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

Est: 1956

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Topic Newsletter Archive

TOPIC FOLK CLUB, BRADFORD

At the Bradford Irish Club, Rebecca Street, BD1 2RX a wheelchair-friendly venue

Newsletter No. 106 - January 2011

http://www.topic-folk-club.org.uk

Welcome to an early mail out of the January edition of the newsletter which will give you plenty of chance to plan your New Year's activities before being consumed by the frenzy that is Christmas. As this is the first newsletter I have prepared my first task must be to thank Rahel Guzelian for undertaking this role previously, and, even more importantly, providing the Topic Folk Club with a superb programme of guests over the last 2 years. Rahel continued John Waller's good work in mixing established artists and club favourites with those new to the venue whilst maintaining a very high quality indeed in the choice of artists to appear at the club. I see no reason to diverge from that approach.

As I have inherited a huge list of email addresses, it is quite possible that there will be some people who no longer wish to receive this newsletter, or who may receive it twice due to duplication in the circulation list. Please let me know if either of these conditions apply to you and I will update the circulation for the next issue.

In the meantime I hope you have a very Merry Xmas and Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you at the Topic in 2011!

6 January 2011
Singers & Musicians

A great chance to sing and play in the New Year with friends old and new.

13 January 2011
Luke Hirst & Sarah Smout / Kath Reade - Double Header
A double header that features singer songwriters from different generations who both have important stories to tell.

Luke Hirst is a multi - instrumentalist who has recently graduated from the Leeds College of Music with a first class BA Honours Degree and whose songs are influenced by the likes of Neil Young, Richard Thompson & Nick Drake. In 2010 Luke teamed up with young cellist & songwriter Sarah Smout (Wilful Missing, Rosie Doonan & The Snapdragons) to form a duo whose proficiency and charisma should guarantee a bright future.

Kath Reade will be known to Topic regulars who will also be aware that she has a winning way of captivating her audience. Her sound has roots in both British folk and Americana and her songs have that magic something that evokes the mood of some lost timeless classic. Kath has just released her fourth CD which features a wealth of guest musicians and has received enthusiastic reviews from the folk press.

We are delighted to welcome Luke, Sarah and Kath to the Topic for our first guest night of 2011.

20 January 2011
Gerry McNeice & Niamh Boadle
Gerry is a regular visitor to the Topic and did a great double header for us in April 2009. We are delighted to welcome him back, this time with young singer, fiddle player and guitarist Niamh Boadle

Gerry's CD release in late 2009 confirmed his status as one of the finest songwriters in the UK today as well as highlighting his ability to deliver inspired interpretations of traditional and contemporary material. His own songs are most often focussed on the issues we face in our everyday life but, in some cases, such as the intensely moving "Home" they have an epic quality that transcend both time and space.

Niamh performs a variety of Irish, English and original songs and tunes. In addition to her work with Gerry and her many solo performances she is also a third of the Irish band Trí. Niamh reached the finals of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards 2010 and released her debut CD in September.

Through their collaboration Gerry and Niamh have managed to create a duo that is even greater than the sum of its parts.

27 January 2011
Reg Meuross
"There's something special about the way he writes and delivers a song" - Townes Van Zandt
"The taut delicacy and lyricism of Meuross‚s work shines out" - Independent

Anyone who has seen Reg perform or listened to any of his CDs will know how true these comments are. His craft has been honed over the years through solo and collaborative performances (Panic Brothers, The Flamingos, Hank Wangford & The Lost Cowboys) and he is now widely respected as a major force on the national folk and acoustic circuit with appearances at many major festivals.

In 1996 he released the critically acclaimed CD The Goodbye Hat‚ and was nominated for several music awards, including best song for ŒRing around the Roses‚. This was followed by a series of strong CDs culminating with the 2010 release of 'All This Longing'.

Reg‚s writing, performing and acting credits include work with people as diverse as the famous French Composer Vladimir Cosma ˆ who wrote the cult movie ŒDiva‚; Gerard Depardieu; Marsha Malamet; Nick Lowe; Not The Nine O‚Clock News; Robbie Coltrane; Chris Difford; Charlie Dore; Gary Clark; Antonia Bird; Lenny Henry; Jeremy Hardy; Paul Merton, etc.

It gives us huge pleasure to welcome Reg on his first visit to the Topic and we hope that you will take this rare chance to see him in this part of the world.

Topic Folk Club - Keeping Music Live in the heart of Bradford

Best Wishes

Joe Grint