The first season of 2024, as per in reverse order…

LES NICOL PROJECT

& Le Collectif de Blues

FRIDAY FEBRUARY  23rd   £15

Les Nicol is an acclaimed guitar player and song writer, a guitar player who has been in the business for decades, Nicol is a seasoned professional who has recorded and toured with various acts, the most notable being Leo Sayer during the 1970s with his latest recording of the album ‘Reflections’ he decided to put together a collection of songs that represent different times and scenarios experienced over the years.
To achieve this goal, he enlisted an ‘army’ of exceptional local talent to play on the album, the outcome was so exciting he decided after release of the album in October to do live appearances with these players. Playing personnel…Les Nicol – Guitar and Vocals, Derk Gallager – Vocals, who has previously worked with Trevor Bolder (Uriah Heep/Spiders From Mars), Jon Dawson – Drums, Gary O’Neal – Bass, Nick Skorecki – Keyboards, Diane Skorecki – Vocals.
(Extract from Fireworks Rock and Metal magazine) The Blues Rock scene is teeming with albums from the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, When Rivers Meet, Samantha Fish and Elles Bailey all being well received. ‘Reflections’ by the Les Nicol Project would not feel out of place in amongst them.

‘Le Collectif de blues’ have come together to perform Chicago blues from the chess era, in an unplugged and laid back style, paying homage to the legendary blues artists of that time, from Howlin’ wolf, to Muddy Waters and BB king. Featuring Steve Fulsham, and Rob Scotch on harmonica.

THE JAM’D

& Luke Gallagher

FEBRUARY 10th  £15

Please note: Partial seating only.

The Jam’d are now regarded as 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!”

“You had to have seen The Jam live to truly experience what a Jam gig was, and I was lucky enough to have seen them on quite a few occasions. It wasn’t jumping around in every song on stage, it was a feeling, a movement, a total experience of style, cool, tension, excitement and electricity! We try and put those experiences into our performances to give our audiences some idea of what a Jam gig was. No one can ever emulate The Jam, but we hope we go some way to reminding fellow Jam fans of the best days of our youth!”
Dave Fletcher (The Jam’d)

BBC Radio 4 – The Jam’d can play any of the classic songs perfectly! They know what they’re doing!

Met lounge sound team (Peterborough) – Blown away by this band, had my attention from the sound check. Professional and talented on the next level! I’ve sound engineered touring bands for over 11 years and not many bands grab my attention the way these guys did!! Thanks guys for a wonderful night!!

IOW Scooter Rally – The best Jam tribute you’ll ever see!

Scribbling Sounds (Bilston) – singer and guitarist Dave Fletcher is more than a pair of sharp shoes and a polka dot shirt as he tears through the Bard of Woking’s finest moments.

Scribbling Sounds (Bilston) – That The Jam’d are up there with Bilston favourites The Modfathers and Bruce Foxton’s own From The Jam is testament to the musicianship of Fletcher, Malin and drummer John Cator

Luke Gallagher is a singer/songwriter from Wrexham. His sound is heavily influenced by the mod,60s,Britpop and 90s scene which runs through his three studio albums.

THE AUTUMN SEASON (In reverse order)

GENO WASHINGTON & THE RAM JAM BAND !

& Collective de Blues.

December 2nd  £21

Geno Washington’s status as the undisputed ‘King of Soul’ was cemented forever by Kevin Rowland and Dexy’s Midnight Runners in the 1980s, with the World-wide No. 1 smash hit single ‘Geno’. It paid homage to the great man himself and is still played regularly today on national radio and at Geno’s live gigs both before and after shows. 

Geno Washington and The Ram Jam Band had two of the biggest selling UK albums of the sixties. Amazingly both of these were live albums. Hand Clappin, Foot Stompin, Funky Butt Live was in the album charts for 48 weeks of the year 1966 and was only out-sold by The Sound of Music and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme.

US soul acts rarely visited the UK and, having come over as a part of the US Air Force and stayed, Geno was our soul man. His level of touring and the high energy of his gigs was, and still is (as immortalized by Dexy’s Midnight Runners in the 80’s hit Geno) the stuff of legends. During his sets, the beat was continuous and the hits were incessant.

It was really Geno who pioneered this Go, Go style of performing and the audiences simply could not get enough. With the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and Pink Floyd in support Geno could never relax. These spiritual meanderings were abruptly halted when, in 1980 Blighty beckoned once more. A call came from old friends in the UK that a tribute called Geno (mentioned above) had gone to number one in the charts.

In interviews, the singer, Kevin Roland, was speaking of this legendary soul man, whose name they used to chant up and down the land and public interest in Geno was growing for a new generation. Soon, Anglophile Geno, was back in the UK and back on the road.

THE REVOLUTIONAIRES

& The Juke Joint Kings

NOVEMBER 18th  £14

 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 band met over a series of musical free-for-alls at the monthly Blues Sunday at the Sun Inn Beverley; an open mic for blues fans and musicians of all abilities, hosted by none other than IBBA favourite Half Deaf Clatch at the time.

Being a Sunday, electric blues with a full drum kit couldn’t be accommodated, so a small group of participants (Brian Williams and Graham Hyde – Chicago Bound/This Way Up and Chris and Sara Saunders – Bad Hat Harry) began to look for an opportunity to ‘cut loose with some Chicago Blues’; it arrived in the form of a Steve Lawley’s postcard in a local music shop (‘Grumpy Drummer seeks blues band’).

After several happy months playing together whenever they could, they sought a spot at the Beverley Blues Weekender and were so well received that they decided to quit their other bands to focus full time on the ‘Juke Joint Kings’.

Their debut ‘accidental’ album, Live at The Stonemasons (a live recording initially intended for personal use only), received a very positive review in Blues Matters (issue 95) described as ‘having quality in every department’ and was just the boost the band needed to know they were on the right track.

