Sam Carter Sings Nic Jones

A live celebration of Nic Jones’ music, performed by BBC Folk Award winner Sam Carter.
There are few folk singers as revered as the great Nic Jones. A towering figure of the English folk revival, his emotive singing and groundbreaking guitar style continue to inspire generations of musicians and listeners. His masterpiece Penguin Eggs remains a touchstone album, treasured more than forty years on.
In 1982, just two years after the album’s release, Nic’s career was cut short by a devastating car accident. Yet his influence endures, shaping generations of folk musicians too young to have seen him perform in his prime.Among them is BBC Folk Award-winning singer and guitarist Sam Carter. Hailed by Jon Boden (Bellowhead) as ‘the finest English-style fingerpicking guitarist of his generation,’ Sam first immersed himself in Nic’s recordings as a young player. His faithful rendition of Canadee-i-o went on to attract over 115,000 views on YouTube and led to an unforgettable invitation to perform alongside Nic himself at Sidmouth Folk Festival in 2010 — Nic’s first public performance in 28 years. Sam has since recorded Nic’s Ruins By The Shore and was chosen as Nic’s guitar double in the BBC4 documentary The Enigma of Nic Jones.
Now, for one season only, Sam brings Nic’s timeless arrangements back to the stage in a heartfelt celebration. Ballads and Songs: Sam Carter sings Nic Jones is a one-off chance to hear songs from the back catalogue of one of folk music’s most influential voices, faithfully recreated by one of contemporary folk’s brightest talents.
‘Sam Carter is such a wonderful player and singer, his treatment of Nic Jones’ material is spot on.’ – Martin Simpson‘An English acoustic virtuoso’ – Guitarist Magazine

• Thursday 24 September 2026 — the show starts at 8:00 PM.
• Exeter Phoenix is in Exeter.
• Within a minute's walk of Exeter Phoenix: The Cocktail Club, The Mermaid and Coolings; the nearest railway station is Exeter Central, about 3 minutes on foot (what's nearby).
• New to gigs? What doors, curfews, age limits and presales mean.