Online ticket provision is available via We Got Tickets clicking on the links on this website.
Hard copy tickets are available via the Dove House Hospice shop, 33 Market Pl, Howden, DN14 7BL. Telephone 01430 431660
Tickets can also be purchased at: The Shire Hall, 11 Market Place, Howden, DN14 7BJ where online tickets can also be obtained.
All events are at the Shire Hall unless otherwise stated.
Telephone 01430 432510
Doors are 7.30 for 8pm
The pre season ticket offer will now be available throughout the year, what are always good value shows featuring the very best original music and top tribute bands now become awesome value, please see details below, thank you.
- Orders must be for tickets for a minimum of three different Howden Live events.
- Any number of tickets for each event can be pre-ordered.
- Orders should be sent to the treasurer Elaine at the following email address HowdenLiveArts@gmail.com
- You will receive an email giving you a reference number which you must use as the reference for your bank transfer payment.
- The email you receive will tell you the total amount payable and details of Howden Live’s bank account. Money must be paid by internet banking promptly to the account to reserve the tickets you have ordered.
- You will pay no booking fee (usually 10%).
- You will receive 5% discount off the face value of the tickets you want to purchase.
- All your tickets will be placed in an envelope ready for collection at the front desk on the first show you have booked.
All emails will be processed in the order they are received.
2025…HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT…
A memorial and fund raising concert for John Drakeley. A stalwart of the Goole music scene for more than 40 years, much loved dad, brother, uncle and friend. A good man.
An evening featuring musical representatives of Goole’s musicians, acoustic sets from Chris Kelly, Joe Hodgson, Sid Gs and full band performances from The Tea Band and The Numbers, not forgetting of course Mel’s disco!
AMY’S WINEHOUSE BAND.
Friday February 7th £15.
Amy’s Winehouse Band are a Tribute Band formed from a group of top-class musicians who have played in various successful bands local to Hull and have vast experience in the live music scene.
Singer: Louise Montgomery – Outstanding versatile vocalist with a broad repertoire of music and includes Lou Lou Soul Experience Tribute.
Guitarist/ Backing vocals: Matt Foster – The Shine, Woodsmoke
Bass guitar: Andy Foster – Dep Drummer /Bass player for various bands
Keyboards/Backing Vocals: Antoine Robinson – solo wedding singer, The Beautiful Couch
Drums: Pete Bartley – The Beautiful Couch, The Shine, The Soul Bouncers
From the minute we first got together to rehearse with a selection of Amy Winehouse tunes we all knew; this was going to be something special .
You will not be disappointed; we have put together a live show that not only sounds fantastic we also look the part on stage .
“Back to Black” “Valerie” “Rehab” “You Know I’m No Good” and many more…
Amy Winehouse was a British singer and songwriter known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues, reggae and jazz. Her tragic early demise robbed the world of a true talent, remind yourself of that talent in the Shire Hall tonight…
JAMES OLIVER with NORMAN WATT-ROY
FEBRUARY 22nd £15
Now with added DOGFINGER STEVE
“James is a passionate roots rocker loaded with guitar firepower.”
– Bill Kirchen ” guitar legend
“He’s the man with the face, from outer space, on his faith and grace” Ian Dury describing bassist Norman Watt-Roy.
“I am not easily impressed by guitarists, but this guy is definitely a comer.”
– John Drumbo, (Drummer for Captain Beefheart)
Next year will see the pairing up of the irrepressible guitar talent of Wales’s very own James Oliver and the bass legend that is Norman Watt Roy (Ian Dury and the Blockheads/Wilko Johnson et al). Fresh from a killer show at the Half Moon in Putney in March, James and Norman alongside drummer, Mark Kemlo, will be fully unleashed to tour across the UK and beyond in 2025.
James Oliver. guitar and vocals
James Oliver is one of the UK’s busiest acts playing over 300 gigs a year all over the UK, Europe, and the USA!
He has performed over 3000 gigs and shared the stage with many acts including Albert Lee, Bill Kirchen, Deke Leonard, Greg Koch, Walter Trout, Steve Gibbons, Billy Bremner, Geraint Watkins, and many others. In 2020 James won the UK Blues Awards Emerging Artist of the Year and has since been nominated 3 additional times. James Oliver released 2 studio albums 3 live albums and his album Twang was #1 on Amazon Blues Charts for 3 weeks. James is currently working on a new record with legendary producer, John Leckie. James’ YouTube channel has over 20,000 subscribers with over 10 million views.