Since then they have supported Tom Attah and the Bad Man Clan, The Revolutionaries and The Della Grants to name a few, and are regulars on the blues scene in Hull and Yorkshire.

Their second album is due to be released later in 2018, and will feature some of the original material, as well as the classic blues standards, that have been stirring up audiences over the past year and drawn fans from across the UK and Europe.

FOCUS

& Kirk Thomas

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17th   £22.

The band from the 60’s that just keeps giving.
Featuring Thijs Van Leer, Pierre Van Der Linden, Menno Gootjes and Udo Pannekeet.
Fresh from the studio where they have recorded their eagerly awaited new album, they will traverse the UK to give their loyal fans what they always want…a good time, and timeless music.
Each song breathtakingly unique, and each performance different to the one before.
How much longer will Focus tour?
We have had 50 years of this amazingly spectacular show, and Focus have achieved so much during this time span.
From Polydor’s record plant closing to other bands to press nothing but Focus for ten days to meet demand for Moving Waves, to being a favourite of Bob Harris on The Old Grey Whistle Test and to holding top ten positions in the UK charts with both singles and albums.
Now for some interesting Focus facts: Focus have featured in the orchestra pit for Victor Spinetti’s musical Hair; they have claimed a knighthood; sound tracked on a 2010 football World Cup commercial featuring Wayne Rooney; Hocus Pocus was featured in the iconic car chase sequence, after the bank heist in 2017 movie Baby Driver and also featured in Disney’s Classic TROLLS WORLD TOUR Movie 2020
The men of Focus are looking forward to seeing you all on their ‘Hocus Pocus Tour ’ at their favourite venues in November, and a few exciting new ones too.

‘Kirk Thomas wrote his first song when he was 7, and has not stopped since. Creating a musical record and journal to life. Songs with aspects of folk, rock and indie, all wrapped up in his own individual style.’

That classic Whistle Test performance…

IAN McNABB

& Joe Hodgson from Sandra’s Wedding.Now with added Jonny Hughes…

November 4th   £16

Robert Ian McNabb was born in Liverpool on November 3^rd 1960. An only child – the son of Patricia and Robert.
He first picked up a guitar at the age of 12 after seeing Marc Bolan on Top Of The Pops.
Ian joined his first band, Young World, at the age of 15 ; They played the working men’s club circuit for a couple of years before Ian joined another band City Lights. This band again gigged extensively around the North of England cabaret circuit, but Ian grew tired of playing other peoples songs and decided that cabaret was not the way forward for him. He had always written songs for fun but now he began to take it seriously.

In 1981 Ian formed The Icicle Works with Chris Sharrock (drums), and Chris Layhe (bass and vocals).
They quickly gained a following through their debut single release, Nirvana, and extensive live performances up and down the country.
The Icicle Works became part of the Liverpool renaissance movement of the eighties, alongside acts such as Echo And The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, WAH!, Heat, OMD, Black, Dead Or Alive, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, The Lotus Eaters, and China Crisis.
They signed to Beggar’s Banquet records, and under the guidance of Martin Mills scored a top 20 hit with Love Is A Wonderful Colour in the U.K ; and top 40 placings in the U.S, Canada, and Europe with Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream), with their eponymous debut album.
The Icicle Works achieved top 40 placings in the UK for all four of their albums – The Icicle Works, The Small Price Of A Bicycle, If You Want To Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Songs, and Blind – until they split up in 1988.

Muff Winwood signed Ian to Epic records in 1989, paying a buy-out fee to Beggar’s Banquet; but Muff’s insistence on using The Icicle Works name, (with new musicians Roy Corkill and Zak Starkey) when the original band had ceased to be, caused friction, and after one disappointingly received album, Permanent Damage, Ian was dropped from Epic’s roster.
Ian began a collaboration with his friend and previous Icicle Works producer, Ian Broudie – a number of songs featured on subsequent Lightning Seeds records, which became hugely successful.

Ian signed to Andrew Lauder’s new imprint, This Way Up, in 1992, which yielded 3 albums : Truth And Beauty (which Ian had recorded at his own expense by remortgaging his house), Head Like A Rock, which was recorded in part with Neil Young’s band Crazy Horse in L.A and subsequently nominated for a Mercury Music Prize in 1994, and Merseybeast – the latter 2 albums achieved top 30 placings; the first was heralded as “One of the best records released in Q magazine’s lifetime”.
This Way Up records ceased to be in 1997 and Ian found himself without a deal once more, so accepted an invitation to join his friend Mike Scott (The Waterboys) on bass guitar for a lengthy European and Japanese tour.

Ian self financed another record in 1998, A Party Political Broadcast On Behalf Of The Emotional Party, which featured Danny Thompson (John Martyn, Nick Drake amongst others) on upright bass. They toured together that Autumn to promote the record.
At the end of the decade Ian released the live disc Live at Life, recorded over two nights at Liverpool’s Life Cafe.

Ian then joined The Waterboys on keyboards for a European tour. When this was completed, Ian accepted Ian Broudie’s invitation to record on ‘The Barge’ – Pete Townshend’s studio which Broudie was currently renting, moored next to Pete’s Eel Pie complex.  The resulting album – Ian McNabb – saw a return of Ian’s love of guitar driven pop/rock and was released on Sanctuary Records in 2001.
Ian briefly played bass guitar in Ringo Starr’s band in 2002.
Throughout the 00s Ian released a further 5 solo albums : Waifs And Strays, The Gentleman Adventurer, Before All Of This, How We Live, and Great Things – all self financed and issued on his own Fairfield Records imprint to a small, dedicated fan base.
All albums were supported by extensive touring.

