Hodmadoddery first came together — and usually fell apart again shortly afterwards — during a residency at a notorious local cider house in Bath, sometime in the late 1980s. By the early 1990s, they were actually getting rather good, no doubt helped by the positive effects of switching to wine on the European street festival circuit. These days, they no longer race around Europe quite as much as they used to, but that has given them time to hone their craft; through various dubious backstage deals, they have also clocked up some fifteen appearances at Glastonbury. By stubbornly following their own furrow, they have developed a sound that no longer resembles anyone else’s — except when they want it to — bringing together folk circuit favourites, traditional tunes, and the occasional unlikely gem in a way that makes them feel as though they belong together. Hodmadoddery have been playing festivals in Italy since the early 1990s and, by all accounts, have now found their favourite: Artisti in Piazza. Or so they say!