May 20, 2026
7:30 pm
Free Entry
Described by Sir Tom Jones as “a Weaver of Dreams”, Joe Topping is a folk singer and multi instrumentalist from Liverpool whose charismatic stage presence and engaging stories have entertained audiences all over the country and all across Europe, including live sessions on BBC Radio 2, ITV television, The National Film Awards and a showcase at SXSW in Texas.
“Joe had our capacity audience in the palm of his hand before the end of the first number. Great songs, fab voice and a very engaging manner – a highlight of our festival.”
John Watterson, Programme Director, Harmony Voyages/Costa Festivals
Joe was a member of the legendary Ashley Hutching’s Rainbow Chasers (Bob Dylan described Ashley as “the single most important figure in English folk rock.”) He was also guitarist for British Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Charlie Landsborough’s touring band and is a member of festival favourites Elbow Jane.
“Joe is a charismatic and accomplished singer songwriter effortlessly switching between his own thoughtful, melodic compositions and raucous standards!”
-Steve Knightley (Show of Hands)
During the Covid pandemic, Joe was asked to enter ITV’s The Voice and, seeing it as fun challenge to do while the rest of the music industry was shut down, decided to give it a go. Joe reached the semifinals and his audition alone has reached nearly 1 million views on YouTube!.
Joe’s adventurous spirit has also seen him living in a pickup truck for the best part of a year in North America and also walking 1400 miles from Chicago to New Orleans with a guitar on his back to raise money for a musicians charity after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast!
Vic writes with a passion about everyday topics that listeners relate to, with playing styles that have been compared to a number of classic acoustic guitarists such as Paul Simon, James Taylor and John Martyn. He covers songs by artists as diverse as Marc Cohn and Coldplay, with intriguing back stories accompanying each song.