MUSIC
With regard to purchasing Howden Live tickets for events at the box office at Touchwood, please note that we do not have provision for buying tickets by debit/credit card. The only way you can do that is to buy them online. If you have the correct money for the the tickets you buy at Touchwood ready that would be greatly appreciated. Should you have issue about any HL events please get in touch via the contact facility here on the website, or, if you subscribe to our newsletter, via the e mail address there, thank you. Doors for all shows are 7.30 for 8pm unless otherwise stated.
THE AUTUMN SEASON!
LIVE/WIRE
Saturday September 2nd £15.
There’s a good reason we keep inviting Live/Wire back……They are simply….Awesome!! The unique six man tribute to rock’s greatest band AC/DC, complete with trademark cannons, a wall of Marshalls and two hours of High Voltage Rock and Roll. Forty One years into the AC/DC story and the band cover both eras as always with both ‘Gary’ Bon Scott and ‘Pete’ Brian Johnson present 
to take you on the Rock and Roll train for a night to remember. The rhythm section keep it all meticulously together giving Ashgus the freedom to mesmerise the audience with his sublime playing and infinite energy. Those who have seen the show on the ‘For Those About To Rock’, ‘Ready to Bite’ and ‘Shake your Foundations’ tours are already witness to the talent and dedication gives on stage with the portrayal of the Live/Wire Angus Young delivering a truly amazing two hours of duck-walking, bedevilled Rock and Roll.The band aim to put you slap bang in the middle of the show with hit after hit, and for the aficionados !There’s always something special as well. Back in Black, Rosie, Highway to hell, the songs go on and on until the cannons fire ceremoniously to bring the evening to a superb crescendo. If by this time you are still standing……..we salute you !!
THE CADILLAC KINGS
Saturday September 16th £12.50
The Cadillac Kings Firm favourites on the blues, rhythm & blues & swing scenes, The Cadillac Kings feature five of the UK’s top blues and roots musicians.
vocals, harmonica, guitar: Mike Thomas lead guitar, vocals: Mal Barclay piano, accordion, vocals: Tim Penn drums, vocals: Roy Webber Paul Cuff: double bass
Inspired by the sounds and styles of the ‘40s & ‘50s with a distinctly modern take lyric-wise (courtesy of singer & writer Mike Thomas) this is a band that has earned a reputation for wowing their audiences, from intimate clubs to major festivals, from theatres to dance-halls, the length & breadth of the UK & Europe, from the Canary Islands to Svalbard in the arctic circle.
Since their formation in 2001 the band has opened shows for & shared stages with blues, rock & roots acts such as John Mayall, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Rod Piazza, Lazy Lester, Magic Slim, Lil’ Ed & His Blues Imperials, Louisiana Red, Larry Garner, Nappy Brown, Sherman Robertson, Victor Wainwright, Reba Russell, Little Feat & Delbert McLinton to name but a few!
* Along the way the band has picked up numerous awards including The Times Newspaper’s best blues cd of the year 2004 for ‘Highway 17’ (33WM131)
* And in 2009 Canada’s ‘Real Blues’ Magazine’s awarded them best non American cd for ‘Trouble in Store’ (33WM145).
* Their 2012 release “Gonna Tell Your Momma” (33WM147) was recorded 100% live in Norway and has had rave reviews at home from ‘Blues & Rhythm’ to ‘Folk Roots’, and abroad from ‘Blues Blast USA’ to ‘Blues News Norway’!
Now approaching their sixteenth anniversary, the band has also signalled their strongest ever line-up, featuring two of the UK’s very best roots players – sensational pianist & accordionist – Tim Penn, and on guitar the brilliantly versatile Mal Barclay, alongside frontman Mike Thomas – ‘the best blues lyricist this side of the pond’ (Blues in the Northwest).
*This is the line-up you can hear on their new album “The Secret of my Success” (33 Records WM153) Released in September 2016 to unanimous praise here & in the USA, the album quickly became distributor Propermusic’s biggest seller in their blues charts, and in December was chosen by the UK’s Independent Blues Broadcasters Association as one of the best 3 releases of 2016 alongside Kaz Hawkins & Joe Bonamassa. Currently the album is in the Cashbox top 40 in the USA
“The UK’s premier blues & roots act” John Clarke, The Times
“Good time blues at its very best, do not miss these guys!” Lionel Ross, Blues in Britain Magazine
“One of the nation’s finest bands in ANY genre. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face.” Grahame Rhodes, Blues in the Northwest.
