Cambridge Folk ClubProgrammeApril– December 2005
22 April 8pm 
"What the trio does seems simple at first glance: just three blokes who stand and sing in three-part harmony. Their songs, mostly written by Jim Boyes and Lester Simpson, deal with social and environmental issues and the words are clever and sharp. The harmonies are in the folk-country tradition, but with a twist that mirrors the barbed lyrics, a wide pitch range and thrilling bass sonorities swapped between all three. [………] In Coope Boyes and Simpson's repertoire there is a hinterland of music and culture that makes their work more multi-dimensional than that of the other acts on the bill. Polemical reports of injustice and inequality are woven into tales of everyday lives, told in plain words and distinctive tunes".
29 April 8pm
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Rick Sanders & Jim Gosney, guitars and vocals, play powerful original and soulful old songs, stripped down to the bone.
6 May: John McCormick A fine acoustic guitarist who has mastered the styles of American, Irish, Scottish and English folk traditions, John is a modern American minstrel whose resonant voice spins tales with the command of a fine story teller. With five albums of original and traditional material to his credit, he is no stranger to the English folk tradition, and has been supported by Steve Tilston and Maggie Boyle. Support: Tom Colborn. Tom's music spans genuine-sounding Delta blues and funky ragtime fingerpicking. Entry: £8(door), £7(advance), £6(members)
13 May: Open Stage 30 min special guest Sean Holden A heavy metal drummer until he saw the acoustic light, vocalist Sean, now self-accompanied on mandocello and guitar, gives his own take on the work of Nic Jones, Show of Hands, Roy Harper, Eric Bibb and others. Entry: £4(door), £2(members) 20 May: Mundy-Turner The acoustic song-writing duo Cath Mundy, violin and piano, and Jay Turner, guitar, will transport you down under with their stunning musical range and energetic performance. With material by turns passionate, political, humorous and tender, an evening in their company promises to be refreshingly different. Support: Swinging with the Chickens. Music with humour, warmth and enthusiasm, which will take you anywhere!Entry: £8(door), £7(advance), £6(members)
27 May: Open Stage 30 min special, guests: Smouldering Sons Come prepared to smoulder to the energetic performance of this vocal and instrumental duo, with their amazing variety of material, dynamic range, and most of all, their percussion accompaniment. Entry: £4(door), £2(members) 30 min special guest: Steve O'Kane Appreciate Steve's well-crafted lyrics on life and love – perfect for a summer's evening. Entry: £4(door), £2(members) 10 June: Free Agents Free Agents is acoustic trio of Backyard Band musicians Dave Doddington, Myke Clifford and Philip Rundall. Influenced by blues, jazz, folk and more, their delivery is peppered with dry wit, caustic comment and a musical ability of breathtaking proportions. Support: The Floozies. This local all-girl trio takes you on a musical journey across the folk jazz divide, underpinning material with ethnic accompaniments. Entry: £7(door), £6(advance), £5(members)
17 June: Mooncoin Mooncoin's eclectic repertoire encompasses not just the folk traditions of Ireland, England, Sweden, but also a wealth of music from Eastern Europe, as well as contemporary influences. The four-piece band creates an exciting and distinctive sound, original, entertaining and emotive. Support: Rosie Eade. Combining a powerful mix of reflection and anger, and performed with passion, Rosie's songs emanate depth and originality. Entry: £7(door), £6(advance), £5(members) 24 June: Suntrap Suntrap's songwriters Paul Hoad and Sara Byers' original, innovative work draws on English song and American folk and country traditions, enriched by fiddle, guitar, accordion, bodhran, whistle and harmonica. This four-piece band performs material ranging from richly textured harmonies to stripped back a capella. Support: Cruel Folk Duo Sean and Paul Holden perform acoustic music in the modern English tradition, but with a dark side. Expect tales of love, death and betrayal.Entry: £8(door), £7(advance), £6(members) 30 min special guests: The Deevotees Come on down