In 2009 Ian unleashed his autobiography Merseybeast which has become something of a cult classic amongst the rock fraternity (Peter Buck of R.E.M contacted Ian recently to tell him that he’d only just discovered the book and loved it!) – it has since been released as an audio book, narrated by Ian himself.

So far this decade, Ian has released Little Episodes, Eclectic Warrior, and Kruggerands –  harder rocking albums which both feature the band Cold Shoulder ; Respectfully Yours (a long promised album of cover versions) – and the first two albums that form a ‘trilogy’  –  Star, Smile, Strong, which features collaborations with Prof. Brian Cox, a co-write with Ralph Molina (from Crazy Horse), and the unexpected return of Icicle Works drummer Chris Sharrock (who had gone on to work with The La’s, World Party, Del Amitri, Dave Stewart, Mick Jagger, Robbie Williams, Oasis, and both Liam and Noel Gallagher in their solo endeavours), and most recently Our Future In Space, which once again features Cold Shoulder, and the song Aquamarine co-written with R.E.Ms Peter Buck.

In September 2019, Ian announced the forthcoming release of “Utopian”, which would complete the trilogy, and mark his 20^th solo studio album. Owing to hold-ups brought about by the pandemic, Utopian was not officially released until April 2021.  “It’s possible that we now hold the World record for the longest pre-order”, said McNabb recently.

Ian turned 60 in November 2020.  Sadly, again due to the pandemic, all plans to celebrate with a lavish hometown show had to be cancelled. Ian’s “Utopian” tour, was pushed back into 2022.

Ian’s notoriety has grown on social media throughout the pandemic – his sometimes controversial opinions landed him in a spat with actor Russell Crowe in January 2021. The twitter exchange in which Crowe defended a comment that McNabb made about Master & Commander, was first picked up by Vanity Fair, and within hours was being covered internationally  – we lost count at 130 outlets who published the story.

2021 saw the release of another new album – Ascending – which re-visits the Icicle Works, earliest cassette demo’s, and work is underway on the latest edition to the discography “Nabby Road” ; named after the studio which Ian set up at home during lockdown –  “It’s been my salvation, really – and while I do write stuff to keep myself entertained, I record it for the fans – they make all of this possible, and I love them dearly!”

Ian still lives in Liverpool. Until her untimely passing in March 2022,  Ian was full time carer for his Mum, Pat.
Affectionately known to friends and fans alike as ‘Mammo’; she is missed by all her who came to love her, and the internet depended on her commentary of The Brit Awards, and Eurovision!
McNabb Towers will never be the same.

Ian tours whenever he can, and continues to write and listen to music constantly.
As he reaches his 40^th year of performing live shows, he intends to share more stories and hours of greatest hits with all those who choose to turn out to see him.

“Joe Hodgson has been releasing music with Sandra’s Wedding for five years. In that time they have released five albums, two E.Ps and several standalone singles. Their track Pleasure Grounds was played by current Poet Laureate Simon Armitage on Guy Garvey’s 6Music show where he described it as “Gorgeous.” The band most recently released The Hopeful Boy Replacement Service which is available on vinyl from the band.” Now with added Jonny Hughes…

 

Howden Live have tried this idea in dribs and drabs before and it is with great pleasure that we can announce a couple of special offers from local hostelries, hopefully with a few more to follow.

 

Lee at THE HOP CAVERN is giving a 10% discount on all keg beer and selected others for any ticket holders on the day of the performance between 5 and 7pm. Proof of ticket purchase is required please.

 

Round the corner at ROMEO’S an offer of 20% off drinks is in place, the same criteria as above…

 

 

Returning with new knitting patterns in 2022!!

£12.50 FEBRUARY 26th 2022

https://youtu.be/J6criTe9Kss

This band were so busy in 2020 selling out venues all over the country that we couldn’t find a date for them, we have now though! 

Put on yer finest knitted gladrags, style your barnet, put on your dancing shoes and bring your finest singing voices, as we cordially invite you to witness the Greatest Show On Earth (in tank-tops). 

Hailing from Barnsley Rock City, The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are on a mission! Determined to follow in their spiritual father’s immortal footsteps and keep his legacy alive, they have a talent for Bar-Stewardizing other famous people’s songs with new comedy lyrics, on acoustic geetar, ukulele, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, accordion, keyboards and kazoo. To complete their squeaky-clean image, estranged brothers Scott, Björn and Alan have become instantly recognisable for their immaculate hair and their stylish choice of sexy knitwear.

Since forming in 2006, the brothers Doonican have played over 1000 anarchic, side-splitting shows and have brought smiles and belly-laughs to audiences across the UK; from Barnsley to Barnstaple, from Glasgow to Glastonbury Festival. They continue to wow audiences with a fine selection of their greatest hits, including the likes of “Jump Ararnd”, “Tarnlife”, “The Lady In Greggs”, “Nandos”, “Fight For Your Pint”, “Bono Bloody Bono”, “Since You’ve Been Ron”, “She’s From Dodworth”, “Walking In Manp**s” and “If I Could Punch A Face… It’d Be Justin Bieber’s”.

The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican can’t wait to bring their shindig to Howden Live and they promise that they WILL rock you… but gently!

What folk had to say about The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican:
“The greatest thing to come out of Barnsley, since the A61 to Sheffield”
Jarvis Cocker, Pulp

“Loved The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican. Great fun”
Jason Manford, comedian

“The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are very, very funny… one of the hardest working bands on the planet”
Mike Harding, comedian, folk-musician, author & broadcaster

“A ridiculous family of genius, hilarious, irresistible music makers, currently crowd-surfing to the bar all over the great county of Yorkshire and beyond, into the venues and music festivals of the UK. They’re quality.”
Eliza Carthy MBE, folk-musician

“They deserve the reputation they have earned as one of the festival scenes hottest bookings.”
UK Festival Guides Review

“Bristles with proper belly-laugh moments… a LOL-a-minute through a variety of perfect pastiches. If there is any justice, the Doonicans deserve to be all over your Saturday night telly.”
‘R n R Magazine’ (5-Star Review)

 A bit of what you are in for….

