At: Hullabaloo, 41 Westgate, Shipley, BD18 3QX

Est: 1956

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Topic Newsletter Archive

TOPIC INFORMAL NEWSLETTER No 22, 30 SEPTEMBER 2003

Greetings

Time for the October list already so soon! Good and varied it is too.

October 2 Kevin Loughran.
Derby/Chesterfield-originated but now locally-based singer and guitarist, with a range of accessible popular and historic songs performed with his own unique interpretation. Kevin has been around for over 30 years, singing, playing and busking in clubs and pubs throughout the north and midlands. His repertoire includes vintage popular song, comedy song, mainstream folk, and a preference for "Americana” which includes Irving Berlin, Fats Waller, Hoagy Carmichael, through to James Taylor and Steve Earle. He has a CD out Big In Keighley.

Featured Support is Ian Hill, also a local guitarist and singer who occasionally graces our singarounds.

October 9 Roy Wilcocks and Bridget Guest
two voices in rich harmony, one guitar and many wonderful, relaxing, self-penned and imported contemporary songs, delivered with fun and humour. They have been performing together for over a decade. Ray is the traditional earthy folk and shanty singer, Bridget the singer/songwriter, with the beautiful and melodic voice. According to their publicity, her songs paint emotional pictures and sketch characters with insight and sincerity. Tonight’s Featured support Bradford’s own four-piece band Codarajo fiddle, whistles, guitar and accordion.

October 16 Darren Poyzer
Wacky Manchester-based musician and entertainer with his own inimitable songs. While not a traditional "folkie”, Darren’s music is vibrant and original, with songs of the human condition ranging over topics such as Sunday morning football, global wars, popular culture, working-class life, friendship and love. Traditional folk singers tell it like it was. Darren writes and sings it like it is now. An enthusiastic gigger and organiser of gigs, he did a featured support slot for us earlier in the year, and proved himself a live and eminently watchable performer. Featured Support: Julie Ellison: a really serious and accomplished guitarist in a number of styles; classical, folk and rock.

October 23 Singers and Musicians
a visit from the regulars at the Wibsey Gaping Goose singaround sessions (they meet every Wednesday from 8.30pm on Slack Bottom Road). This will be a lively evening, with the Goose’s regulars bringing banjos, accordions and mandolins (plus the usual guitars) to bear. Let’s have a good Topic Regular turnout too, and a noisy evening of cross-fertilisation. No theme in particular let’s just see what emerges. There’ll be ships, animals and drinking I’m sure.

October 30 Tom and Barbara Brown t
his is proper West-country tradition. Tom sings and plays concertina, melodeon, mandola and guitar, and is much in demand as a Folk Dance Caller. Barbara sings mainly (though not exclusively) traditional songs, mainly emanating from their west-country roots that include Padstow, Swindon, and the wonderful and legendary Bristol Troubadour. Tonight’s Featured support is Emily and Ben: York-based duo with guitar, fiddle and whistles, and with a repertoire of (mostly) traditional songs. A great traditional evening this will be.

Details of virtually all these performers can be found on our excellent, updated-weekly website. Log on! www.topic-folk-club.org.uk We have direct links to the websites of every artist who has performed since January 2002, and who is booked up to the end of 2004. So that’s an excellent reference resource for anyone wanting an update on currently-active folk artistes. Do use it!

The rest of the 2003 programme

November 6 Singers and Musicians theme of gunpowder treason and plot.

November 13 Steafan Hannigan and Saskia Tomkins - a nationally-known duo with a list of instruments as long as the rest of this line: Uilleann pipes, bodhran, cello, violin, whistles, voices …

Featured support: Friendly Visit. Another multi-instrumentallist trio based in Otley.

November 20 The Amazing Mr Smith. Now this will be something completely different. Making a very rare visit to the north, The Amazing provides a cascade of humour, musical puns, outlandish props and banter that takes your breath away. Featured Support: Wench All, female harmony

November 27 Emily Weygang and Ben Harker York-based traditional duo, featured on the cover, no less, of the current Tykes News. Featured support: Kevin Young, unaccompanied singer.

December 4 The AGM.. Come and sing an amendment to the substantive motion.

December 11 Keiran Halpin. We are very grateful for a return visit from this highly popular singer-songwriter, many of whose songs are now well into the public domain.

December 18 The Durbervilles. A five-piece band to add a bit of noisy oooomph to the pre-yuletide festivities and sandwiches. The occasion will as always be violently interrupted by the Featured Support: The Holbeck Mummers with a timeless brand of traditional theatrical buffoonery.

THE NEW YEAR -

This isn’t set in stone yet. Every chance that some of these Singers’ nights may turn into a late booking. But note our experimental move into an offering of Jazz, as well as three mainstream folk artists.

Jan 1 Singers and Musicians
Jan 8 The Barbara Baker Jazz Quintet
Jan 15 Singers and Musicians
Jan 22 Derek Gifford
Jan 29 Singers and Musicians
Feb 5 Phil Hare
Feb 12 Singers and Musicians
Feb 19 Geoff Higginbottom

See the website for bookings up till July!

One reason for listing these here is to invite offers to perform as Featured Support. There has been a Featured Support act booked for virtually every guest night for over a year now. Some have gone on to full bookings (though this is not guaranteed!). I’d like to fill the January-February slots above by mid-October if possible, so that details can go into the next issue of Tykes News. Volunteers welcome!

See you all some Thursday at the Melborn at one of the above events! 8.30 start. Be there by then if you want to perform a floor spot, which are still available every night even where there is a Featured Support artist booked. No smoking.

John Waller

Topic Newsletter Editor

j.waller@bradford.ac.uk

Website: www.topic-folk-club.org.uk, updated every week