Norman Watt Roy – bass
Norman kept busy with session work throughout the ’70s, and appeared on such albums as Rachel Sweet’s Fool Around and Nick Lowe’s Jesus of Cool, and Jona Lewie’s number one single “You’ll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties.” He and his brother, along with Turnbull, later joined up with Mick Gallagher (guitar) and Charlie Charles (drums), working under the name Loving Awareness — that outfit, in turn, was engaged for a session with Chaz Jankel and Ian Dury which led to their work on Dury’s New Boots and Panties!! LP, and eventually became the Blockheads, Dury’s band.
They hit the top of the charts in 1979 with “Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick.” Norman Watt-Roy was now one of the most visible bassists working in England. His time with the Blockheads allowed him to cross paths with Dr. Feelgood’s Wilko Johnson, which led to his joining Johnson’s own group in the mid-’80s. In between, he played with the Selecter on Celebrate the Bullet and the Clash on Sandinista!, with Wreckless Eric’s Captains of Industry, and he played the original bass part on Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s single “Relax.” During the 21st century, he has kept busy working with Nick Cave, in addition to his continued performances with Johnson.
DOM PIPKIN & THE IKO’S
MARCH 8th £15
A bit of what you are in for….
Piano virtuoso Dom Pipkin is one of Europe’s top exponents of New Orleans rhythm and blues. Pipkin breathes new life into the classic funk sounds of The Meters, Dr John, Fats Domino and Professor Longhair, with these influences emerging in his own irresistible song writing. His classical and sometimes rhapsodic influences are married with a tough approach to the blues and driving left hand rhythms.
Pipkin’s band the Ikos, takes these New Orleans influences and fleshes them out with drums, harmonies and wailing sax and has been resident at Ronnie Scott’s London and around the RnB club scene where its reputation as a top level live act is second to none. Pipkin delivers the most authentic and compelling take on this highly infectious and life affirming blend of blues, gospel, street and jazz that is uniquely New Orleans, with a stellar list of international festivals and radio and TV appearances and fans ranging from Jonathan Ross, Hugh Laurie, David Arnold, and Jamie Cullum.
Starting off as keyboard player to the award-winning Errol Linton band, Pipkin has travelled the world on keyboards with trip-hop pioneers Morcheeba, he was Musical Director for Paloma Faith, and has played for Paul Weller, Laura Mvula, Ray Davies, Pee Wee Ellis and John Newman to name a few, but has always kept a close connection to his second home, New Orleans. A regular visitor to the Crescent City for 18 years, he has performed at the Jazz and Heritage Festival, at the world famous New Orleans “Piano Night”, and alongside its musical legends Allen Toussaint, Lilian Boutte, Jon Cleary, Ellis Marsalis and Marcia Ball. He has supported Dr John, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and the Blind Boys of Alabama, and performed for film director Stanley Kubrik.
On screen, Pipkin stars in the new Netflix thriller, Black Doves (5 Dec 2024), and A Thousand Blows by the creators of Peaky Blinders (released Feb 21 2025), and can be seen jamming boogie-woogie with king of Kpop star Jay Chou in the latest Rimowa commercial.
Pipkin’s piano skills have taken him all over America and Europe, and in 2024 he headlined the Steinway 2-Piano Festival in London. The Ikos are currently completing their second studio album, due for release this summer 2025, unveiling a more deeply voodoo and funky sound for the band. The first single ‘Heading South’ is out now on all platforms.
Personnel: Dom Pipkin: Piano, Keyboards, Organ Jimmy Norden: Drums Bass: Michael Searl Matt King Smith: Guitar Mirco Altenbach: Saxophone Trevor Walker: Trumpet.
PRESS QUOTES:
“When Dom plays the piano magic happens” – Paloma Faith
“one of the worlds’s finest exponents of the music of New Orleans…. a true piano talent” Blues In Britain magazine
“A great piano player” Andy Kershaw
“Dom Pipkin flails the organ to within a millimetre of Jimmy Smith and just dig that almighty piano.”
Straight No Chaser magazine (Max Reinhardt)
“A genius” James Bond composer, David Arnold
“I can’t hold a candle to this guy. He’s a great piano player”
Jamie Cullum, live on Radio 2
“I really love your stuff. I hope we play together again soon!”
(Grammy and W.C Handy award nominated) Eric Bibb
“Quite the revelation! ..Lighting up the British blues and RnB scene at the moment, very very good indeed. A fine band!” Paul Jones (Manfred Mann, The Blues Band), BBC Radio 2
“Love your piano playing” Paul Weller
“I love your band! You get me singing and dancing”
Paul Sanchez, multiple award-winning New Orleans songwriter/ artist
“Dom brings the whole New Orleans thing to the UK. So good!”