SHERBURN BARTLEY SANDERS

& Rachel Makana

£12.50 FEBRUARY 5th 2022

https://youtu.be/pdL8W6dshAE

Following a chance meeting at Whitby Folk Festival in 1993, Chris Sherburn (concertina) and Denny
Bartley (vocals and guitar) have been bringing their unique sound to audiences across Europe and
America, creating one of folk music’s most enduring partnerships. Their obvious rapport made them
one of the busiest acts on the folk scene, both as a duo and with their well-loved trio/quartet Last
Night’s Fun. Their soul-stirring songs, exhilarating tunes and quick-witted banter ensures that no two
concerts are ever the same.
In 2016 Chris and Denny joined forces with Emily Sanders (fiddle/viola and vocals) and have since
become a well-established trio, for the first time blending vocal harmonies and strings to underpin
Chris and Denny’s unique sound, as well as providing a female lead vocal for some songs, and
bringing a repertoire of English folk songs to complement the band’s more Celtic and traditional roots.
Emily was a founder member of the acclaimed trio Isambarde. She has also toured with Merrymouth
(Simon Fowler of Ocean Colour Scene’s acoustic band) and regularly appears with Pete Morton and
Chris Parkinson.
Their latest album BEGUILE is the first to feature Chris, Denny and Emily together, and also has
some stellar guest performances from Martin Simpson and Andy Seward (Kate Rusby Band).

From Beverley Rachel Makena is now pursuing her passion and dream of being a singer songwriter. She does pop/country/acoustic covers and original music. Her most recent songs ‘Can Anybody Hear Me?’ and ‘Plastic Wrap’ are helping to raise money for WWF to help combat the climate crisis.

OCTOBER 9th     £10 

Formed in 2012 Headsticks have created their very own brand of Revolutionary Punk Roots Rock’n’Roll through relentless gigging which has seen their profile continually on the rise, backed by an ever increasing army of loyal and fanatical followers. Despite the current wave of uncertainty within the music industry the band have continued to
shine, and are delighted to join the fold of the iconic label that is Chapter 22 Records!

2019’s tour supports with New Model Army saw the band reach new levels, and this together with supports with bands as varied as The Wildhearts, Lindisfarne, Spear Of Destiny, Ferocious Dog, and Buzzcocks has underlined the band’s ability to cross genres and appeal to audiences with their enthusiasm and passion infused performances built on their
very own message of honesty and integrity, delivering raw social commentaries with a wry sense of humour ensuring an uplifting experience second to none! The release of their third studio album in 2019 was greeted with simply stunning reviews from pillars of both the Punk Rock and Folk worlds, receiving plaudit after plaudit and considered ‘Album Of The Year’ by some publications!

This simply cementing further the band’s reputation for crowd pleasing, genre crossing, inspirational songs…many of
which are now indeed covered by artists from within their scene….the highest accolade for any artist surely?!

Fast becoming Festival favourites,2020 was to see Headsticks embark ontheir most comprehensive Festival Season, with performances at Beautiful Days and Rebellion (their fifth in a row there!) among an endless list of high
profile bookings…..unfortunately plans were cruelly cut short due to the current pandemic. Enthusiasm for live
performances has seen the band reach new audiences with their ‘Live Sessions’ broadcast through Social
Media, and wonderful receptions have ensured that the band’s fervour has not, and will not be dampened as
they continue to say it like it is!!! Headsticks look to flourish within their new Chapter 22 home, bolstered by a label sharing similar ethics, spirit, and motivation, and of course, a love for great songs! Expect further hard hitting, emotive, infectious anthems and barbed lyrics a plenty from their fourth studio album ‘C.O.W.’, a twelve-track collection of songs that matter, that mean what they say, a soundtrack for the now. The band are looking forward to sharing these songs, and unleashing what indeed is a ’Can Of Worms’.

Have a look and listen here………... https://youtu.be/-xMaxWPGcqY

ABSOLUTE FREE!

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24th  £10

@ HOWDEN SOCIAL CLUB  DN14 7AB

Absolute Free are a brand new tribute to one of the most powerful, soulful, and dynamic bands to have one from the golden era of the late 60’s British blues boom.

The magic created by this band playing at full tilt has to be seen and heard to be believed. Bob Cantry ( bass) and Sean Clough on drums join Steve Fulsham ( guitar/vocs) ,to show their pride and passion for the music of Free, and to give fans the most authentic sounding experience of the band that inspired them the most .

Alright Now, Wishing Well, The Hunter and many, many more……..

THE AUTUMN SEASON

Sadly and with enormous regret we have had to cancel the autumn 2020 Howden Live season. With the current Covid 19 restrictions on live performance it is unfeasible to present the scale of shows we had planned, however all of those planned shows are still included in the archive section as a memorial to what might have been.

MADE IN MOTOR CITY

Saturday 12th September.   £14

It was the Beat of a Generation and the Sound of a Nation and it was the sound that changed America.

Tamla Motown was the legendary record label that brought you the great legends we still love today.

‘Made in Motor-City’ recreate the classic music and sounds of Detroit during the 1960s & 70s.

The eight piece ‘live’ band comprises high quality musicians dedicated to recreating authentically the Motown hits, fronted by the incredible talents of the band’s three female vocalists. The band continue to tour the UK during the Spring /Summer of 2020 before undertaking their overseas commitments later that Winter .

