| DATE | WHO or WHAT is on | INFORMATION |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 6th | Les Barker | What a way to start the year!! Les is a legend in his own lifetime - a poet of wonder, meaning and dogerell!! Les will charm you with his wit and individual view of life with such items as 'I can't find my camouflage net', 'Jason and the Arguments' and 'Cosmo'. Do not miss this superb opportunity to see him. |
| Jan 13th | Open Stage | Sorry now fully booked with: Red Ruth, Kiss the Mistress, Spellbinder, Tony Clark & Karen, Tim Britt and Bob Hines & Ian Hartwell. A most varied evening is in store! Come along for a good night of entertainment. |
| Jan 20th | Andy Smythe | A singer-songwriter, Andy has a good voice and accompanies himself on guitar or keyboard. It is a few years since Andy played at the Club and should not be missed this time!! |
| Jan 27th | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| Feb 3rd | Shona Kipling & Damien O'Kane | This duo has been together for three and a half years since meeting at Ethno Sweden. Shona is 20 and hails from Hawthorn, Co. Durham, while Damien, 28, is from Coleraine, Co. Derry in Northern Ireland. Shona is a student on the Folk and Traditional Music Degree which is run by the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the first of its kind ever in the UK. Damien became one of the first graduates from the same degree programme in July 2005. Damien, a virtuoso tenor banjo player and guitarist and also a fine singer to boot, grew up steeped in the Irish tradition. An extremely gifted pairing, this instrumental and vocal duo play an array of traditional and self-penned tunes and songs originating and influenced mainly from the Irish tradition. . Shona and Damien make a sound which is exhilarating, passionate, skilful and unique. |
| Feb 10th | Andy Clarke | Andy is an excellent singer and instrumentalist. Heperforms traditional material with skill and imaginative accompaniment on guitar and mandocello. He last played the Club October 2007. |
| Feb 17th | Alquimia (AKA- Maggie Sand Band) |
Alquimia have performed at the Club both as a floor spot and at our Festival Open Stage and now we can savour a complete evening of varied songs and tunes from this talented group. |
| Feb 24th | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| Mar 3rd | Life and Times | Barry Goodman and Graeme Meek have worked together for over 25 years. Although Graeme has been the main songwriter for the duo, Barry has also contributed songs and tunes. Graeme has occasionally taken on commissions to write songs and many of the songs and tunes have been used by well known artists. There are a number of living traditions that now include Life & Times’ music. The style is traditional with guitar and bouzouki from Graeme and melodion and concertina from Barry. An entertaining evening is guaranteed. |
| Mar 10th | Bella Hardy with Chris Sherburn |
Acclaimed singer Bella Hardy, twice nominated in the BBC Folk Awards 2008, has a voice marked as '...mesmerising' and '...faultless'. Bella has now established herself as one of the finest young folk acts around, singing unaccompanied ballads, or entwining her hypnotic voice with her own fiddle accompaniment to breathtaking effect. Bella is from Edale in Derbyshire's Dark Peak. A high spot for Bella was performing in the Folk Prom 2008. Chris is a fine concertina player and an excellent accompanist to Bella. |
| Mar 17th | Open Stage | This is your chance to be the Guest!! Ring 01234 376278 to book your spot (approx.20-25 mins) on a first come first served basis so don't leave it too late!!! |
| Mar 24th | Archie Fisher | Archie Fisher is one of the most influential folk artists of his time, called everything from a folk father figure to both the James Dean and Frank Sinatra of folk music. An internationally-known singer-songwriter he has enjoyed a parallel career as a broadcaster presenting concerts, interviews, live studio sessions, review panels, features, and the latest folk music recordings to his listeners on his BBC Radio Scotland programme "Travelling Folk". His father John, was the source of a mixed bag of music ranging from opera through music hall (vaudeville) and traditional songs. His mother Marion, is a native Gaelic speaker from Vatersay in the Outer Hebrides and has a strong subliminal influence on the lyrical quality of his work. Admission:Tickets- Non-members-£8.00 Members-£7.00 |