Zigaboo Modeliste of international supergroup The Meters and
godfather of New Orleans funk drumming”
“Have you heard this guy play James Booker?”
Tom McDermott, New Orleans piano star
“Simply amazing” London Culture Club
“The finest New Orleans band never to come from Louisiana” Rocking Magpie
“Dom plays the kind of piano Jools can only dream about” BeBop Spoken Here
ELIZA CARTHY with Jen Reid.
FRIDAY MARCH 21st £20
Have a gander, not quite solo but you get the idea…
If there is one musician who embodies the dynamism and vitality of the current English folk revival, it’s Eliza Carthy MBE.
As the daughter of folk legends Martin Carthy & Norma Waterson, Eliza grew up immersed in the world of traditional music and from an early age was championed by John Peel, Andy Kershaw and Billy Bragg.
Beloved of staunch traditionalists and iconoclasts alike, Eliza’s music effortlessly crosses boundaries of genre and style. Whether solo or fronting a big band, performing a centuries-old ballad or a self-written song, her powerful, nuanced voice, fiercely beautiful fiddle-playing, and mesmerizing performances have influenced a whole generation of young musicians.
Twice nominated for the Mercury Prize, and winner of innumerable other accolades over her thirty-year career, Eliza has performed and recorded around the world with a diverse array of artists including, Paul Weller, Rufus & Martha Wainwright, Patrick Wolf, and Jarvis Cocker.
Describing herself simply as a modern English musician, she is one of the most impressive, engaging, and important performers of her generation.
‘Unarguably the queen of English Folk’
The Observer
‘Not the Messiah, but a very naughty girl’
Stewart Lee
Jennifer Reid performs 19thC Lancashire dialect work songs, Manchester broadside ballads and clog steps. She played Barb in Shane Meadows’ critically acclaimed period drama The Gallows Pole on the BBC.
She works across academia, folk performance, heritage consultation and media to bring industrial history back to the people. http://www.jenniferballads.com.
TWO PIANO’S
MARCH 22nd £16.50
Join the sensational David Barton and Al Kilvo, along with their top-class band as they battle it out to deliver the best rock ‘n’ roll piano experience audiences have seen. Feel the energy and witness the foot stomping performance of Two Pianos as they bring you to your feet and have you dancing in the aisles, singing hits from Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Elvis, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Everly Brothers and more!
“Two Pianos are truly awesome rockers!” — Jerry Lee Lewis
“Two of the hottest Rock ‘n’ Roll piano-pounders in the world” — The Yorkshire Times
“Highly recommended ”— Chas & Dave
“Dedicated rockers par excellence-top of our gig list.” — The Times
“There is enough talent and individuality in his act for him to make his mark nationally and not just for a year or three.” — The Stage
“So, it was non-stop electrifying Rock ’n’ Roll all the way except for a glorious interlude where they found themselves playing straight, snatches of everything from Beethoven to Rachmaninov, just for the hell of it, just because they could and seemingly wanted to playfully out-bravura each other.” — The Yorkshire Times
THE DUNCAN MCFARLANE BAND
5th APRIL £15
‘It’s nice to find a folk-rock band that understands both folk AND rock and knows how to draw on one without diluting the other’
‘Robust folk-rock – reels, jigs and stout songs, well-executed and infectiously lively’
‘Essentially solid, energetic English electric folk, full of pumping riffs and loads of energy’
‘The world can always use more good English folk-rock and this is loud, fast music based on the rhythms of English country dance music, with sharp-edged electric guitar leads, electric fiddle and gutsy, gritty singing’ (fRoots, Yorkshire Evening Post, Dirty Linen (USA) and Shreds & Patches)
‘Absolutely great; The Duncan McFarlane Band CD
‘All Rogues & Villains’ is chock full of great stuff, really powerful playing and singing.’
(Mike Harding, BBC Radio Two, Folk & Roots Show
THE REVOLUTIONAIRES
APRIL 19TH £15
This…is why we keep getting them back…
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! “
Hailing from East Yorkshire, the Juke Joint Kings are a five-piece blues band, inspired by the classic electric-blues kings from whom they derive their name (Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, BB King, Jimmy Reed and Otis Rush to name but a few).
THE BOOTLEG EAGLES
FRIDAY MAY 16th £20
Back by popular demand, the music of the Eagles is etched into our culture. It defines the music of the 1970s. THE BOOTLEG EAGLES take their audience on a powerful journey through the band’s career, from their country-rock roots to global chart-toppers.