If you’re a fan of Martha Reeves, The Temptations, Supremes, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells and many more Motown legends, then this is a show not to be missed.

Sit back and enjoy the songs that were ‘Made in the Motor City’.

2 PIANO’S

September 26th  £15

Are you ready to rock & roll like it’s the 1950’s again? Two Pianos will take you back in time to celebrate the magnificent “Sun Studios” era, performing classic hits from Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis, Chuck Berry and many more.Your evening will kick of to a rockin’ start as two of the UK’s finest and charismatic rock & roll pianists each individually perfom, along with a five piece band, a score of hits including “Whole Lotta Shakin”, “Never Can Tell”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Roll Over Beethoven”, “Honey Don’t”, “True Love Ways”, “Chantilly Lace”, “Johnny B Goode”, “Great Balls Of Fire”, “Oh Boy”, “Blue Berry Hill”, “Love Me Tender”, “You Win Again”, “Maybellene”, plus many more! The evening will progress into a climatic and energetic piano duel between the two pianists, resolving into a memorable night of foot stomping rock & roll! A show that even “The Killer” himself thinks “ROCKS!” Al Kilvo is an Americana piano player from Hull, Yorkshire in England, who plays with a style and verve described as that of the ‘Killer’ Jerry-Lee Lewis himself. As a youngster, Al appeared in many line ups in his native Yorkshire UK before forming an original country-folk band with M.G Greaves and the Lonesome Too. He has toured nationally with Hull’s own Beautiful South taking in major venues such as The Hammersmith Odeon and Edinburgh Playhouse. Al continues to home his skills in the musical styles of Americas southern states.In 2013 Al was invited to record an album with his close friend Johnny Pat in the world famous Sun Studios in Memphis TN with Kenny Lovelace and Robert Hall of The Jerry Lee Lewis band. Subsequently the event and recording have been brilliant and now Al and ‘JP’ are enjoying playing the music they love to a wider audience across Europe and the USA. Later in 2013, Al and JP performed in live venues on world famous Bourbon Street in New Orleans and Phil Brady’s in Baton Rouge as they continue to sell the Americans back their music! Al also continued to perform all over northern England and appeared weekly with his Country band in Cottingham ‘The Fork Handles’David Barton is a pianist and singer from Hull in East Yorkshire. From the age of eight, David developed a passion for the blues and boogie woogie piano, later discovering the art of rock & roll piano and likened to other artists such as Jools Holland, Meade Lux Lewis and Jerry Lee Lewis.  At the age of 26, David has already performed alongside some of the world’s most accomplished musicians, including jazz maestro Jamie Cullum, American blues guitarist Walter Trout and classical Mezzo-Soprano Katherine Jenkins to name a few. David has performed in venues around the country, including the prestigious Royal Albert Hall.  ‘He’s better than me. I have a funny feeling he will have his own show here one day’ – Jamie C

FOCUS

November 7th.   £18.50

With their unique brand of progressive rock, Focus manifested themselves at the start of the ’70s as the most successful and appreciated of all the Dutch pop-rock exports. Fronted by founding member Thijs Van Leer, and best known for their hits “Hocus Pocus”, “House of The King” and “Sylvia”, as well as critically acclaimed albums ‘Moving Waves’, ‘Focus 3’ and ‘Hamburger Concerto’, the iconic Dutch music masters are back with their tenth album, which is guaranteed to please their legions of fans!

After a comeback in the early 2000’s, which resulted in the well-received albums ‘Focus 8’ and ‘Focus 9’, the band regrouped with a fantastic new line-up. Along with Thijs van Leer on vocals, flute and keyboards, back on the drums is famed Focus drummer Pierre van der Linden, who joined the group on their second album ‘Moving Waves’ in 1972. Internationally renowned for his rhythmic skills, Pierre remains a defining factor in the Focus sound. Bassist Bobby Jacobs, who comes from a well-acclaimed Dutch musical family and guitarist Menno Gootjes, who participated in Focus at an earlier stage, complete the band’s current line-up. Recently, Focus’s biggest hit “Hocus Pocus” was used in a 4-minute Nike commercial before the World Cup broadcast. Focus music can be regularly heard on Top Gear and Saxondale on TV in the UK.

A new Focus era has arrived! There is a rejuvenated passion in the new compositions that adorn the new album ‘Focus X’, which features a full scale Roger Dean painting on the cover. Says Thijs van Leer, who holds the distinction of being the first ever knighted musician in Holland, “It’s a thrill to have finally completed ‘Focus X’; we are all ecstatic and looking forward to playing the new material on the forthcoming Focus X World Tour.”

Thijs van Leer – Hammond-organ, flute and vocals
Pierre van der Linden – drums
Udo Pannekeet- bass
Menno Gootj- Guitar

LIVE/WIRE

November 14th   £18.50

There’s a good reason  we keep inviting Live/Wire back, their 9th year!!……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  Bon Scott and 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 the portrayal of the livewire 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 JAM’D

November 21st £12.50

The Jam’d are now the UK’s leading 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 As full time touring professional musicians, and massive Jam fans, The Jam’d 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 world”!

It is with inevitable sadness that we need to announce that the rest of the current Howden Live season has had to be cancelled. Some of the shows we had lined up may well be rearranged for next year but one,all being well The Mumford & Sons Experience, is being postponed at the moment for a date tba in the summer.

Unfortunately we have had to cancel this next Howden Live show at Howden Working Mens Club featuring The Beckwater Bushwackers on March 28th. This is as much an economic decision as anything else as not many tickets had been sold and the fact that attendance at the Gary Stewart Graceland show in Howden Minster last night was 40% down on attendance to previous years.

MARCH 28th. . At Howden Working Mens Club.

