Newsletter No. 96 - February 2010
At the Bradford Irish Club, Rebecca Street, BD1 2RX - a wheelchair-friendly venue
Despite January's snow, enough of you kept on coming to keep the Topic going - thank you. As a reward we've got a fantastic February (and beyond) line-up guaranteed to warm you from your head right down to your tapping feet.
4th February
Singers & Musicians. Everyone is welcome to come and take a turn to sing/play/listen in a relaxed and informal setting. 8.15pm start. Entry is free.
11th January
Ray Hearne. Even if the name does not seem immediately familiar to you, there's a good chance you'll have heard some of Ray Hearne's songs before. Topic favourite Roy Bailey is known for singing his Calling Joe Hill, Song For David and Rother Sing A Don Song. But these are only a few from this fine songwriter and singer and here is a rare chance to hear the wealth he has to offer. Ray is a key driving force in the No Masters Co-operative and he works in the true song-making tradition, carrying traditional themes and forms into new works, describing his songs as "partisan comments on culture and tradition". £5/£6
18th February
Tom Leary & PJ Wright. An exciting night for the Topic as this combination of two extraordinary artists, both with exceptional musical pedigrees, come together in a new venture as a duo. There's a good chance you'll have come across one or other, or both, of them in other guises. They gigged together in the Steve Gibbons Band and later formed Little Johnny England. Guitar virtuoso, PJ Wright, also a talented songwriter, continued to work with Steve Gibbons in The Dylan Project with Dave Pegg and Simon Nichol of Fairport Convention. Tom Leary has been playing with Feast of Fiddles for the past 17 years alongside the likes of Phil Beer, Dave Mattacks, Peter Knight and Chris Leslie, and another project, Tanna, with Peter Knight and Kevin Dempsey. Tom says they are very open to people joining them on stage for a number or two, so you may want to come prepared for such an eventuality. £5/£6
28th February
Zoox. First seen at the Topic when they joined us for a singers night as they were passing through this area. They are three very musically experienced women, Linda Game, Jo May and Becky Menday, who present an bubbling mixture of new melodies and traditional tunes with a delicate balance of strings, wind, percussion and voices. They play a great variety of instruments, many of which you wouldn't expect to see in a folk club: contra bassoon and congas for example. Their performance is full of original arrangements, great musicianship and infectious energy. £5/£6
4th March
Anthony John Clarke. It's a welcome return to the Topic which he last visited in 2007. These words from Clive Leyland give a good overview of what to expect: "Anthony John Clarke is a performer who comes across as totally sincere and his songs are from the heart. He establishes immediate contact with an audience, charming them with his stories, his humour and his effortless delivery and making everyone feel he's singing directly to them. He's a skilled interpreter of the songs of others and many of his own songs have become widely performed by other artists - a sure sign of respect by his peers. If you haven't seen him, you should do so without delay. If you have seen him, see him again. And again and again!" £5/£6
11th March
LightGarden, who are: David Moss playing fiddle, guitar, bouzouki and most stringed instruments, as well as doing amazing overtone-chanting - an ancient method used as a meditative and healing technique, and Masha Kaestner (piano, organs and harmonium) - creating a wonderful combination of sounds. David's songs have been described as "unusual and beautiful" and his voice as "magical and yearning". David has also played at the Topic on numerous previous occasions as front man of the very popular dynamic acoustic roots band Banoffi. £5/£6
And coming later...
March: Tattie Jam
April: Steve Ashley, Wendy Arrowsmith, Mark Newman, Katriona Gilmore & Jamie Roberts
More details in the next newsletter or see http://www.topic-folk-club.org.uk
It's still, of course, well worth renewing your membership of the Topic Folk Club. Membership costs £5 and runs up to 31st December 2010. Being a member entitles you to the lower ticket prices shown in this newsletter, as well as the chance to become more involved in the workings of the club if you would like to.
The Topic runs on Thursdays at the BRADFORD IRISH CLUB. 8.30pm start. (Singers & Musicians nights start at 8.15pm)
Floor singers are always welcome, especially in the first half. Please get there by 8.15pm if you‚d like a slot ˆ it helps the MC to plan the evening.
To find the Topic on Facebook search for "Topic Fc"
Rahel Guzelian
Topic Newsletter Editor
rahel@blueyonder.co.uk
www.topic-folk-club.org.uk
www.myspace.com/topicfolkclub
Topic Newsletter No 96 February 2010
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