Susannah & the Noise unveil the Lost Tapes of Dartmoor

A one night debut on the edge of the moor.

Live music, archive voices, and film at the Drewe Arms, Drewsteignton — in aid of Exeter Epilepsy Support

Dartmoor-rooted band Susannah and the Noise will premiere The Lost Tapes of Dartmoor on Friday 15 May 2026, a one-off live event at one of Devon’s most beloved community music venues, The Long Room at the Drewe Arms in Drewsteignton, on the northern edge of the moor near Chagford.

The evening marks the culmination of an unusual creative collaboration: Susannah and the Noise have been granted access to the archive of the Dartmoor Trust, surfacing recordings of voices from across the twentieth century, witnesses to a Dartmoor that is vanishing from living memory. Those found sounds — field recordings, oral histories, the grain of lives lived in and around the moor — have been woven directly into the band’s characteristically intense guitar music for the show.

Every song will be performed to an accompanying film, with Dartmoor imagery — landscape, light, weather, stone — threaded through the performance.

“Dartmoor isn’t just the backdrop,” says Dan Pritchard, guitarist with Susannah and the Noise. “These are stories the moor has been holding onto. The archive gave us permission to bring them back. Playing them live, with the film, in The Long Room, is the perfect way to hear them for the first time.”

All four members of the band live on Dartmoor. The songs themselves range widely. ‘Up Jordan’ draws on recordings of Ernest Warren, who was born ‘up Jordan’ on the moor, became a farmer, and spent his whole life on Dartmoor. ‘Empty Colony’ looks further forward, imagining Dartmoor in a near-future already shaped by the impacts of climate crisis. ‘Sleeping in Cars’ and ‘Snow Falls Down’ cut through the tourist image of the moor to confront social deprivation and hardship. ‘What Happened Back There’ circles an unnamed moorland market town. The result is an album-as-event: a live premiere rooted in a specific place and community.

The Lost Tapes are also part way through being recorded for release later in the year, with Exeter Phoenix technical manager Mark Jasper, singer and guitarist in Witching Waves. Susannah and the Noise are joined on the bill by well-known performers Johnny and the Chic Sisters, whose funk-influenced sound offers a sharp contrast — making for a genuinely varied evening for live music lovers. The evening is also a fundraiser for Exeter Epilepsy Social, a support group for people living with, or affected by, epilepsy. The show is being organised by Neuronostics, a University of Exeter start-up, whose work on epilepsy diagnosis is shaping clinical care nationally.

Co-Founder of Neuronostics, John Terry, said: “It’s truly exciting to be able to combine my three favourite things: live music, real ale and to raise much needed funds for a local epilepsy support group. I have known Simon Privett for over 10 years, and his commitment to supporting those in the region impacted by epilepsy is exceptional. I must thank Becca Hogg from Neuronostics for her organisational prowess in bringing this night together.”

Food stalls will be available in the square behind the pub, which is fast becoming a must visit music venue in its own right.

Simon Privett, of Exeter Epilepsy Social, said: “It promises to be something truly immersive. Dartmoor holds a special place in the hearts of so many across Devon, myself included, so it’s wonderful to have this collection of songs launched with our community.” Exeter Epilepsy Social is a friendly, informal group offering peer support for people living with epilepsy, as well as their friends, families, carers and loved ones. It’s a welcoming space to share experiences, build connections, ask questions, and feel supported by others who understand. The group meets on the second Monday of each month, from 7.30–9pm, at The Mint Methodist Church Community Centre in Exeter.

Lost Tapes of Dartmoor will be performed at the Drewe Arms, Drewsteignton, on Friday 15 May 2026. Tickets available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/live-music-fundraiser-for-people-with-epilepsy-in-devon-tickets-1982788470691