and catch the infectious, joyous, rootsy, country sound of this 7 piece band. Lush vocal harmonies and a host of grooving instruments bring you blue grass, country blues, ballad, gospel and a capella. Entry: £4(door), £2(members) 8 July: Open Stage 30 min special guests: Lubetkin Enjoy Sue Aldred and Cliff Ashcroft's slightly nostalgic, slightly jazz-inflected, self-penned folk arrangements on guitar and vocals. Entry: £4(door), £2(members) 15 July: Showcase Josie Nugent and Sarah Roberts Active in the Cambridge branch of Comhaltas promoting Irish music, Josie has inspired prize-winning local young musicians No I.D. Now with Sarah Roberts, she finds her own voice. Gary Woolley Drawing on a broad range of British and American material, Gary has been collecting and writing songs for over thirty years. Enjoy his nostalgic vocal style and guitar accompaniments reminiscent of Gaughan and Carthy. Smouldering Sons Come prepared to smoulder to the energetic performance of this vocal and instrumental duo, with their amazing variety of material, dynamic range, and most of all, their percussion accompaniment. Entry: £6(door), £5(advance), £4(members) 22 July: Open Stage 30 min special guest: Carl Hogsden Singer songwriter guitarist Carl plays traditional in a style reminiscent of early Carthy and Steele Eye Span. Entry: £4(door), £2(members) 29 July: Club Tent, Cambridge Folk Festival 30 min special guests: Nuada On hurdy-gurdy, pipes, whistle and bodhran, this energetic trio presents a wide range of distinctive material including three-part harmony, Medieval, Celtic and self-penned songs and tunes, straight from the heart. Entry: £4(door), £2(members) 9 September: John Kirkpatrick and Roy Bailey John's musicianship on button accordion, melodeon and Anglo concertina, and the political edge of Roy's thought-provoking guitar-accompanied songs, assures this long-standing collaboration their place at the forefront of folk music and song in Britain. Their performance of contemporary and traditional songs and tunes is not to be missed.
Support: Invocal. This four-piece all-girl band from Northampton tell stories of humour, sex and drinking in three-part harmony, enriched by guitar, cello and clarinet accompaniment. Entry: £10(door), £9(advance), £8(members) 16 September - Open Stage 30 min special guest: Rachel Myer This singer-songwriter from Bristol plays folk-jazz with a dark, lyrical heart. Entry: £4(door), £2(members) 23 September: Helen Watson Making a welcome return to the Club, Helen is a magical performer, whose material crosses the boundaries between soul, jazz, and blues, and keeps R&B alive and kicking. Her mature voice and idiosyncratic songs are a welcome change in the world of singer-songwriters. Support: The Moving Tone Trio. Verging on 'free form folk', their music, fronted by Anne L. Ryan's sometimes feisty, sometimes fey vocals, demonstrates creative talent and interpretative sense. Entry: £8(door), £7(advance), £6(members) 30 September: Showcase Redhouse - Amanda Hall and Richard Wildman The unique talents of these two performers, with Richard's individual guitar style framing Amanda's dark and powerful vocals, combine to create a set of originality and passion. The Ouse Brothers Rick Sanders and Jim Gosney, guitars and vocals, play powerful original and soulful old songs, stripped down to the bone. Alias Grace Duo Irish singer-songwriter SandraO'Neill and multi-instrumentalist Pete Chilvers play hauntingly melancholy songs with atmospheric arrangements. Intimate and beguiling. Entry: £6(door), £5(advance), £4(members) 7 October: Open Stage: Guest singer-songwriter David Stephenson. David writes hearfelt and memorable songs based on his own experiences of life and travel, with a strong emphasis on historical narrative. Firmly rooted in the tradition, he retains a distinctively modern sensibility. Entry: £4 (door), £2 (members). 14 October: Christine Collister 'One of the world's finest white female singers, Christine has worked with the Richard Thompson Band, Clive Gregson, and in Daphne's Flight. Her 'killer voice' can be 'as full as Dusty Springfield or as blue as Alison Moyet.' - Q magazine. Support: Lubetkin, Sue Aldred and Cliff Ashcroft, offer jazz-inflected folk arrangements and thought-provoking self-penned lyrics.