Bringing their blues/folk/irish/country rock style to Howden Working Mens Club The Beckwater Bushwackers.

Playing Foot stomping, Dance along, Sing along, Classics, all given the “Bushwacker” twist, guaranteed to have you all joining in.

Formed from experienced, accomplished musicians from all genres of music, each member has a unique style, which cuts through clearly during their live shows.

Jon Rock Lawson (Vocals / Guitar / Harmonica) Nick Country Oldridge (Vocals / Bass)
Steve Blues Jessop (Vocals / Lead Guitar)
Tony Bluegrass Sturdy (Vocals / Guitar / Banjo / Harmonica) Brian Rock Taylor (Drums / Cajon / Percussion).

If you’re after a great night of music / entertainment, ranging from Blues, to Irish Folk, to AC/DC and everything in between then we’ll guarantee it.

ODETTE

& Molly Curtis

APRIL 11th.  

CANCELLED

Odette Adams spent four years travelling the world, paying her way by working as a singer on cruise ships. Using her free time on those long voyages to concentrate on her playing and writing, she returned from her travels with a collection of songs which form her debut album, “A Shake Of The Hand”. Odette’s travels and diverse musical influences have fundamentally shaped the sound of her music. These songs do not sit entirely in any particular genre, but sound very confident where they are.

​Odette is passionate about the power music has to positively impact people’s lives and writes about life from a joyful and profound perspective.

​Her debut album, “A Shake Of The Hand”, which was reviewed highly by Clive Davis in The Sunday Times, is extremely popular and introduces her fresh, vibrant and summery sound. The album was immaculately produced by Phil Taylor of Laurel Sound Studios and features excellent musicians to include the incredible Geoff Gascoyne (Jamie Cullum) on double bass and world renowned multi-percussionist, Pete Lockett, on tabla. To read more about the illustrious and varied players on this album go to click here.

​After completing two national UK tours during the last two years, playing at venues such as Fleece Jazz, Whitby Music Port Festival, Wigan Jazz Festival and Pizza Express in Dean Street, Odette and her band of exceptional musicians will be on the road again this autumn 2019 on a third national tour to introduce brand new, beautifully-crafted songs from her upcoming second album, “Start With The Rain”.

​With Indian, African, Mediterranean, jazz and folk flavours, Odette and her band delight with a fresh and vibrant sound. 

​”Writing for my second album is well underway and I’m in a really good creative place”

​Exciting things to come!

Molly Curtis is a singer-songwriter based in the East Yorkshire town of Goole. Incorporating a loop pedal to her voice and guitar she creates beautiful layered harmonies and melodies to add depth to her solo performances.

THE MUMFORD AND SONS EXPERIENCE

APRIL 25th   £14

Postponed to a date tba. Hopefully in the summer. Please watch this space.

When Mumford & Sons announced the release of Delta, their 4th studio album, alongside a hugeworld tour for 2019, it delighted fans across the globe. From their americana folk style roots, theMumford sound has developed and grown over the last ten years and won the hearts and minds ofmillions. UK based tribute band Chasing Mumford are 5 full time musicians who are all massive fansand committed to recreating the sound and songs of Mumford & Sons as faithfully as possible. Allmulti-instrumentalists and with beautiful 4 part vocal harmonies, they capture the spirit, image and vibe of the original band in their new show “The Mumford & Sons Experience”.

Having toured with the
likes of Scouting for Girls, The Hoosiers, Pixie Lott and Mungo Jerry, this talented group present anamazing show of stadium highs and intimate simplicity and is sure to be loved by Mumford fans and indie folk lovers alike.
THE BAND
Chase Williams – Acoustic Guitars, Mandolin, Vocals
Benji Dryden – Keys, Piano, Vocals
Iain Phillips – Double Bass, Electric Bass, Vocals
Dan Bell Wilding – Banjo, Electric Guitar, Vocals
John Knox – Drums, Percussion, Vocals

THE REVOLUTIONAIRES

MAY 9th  

Cancelled

Part of the 3rd Howden Vintage day. 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!

MAX BIANCO & THE BLUEHEARTS

& CROOKED WEATHER

MAY 23rd  

Cancelled

Folk with a modern twist is in store as Max Bianco & The Bluehearts bring some heartfelt, country music-influenced songs to Howden. Howden Live regulars will remember Max from the late lamented  JAR FAMILY.

There’s still a nice slice of indie pop and a subtle rock and roll vibe that give it all a distinctive sound, and with their new EP out this month, there’s some new songs that will feel immensely vibrant to hear. Having only really kicked off as a band in 2019, the band are moving and shaking thanks to some intelligent songwriting, with songs rich in heart and soul and a real rustic honesty clashing against a beautiful guitar sound and Bianco’s unique vocal melodies.

Singer Songwriter Max Bianco and his band the Bluehearts are destined for great things. Like a new age Bob Dylan and the Band, Max writes great songs and performs them in a style all his own. Catch these guys now before they get too famous

Crooked Weather are a rock infused folk band, based out of a tragic mustard 1979 campervan. They hail from the depths of East Yorkshire, with the lilting harmonies of Holly & Will at the core. Their original music, steeped in the folk revival of the late 60’s, has a raw, modern edge, augmented by Tom and Dave: a fierce rhythm section. 

​Building up a steady reputation for their unpredictably dynamic live shows, they’ve supported the likes of Jeffrey Lewis, Micheal Chapman, Mike Heron (Incredible String Band), Jim Jones, Dick Gaughan, Roddy Woomble & Bridget St. John

ABSOLUTE FREE! Sadly one of the last two gigs of the year for 2020, fondly remembered.

& Ched’s Bare Bones.