An evening with THE BOOTLEG EAGLES is jam-packed with all of the unforgettable hits and best-loved album tracks audiences love, all performed with the amazing musicianship and stellar harmonies that they deserve. Reproduced with unwavering respect by a quintet of talented professionals, all live, every harmony, every guitar lick and every hook without a safety net.
The five musicians at the heart of THE BOOTLEG EAGLES have previously worked with stars including Mark Knopfler, Ruby Turner, Trevor Horn, Jimmy Nail, Prefab Sprout, Si King (Hairy Bikers), members of Squeeze, Dexys Midnight Runners, The Average White Band, and The Style Council.
That’s decades of experience, translating into performances packed with energy, sensitivity, soul and breath-taking accuracy, giving audiences a memorable and authentic Eagles experience.
THE BLUEBELLS Acoustic
MAY 17th
BUY TICKETS HERE
A bit of what you are in for….
The Bluebells
Initially the Bluebells enjoyed a whirlwind career spanning the early 1980’s with a recording output including three U.K. hit singles “I’m Falling”, “Cath” and “Young at Heart” made with a procession of producers including Elvis Costello who became a mentor and teacher to the band.
Guitarist and ex-fanzine publisher Robert Hodgens (aka Bobby Bluebell) wrote instantly
memorable classics in collaboration with the two McCluskey brothers who completed the Bluebells’ essential troika and Kenneth McCluskey sang them in a likably unaffected voice,making every track count With the release of their debut album “Sisters” in 1984 on London Records ,The Bluebells toured widely in Europe and North America developing their live sound and signing to Seymour Stein’s Sire records in the U.S.
Robert and the brothers parted company amicably in 1986 with Ken and David forming and releasing records as the McCluskey Brothers while Robert concentrated on song writing duties for various other artists including Texas and the late Sinead O’Connor as well as his own group The Poems. In 1993 when “Young at Heart” hit the U.K. No 1 spot following its use as a T.V. advert for Volkswagon the chaps met up for some fun Top of the Pops appearances.
The Bluebells are very pleased to be playing again having recently received two premier Scottish Music Business Awards including “The Tartan Clef Award for Song Writing.” at the star studded Nordoff–Robbins charity annual fund raiser at Glasgow Barrowlands.
Following the re-release of the Classic album repackaged “Sisters” album on the Last Night From Glasgow The Bluebells were encouraged by the label and fans to record new material which has manifested itself in the excellent new album “The Bluebells In The 21st Century”released in April 2023.
MARTIN SIMPSON, ANDY CUTTING, NANCY KERR.
6th SEPTEMBER £22
Comprising three of Britain’s finest musicians and interpreters of songs and tunes, each member of this trio is an acknowledged virtuoso in their own right. Martin Simpson, Andy Cutting and Nancy Kerr have come together for the joy of playing and exploring the possibilities of music together, after appearing together on stages in various combinations over recent years and thoroughly enjoying it!
Nancy Kerr has been a major part of the acoustic music scene since she was a teenager and has always been a distinctive and impressive talent, turning heads everywhere she’s played or sung. She is currently part of an award winning duo with her husband, James Fagan, and also one quarter of the Melrose Quartet and a key member of The Full English band, both nominated for BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2014. Nancy has previously been nominated for the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Original Song, acknowledging her superb song-writing skills. She is a multi-instrumentalist of rare and astonishing talent as well a beautiful and joyful singer. She is one of the shining stars in the British music firmament and going from strength to strength with every new challenge she takes on.
Andy Cutting is an extraordinary musician. A master of the diatonic accordion and most other squeezeboxes, he is a superbly sensitive accompanist, a writer of beautiful and thrilling tunes, a highly in-demand band member and a sublime solo performer. His list of recording credits and sessions reads like a Who’s Who of acoustic music both in the UK and abroad, and he has played live with The Who, Roger Daltry and Sting, amongst others. Along with other young players in the 80s/90s, he helped change the face of British folk music; his work in a duo with Chris Wood and as a member of the mighty, Blowzabella, helped popularise French-Canadian and European music both here and abroad. Andy has toured extensively in the past with Martin Simpson, who always says that playing music with Andy Cutting is his favourite thing to do.
Martin Simpson is a multi-award winning musician, singer and songwriter who has worked with Bonnie Raitt, Richard Hawley, Jackson Brown, June Tabor, Richard Thompson and many more, as well as being a world-renowned performer in his own right. He was a notable virtuoso in his early teens and his partnership with June Tabor in the 70s and 80s brought him to the attention of a much wider audience and led to him being courted by the world of rock and roll, which he sidestepped. Twenty years living in the USA exposed him to a whole range of music, which he absorbed like a sponge, and since living back in the UK he has gone from strength to strength. He has often said that playing music with likes of Andy and Nancy makes him a better player and in this trio he will be mainly playing guitars and banjos, singing and grinning from ear to ear.
