guest list for 2010
DATE WHO or WHAT is on

INFORMATION - see the artist info page for more details on some of the up coming artists.

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 with a wide range of material with European influences.
Jan 19th Showcase night A trio of young talented musicians from Cambridge: Bryony plays button accordion, Alex plays fiddle and Grace plays the pipes! They will be sharing the evening with Tony Clark and Karen Johnson - a fine duo stylishly delivering innovative arrangements of songs by their favourite acoustic acts ( Boo Hewerdine, Eddie Reader, Karine Polwart, .. ) Karen's enchanting, luscious singing is complemented by Tony's skilled, sympathetic harmonies and accompaniment on guitar or keyboard.
Jan 26th Round the Room & AGM

Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome

Plus the AGM - briefly at the start of the evening - 8.15pm

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 'Swarb', 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 on tour from the USA again and making a welcome return to the Club and looking forward to singing at St Neots again. where you will have an evening of songs from a wide repertoire delivered with a depth of knowledge concerning the history of the material and origins in America.(including choruses).
Mar 9th Suntrap A four piece group, 2 fiddles, accordion and guitar, Suntrap have made a big name for themselves on the folk circuit. Their material ranges from traditional to contemporary, much written by Paul or Sarah. Beautiful harmonies and presentation.
Mar 16th 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!!!
Mar 23rd Tom Lewis Tom, though English, is resident in Canada, and we are very pleased to engage him on this tour. He has a wide repertoire and his song delivery is outstanding either with concertina or unaccompanied!
Mar 30th Round the Room Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome
Apr 6th Askew Sisters Two very talented young musicians. This evening will be a real treat -Emily and Hazel Askew are a young duo making waves on the folk scene with their energetic brand of English folk music. Using fiddle and melodeon, they play and sing with an infectious enjoyment and love for the music, winning them fans wherever they go. From rhythmic foot stomping tunes to powerful interpretations of songs and ballads, their playing always guarantees to engage and inspire those who hear. They've spent the last couple of years playing at venues across the country, from top festivals and folk clubs to London's National Theatre and National Portrait Gallery. www.askewsisters.co.uk
Apr 13th Steve Turner Steve is a superb concertina player and singer. His material is mainly traditional with ballads being his speciality. It is good to see this fine artist back at the Club.
Apr 20th Barron Brady Having guested at the last Open Stage and going down so well we have booked them! Ros and Simon write their own songs performed with both pazazz and highly talented musicianship featuring guitar, whistles and keyboard.
Apr 27th Round the Room Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome
May 4th Eileen McGann & David K Eileen McGann is one of Canada's foremost songstresses, equally at home with her own self-written songs or interpreting the tradition. Her voice is as clear as a lark but has the strength of an eagle, her songs paint pictures, tell stories
and poke fun at life's absurdities. A strong environmental and social sensibility pervades much of her writing and her choice of traditional material ranges from ancient ballads to rollicking songs of love and adventure. Eileen tours with acclaimed multi-instrumentalist sideman David K., on Irish bouzouki, bass, National tri-cone and harmony vocals.
May 11th Miriam Backhouse Miriam is making a short tour from her home in S. Africa and we are very pleased to welcome her back. Her songs come from a wide repertoire that includes traditional and self penned material. She has an infectious sense of humour and sensitivity in her performances along with a beautiful voice and skilled accompaniment on guitar.
May 18 Jeff Warner Hailing from America, Jeff has a great voice and performs a wide range of material accompanying himself on guitar, concertina and mouth harp. He also has a jig doll in his act! Very much enjoyed by our audiences on his previous visit this will be a great evening of song not to be missed.
May 25th Round the Room Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome
Jun 1st 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!!!
Jun 8th Dave Sealey Dave and Al Sealey, known as Cosmotheka played the FolkClub many times. Since the tragic death of his brother, Al, in 1999, Dave has worked in various collaborations and has also embarked on a solo career. With a rich. rib-tickling mix of songs, stories, original titles and monologues he's been raising the roof at clubs and festivals throughout the UK. Clearly then, the Cosmotheka tradition, the Spirit of the Halls, still lives on as he delights his audiences with Music Hall songs and patter. It will be a pleasure to see him performing at St Neots again as he has not sung for us for 3 years!
June 11th-13th
The 28th St Neots Folk Festival
Use this Festival link to view artists booked so far.
Jun 15th Liz Simcock A well loved artist at our Club. Liz has performed many times for us and needs no introduction but for the uninitiated - a superb songwriter and lovely singer.
Jun 22nd Phil Beer This will be a special night! Phil is well known on the Folk Circuit as half of Show of Hands. He has performed many times at St Neots as either solo or duo. You can be sure of an evening of songs, tunes and wit accompanied by fiddle, mandolin or guitar or any other instrument Phil cares to bring!
This will be a ticket event - Non-members £10.00, Members £9.00. £1 discount for concessions. Ring 01234 376278 to reserve tickets.
Jun 29th Round the Room Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome
July 6th