FRIDAY MARCH 13th  £10

Absolute Free are a brand new tribute to one of the most powerful, soulful, and dynamic bands to have one from the golden era of the late 60’s British blues boom.

The magic created by this band playing at full tilt has to be seen and heard to be believed. Bob Cantry ( bass) and Sean Clough on drums join Steve Fulsham ( guitar/vocs) ,to show their pride and passion for the music of Free, and to give fans the most authentic sounding experience of the band that inspired them the most .

Focusing purely on their music ( no wigs) this is a rearranged show from last year following their headline appearance at the 2019 Annual Free convention .

CHED’S BARE BONES                  

Having been a leading light on the Hull area music scene and in more bands and for longer than he can remember, Ched decided that he’d had enough of trying  to organise unreliable and frequently unavailable musicians so he decided to recruit his arms, legs, fingers and mouth as they are always simultaneously available for gigs or rehearsals and never go on holidays without him. Not your traditional, rustic one man band Ched’s Bare Bones utilises electronic foot and hand percussion, electric guitar, slide guitar, harmonica, vocals and effects to create swampy, bluesy, hoodoo and voodoo. Probably more Jack White than Don Partridge.

 BUY TICKETS HERE….

GARY STEWART’S GRACELAND

& Rachel Makena

SATURDAY MARCH 14th  £15

At Howden Minster

SANDRA’S WEDDING, The BROKEN ORCHESTRA & RACHEL MAKENA  

FEBRUARY 29th £10 

THE BROKEN ORCHESTRA:

Effortlessly blending elements of nu jazz, downtempo and electronic music, The Broken Orchestra are a Hull, UK based trip-hop act. Playing out like a dream, with moments of energy and lush sonic soundscapes, to moments clear and still as water. Organic instruments are meticulously chopped, sampled and repurposed into melodic and textural cinematic music both conceptual and heartfelt. 

‘A deliciously together collective of musicians and lyricists who’ve produced a meltingly melodic and warm album that hops from English to French, love to loss and creates a sound that surrounds you. Deep mellowness, poetic prose…What’s not to love!

​

​Members: Emily Render – Vocals, Pat Dooner – Keys/Production, Carl Conway-Davis – Samples/Production, Tom Kay – Guitar & Rich Lovelock – Drums

‘Sweet electronica to soothe weary hearts and minds.’ – Johnno Casson, Fresh On The Net

From Beverley Rachel Makena  is now pursuing her passion and dream of being a singer songwriter. She does pop/country/acoustic covers and original music. Her most recent songs ‘Can Anybody Hear Me?’ and ‘Plastic Wrap’ are helping to raise money for WWF to help combat the climate crisis. She also sang these in London for Extinction Rebellion at Trafalgar Square and The Mall. Rachel thinks songs are a good way to raise awareness because music can be much more engaging and has the ability to reach many different types of people. WWF heard her songs and invited her to talk with them at their UK base in Surrey in 2019 then they gave her a list of events that they are doing that she could use as inspiration for songs. Her song ‘Walrus’ was for World Walrus Day held on 24th November. She also wrote a song called ‘Wear it Wild’ which is meant to be a short song that is in an advertisement style and easy for kids to sing-a-long to, they also have this.

She is supporting The Southmartins tribute band at the O2 Academy in Leeds and Sheffield in February and June 2020. She has also got through the auditions for #BuskOnceYork and has won the opportunity to play at the Grand Opera House in York in February.

Rachels music has been on BBC Introducing Radio Humberside and BBC Upload, she hasplayed for Viking FM events (Bauer Media) including on their mini-cruise to Amsterdam. She has played at many local festivals such as Trib Fest (Sledmere house), Staxtonbury music festival, Wold Top Brewery, Scarborough Celebrity Christmas Lights Switch On, Scunthorpe Lights switch on and many more.

CHANTEL McGREGOR 

& Ellie Pollard

FEBRUARY 15th  £14

A female guitar prodigy, at 14 Chantel was told by major labels that she had a “great voice, but girls don’t play guitar like that!”  Wisely ignoring the comments, she enrolled at the Leeds College of Music and became the first student in the college’s history, to achieve a 100% pass mark, with 18 distinctions.  Chantel left with a First Class Honours degree in Popular Music and a coveted prize, the college’s musician of the year award.

In previous years, Chantel stepped out in the pro-musician world and her stunning live performances demonstrated that she had the ability to perform rock for the new age, played by a musician born with an effortless virtuosity.  Since then, she has built a loyal and growing fan base who follow her every move.

If you measure an artist’s prospects by the company they keep, then Chantel has been moving in the right direction. Early in her career, Chantel was invited to perform with Joe Bonamassa, on two of his UK tours.

When Chantel released her 2011 debut album, Like No Other, one critic said, “Chantel McGregor deserves to be held up as a messiah of blues-rock and given her own mountain. She doesn’t strum or pick her guitar but almost bends and distorts it, as if she’s channelling the ghost of Hendrix through her fingers” 

The album was produced by Livingstone Brown, whose production credits include Ed Sheeran, Robin Trower, and Shakira. The end result was a beautifully crafted debut album that showcased Chantel’s versatility and talent as a singer-songwriter. 

Chantel’s follow up album, Like Control, again produced by Livingstone Brown, was released in October 2015 to critical acclaim.

All About Rock’s review of the album said:

‘The album in its entirety has a common theme running through of gothic imagery which makes it almost a concept album but each track stands out on its own. Chantel’s double tracked vocals are amazingly tight & the production on this album sounds loose which is a compliment to Livingstone Brown & Chantel who have obviously spent a lot of time on the arrangements. The girl can obviously shred but she does so in a very understated & despite the title of the album, a controlled way. Recommended for fans of blues, rock, Jeff Buckley, Marillion, Big & Rich, Country & Nick Drake. This is a hard album to categorize & pigeon hole which in this day & age of labels & boxes is a good thing.’

