Richard Hawley

Friday night - John Bramwell in Biddulph. The Plum Porter that we supplied him with seemed to help! Full house, great sound and atmosphere.

Following the first Port Vale win that I've seen this season. I drove over to Eccleshall in Mid-Staffordshire to see Nashville singer-songwriter Angel Snow (Alison Krauss has covered her songs) supported by April Jai from Scotland.
April Jai:

Angel Snow:

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Blue Rose Code and Ciaran Algar in Biddulph - I've known Ciaran since he was nine and it's been great to see him go on to great things in the folk world. This was his first solo show and he brought his fiddle along but didn't play it once. He plays guitar brilliantly so he needn't have worried about not playing his signature instrument - a real musical polymath...
Blue Rose Code were great lads - very polite, enthusiastic and put on a warm-hearted set of Celtic soul.



Next it's Sam Carter and Kitty MacFarlane, again in Biddulph.

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Sam Carter & Kitty MacFarlane - Biddulph Town Hall 27th March. Sam is a Sheffield lad and reminds me greatly of Nic Jones in his playing style, but has a richer, more sonorous voice. Kitty drove up from Bristol or thereabouts and I prefered her ethereal, dreamy songs with clever use of seaside sampled soundscapes...

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Last Zal Cleminson / Sin Dogs at Eleven Stoke on Trent



Next Molly Tuttle at St Lawrence Church Biddulph

Where was I? OK - since the last post we had the Good Lovelies from Canada on in Biddulph - harmony-led roots music. Very entertaining:


Then it was off to the Ramblin' Roots Festival in High Wycombe - a cracking little festival hosted at Bucks University. The quality of the line-up continues to improve. I was only able to attend Friday and Sunday as I had to drive up to Nottingham and back to play a gig myself, despite a hairline fracture of the left arm that made playing the rubboard and cajun accordion ...different.
Best of Friday at Rambling Roots:
Austin Lucas

Yola

Best of Sunday at Ramblin' Roots:
Amber Cross

Malin Pettersen

Lucy Kitt

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Last : Mott The Hoople 74 Leamington Assembly Rooms 17th April

Next : Mott The Hoople 74 O2 Academy Manchester 19th April

Local band Nixon Tate & the Honey Club at the Artisan Tap Newcastle under Lyme to celebrate the release of their new EP. They're damn good...


One of my next UK gigs should have been Robbie Fulks - I was driving him from Kilkenny for half of his tour and had spent two full days ringing the UK border agency and Tier 5 accredited agents to sort out a Certificate of Sponsorship, but due to a potentially serious family health issue he's cancelled the tour...cue loads of website changes, notifications to all involved etc.

So, Mr H, if you're not doing anything on May 8th, if you, Shez and Clive (if he's back off his hols) fancy a gig at Biddulph Town Hall for £500 plus 90% of take above that we've got a free night...

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The Spitfires. 100 Club Saturday

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Missed out on Mr H's trio of gigs as I had booked ages ago for the wonderful Kilkenny Roots Festival. There's a tremendous camaraderie about this festival that brings folks together from all over Europe to bond with the locals in some of the finest pubs you'll ever be likely to find. Highlights for me were Alejandro Escovedo who was joined by John Perry of The Only Ones for a raucous cover of "Another Girl, Another planet"), The Accidentals, The Sadies (Ferocious!), the angelic, classic voice of Dori Freeman and The Delines.
The Sadies


Alejandro Escovedo

The Accidentals

Dori Freeman

The Delines

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This week - Hayes Carll, superbly supported and aided and abetted by Travis Linville at the Deaf Institute in Hanchester:


Then it was off to London to do some work for a GCSE exam board and I happened upon Wreckless Eric doing a show at the 100 Club, the day before his 65th birthday and in celebration of his new album being released. WE played as a duo, but was joined for the last couple of pre-encore numbers by his wife, the lovely Amy Rigby. Eric continues to morph into a one-man Ragged Glory era Neil Young. The man is an English institution and an absolute star.

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Headed up to Manchester on the day that it was treble-winning MCFC's victory parade, so it was doubly helpful to sneak into the backstreets of the Northern Quarter and get some food in the Soup Kitchen (I missed Clive who was round the corner at the Night & Day Cafe with Yola Carter & Chris Hillman by minutes, I discovered later) prior to the gig there by The Nude Party, supported by all-girl trio Pinky Pinky. The latter are from LA, have a singing drummer, the bass player's dad is in "Grey's Anatomy" and they rocked! New album out next month:


Headliners The Nude Party had been strongly recommended by friends who'd seen them at Americanafest in Nashville and SXSW. They have a 60's garage feel with a bit of a southern boogie groove and they play with the fire of a band like the Clash. It was pleasing to see a full venue respond warmly as I'd read from friends in Ireland that their gigs there hadn't been that well-attended. Definitely a live must-see.

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..and then I went to the last Cosmic American (A co-operative of Americana promoters) gig at The Maze in Nottingham. I've been to dozens of gigs at this venue - and have played there myself - and it's a real pity that it's closing. Its corner stage and great sound made for some fantastic nights there. The last night was no exception - Austinite Carson McHone is probably my favourite country artist right now. I'd seen her twice already this year solo, but with a band, she hits a whole new level. Support was from Rick Shea, who contributed some beautiful worldly-wise songs from the Californian West coast.

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Two trips to Sheffield in one week - unheard of. Went over earlier in the week to swap a load of gear at Harrison's cameras and then headed back on the Friday to pick up my CD and ticket (I didn't fancy lugging the camera gear to the gig, hence two trips). A short (uphill all the way) jaunt from my digs at Endcliffe Vale student hotel accommodation across the park and streams of marathon runners and I was one of the first - OK, I was the first - at the venue. Nice man at the shop across the road put the kettle on for a coffee as his machine had broken, so a good start - even better when it started raining and the pub opened at 11. Nice chatting to folks pre-gig and then the usual spot front and to one side to avoid the mic stand. Of the new songs, "Emilina Says" worked beautifully in an acoustic arrangement and I love "My Little Treasures" to bits - absolute new classic. I've a trip to Bristol on Monday to see Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets, then ten days in France and Germany with my old school, then it's back for the Wakefield gig. Pics:




Full set of pics

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Then down to Bristol - Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets. Nick seems to be getting a new lease of life playing with these guys. They're a really entertaining act in their own right and it's good that they get to play about a third of the show without Nick. I'd seen all involved play a similar show a couple of years back in London, but since then, although the schtick is pretty much the same, there are new arrangements of older songs - and newer songs. Everyone - band and audience - seemed to enjoy it, so what's not to like?

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