Dick Miles

www.dickmiles.com

Dick is a great traditional performer, a superb concertina player and singer, now living in South-West Ireland. He has been singing and playing since he was 13 years old and has performed at maritime festivals and clubs all over the country. Dick was a founder member of The New Mexborough English Concertina Quartet and has written concertina tutor books and song books.
July 13th David & Issey Emeney & Kate Riaz www.issyemeney.co.uk

Much of their material is original, but their style is distinctly traditional. Issy is an outstanding melodeon player; inspired by the playing of Norfolk squeezer Tony Hall and is in demand as a workshop leader. David’s guitar style was influenced by one of his folk heroes, Vin Garbutt, but he adds an eclectic range of styles to the mix. The third dimension comes from the exquisite, skilful and creative cellist Kate Riaz. Often inspired by historical events, there is usually a great story attached to Issy’s songs as heard on their new release The Waiting out now on Wild Goose.

July 20th

Les Barker

(change of guest as James and Nancy are unable to play for us but we have Les as an excellent replacement!)

http://www.mrsackroyd.com/bioles.htm

 

Les Barker writes strange poems and comes from originally from Manchester, but he's now Welsh. He was an accountant before he became a professional idiot. He's written 77 books, which sell in large numbers at his gigs because people don't quite believe what they've just heard. His poems have spawned a number of folk heroes: Jason and the Arguments, Cosmo the Fairly Accurate
Knife Thrower, Captain Indecisive and Spot of the Antarctic, to name but two.

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.

Entry: Members - £8.00 Non-members - £9.00 £1 discount for concessions.

July 27th Round the Room Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome.
 
AUGUST CLUB
CLOSED
Sept 7th

Artisan

www.artisan-harmony.com

Look out, folks they're baaack!
When a cappella singers Artisan hung up their tonsils in November 2005 they weren't adamant about saying: Never again, but they knew they were going to wait for the right time to do a reunion tour. Finally Artisan's own itchiness to sing some harmonies again got the better of them. This short reunion tour sees them doing dates in the UK in July and September 2010 (with festivals in Canada in August andwiched in the middle.) This will be an enjoyable evening with material both old and new, much written by Brian. Tickets now available from the Club or ring 01234 376278 to reserve.

Admission prices: Non-members £10.00 Members £9.00 cons.£1.00 discount

Sept 14th Landermason Northumbrian based duo, Fiona Lander and Paul Mason have been playing together for 9 years and have developed a unique sound encompassing contemporary folk and jazz. Fiona plays piano, saxophone, whistles, recorder and clarinet and Paul plays guitars. They both sing with superb harmonies and thoughtfully crafted songs. They have gone down a storm in previous years and are back!
Sept 21st Jon Betmead & Tom Ling Jon Betmead has been performing at St Neots for very many years and now works with fiddler Tom Ling. You are guaranteed an evening with good singing and humour from these talented guys.
Sept 28th Round the Room Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome.
Oct 5th
Damien Barber & Mike Wilson
Damien and Mike are a duo to be reckoned with. Button accordion, concertina, guitar and vocals all serving up traditional songs and tunes to be enjoyed by all in a lively and dynamic style.
Oct 12th Bram Taylor Bram needs no introduction, his relaxed singing and guitar style invites you to join in the choruses, and enjoy his varied songs reflecting the traditional and contemporary life of North West England. An evening to savour!
Oct 19th

Bill Prince

http://www.billprince.co.uk/history.php

Bill has not played St Neots for many years and now he is back on the scene after a break and writing a lot of songs. He is a songwriter, guitarist, and singer of Traditional and Modern Folk Songs. He first got interested in English Folk Music in the mid-1970s, when he went to a singaround club at the Fleur-De-Lys in Bedford and heard there for the first time English and Scottish ballads and songs, and was immediately hooked. His new cd 'Peace and Freedom' has just been released. Good to see an old friend of the Club back again.
Oct 26th Round the Room Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome.
Nov 2nd Show case night

Carl & Leon Hogsden - English traditional folk music Carl and Leon have collaborated since the early 1980’s to rework the anonymous songs of England’s past. In drawing upon a deep respect for the old singers of their native East Sussex, whilst integrating contemporary influences along the way, their distinct sound has emerged from an organic process that is seldom found outside the family setting. Refreshing interpretations via vocals, guitar, bouzouki, dulcimer and mandolin feature in their regular reunions for live performance, plus an inevitable injection of sibling spontaneity that ensures their style continues to evolve.