“This is a band with a well earned reputation for their unfailing ability to put on a great performance, with warmth and humour exuding from every pore. In short, they are an absolute delight”. Ian Ross, Darlington R&B Festival
THE BEAUTIFUL COUCH
Saturday 30th September £15
If you have seen this band before they need little introduction, the reason we keep asking them back? Simples, they provide yet another cast iron guarantee of a rip roarin’ night out that is not to be missed…..
Emulating the sound of two of Hull’s finest, and most popular exports, The Beautiful South and The Housemartins. The Beautiful Couch first formed in 2002, playing all over the country. ‘The Couch’ built up a loyal following and a huge reputation in the tribute band world. Playing venues such as Liverpool’s The Cavern and the Matthew Street Festival, the KC Stadium in Hull, and they’ve also supported Deacon Blue and The Commitments.After taking a few years off, the Couch returned for a one off gig at Hull City Hall in May 2012. Such was the demand for the band to return, they decided to grab their instruments and return to the stage, and the fans flocked to see them.
Now they’re back and raring to go, if you missed them first time around, don’t make the same mistake again! The Beautiful Couch are: Ed Faulkner, Jan Brumby, Johny Kramer, Adam Parrish, Antoine Robinson, and Pete Bartley.
WILD WILLY BARRETT & THE FRENCH CONNECTION
& Martyn Barker
Saturday October 14th £12
You won’t find another band like Wild Willy Barrett’s French Connection. From a Parisian café via a Dublin hooley to a New Orleans party with rip-roaring fiddle & banjo.
Imagine stumbling across a smoky back street bar, late night jam: Django Reinhardt & The Pogues; Robert Johnson accompanies Edith Piaf; Bob Marley’s jammin’ with Stéphane Grappelli; Tom Waits joins in. This is French Connection.
As the versatile and heartrending vocals of French singer Aurora Colson take centre stage, the quartet perform stunning original compositions and arrangements on guitar, cello, harmonium, whistle, fiddle, banjo and Irish pipes.
Enjoy a wonderful evening of unique musical entertainment overlaid with a large dose of dry humour, very different from anything else you will experience in the UK at the moment.
STEPHEN DALE PETIT
Saturday October 28th £12.50
Stephen Dale Petit is a guitarist, singer, songwriter and pioneer in New Blues music. He is widely recognised as a major architect of the New Blues Revolution.
Currently recording his new album in Nashville Tennessee with Vance Powell at Blackbird studios, Petit’s 1st & 2nd releases (“Guitararama” and “The Crave”) saw both commercial success & critical acclaim.
Petit’s benefit show for the iconic & legendary London venue The 100 Club on Dec 1st 2010 included special guests current Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, former Stones Mick Taylor & Dick Taylor and godfather of modern British music Chris Barber amongst others. The Times review of the show called Petit an “Axe Maestro” and the show “worthy of 100 club folklore’.
December 2011 saw the release of “Stephen Dale Petit The BBC Sessions”.
THE TIM KLIPHUIS TRIO
10th Anniversary Concert
Saturday November 11th £14
Regular Shire Hall performers The Tim Kliphuis Trio return to celebrate highlights from their 10-year career: jaw-dropping Django-gypsy jazz, beautiful traditional melodies and mesmerizing improvisations from their ground-breaking Vivaldi CD “Reflecting the Seasons”.
The Tim Kliphuis Trio met in Glasgow in 2006 and embarked on their first UK tour that same year. Their electrifying performances soon found them at the Richard Strauss Festival, Celtic Connections and the Amsterdam Canal Concert, to an audience of 10.000. Recent successes include concerts with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and Tallin Chamber Orchestra, and a 3-record deal with SONY Classical.
Tim Kliphuis – violin
Nigel Clark – guitar
Roy Percy – double bass
CARL PALMERS ELP Legacy Tour 2017.
A tribute to Keith Emmerson, Greg Lake and John Wetton.
Saturday November 25th £22.50
“The up and coming tour in November is a celebration of the music I have made over the years with Keith and Greg and also John Wetton who has died this year.
These are three very important people in my life .And all three died within a ten month period of each other it was a great loss to us all
I look forward to playing some of the music I personally made with all of them over the years on my November tour.” Carl Palmer.
Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy has been thrilling audiences with its innovative new versions of classic Emerson Lake & Palmer songs and rocked-out power-trio versions of classical music hits. Palmer, named by ROLLING STONE magazine as one of the 10 greatest drummers of all time, is a dynamic showman and has been performing for nearly four decades with some of musicʼs most memorable bands including Atomic Rooster, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Asia and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
Palmer will present bold, new arrangements of the best-loved instrumental music of ELP, and other composers. A multi-media experience combining music and video projection, the show promises to be among the most musically compelling tours of the year. Carl Palmer ELP Legacy is a red-hot power trio that features Palmer on drums and percussion; guitarist Paul Bielatowicz and bassist Simon Fitzpatrick. “Since 2001, I have been playing with my own power trio, replacing the keyboards with electric guitar,” says Palmer. “I felt that was the only honest way to approach the music of ELP. I didn’t want to have a singer trying to sound like Greg Lake. ELP did so much instrumental music, this format made sense to me. The idea was to re-invent the music; there will be several new classic ELP tunes this time around.” Palmer also recently launched his official ELP website: www.emersonlakeandpalmerworldwide.com Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy will play nearly two hours and drum enthusiasts can expect an evening of compelling percussive skills, from the man who brought the drum set to the forefront of rock n roll music.
Click here for a nifty promo vid…….. BUY TICKETS HERE….
THE REVOLUTIONAIRES!
Saturday December 2nd £12.50
So good we booked them twice! Without doubt one of the very best bands ever to have appeared on the Shire Hall stage and they are in some illustrious company believe me…
Established within the ‘hotbed’ of the North East music scene in the UK, they power out jumpin’ hot rhythm & blues in their own indomitable hard hitting style.
Primarily, they are influenced by 1940’s and 1950’s R&B. In particular, Louis Jordan, Big Joe Turner, Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Roy Brown but have adopted a harder and more aggressive approach, synonymous with modern blues artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Duke Robillard, Jools Holland and Mike Henderson which helps create their own high energy sound.
Over the last decade, The Revolutionaires have established themselves on the UK and European Rockin’ circuit, as well as the Blues scene.
They have toured extensively both in the UK and abroad, performing at festivals in Ireland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Malta and Dubai.
Highlights include performing at festivals with artistes such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Sting, Tom Jones, Hugh Laurie, Jimmie Vaughan, Robert Cray, Walter Trout, Eric Bibb, Albert Lee, Snake Davis and Dave Edmunds.
Now also touring with their Big Band project which consists of extra horns and pianist, The Revs are hitting the Festival circuit with this power house line up and big sound.
They have recorded five CDs to date containing a collection of Hot Rockin’ R&B tracks. Each CD captures the ‘rawness’ and sheer energy of the band, who like to give their performances a ‘hard-edged’ vibe!
If you ‘get yourself down’ to a Revs gig, in the words of the Ronnie Molleen tune ….….” We’ll be rockin’ up a storm tonight! ”
A fantastic production of “Educating Rita” by Willy Russell is comin g to the Shire Hall on Thursday 9th May at 7.30. Directed by award winning Daniel Slater with original music by internationally renowned compoiser Mark-Anthony Turnage. Check out the touring company’s website http://www.hambledonproductions.com for more information. First time in Howden!
what time do the concerts start?
Doors usually 7.30 for 8pm.
When are tickets going on sale for Martin Turners Wishbone Ash please
Online should be available within the week.
Today.
Coming to the gig on 20th Feb. is it a stand up venue or are their seats?? It would be nice to rest my old bones!!!
Hi Tony, mainly seated, you can stand if you wish to? Considering a dance floor area if you fancy cutting a rug or two?
Would like to buy tickets for Lisa Mills on line can’t find the facility to book tickets
Hi Lyyne, thats because I cleverly forgot to put the link in, sorry. You can now though.
Is there a dance floor at the venue when The Revolutionaires appear?
There is Peter.
Where have all the jazz bands gone? Only Tim Kliphuis now. No Alan Barnes, Dave Newton etc
Hi Ian we used to get significant amounts of money in grants from the Arts Council which significantly subsided jazz in particular. We decided some five years ago that we would become self funding, we have been successful in that but we are no longer in a position to present shows that make significant losses as jazz ones often did.