21 October: Open Stage: Guests Debbie Taylor and friends. Catchy, personal and story-based original songs featuring Debbie's distinctive vocals, the subtle playing of acoustic guitarist Dave Lockwood and the laid-back rhythms of bassist Mike Crofts and percussionist Mark Gordon. Entry: £4 (door), £2 (members). 28 October: Tanglefoot 'Five big hairy Canadians with a big sound, a huge stage presence, and a bunch of great story songs.' With 6 CDs to their credit, they present a 'rompin' stompin' high enegy show with exciting singing and slick instrumentals – fiddle, double bass, guitars, piano, mandolin, whistles, banjo and harmonica.' Please note change of venue: The Cass Centre, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 2BS Support: Robert Brown (Smouldering Sons) delivers a wealth of styles and emotions with energy and passion from within the Roots spectrum, whether with flamboyant percussion or with a laid back double bass groove and guitar. Entry: £9 (door), £8 (advance), £7 (members). 4 November: Dansmall: Two of the larger group Dansaul, Dan Plews (ex Kings of Calicutt) – vocals, guitar, tenor and octave mandolas - and Guy Fletcher (Tickled Pink and Little Johnny England) – fiddle, mandolin, percussion – mix traditional tunes and evocative song writing, with roots reaching from the traditional to the contemporary. Support: Andrew Noyes, singer of winsome songs about friends and family, liable to bewilder or confuse his audience and himself... Entry: £8 (door), £7 (advance), £6 (members). 11 November: Open Stage: Guest duo Kerbside all the way from Ireland, Sean (guitar) and Kimberly (bass) Lightholder present a funky acoustic experience with soulful harmonised vocals, featuring original material and popular favourites. Entry: £4 (door), £2 (members). 18 November: Kristina Olsen 'One of the most entertaining and compelling performers on the international folk circuit', Kristina's mix of strong songs, jazz-inspired sounds, powerful bottleneck blues and story telling makes for a diverse and satisfying musical experience. Support: North and South. Hear Tony Rowlett (vocals and harmonicas) and Warwick Jones (guitar and vocals) perform blues with a jazzy feel and a smile on its face, whether self-penned or sometimes borrowed from Willie McTell or Ronnie Lane. Entry: £8 (door), £7 (advance), £6 (members). 25 November: Showcase: Class local acts The Floozies, Cruel Folk and Lightning Jack. TheFloozies are singer-songwriter Daisy Windsor, Paula Welham (flute and sax) and Sue Szymanski (bodhran and percussion), whose unusual instrumentation (djembe and chimes) and precise harmonies takes you on an ethnic musical journey. Cruel Folk, duo Sean and Paul Holden perform acoustic music in the modern English tradition, but with a dark side. Expect tales of love, death and betrayal. Lightning Jack are Fil Utting-Brown (bass guitar and vocals), Cliff Ward (violin and vocals), Lester Lloyd-Reason (guitars and vocals) and Mark Hannington (percussion), who perfom an eclectic mix of Celtic roots, blues, ballads, reels and jigs – more than stomping fiddle. Entry: £6 (door), £5 (advance), £4 (members). 2 December: Open Stage: Guest Dave Jenkins, the Club's own singer-songwriter of lyrical but thought-provoking songs. Entry: £4 (door), £2 (members). 9 December: Les Barker: 'The Lancashire monologist equivalent of Tom Lehrer', wordsmith Les' feature such folk heroes as Cosmo the Fairly Accurate Knife Thrower, Captain Indecisive, and Spot of the Antarctic. Les is 'an inspired genius, prince of the pun and sultan of the surreal' with 'turns of phrase so good you look forward to hearing them again'. Les helps us to usher in Christmas with the help of HamDramS and Andrew Noyes. HamDramS present an almalgamation of several mummers' plays, put together to raise money for the Haddenham Nias Earthquake Relief Fund. Entry: £8 (door), £7 (advance), £6 (members). 16 December: Open Stage: Guests Kandida and Sam Watkins. Don't miss your last chance to perform in our listening atmosphere! Entry: £4 (door), £2 (members). January: Waking the Witch, Graham Robbins. February: The Crofters, Last Night's Fun. |
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