chose to adopt the new name Merry Hell. In addition to the former Tansads, other members of the new band included John Kettle's wife Virginia. Merry Hell were signed to the Mrs Casey Records legend on the basis of a demo recording, and in October 2011 released their debut album BLINK.. and you miss it.

In 2012, Merry Hell performed at Folk on the Pier in Cromer, the Derbyshire 'Big Session', the Towersey Village Festival, Wickham Festival, and the Great British Folk Festival at Skegness. They also performed an autumn show at St Helens Citadel, billed as "Merry Helloween".

The band's second album, Head Full of Magic, Shoes Full of Rain, was released in 2013, and features a guest performance by Dave Swarbrick, formerly of Fairport Convention. That year the band performed more than forty live shows, and also played at the Acoustic Festival of Britain at Uttoxeter, Off The Tracks in Derbyshire, the Beverley Folk Festival, the Stainsby Festival, the Wickham Festival and Beautiful Days in Devon.

In 2014 the band released the EP "The Ghost", which previewed tracks from their upcoming third album, and took part in the Armistice Pals project, collaborating with other folk artists including Lucy Ward, Christine Collister and Robb Johnson on a version of Pete Seeger's song "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. Merry Hell's third full-length album, The Ghost In Our House and other stories ... was released in early 2015 and features a guest appearance by guitarist Gordon Giltrap. The band's fourth album Bloodlines followed in late 2016.

Current members

Former members

Albums

1. Drunken Serenade
2. Over The Border
3. The Crooked Man
4. One More Day
5. The War Between Ourselves
6. This Time
7. Rosanna's Song
8. Blink ... And You Miss It
9. The Butcher And The Vegan
10. Peace And Love
11. The Gentle Man
12. It Won't Be Long
13. Lean On Me
14. Pendle Hill

1. Loving the Skin You're In
2. Dreaming of the Time
3. Let's Not Have a Morning After
4. Bury Me Naked
5. My First Hour
6. Emerald Green
7. Hope You Don't Mind
8. Waiting for the River
9. I Never Loved Anybody Like I Love You
10. Let the Music Speak For Itself
11. Build a Mansion
12. Roseanna, Let Me In
13. Lay Your Head Down
14. Iron Man

1. There's A Ghost In Our House
2. Leave A Light On
3. Summer Is A-Comin'
4. The Baker's Daughter
5. Human Communion
6. The Old Soldier
7. Rage Like Thunder
8. Love Is A Game
9. Pillar Of Society
10. No Money
11. Hey, Scotty!
12. Reason To Be
13. Out Of My Mind
14. Feed Your Soul
15. No Place Like Tomorrow

1. We Need Each Other Now
2. Bloodlines
3. Come On, England!
4. Coming Home Soon
5. All the Bright Blossoms
6. When We are Old
7. Stand Down
8. Sailing too Close to the WInd
9. Chasing a Bluebird
10. Over the Wall
11. Under the Overkill
12. Man of Few Words
13. Sweet Oblivion