John Barker

John presents The Folk Show on Manx Radio, bringing you the best of folk and roots music from the Isle of Man and from around the world.

John has been involved in the music scene on the island for over thirty years and in that time has done everything form playing in rock bands to running the Big Wheel Blues Festival. He still runs the Isle of Man Blues Club each month, helps with running the sound desk for gigs at The Institute in Laxey. He regularly brings over folk and roots acts from the UK, Europe and the USA to play at The Institute.

John plays guitar, mandolin, banjo, bouzouki and most other things that you can pluck and is also a singer. His interest in folk music goes back to his youth in the North East of England where he encountered first hand the likes of Lindisfarne, The Teeside Fetlers and Vin Garbutt. As well as at Blues Club you will find him regularly at a number of traditional folk session around the Island.

In his spare time (that is when he’s not acting as brakesman on the Snaefell Mountain Railway or working as a Blue Badge Tourist Guide) you will find John outside somewhere, hiking, camping, mountain biking or sea kayaking.