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

Est: 1956

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Topic Newsletter

Newsletter No 273 - March 2025

Hope you're all well. The days are at last getting longer and longer, as I'm sure you've noticed... 

Lots going on over the coming months, so this is a bit of a marathon.

To start with, here's our programme for March:

(To mark Bradford's year as City of Culture we are ensuring that one of our guests each month will be either from Bradford or have strong links with the city.  These will be marked with *)

6th March Singers & Musicians  £1 entry

13th  March  Skinner & T'witch.  Support tonight from Andrew Metheven *

Drawing on music-hall and vaudeville traditions, Skinner & T’witch combine comedy and satire with folk, flamenco and theatre-style songs. The duo have released five albums; performed widely around the UK; and recently toured in both Australia and the US.

Book them if you can, and don’t miss them if they are playing anywhere near you - Ulverston Live Music

Skinner & T’witch are unique: there is nobody to compare them with. A pair of comic geniuses -The Living Tradition

Sandra and Steve brought us a fantastic evenings entertainment, with a great mix of

songs, choruses to join in with, and lots of laughs too. We can’t wait to have this very

talented couple back - Dunfermline Folk Club

If you get the chance to see them anywhere, please do yourself a favour, grab it with

both hands - Leith Folk Club

https://www.skinnerandtwitch.com/

Andrew Metheven

Andrew wants to write lo-fi folk from the hills and the concrete. His songs set out on journeys across births, over hills, into decay, past daydreams. They skirt around nightmares, hazard guesses at new ways and old muck, starve the soul and cut our losses free.

He tries to avoid just writing songs about birds, but sometimes that’s hard.

Andrew released his first EP, called A Quiet Life, in March 2022, and his first album Sister Winter in June 2024.

Entry £9 (£6 for members)

https://andrewmetheven.co.uk/

https://wegottickets.com/event/640713

20th  March    Singers & Musicians   £1 entry

27th  March  Crowes Pasture (USA)

A roots-infused, internationally touring folk duo, Crowes Pasture performs sometimes joyful, and often poignant, songs that reflect a mutual passion, sense of discovery and celebration of the human connection.

Monique’s romantic clawhammer banjo playing and Andy’s expressive guitar picking are enlivened by their personal chemistry, intimate harmonies and unique instrumental style that can only be described as a “banjo-guitar romance.”

Crowes Pasture has been a supporting act for The Kennedys and The Small Glories, and has performed at many internationally renowned folk venues. The duo was named Finalist for Best Group/Duo in the International Acoustic Music Awards in 2020 and 2021. They have had eight singles reach Top 10 Songs on the Folk Alliance International Folk Chart, including their No.1 hit, "Slow it Down", the title track of their 2019 album.

Fresh from touring in Southern Ontario and Quebec (Summer 2022), the duo is currently recording their fourth album, with award winning producer Eric Lichter of Connecticut’s Dirt Floor Recording Studios.  Entry £9 (£6 for members).

An uncanny blend of voices… the duo sound born to mesh their voices. His, a handsome, sandpapery timbre, hers, angelic, with a lovely wilt - Bill Copeland Music News

EPK: https://crowespastureduo.com/crowes-pasture-epk

https://wegottickets.com/event/640715

PLEASE NOTE that the first Thursday in April (3rd April) will NOT now be a singers and musicians night: instead it will be a guest night with The Hall Brothers and John Carey rescheduled from January when their gig was cancelled due to bad weather. (They will be joined on this occasion by Chris Bunyan on percussion).

TOPIC SPRING ZOOM -  17th March 2025

Joy Leach has submitted the following:

This is an invitation to join the forthcoming Topic Zoom on Monday March 17th, three days from the official start of Spring. You are invited to provide the music, songs or poems to celebrate the above, or for any other reason you choose.

Our Zooms are open to everyone anywhere in the UK and beyond. Both performers and audience members are welcome. As previously, the digital doors will open at 7.30 for an 8pm start; the programme will run till 10.00. Singers, musicians and poets can all take part. 

Our thanks to Jim Saville for allowing us the use of his Zoom so we can run the sessions without a break.