Bob Hines & Ian Hartwell - Bob & Ian are regulars at St Neots Club and Ian's double bass is well known! Bob writes some very interesting songs with local themes as well as performing some more traditional material.

 

Nov 9th

Wendy Arrowsmith

www.wendyarrowsmith.com

Following a brilliant appearance at an Open Stage evening - Wendy has sung many different styles of music but with folk music she has found songs that come from the heart and allow great emotional expression and social commentary. Originally from Glasgow, Wendy performs a mixture of British folk songs including a generous helping of Scottish material plus songs of her own. She generally accompanies herself on guitar, but whistles, bodhran, mandolin and accordion have also been known to appear. Lovely voice not to be missed!
Nov 16th Dick Gaughan www.dickgaughan.co.uk

Winner of the Life Time Achievement Award from the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2010, Dick is an icon of the Folk World.

Gaughan was brought up immersed in the musical traditions and culture of the Gaels, both Scots and Irish, which naturally, therefore, provide the foundation for everything he does.
He has been a professional musician and singer since Jan 1970. Has been playing guitar since the age of 7 and made his first solo album in 1971. Working mainly in the areas now known as "Folk" or "Celtic" music, he has recorded quite extensively since then in many countries and in various combinations. He has also worked extensively as a session musician in a wide variety of musical styles. (quoted from Dick's website biography)

This will be a ticket evening - details soon!

Nov 23rd Dave Ellis & Boo Howard Dave is a very experienced and skillful guitarist and Boo has a rich bluesey voice and they produce a wide range of material between them. They are regular guests at the Club last seen in July 2008.
Nov 30th Round the Room Friendly singaround atmosphere, performers and audience very welcome.
Dec 7th

Mary Humphreys & Anahata

http://www.maryanahata.co.uk/index.html

 

Mary's vocal style is based on recordings of traditional source singers, and most of her material is from the published works of collectors such as Cecil Sharp, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Percy Grainger. Many of her songs have been pieced together from fragments of words from different sources and in some cases she has invented or adapted tunes to fit the words.
Brought up in North Wales, Mary has learned Welsh and sings some traditional Welsh songs in that language. Mary sings unaccompanied, or with banjo or English concertina or Anahata's accompaniments on cello, Anglo concertina, melodeon or pipes.
Anahata plays tunes on melodeon, concertina and (recently) bagpipes. His preference is English music but he also likes Bulgarian and Macedonian dance music and takes a perverse delight in adapting this and other unlikely repertoire to the limitations of his instruments. Mary and Anahata also perform arrangements of tunes and, with Mary on keyboards or English concertina, enjoy playing in pub music sessions.
Dec 14th

Martin Simpson and Andy Cutting

http://www.martinsimpson.com

http://www.andy-cutting.co.uk/index.php

Martin is an award winner extraordinaire!! BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards feature strongly in Martin's list of awards. He is both spell-binding, and highly entertaining, he is a master of his craft. Andy Cutting is a expert melodeon player and often works with Martin. Andy is a rarity. A musician's musician: a soulful and technically outstanding melodeon practitioner with an ear for a fine tune. Many of his tunes have been purloined along the way: some considered contemporary classics on the folk scene. Andy is also a warm and emotive perfomer, modestly engaging his audiences with his self-deprecating wit and then flooring them with downright staggering musicianship. There are few melodeon players who put so much feeling into their playing, whether it be a set of dance tunes, or accompaniment to a slow English ballad. As a pairing Martin and Andy are outstanding and you are guaranteed a superb evening. This will be a ticket event - prices published soon.
Dec 21st 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 28th Club Closed Happy Holidays!! See you on January 4th 2011.
     
     
     
     
 
2011
 
Feb 22nd Allan Taylor  
     
     
July 5 or 19 Dana & Susan Robinson