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

Est: 1956

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Topic Newsletter Archive

TOPIC FOLK CLUB, BRADFORD

At Glyde House, Glydegate, Bradford BD5 0BQ  

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

Newsletter No. 140 - January 2014

Hello again everyone,

Happy New Year to you all, Happy New Year Topic, Happy New Venue....

With the Christmas and festive stuff behind us, it's time to concentrate on getting 2014 under way and acclimatising ourselves to our new home.

You should have received a separate email with location information: I hope it suffices and that you soon get used to finding somewhere to park etc. It's the least satisfactory element of our move: we've been spoilt in a way, having so much parking space on the land next to the Irish Club. There have been many factors to take into consideration: I hope you will bear with us through the initial period, and that you will find the new venue to your liking. Please feel free in due course to let us know what you think.

There's a map on the website which may help further.

So to our programme:

2nd January
Singers and musicians night. 8.15 pm start. Free entry

9th January     
Roger Davies 
The perfect start to a New Year: Roger is a firm favourite with Topic audiences (and lots of other audiences judging by his ever-increasing band of followers). He continues to grow in stature as a singer and writer of good songs that uplift, inform and entertain, with a now vast repertoire of material, much of which concerns people and places of his beloved Yorkshire. In the unlikely event that you’re not yet familiar with Roger or his songs, rest assured that this will be a most entertaining night. £6/£5

“When Roger walked on stage to a sold out Square Chapel in Halifax I wondered why this self styled Yorkshire songwriter commands such a strong following. After the first two songs I began to understand...his songs are a reflection of the world around us. His inspiration comes from life as we live it. His lyrics can be funny, as in “The Beer Belly Blues”, thought provoking, or, as in “Stephanie”, simply exquisite”. New Album Launch Show Review, Halifax Courier

16th January
The Sail Pattern 
The Sail Pattern offer up a raucous broadside of folk, encompassing original songs plus their own arrangements of shanties and other traditional songs. With a shared passion for playing folk music these superb young musicians have performed all over the UK and won a reputation for energetic and memorable live performances. They gave us a wonderful night on their last visit: it’s a real pleasure to welcome them back to the club.£6/£5

23rd January
Patsy Matheson
Voted Best Female Singer in the 2013 Spiral Earth Awards, Patsy Matheson has come a long way since 1991 when she was chosen as winner of a song writing competition by none other than Maddy Prior and Clive Gregson. This success led to recording sessions and touring, supporting, among others, such luminaries as John Martyn, Dick Gaughan,  Christy Moore and Gordon Giltrap: in 1997 she performed a solo set on the acoustic stage at the Glastonbury Festival. In 2003 Patsy  formed what became the hugely successful female vocal harmony group Waking the Witch. Since 2008 she has toured throughout the UK with songwriting and guitar legend Clive Gregson. £6/£5

“There’s an overcrowded market in the UK of female singer-songwriter-guitarists, but Patsy Matheson stands out for the quality of her singing and  more importantly, her songwriting...her best songs are  thoughtful, delicate and impressively original” – Robin Deneslow, The Guardian.

30th January
Sunjay Brayne
Passionate about his music, Sunjay Brayne is rapidly developing into one of the best young solo performers on the English acoustic scene. Aged just 19 his performances are mature & confident while his guitar playing is intricate & faultless. Nominated for the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2012, and winner of the Wath Festival Young Performers' Award, Sunjay is the first Anglo-Indian to emerge as a major talent since Hamish Imlach & Gerry Lockran in the 1960s.

Born in Derby and raised in the West Midlands, Sunjay began playing guitar aged just four. His early influences were the likes of Buddy Holly & Don McLean. By the age of fourteen Sunjay had seen, met and been encouraged by Ralph McTell, Derek Brimstone, Paul Downes and Steve Tilston – some of the best that the folk-scene had to offer. Those early influences paved the way, but it wasn’t until he found the music of Chris Smither and the late Roger Brooks that he found his niche. £6/£5

“For such a young performer Sunjay Brayne shows real confidence, maturity and  ease on stage that it seems like he has been doing nothing else all his life” – Folk All Magazine

Subs for 2014

These are now due: at £5 per year the best value in town. See below for details.

Other News

As many of you will know, Geoff Wood passed away shortly before the Holbeck Mummers appearance on our party night in December. Geoff was a real character: having been involved with the Mummers and Folk at the Grove for so many years, he will be sadly missed. His funeral will take place at 3 pm on Thursday 2nd January at Rawdon Crematorium, followed by a wake at The Grove.

For performers who may be thinking of approaching the club for a booking, please note that the bookings organiser is now Sue Gaffney, email address : sue.gaffney@btinternet.com

If you would like to become a member of the Topic Folk Club, it costs just £5.00 per year, running from 1st January. 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.

 If you’re visiting the club for the first time, be sure to come and say hello, and if anyone has any suggestions for the club, for example if you would like us to try to book a particular artist, we’d like to hear them.

The Topic runs on Thursdays at Glyde House, Glydegate, BD5 0BQ  8.30pm start. (Singers & Musicians nights start at 8.15pm). Like all the clubs in the area, our aim is to provide good quality live entertainment to suit all tastes of those interested in folk music, and we thank you for your continued support.

Floor singers are always welcome, especially in the first half. Please try to get there by 8.15pm if you’d like a slot – it helps the MC to plan the evening.

To find the Topic on Facebook search for "Topic Fc"

We at the Topic would like to wish you a Happy New Year: may 2014 be a good and peaceful year for you all and we hope we can continue to please as many of you as possible with the choice of the performers we bring to the club.

Best wishes

Tony Charnock, Topic Newsletter Editor  

tocharn@gmail.com        
www.topic-folk-club.org.uk