TOPIC FOLK CLUB, BRADFORD NEWSLETTER No 72 - FEBRUARY 2008
Greetings: and welcome to February’s upcoming Acts and Events.
7 Feb Singers and Musicians
We are now trying to schedule these evenings on the first Thursday of each month, to give an opportunity to our many regulars to sing and play for each other in a relaxed atmosphere: and/or for anyone who wants to check us out and show their talents off to come and see what goes on. Free entry, free exit and you only pay for your almost-obligatory raffle ticket. Everyone can have a go at performing; though that is not so obligatory. Your host for the evening will be Sir Ian Gobbi.
14 Feb Jon Harvison
All the way from Yorkshire, Jon is one of the region’s most respected performers, and a Topic supporter for over 20 years (yes, he comes and does floorspots as well). Traditional ballads and his own thoughtful songs are given the treatment with his powerful no-nonsense vocal delivery and far from mean guitar. Featured support comes from another local singer-songwriter Geoff Watson, who is highly experienced and very active on the local pub and club circuit. Strong guitar and his own campaigning songs. £4 / £5 entry: your MC is Dr Neil Etherington.
21 Feb A Double Header Evening:
Katriona Gilmour and Jamie Roberts are an exciting and youthful duo bringing fiddle, guitar, complex rhythmic arrangements and vocal harmony to a blend of traditional and self-written material. Both are from musical families, and are highly experienced performers despite their youth.
Gareth Davies-Jones boasts a Welsh name, but is actually from Northern Ireland, and currently living in the North East of England. A singer songwriter much involved in practical campaigning over issues such as Water Aid and Fair Trade, he brings a political and spiritual edge to his performance. The usual £4 / £5 entry: MC duties and much else besides from Tony Levy QC.
28 Feb Emily Smith and Jamie McLennan
This will be a big one, honest. Emily has been nominated for (and received) a string of awards on both sides of the Atlantic; including Young Traditional Musician of the Year and Scots Singer of the Year. She specialises in traditional ballads from her own native Dumfries and Galloway region, interleaved seamlessly with her own material. Jamie is a classically trained pianist, but accompanies her on guitar and fiddle. Featured Support comes from Leeds-based singer-songwriter John Parkes, a former Indie rock musician who has come home to acoustic, and who boasts over 200 songs to his name: on love, life, lust, longing, politics and religion with touches of black humour. This will be a great evening in several more ways that one: come and make it memorable. £5 / £6 to come in: MC John Waller (ed).
And onwards:
The March programme starts with Singers and Musicians on 6 March; and continues with Jackie Oates (13 March); Pillowfish / Tim Moon (20 March); and Ceri Rhys Matthews (27 March).
There will be another Newsletter well before the start of March with details of all these and much more: keep your ears peeled and your eyes pinned back for an important announcement at that point.
Sorry this Newsletter is shorter than usual (then again, maybe you are grateful for that!); but there are reasons.
In Memoriam
All members of the Topic will be sad to learn of the death, over Christmas, of Northern Man Clive Leyland. Member of Bandersnatch, Folk Club organiser and a fine singer-songwriter in his own right, Clive had recently relocated to Leeds from his native Lancashire, suffering from what he knew was an incurable degenerative lung disease. He was a true and honest folk stalwart, who last played the Topic in February 2007 (a double header with Gerry Cooper). He will be much missed.
See you all some Thursday at the C ock and Bottle 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.
John Waller
Topic Newsletter Editor
Topic Newsletter No 72: February 2008
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