| Mar 31st | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| Apr 7th | Robert Brown & Carl Hogsden | Carl has played at the Club a few times and impressed with his traditional style, guitar playing and wide repertoire. Robert also impressed us on his occasional visits and tonight they combine their talents individually and collectively! |
| Apr 14th | Katriona Gilmore & Jamie Roberts | Katriona and Jamie impressed us on their first visit to the Club and are on a small tour of the South. Katriona plays a mean fiddle and Jamie strums, plucks and beats his guitar in his own imaginative style that you have to tap your feet to. Come along and see this young duo. |
| Apr 21st | Johnny Coppin | Masterful songwriting and singing! Johnny has not played the Club for some time on his own. His work is in a class of its own - thoughtful, sensitive and singable! A special evening is in store for the audience - do not miss it!! |
| Apr 28th | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| May 5th | Fraser Nimmo | His songs cover the whole gamut of human experience and are delivered with flair, wit, compassion and serious musical ability on guitar and banjo. Essentially a serious songwriter who has been known to raise more than the occassional eyebrow, glass, roof, chuckle and consciousness, he treats his own material with the same conviction that he brings to music from the Scottish tradition, believing both music forms to be inter-related and complimentary.Do come along and sample Fraser! |
| May 12th | Jeremy Taylor | Jeremy is making a rare appearance! Do not miss this evening of humour, song and wit with such classics as 'The lift girl song' and 'Arghh please Daddy'. |
| May 19th | Derek Gifford | Derek sings some cracking chorus songs either acapella or with guitar or bowed psaltery. He did a couple of evenings specialising on birds in folk song for us in conjunction with Little Paxton Nature reserve, but this is a full Derek evening with no particular theme! |
| May 26th | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| June 2nd | Open Stage | This is your chance to be the Guest!! Ring 01234 376278 to book your spot (approx.15-20 mins) on a first come first served basis so don't leave it too late!!! |
June 5,6,7th |
St Neots 27th Folk Festival | Booked artists: The Lark Rise Band, Zoox, Strawhead, Life and Times, Landermason, The Hosepipe Band and Mary Panton. There are full details now on the Festival section of the site.Follow this link-Festival . Most activity will be at The Priory Centre, St Neots but the Concert will be held at Longsands College on Saturday evening. |
| June 9th | Martin Curtis | Martin describes himself as a singer, songwriter, bush poet and mountaineer. Coming from New Zealand Martin has an interesting repertoire to match his description! He is an accomplished guitarist too! |
| June 16th | John Kirkpatrick | From the late 1960’s John has been at the very forefront of innovative folk in Britain. As well as playing with the Albion Band, Steeleye Span, Brass Monkey and others, he has established himself as a brilliant solo act. “One of the major figures of the English folk scene, he is much acclaimed as a musician, composer, singer and songwriter – “Renaissance Man of folk music”. This evening will be full of songs, music and stories. Come along and join the fun! |
| June 23rd | Tom Napper & Tom Bliss | A rare opportunity to see Tom and Tom! Tom Bliss is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist (including mandocello, guitar, concertina, and whistle), a fine singer and storyteller. Tom Napper will entrance you with virtuoso mandolin, guitar and banjo. |
| June 30th | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome. |
| please note | From now on - new venue - St Neots Rugby Club, The common, st neots | |
| July 7th | Anthony John Clark | A very experienced singer/ songwriter guitarist who has a reputation as a wordsmith. His material is varied and thought provoking with reviews from many well known artists on the Folk circuit including Fairport Convention with whom he toured in recent years. This is AJ's first visit to St Neots. |
| July 14th | Hot Lips & Chilli Fingers | Following a superb spot in an Open Stage evening we booked them!! With
