Thursday 26th July 2018 at 8:30
Entry - £6 (members £5)

Steve Dan Mills

American singer songwriter Steve Dan Mills was the co-founder of Speed Limit 35, one of the first folk rock bands in the American South.

He has been enjoying a solo career since the mid 70's and has performed at the Sark Folk Festival, Cornwall Folk Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, London Folk Festival, Belfast Nashville Songwriter's Festival and the UK's Top Folk and Acoustic Clubs.

His music has been described as "the real thing, sensitive, moving, cathartic and healing." He couples his very powerful vocals with acoustic guitar and harmonica. His masterful story telling, based on his rich and challenging life experiences, lays the groundwork for each song in a most engaging manner.

Steve has recently moved to London and has begun performing in folk clubs throughout the UK.

Topic News - IMPORTANT - EARLIER START/FINISH 
Having considered the response to the proposal for earlier start/finish times, the committee has decided to implement a new starting time for Guest Nights.

The new start time will be 8pm for a finish at 10:30. The new time will begin with the first guest night in SEPTEMBER and will be closely monitored.

Comments about the new arrangement will always be welcomed. Tony Charnock will be reminding Topic-goers relentlessly in future newsletters, and it will also be mentioned on club nights

Topic Historic Photo Gallery
In 2016 The Topic had its 60th anniversary. Each week during that autumn we posted a different historic photo taken in or relevant to the club during the 60s, 70s, 60s and even 90s, with some historical context. Many photos were by Eddie Saxton and Brian Lawton, and others centred on the 21st and 25th anniversaries. Finally they are on the website in a single gallery here.

The Topic at 60
The view from 2016, by John Waller. This is not a comprehensive history - instead John has put together a snapshot of the Topic as it is now, telling the story of how those currently responsible for the club's running came to be involved.

Topic 60th Song Lyrics
Club members and attenders were invited to write a song to mark our 60th birthday. Those who did were able to sing them at a special Singers' and Musicians' Night on the 3rd of November 2016. The lyrics of the various songs performed are now available on the website here.

Topic Club Membership
£5 a year from 1st January. That gives you £1 off concert tickets, and you can get more involved with running the club too if you are interested.

THE BRIAN LAWTON LEGACY PROJECT
This is an ongoing project over 12 months concerning thousands of photographs taken by Brian Lawton which cover much of the history of folk music and folk festivals in West Yorkshire. See more at http://www.brianlawtonproject.org.uk. Send in your stories and memories. You can help by identifying as many people, places and events from the past as you can.

PS: CASTLE HOTEL
Plenty of Topic regulars play and listen at the Castle Hotel in Bradford on Fridays - why not join them? July 20 Wilson McGladdery; July 27 Sam Barrett

Clicks since 03-2-2004:

2rd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th August - Summer singers and musicians nights

Several chances to come along and sing a song or play a tune or just listen.

Start time 8:15

Sep 06

Reg Meuross

Reg’s clever and imaginative lyrics have earned him the title of  “Master Storyteller” (PennyBlack Music) and led Mike Harding (Mike Harding Folk Show) to introduce him onto the stage of The Royal Albert Hall as  “one of the finest singer-songwriters this country has produced”. Whether it’s a village hall or the Albert Hall, Reg Meuross brings to the stage a collection of extremely beautiful songs, performed with humour and depth, and sung with the voice of an angel. Reg has that rare gift of being able to touch people, through his songs and performance, on a really human level. His words and music paint pictures that remain with the listener long after the song has been sung.

Intelligent and thought-provoking songs, beautifully made and skilfully delivered -  The Times

Please note: start time of 8pm to finish at 10:30 pm - the first 8pm start time.

Sep 13

Prelude

Best-known for their world-wide success with a haunting a capella version of Neil Young’s After the Goldrush in 1974, they have toured with the likes of Ralph McTell, Joan Armatrading and Don McLean. They also recorded backing vocals on Ralph McTell’s iconic Streets of London. Now with a slightly changed line-up, Prelude are still recording and performing to rave reviews. It will be a real pleasure to have the band back to the Topic.

Please note: start time of 8pm to finish at 10:30 pm

Sep 20

Joe Topping

When most musicians refer to their musical journeys it’s more an expression of a creative process than a travelogue. For singer/songwriter Joe Topping, however, his material relates to experiences as diverse as walking across an African desert; living and driving a pick-up truck in America and Canada; and undertaking a 1,400 mile solo walk from Chicago to New Orleans.

He walked across the Namib Desert, a coastal desert stretching across Namibia and south western Angola, to raise money for a landmine charity. He then hiked and drove a pick-up truck around Canada and America for the best part of a year before his biggest adventure when in 2006 he walked from Chicago and the shores of Lake Michigan in the north to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico in the south.

It was a journey rich in musical flavour and history sampling the sounds of Chicago, St Louis, Nashville, Memphis, the Mississippi Delta and Baton Rouge. Carrying a 1950 Gibson on his back and a backpack on his front, he slept along the way in motels, cornfields, cotton fields, graveyards, backyards and sugar plantations before marching into New Orleans led by the New Wave Brass Band.

With Joe’s well-crafted original songs and well-chosen covers a night of excellent music is guaranteed.

Please note: start time of 8pm to finish at 10:30 pm

Sep 27

Na-Mara

Na-Mara brings together talented English singer songwriter and guitarist Paul McNamara and ace mandolin player Rob Garcia, who write fantastic songs and the stories grab you from the start - Folk London.

In recent years, Na-Mara have built an enviable reputation for fine story-telling and musicianship , performing in venues and festivals across the UK, at events in France, Spain and Germany and on BBC Radio 4 and a plethora of internet and local radio stations. They consistently deliver new and exciting material to folk audiences with their own provocative material in traditional style on contemporary and historical topics; their English translations of songs from Breton, French and Quebecois traditions; and their take on traditional tunes from Brittany, France and the Spanish Celtic regions of Asturias and Galicia.

Please note: start time of 8pm to finish at 10:30 pm

Oct 4th Singers and musicians

Oct 11th The Hometowners

Oct 18th Bella Gaffney & Polly Bolton

Oct 25th The Foxglove Trio

Nov 1st Singers and musicians

Nov 8th The Heathen Kings

Nov 15th Jack Blackman

Nove 22nd Roger Davies

Nov 29th Clay Liftin'