WEETWOOD MAC
& Offbeat
SEPTEMBER 20th £20
This lot took the roof off the Shire Hall when they last played here and it took a while to find another date but they’re back! Leeds-based Weetwood Mac are rapidly making a name for themselves as one of the UK’s most authentic Fleetwood Mac tribute bands.
Comprising of ex-members of Ellen & The Escapades(James Warrender/Ellen Smith/Chris Quick),Wayword Sons guitarist Sam Wood and Hope & Social drummer, singer/songwriter and Paul Simon afficionado Gary Stewart well known to Howden audiences via the Graceland show and Hope & Social.,
Yorkshire’s answer to Fleetwood Mac feature all of the hits from the 1970’s ‘Rumours’ era and many other classics such as ‘Rhiannon’,’Say You Love Me,’Everywhere’ and ‘Little Lies’ plus many more. Weetwood Mac whizz you back to make you believe you are enjoying the real deal in their heyday.
FIRE & RAIN
NOVEMBER 1st £15
One of last years, or any other come to that, highlights…
Without doubt one of the outstanding gigs of 2024 it is a tremendous pleasure for Howden Live to welcome back the Fire & Rain show to Howden at the Shire Hall .
‘Fire and Rain’ is not a tribute or sound-a-like act. It’s simply a collection of six of the best musicians from the North of England coming together to play music they love.
Expect the classic James Taylor songs including ‘Steamroller Blues’, ‘Shower the People’, ‘Fire and Rain’ and, of course, ’You’ve got a Friend’ plus many other classics played with skill, passion, emotion, humour and humility.
‘Fire and Rain’ are all highly regarded musicians in their own right and include Tom Townsend (Lead Guitar and vocals), Rich Adams (Acoustic Guitar, vocals and triangle!) Mark Gordon (Keyboards), Rowan Oliver (percussion) with Paul Tilley (Drums) and Bob Walker (bass).
They occasionally put their own individual musical projects aside to perform the music they love and aspired them to perform, and to and to bring the joy of James Taylor’s music to you in what they call a ‘magical musical holiday’.
Building upon the success of the last few years, having performed at various venues including theatres, ‘Fire and Rain’ are delighted to be able to bring this wonderful concert to Howden Live at The Shire Hall once again.
Join with them to celebrate with you the songs and music of iconic singer songwriter James Taylor, from his earliest songs to his most recent, in what will be a memorable evening of first class entertainment.
THE JAM’D
NOVEMBER 29th £15
The Jam’d are now the UK’s best known and most popular tribute to the live performance and sound of The Jam, and are totally committed to giving an unforgettable, authentic performance with all the energy, passion and style of the Woking 3.
As full time touring professional musicians, and massive Jam fans, the band don’t “try to be” or “pretend to be” The Jam, but rather put on a performance from the heart and soul, drawing on all their memories, experiences and love of what was the country’s biggest band in their day.
Gigging up and down the UK at outdoor festivals, scooter rallies and some of the UK’s top music venues & events! The show also includes the only replica of Rick Bucklers ‘Great White’ drum kit & features their own brass section!……You won’t be disappointed!
Every effort is placed into reproducing the sound, arrangements and energy of a Jam gig. Those who saw The Jam live will remember the electricity, aggression, passion, and even fashion on stage, something not always prevalent in today’s world, but to The Jam’d, it is a passion, a mission, and an honour to play for fans of “the best band in the f#@*ing world!”
As of September 2024, front man of 8 years, Dave Fletcher, stepped down to be replaced by young and talented Luke Gallagher. And so a new era begins!
HEART OF GLASS
A Tribute to Blondie
December 13th £15
The bands 18th performance at the Shire Hall…nothing short of legendary!!
Sell out performance after sell out performance are a measure of what you are in for with this very, very special show. HEART OF GLASS fronted by the delectable Denise Danielle described as “the closest to Debbie Harry yet!’” A cast iron guarantee of a superbly entertaining night out .
Heart of Glass are the foremost Blondie Tribute band in the UK. Lead singer Denise Danielle who has put together a stunning replication of a ‘Blondie’ show with all the favourite classics plus a lot more: Atomic, Maria, The Tide Is High, Hanging On The Telephone, Call Me, Denis, One Way Or Another, Sunday Girl and many, many more.
Denise prides herself on authenticity and does 6 costume changes during a show, each reflecting on the various songs. There is no finer exponent of the songs, style and raw energy of Deborah Harry and Blondie. This is like experiencing the real Blondie in 1978.!
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