Thursday 6th October 2022 at 7:30

_{Singers and Musicians}

_{A chance to sing a song or play a tune or just listen.}

<sub>£1 entry.

www.facebook.com/TopicFCBradford

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^{John Waller has written three double-page-spread articles on the history of the Topic, complete with pictures, for the Bradford Telegraph & Argus's "Remember When?" regular feature, published 20th and 26th March and the 3rd April 2022}

^{1) The Early Years 2) The Next 60 Years 3) Now and the Future}
 

_{THE TOPIC'S HOME}

The Topic is at Groove Pad, 48 Saltaire Road, Shipley BD18 3HN. It’s a bar/coffee lounge on two floors. The Topic has exclusive use of the downstairs coffee lounge area on Thursday nights. The bar upstairs serves a fine selection of drinks and does table service to the cafe area if required. Groove Pad is situated next to the Aagrah Restaurant on Saltaire Road. Easy street parking is available nearby and it’s only a few minutes walk from Shipley train station and the bus terminus.
 

Coming Soon

Oct 13

_{Christopher Mark Jones}

_{A literate and engaging song artist with echoes of Greg Brown, Lyle Lovett, Bruce Coburn and Daryl Scott, Christopher Mark Jones sings soulful country and blues-inflected Americana narratives.}

_{He has “a rich voice that’s slightly rough around the edges” (Scott Mervis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), but still grabs the listener along with his “fascinating lyrics” (Melody Maker, UK) and his “intricate guitar-playing” and “wide-ranging textures and exquisite instrumentation” (Larry Berger, Saturday Light Brigade) . Listeners hear echoes of “Greg Brown's pacing and a Lyle Lovett attitude” (Ben Shannon), as well as of John Prine, Bruce Coburn and Darrell Scott.}

_{Between careers as a basketball player and French professor, Jones busked in Paris, toured the UK, Denmark, and Holland, and played New England clubs. He now tours and streams solo from Pittsburgh, PA, and plays regionally in formats varying from solo to full band. Looking for the Light (2021) is his sixth recording of original folk/roots songs.}

_{...Impeccable performances supporting Jones’ engaging lyrics and music, the fruits of four-plus decades of songwriting - Harry Funk, The Almanac}

_{£7 (£6 members)}

 

Oct 20

 

_{Singers and Musicians}

_{Sing a song or play a tune or just listen.}

_{£1 entry}

Oct 27

_{Jack Rutter}

_{Yorkshire folk singer Jack Rutter has established himself as one of the standout voices of the folk, roots and acoustic music scene in recent years. A hugely engaging stage presence, his soaring vocal, powerhouse guitar and bouzouki playing and masterful arrangements of traditional songs and contemporary covers have enthralled audiences from the largest festival main stages to the most intimate folk clubs.}

_{Following on from his critically acclaimed second album Gold of Scar & Shale, 2022 will see the release of a brand new EP, with 2023 bringing a new album of traditional songs.}

_{Among Britain’s finest traditional singers - Folk Radio UK}

_{An outstanding performer - The Independent}

_{£7 (£6 members)}

 

Nov 3

 

_{Singers and Musicians}

_{Sing a song or play a tune or just listen.}

_{£1 entry}

Nov 10

_{Jon Palmer Acoustic Band}

_{The Jon Palmer Acoustic Band is a high energy 6-piece folk, roots and rock-n-roll combo (based in and around the musically vibrant West Yorkshire market town of Otley) and best described as "a cross between The Pogues and The Oyster Band, with a bit of The Waterboys, The Saw Doctors and the Bruce Springsteen Seeger Sessions Band thrown in".}

_{Jon is a former winner of the Grolsch UK Songwriter of the Year, and a published songwriter with Sony.}

_{The band's latest album One Fine Day has received great reviews - "folk-rock at its finest, with insightful song-writing and top-class musicianship" - and live, the band have been described as "one of Yorkshire's great live acts."}

_{The best upbeat folk band around - Yorkshire Gig Guide.}

_{A blur of hedonistic delight - Fatea Showcases}

_{£7 (£6 members)}

 