a very good reputation with their many local fans come and be entranced
by the wizardry in harmonica playing by Steve Lockwood and guitarist Chris
Newman. Steve achieved a music degree specialising in harmonica and has
gone on to compose and play music for film, television and radio. His
dynamic and versatile playing incorporates both traditional and avant-Garde
techniques to an amazing level. You really have to see his playing to
believe it. Chris Newman is an outstanding guitarist who started performing in the mid-70’s. Chris has an impressive musical CV. He has been a member of the John Slaughter Blues Band and toured as support for the Climax Blues Band.Chris has composed music for TV adverts and has been featured on Radio 4. |
| July 21st | Vin Garbutt | At last we have managed to get a date for Vin!! With a reputation that travels before him Vin is a legend in his own lifetime and not to be missed! This is Vin's 40th year as a professional performer and he is a songwriter extraordinaire plus a superb whistle player and guitarist. His material spans all of life and he has been awarded Radio 2 Folk Awards for 'best live act'. Tickets available from 16th June, at the Club or telephone 01234 376278 to reserve. Non-members £11.00 Members £10.00 |
| July 28th | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| CLUB CLOSED FOR | AUGUST | |
| Sept 1st | MrsAckroyd | Hilary Spencer, Alison Younger & Chris Harvey are MrsAkroyd and perform a mix of the wonderful Les Barker material with the skill and musicality that comes with Hilary, Alison and Chris. |
| Sept 8th | Pepper's Ghost Magic Lantern show | And now for something completely different!!! Pepper's Ghost hail from Sussex and promise an evening of varied entertainment! Come along and find out all about Magic lantern Shows with songs and tunes and stories. |
| Sept 15th | Dana & Sue Robinson | Dana and Sue Robinson introduce us to farmers, hobos, and workaday folk in the Appalachians, across the prairie, and up to Spokane. Dana's warm voice, poetic lyrics, and solid guitar work blend perfectly with Sue's claw hammer banjo, piano, and vocal harmonies. They have not played at St Neots for 3 years and we are pleased to have them back. |
| Sept 22nd | Gilly Darbey | "Gilly Darbey is an artist who’s voice and style is often
mistakenly compared to that of one or another well known international star. The mistake made is that Gilly’s voice is unique and cannot be compared to that of another artist. Furthermore, in listening to Gilly Darbey one gets the distinct impression that this is the voice of a woman who has sung her entire life, a woman at ease with the voice she has and with the considerable talent she possesses." Gilly now lives in New Zealand and this is a rare opportunity to see and hear her perform. |
| Sept 29th | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| Oct 6th | Steve Tilston | Steve needs no introduction really but if you are new to him - he is a wonderful songwriter with a great voice and guitar style. A regular guest at St Neots and this will be a popular night not to be missed! |
| Oct 13th | Open Stage | This is your chance to be the Guest!! Ring 01234 376278 to book your spot (approx.15-20 mins) on a first come first served basis so don't leave it too late!!! |
| Oct 20th * | Round the Room* (not the last Tuesday!!) | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| Oct 27th | Grace Notes | Maggie Boyle, Linda Hardcastle and Helen Hockenhull produce a wonderful harmony sound between them with accompanied and a cappella songs both traditional and contemporary in style. |
| Nov 3rd | Chris Foster | Chris is now back on the Folk scene and living in Iceland! He is a fine guitarist, singer and interpreter of traditional songs and ballads. Chris is a master of his trade, recently described as “one of the finest singers and most thoughtful inventive guitar accompanists of English folk songs.” His CD ‘OUTSIDERS’ was one of the runners up in the 2008 fROOTS magazine best CD poll of 300 critics and broadcasters.Imagine a fusion of Nick Jones and Martin Carthy! |
| Nov 10th | Broom Bezzums | Scottish, young and talented. Mark Bloomer and Andrew Cade between them play fiddle, northumbrian pipes, guitar, mandolin and mandola, plus vocals. Their performance is exuberant and joyful - they are both very accomplished musicians. |
