THE Urban Folk Quartet could never be described as pedestrian.

Challenging the genre, the quartet cross the traditional fiddle-led music that draws heavily from Celtic dance forms with funk, middle eastern and afrobeat rhythms.

Just as English country dance unassumingly met with big band jazz musicianship in the mid 20th century, The UFQ’s approach to the folk ethos is to embrace any and every influence that genuinely makes sense of their time and place and makes sense in their music.

With the vibrant and diverse Birmingham music scene as a fundamental influence, The Urban Folk Quartet is a truly international band. Foreign touring and globally- influenced music have been at the heart of what they do since day one, when in June 2009 their first four gigs took place in four different countries.

Since then, the UFQ’s trail has blazed across the world, playing everything from secluded coves to 30,000 capacity festival fields, igniting audiences and winning them a devoted fan base from The Bay of Biscay to edge of The North Pacific.

The Bridgwater Arts Centre. Friday October 2, 8pm. £13. Box: 01278 422700. www.bridgwateratscentre.co.uk