Dave Hackney - Squeezbox Dave

Dave was born and raised in Birmingham, in the same year the Farthing ceased to be legal currency.

During his early years, a music teacher at his primary school dismissed his potential, saying, “You are tone-deaf, and there’s nothing to be done about it.” Discouraged but not defeated, Dave’s first real introduction to folk music came through his role as a Scout Leader, where he led campfires for years—gradually shaking off the sting of those early words.

In 2012, Dave and his wife, Wendy, found themselves stranded in Pershore aboard their narrowboat, Progress, for 14 days due to severe flooding. During their enforced stay, Dave applied for a position with Young Gloucestershire, attended an interview, and was offered the job. When the waters receded, the couple set off for Gloucester, where they lived on their boat in Gloucester Docks during the two-year contract.

It was in Gloucester that Dave reconnected with folk music. Joining a local group of boaters and folk enthusiasts, he was encouraged to attend a Folk Music and Song Session at The Dick Whittington pub. There, he met talented musicians like Mhairi Strauss, Dave Norton, and Bill Taylor, who urged him to pick up his old harmonica. The warm welcome and camaraderie inspired Dave to embrace folk music more deeply, leading him to take up the Anglo concertina—an instrument humorously described as "a harmonica for peanut lovers."

When his contract with Young Gloucestershire ended, Dave returned to Birmingham, where he was disappointed to find a lack of open Folk Music and Song Sessions like those he had enjoyed in Gloucester. So, he decided to create his own.

Drawing inspiration from the sessions run by Mhairi at The Dick Whittington, Dave established regular folk music gatherings in Birmingham. Today, he hosts these lively sessions every Tuesday night, with details available on the website Roving Tuesday Folk Sessions Birmingham

Dave continues to maintain strong ties with Gloucestershire, performing at events like the Tall Ships Festival, Shanty Festival, and Street Art Festival. He also participates in traditional celebrations such as harvest homes and wassails.

A firm believer in participatory folk music, Dave encourages audience involvement by providing chorus lyrics during his performances. For him, folk music is about community, connection, and the joy of shared voices.

Dave's Journey Through Folk Music: From Birmingham to Gloucestershire and Back