For further enquiries about participating, pass codes for the evening etc, please email:


                                                             joy.utistugu.49.5.8@gmail.com 

THE TOPIC AND BRADFORD CITY OF CULTURE 2025

The now usual reminder that we are involved in one of the cultural events in the run up to Bradford City of Culture 2025. I'll continue to put the reminder on the newsletters, more people may yet be inspired to submit a song for the project which is now up and running, plenty of songs coming in....

See the usual attached updated flyer Songs with a Bradford Accent.

This ambitious project is by no means limited to the usual participants in the acoustic music scene: if you know of anyone outside our orbit who might be interested in being involved, please let them know about it, nay, encourage them. It's not a competition, by the way, no winners and losers, just a chance to show what local songwriters can do to honour the city's award.

Additionally, to help promote this project we would like to record people saying “Songs with a Bradford accent” in various languages, if the language is spoken in Bradford we want it to be represented.  Could you help?  If possible send a recording to  jem.emmett@bcbradio.co.uk of yourself saying “songs with a Bradford accent” in your language.  If you are not able to record yourself then please get in touch with Jem at BCB and we could arrange for you to record at BCB studios.

For further details of SWABA and to send a song you have written please get in touch with Robbie at bd25topic@gmail.com.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: ADVANCE NOTICE OF SOME FUTURE EVENTS INVOLVING THE TOPIC AND THE BRADFORD CITY OF CULTURE

On the weekend of 4th and 5th May there will be a festival entitled Salt of the Earth Festival, based at Caroline Street Social Club in Saltaire. The Topic has been offered a 90 minute slot early on the Sunday afternoon, which we are intending to use to allow those who come to our singers and musicians night the chance to perform to a larger audience. Flyer attached: more details about the club's involvement in the next newsletter.

On Saturday 31st May we are running a Songwriting Workshop at the Bradford Mechanics Institute, 76 Kirkgate BD1 1SZ. This will run from 10.30 am  to 3.30 pm and will be led by local Topic favourites Nick Hall and Michelle Plum, aka Plumhall of course.The event will be open to all abilities. More details nearer the time, meanwhile flyer attached...

This event is in association with and has been made possible by Creative Lives and  Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.                                                                          

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NON-TOPIC STUFF

On Monday 3rd March 2025 Liz Narey's First Monday Folk welcomes Mockingbirds.

Venue:The Ryshworth Club, Keighley Road,Crossflatts, BD16 2EZ. Doors 7 pm. Pay as you feel, raffle.. Music from 7.30pm.

Robb Johnson who has appeared many times at the Topic over the years has a gig in Bradford with his trio, Fae Simon (vocals and percussion) and Sian Allen (trumpet and vocals) at the 1 in 12 Club, 21/23 Albion Street BD1 2LY on Saturday 15th March.  Flyer attached.

These are all the details we have at the moment, but you can check out the website (currently being upgraded): https://www.1in12.com/  or email oneintwelve@riseup.net for updates.

NEWS FROM THE DALES

The next Buck Inn session (the last in the present series) is on Sunday 9th March, 1pm to 4pm. This will be extra special, joining forces with traditional Dales and present day Beresford family musicians who will have been practising together in the morning for a Celebration of Beresford Music which will take place on April 13th. (More details of this event in our next newsletter). There might even be a bit of dancing with caller/musician Peter Barnard...

Tonight (1st March) there is a ceilidh at Grassington Town Hall with Buttered Peas, caller Terry Evans, 7pm to 10pm.  Tickets £10 on the door, or £8.50 from www.ticketsource.co.uk (but hurry!) or phone Richard on 01756 770346.

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TOPIC STUFF                                                    

As most of you will know by now, we now accept (indeed prefer) payment by card, but you can of course pay by cash if that suits you better.

Membership of the club runs from 1st January and will entitle 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. You can join or renew your membership on any club night.

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For performers who may be thinking of approaching the club for a booking, please email: info4topic@gmail.com

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 Hullabaloo, 41 Westgate, Shipley, BD18 3QX. Doors will open at 7 pm with a 7.30 pm start and a target time of 10pm to finish.

A reminder that freshly prepared food is available at Hullabaloo from 5.30 pm.

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 are hoping we can count on you for your continued support.

Floor singers are always welcome (though may be limited if we have a booked support act - please check). Please arrive by 7.15 pm if you’d like a slot – it helps the MC to plan the evening.

Please continue to take Covid precautions when visiting the club.

Best wishes 

Tony Charnock

Topic Folk Club