# Merry Hell

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{{about|the British band|other uses|Merry Hell (disambiguation)}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Merry Hell
| image           = Merry Hell Live2019.jpg
| caption         = Merry Hell playing live in 2019
| image_size      =
| landscape       =
| alias           =
| origin          = [Wigan](/source/Wigan), England
| genre           = [Folk rock](/source/Folk_rock)
| years_active    = 2010–present
| label           = Mrs Casey Records
| associated_acts = [The Tansads](/source/The_Tansads)
| website         = http://www.merryhell.co.uk
| current_members = Andrew Kettle<br />Bob Kettle<br />John Kettle<br />Virginia Kettle<br />Colin Foster<br />Lee Goulding<br />Andy Jones<br />Simon Swarbrick
| past_members    = Andrew Dawson<br />Phill Knight<br />Tim Howard<br/>Nick Davies<br />Neil McCartney
}}

'''Merry Hell''' are an English [folk rock](/source/folk_rock) band from [Wigan](/source/Wigan), Greater Manchester, formed in 2010.  The core members of the band include the three Kettle brothers, who were previously members of [the Tansads](/source/the_Tansads). {{as of|2026}} Merry Hell have released seven albums.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merryhell.co.uk/music.html|work=Merry Hell|title=About|access-date=25 April 2026}}</ref>

== History ==
Guitarist and songwriter John Kettle and his brothers, mandolin player Bob and vocalist Andrew, were members of the 1990s [folk rock](/source/folk_rock) band [the Tansads](/source/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](/source/St_Helens%2C_Merseyside).  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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Second-coming-creating-Merry-Hell-music-fans/story-15456076-detail/story.html |title=Second coming is creating Merry Hell with music fans &#124; Derby Telegraph |access-date=31 March 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402111218/http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Second-coming-creating-Merry-Hell-music-fans/story-15456076-detail/story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>  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 label on the basis of a demo recording, and in October 2011 released their debut album ''Blink... and You Miss It''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/MerryHell.html |title=FATEA - Home |website=Fatea-records.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2020-06-09}}</ref>

In 2012, Merry Hell performed at Folk on the Pier in Cromer, the Derbyshire 'Big Session', the [Towersey Village Festival](/source/Towersey_Village_Festival), [Wickham Festival](/source/Wickham%2C_Hampshire), and the Great British Folk Festival at Skegness.  They also performed an autumn show at St Helens Citadel, billed as "Merry Helloween".<ref>{{cite web|title=Review of the first 'Merry Helloween' show by Paul Arris|url=http://louderthanwar.com/merry-hells-helloween-st-helens-live-review/|website=Louder than War|date=4 November 2012 |accessdate=27 August 2014}}</ref>

The band's second album, ''Head Full of Magic, Shoes Full of Rain'', was released in 2013,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.northwestfolk.co.uk/article.php?id=255 |title=Merry Hell - Head Full of Magic Shoes Full of Rain - North West Folk |access-date=15 March 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402225138/http://www.northwestfolk.co.uk/article.php?id=255 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://folking.com/merry-hell-to-release-head-full-of-magic-shoes-full-of-rain/ |title=MERRY HELL to release Head Full Of Magic, Shoes Full of Rain |website=Folking.com |date= 12 May 2013|accessdate=2020-06-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://louderthanwar.com/merry-hell-head-full-of-magic-shoes-full-of-rain-album-review/ |title=Merry Hell: Head Full Of Magic, Shoes Full Of Rain - album review |website=Louderthanwar.com |date=2020-04-18 |accessdate=2020-06-09}}</ref> and features a guest performance by [Dave Swarbrick](/source/Dave_Swarbrick), formerly of [Fairport Convention](/source/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](/source/Beverley_Folk_Festival), the [Stainsby Festival](/source/Stainsby_Festival), the Wickham Festival and [Beautiful Days](/source/Beautiful_Days_(festival)) in Devon.

In 2014 the band released the EP "The Ghost",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spiralearth.co.uk/news/Review-story.asp?nid=8821 |title=The Ghost EP- Merry Hell - SpiralEarth |accessdate=2015-03-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317182507/http://spiralearth.co.uk/news/Review-story.asp?nid=8821 |archivedate=17 March 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> which previewed tracks from their upcoming third album, and took part in the Armistice Pals project, collaborating with other folk artists including [Lucy Ward](/source/Lucy_Ward_(musician)), [Christine Collister](/source/Christine_Collister) and [Robb Johnson](/source/Robb_Johnson) on a version of [Pete Seeger](/source/Pete_Seeger)'s song "[Where Have All The Flowers Gone](/source/Where_Have_All_The_Flowers_Gone)" to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.folkradio.co.uk/2014/11/armistice-pals-release-cd-featuring-an-all-star-cast-song-of-the-day/ |title=StackPath |website=Folkradio.co.uk |date= 3 November 2014|accessdate=2020-06-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/Winners2014.html |title=FATEA - Home |website=Fatea-records.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2020-06-09}}</ref>  Merry Hell's third album, ''The Ghost in Our House... And Other Stories...'' was released in early 2015 and features a guest appearance by guitarist [Gordon Giltrap](/source/Gordon_Giltrap).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wigantoday.net/what-s-on/music-scene/raising-merry-hell-a-ghostly-business-1-6851457 |title=Raising Merry Hell a ghostly business - Wigan Today |access-date=31 March 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402122050/http://www.wigantoday.net/what-s-on/music-scene/raising-merry-hell-a-ghostly-business-1-6851457 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.wigantoday.net/what-s-on/music-scene/folk-rockers-raising-merry-hell-1-7196897 "Folk-rockers raising Merry Hell"]. ''Wigan Today''.</ref> The band's fourth album ''Bloodlines'' followed in late 2016, and the fifth ''Anthems to the Wind'' in 2018.  In November 2020 the band released their sixth album ''Emergency Lullabies''.

==Members==
thumb|right|The band playing live in 2015
===Current===
* Andrew Kettle – vocals
* Bob Kettle – mandolin 
* John Kettle – guitar
* Virginia Kettle – vocals, guitar
* Lee Goulding – keyboards
* Colin Foster – bass
* Andy Jones – drums
* Simon Swarbrick – fiddle

===Former===
* Andrew Dawson – bass
* Nick Davies - bass
* Tim Howard – guitar
* Phill Knight – drums
* Neil McCartney - fiddle

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
*''Blink... And You Miss It''  (2011)
*''Head Full of Magic, Shoes Full of Rain''  (2013)
*''The Ghost in Our House and Other Stories...''  (2015)
*''Bloodlines''  (2016)
*''Anthems to the Wind'' (2018)
*''Emergency Lullabies'' (2020)
*''Rising of the Bold'' (2025)

===Compilation albums===
*''Let the Music Speak for Itself'' (2023)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thesoundcafe.com/post/merry-hell-go-retrospective-and-set-to-release-28-track-double-cd-let-the-music-speak-for-itself|title=Merry Hell Go Retrospective And Set To Release 28 Track Double CD 'Let The Music Speak For Itself'|date=29 March 2023 |publisher=The Sound Cafe|accessdate=29 March 2023}}</ref>

===DVDs===
*''A Grand Night Out - Merry Hell Live''
*''A Documentary: A Year in the Life of Merry Hell'' (2019)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.merryhell.co.uk Official website]

Category:British folk rock groups
Category:English folk musical groups
Category:Folk punk groups

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Merry Hell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Hell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Hell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.