| Nov 17th | Paul Downes | Since the days of Downes & Beer Paul has been a regular guest with us. He has supported and collaborated with Show of Hands, as vocalist, guitarist and writer. Paul has also recently been working with Mick Ryan in the production of 'The Navvy's Wife. Always a pleasure to see Paul at the Club. |
| Nov 24th | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| Dec 1st | Tattie Jam | Young performers with pazazz! Spicy instrumentals, song content not less than 50%, recipe for modern tastes using original and traditional Scottish ingredients. Traditional and folk with a twist! Ruaridh's distinctive, versatile guitar picking and clear voice compliment Seylan's expressive vocals and fluid cello in exciting arrangements of humorous and pithy new songs, funky dance tunes, keening slow airs and haunting old ballads. Seylan's 5-string electric bass gives their music a wonderful rich sound yet has the range to play surprising jigs and reels. Their music expresses the heart and soul of traditional and folk music in exciting and unusual ways. |
| Dec 8th | Tom McConville and David Newey | Tom is well known at St Neots as a superb performer of fiddle tunes and traditional songs. His latest cd is terrific and his performances get better and better. David is a superb guitarist. An evening not to be missed! |
| Dec 15th | Magical Christmas Tree Tour Pete Morton, Maggie Boyle and Chris Parkinson |
Every December, three of the finest folk performers go around the Country
with their magical Christmas tree! The tree is full of songs and tunes
from everywhere and this is your chance to write the set list! Instrumentation
- flute, bodhran, guitar, melodeon or piano accordion. A fun and spontaneous night for everyone - especially Maggie, Chris and Pete -who quite literally don’t know what they are going to do next…but they do it well! |
| Dec 22nd | Club Christmas Party | Join us for seasonal refreshments and singing at the Christmas Round the Room party. Come along and do your 'Party Piece'! Audience and performers are very welcome. |
| Dec 29th | Club Closed | |
| Happy New Year! | 2010 | |
| Jan 5th | Bob Fox | Bob is well known on the Folk Circuit as an exponent of the North-East tradition!! A really good way to begin 2010 so put thisdate in your diary! Bob plays guitar and has a very distinctive voice delivering a wide range of material. |
| Jan 12th | Na Mara | They have been to Open Stage nights and impressed us so we have given them a full booking. Guitar and mandolin plus good vocals. |
| Jan 19th | Showcase night | |
| Jan 26th | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| Feb 2nd | Eddie Walker | Eddie is well known for his finger picking style and good time music. A wide range of material presented by an expert guitarist and singer. |
| Feb 9th | Dave Swarbrick | A very special night with a man who is a legend in his own lifetime! Famous as the fiddler with Fairport Convention and working with Martin Carthy among others, Dave is on tour and back to work following his lifesaving surgery. This will be a ticket event - £10.00 Non-members, £9.00 Members. £1 discount for concessions. |
| Feb 16th | Patty Vetta & Alan Franks | Patty and Alan have not visited the Club for many years and this is a wonderful opportunity to catch up with this talented duo. Alan is a wordsmith and Patty has a delightful voice to bring his songs to life. |
| Feb 23rd | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| Mar 2nd | Judy Cook | Judy is over on tour and looking forward to singing at St Neots again. She delivers traditional songs with a depth of knowledge concerning the history of the material and origins in America. |
| Mar 9th | Suntrap | |
| Mar 16th | Open Stage | |
| Mar 23rd | Tom Lewis | |
| Mar 30th | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| Apr 6th | Askew Sisters | |
| Apr 13th | Steve Turner | |
| Apr 20th | ||
| Apr 27th | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| May 4th | Eileen McGann & David K | |
| May 11th | Miriam Backhouse | |
| May 18 | Jeff Warner | |
| May 25th | Round the Room | Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome |
| Sept 7th | Artisan | |
| Oct 5th | Damien Barber & Mike Wilson | |
| Oct 12th | Bram Taylor | |