Nov 17

 

_{Singers and Musicians}

_{Sing a song or play a tune or just listen.}

_{£1 entry}

Nov 24

_{Honey & the Bear}

_{British folk and roots duo Honey & the Bear combine delicately interweaving vocal harmonies with emotive and evocative songwriting. With a diverse range of sounds and textures, and rhythms that flow from the fast and furious to gentle ballads, their live performances are spirited and dynamic. Conjuring stories in song, they tell tales of Suffolk folklore, courageous people they admire, their passion for nature and the odd heartbreak or two.}

_{The multi instrumentalist pair, comprised of songwriters Jon Hart (guitar, bass, bazouki) and Lucy Hart (guitar, ukulele, bass, banjo, mandolin & percussion), have been writing and performing together since early 2014, having met at a songwriting event two years previous. Since then, they have played at many revered venues and festivals across the UK as well as travelled across the channel for their first European tour. They supported Sam Kelly and the Lost Boys on two UK tours and opened for The Shires at world renowned Snape Malting’s Concert Hall.}

_{Beautiful harmonies and charisma from both aside, they were very obviously enjoying each other’s company which enhanced the atmosphere of the evening … Jon and Lucy spoke, played and sang with ease making it all look effortless …Their lyrics were significant without being contrived, and were enhanced by their storytelling and communication with the audience in between numbers - Ellie-Jane Arden, John Peel Centre}

_{This is the duo’s second visit to our club, having kindly stood in at extremely short notice in early 2020 to fill a last-minute cancellation.}

_{£7 (£6 members)}

 

01 Dec

_{Singers and Musicians}

_{Sing a song or play a tune or just listen.}

_{£1 entry}

08 Dec

_{Winter Wilson}

_{Singing out for the underdog in glorious harmony. Original songs packed with punch and emotion that will get beneath your skin, and all delivered with great humour.}

_{Pre-Covid, Winter Wilson had completed tours of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and most of Western Europe, in addition to the UK. Their eight studio albums had all received rave reviews, and 2019’s Live & Unconventional (recorded on tour with folk-rock icons Fairport Convention and on stage at Cropredy Festival) was no different.}

_{If you need evidence of just how special the duo Winter Wilson is, then Live & Unconventional delivers in abundance - Steve Caseman, RnR magazine.}

_{Back in Lincolnshire throughout the pandemic, the pair streamed Live from the Lounge for 60 consecutive weeks and also wrote and recorded The Passing of the Storm, the duo’s tenth album, adding further to their reputation as superb writers, singers and musicians, and great all-round entertainers.}

_{Now performing stunning new songs alongside old favourites, Kip Winter and Dave Wilson are thrilled to be back on the road.}

_{Kip Winter's outstanding vocal talents and Dave Wilson's stunning abilities as a songwriter, composer, guitar and singer welded seamlessly to produce a most memorable evening” - John Waltham, Living Tradition Magazine.}

_{£7 (£6 members)}

 

15 Dec

_{Singers and Musicians}

_{Sing a song or play a tune or just listen.}

_{£1 entry}

22 Dec

_{Edwina Hayes}

_{One of the finest female singer/songwriters this country has produced in years, Edwina Hayes brings together English folk, Americana and the rich Northern singer/songwriter tradition to create a sound that’s truly her own.}

_{Highly accomplished, she has toured with such notable performers as Jools Holland, Van Morrison, Nanci Griffith and Loudon Wainwright III to name just a few. Edwina numbers Michael Parkinson and Mike Harding among her fans and the title track of her album Pour Me A Drink was covered by Nanci Griffith.}

_{Her cover of the Randy Newman song "Feels Like Home" was featured in the Cameron Diaz film My Sister's Keeper and has since had over ten million plays on Spotify and over thirty million plays on You Tube.}

_{The sweetest voice in England. A wonderful young woman, so gifted and full of song - Nanci Griffith}

_{Haunting, honeyed, solo songwriter - The Guardian}

_{£7 (£6 members)}

 

29 Dec

_{Singers and Musicians}

_{Sing a song or play a tune or just listen.}

_{£1 entry}

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