Planetmosh reviewed the album with the following comment:

‘The album is full of great guitar work, but Chantel McGregor isn’t just a guitar player – she does the vocals too and they are equally impressive.  She’s got a great voice and the variety of songs on the album allows her to demonstrate a range of styles vocally.  It really is a great album.’

The single, Take The Power, was playlisted for 5 weeks on Planet Rock radio.

Chantel has recently been interviewed for features on Sky News, BBC Radio Five Live and BBC Radio Four.

In December 2018, Chantel launched her own Podcast, which has been very successful, earning a place in the iTunes Podcast Charts.

Chantel recorded a live album at the end of March 2019 titled ‘Bury’d Alive’, this was released on the 6th of September 2019 and received wonderful reviews.

Chantel is currently writing for her third studio album and recording an acoustic album, debuting some of the new tracks on her 2019 tour which took place throughout the UK and Europe.

THE END OF AN ERA: It is with some sadness that we need to announce that Maggie Smith at Touchwood, more than ably assisted by Steph, will no longer be selling tickets for Howden Live events from Touchwood, the Shire Hall will be taking over that role. In the early days of Howdenshire Live Arts Maggie was one of a few ticket outlets in Howden, as time went by it made sense to focus ticket sales in one place and the ticket selling box office legend at Touchwood was born. For 17 years, possibly one or two more, the number of shows Howden live have presented per year has averaged around 20, thats a lot of tickets!
Anyone ringing up with enquiries about an event, or going in to Touchwood to buy tickets, were met with unfailing courtesy, patience and good humour. Maggie was our first port of call for many folks and perfectly represented the volunteer ethos of Howden Live. A long (ish) time ago Maggies husband Mike coined the phrase “Enjoying live entertainment in the company of others” A fundamental principle to which we still adhere to today and will continue to, Maggie has been an integral part of that, thank you, we’ll miss you.

 Doors for all shows are 7.30 for 8pm unless otherwise stated. Please not that as well as tickets being available online here they are also available from the Shire Hall Box Office on:

01430 432510

2019! The Winter/Spring season. ……(In reverse order….)

HOWDEN VINTAGE DAY

12 ’til Late

SATURDAY MAY 11th 2019.

The second Howden Vintage Day, following the tremendous success of the inaugral event expect more of the same! Live music, dance, vintage stalls and displays, tea dance, film and anything else we can think of to enhance the day. 

Here’s the programme for the day folks: In the Market Place unless otherwise stated.

12.00: Flypast from the Real Aeroplane Company.

12.05: The Academy Of Theatre Studies: The children with GI Jive, You Are My Sunshine and the adults with Land Girl Style.

The Northern Showtime Orchestra is an eight-piece ensemble with it a difference.  Uniquely, it also tells the stories behind the music, combining commentary, slides and presentations alongside faithful re-creations of arrangements which changed the face of music.  So, how does Richard feel about walking in the footsteps of his hero?  “Sinatra is arguably the greatest voice of the 20^th Century so this is a huge challenge for any singer.  His sense of swing, timing and phrasing are extraordinary.  He used to practice these skills whilst holding his breath underwater in the swimming pool; stretching his lung capacity and seeing how long he could hold a phrase – an incredible perfectionist.  Richard’s performance with Northern Showtime is not about trying to be Frank or being a tribute act.  This band is made up of top musicians who have all played in leading orchestras or bands nationally and internationally.  This is about lovingly re-telling an amazing story and lovingly learning from the master,” says Adams.

Trombonist Tony Turner created the orchestra in 2012. Three members of the Northern Showtime Orchestra also perform locally with the Scarborough Spa Orchestra, Kathy Seabrook (flute and saxophone), Andy Crofts (drums), and Graham Quilter (clarinet and saxophone). Nigel Blenkiron (trumpet), Bob Walker (bass) and Dave Clegg (piano) complete the 

THE JAM’D

April 27th £12.50

At Howden Working Mens Club

Please note: Partial unreserved seating only.

The Jam’d are now the UK’s leading 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 Jam’d 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 world!”

THE BAR STEWARD SONS OF VAL DOONICAN

Saturday January 19th  £12.50

Put on yer finest knitted gladrags, style your barnet, put on your dancing shoes and bring your finest singing voices, as we cordially invite you to witness the Greatest Show On Earth (in tank-tops).

Hailing from Barnsley Rock City, The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are on a mission! Determined to follow in their spiritual father’s immortal footsteps and keep his legacy alive, they have a talent for Bar-Stewardizing other famous people’s songs with new comedy lyrics, on acoustic geetar, ukulele, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, accordion and keyboard. To complete their squeaky-clean image, brothers-from-other-mothers Scott, Björn and Alan have become instantly recognisable for their immaculate hair and their stylish choice of knitwear.

A band that is both perpetually on the move and joyously independent, since forming in 2006, they have played over 900 side-splitting shows to date, and have brought smiles and belly-laughs to audiences across the UK; from Barnsley to Barnstaple, from Glasgow to Glastonbury. They continue to wow audiences with a fine selection of their greatest hits, including the likes of “Jump Ararnd”, “The Lady In Greggs”, “How Deep Is Your Glove?”, “Nandos”, “Paint ’em Back”, “Walking In Manpiss” and “If I Could Punch A Face… It’d Be Justin Bieber’s”.

As well as appearances at venues and festivals across the UK (including, Fairport Convention’s Cropredy Convention, The Levellers’ Beautiful Days Festival, Bearded Theory, Rebellion Punk Festival, Kate Rusby’s Underneath The Stars, Watchet Live, Off The Tracks and many, many more), they have also had the pleasure to collaborate with, support or share the same bill as many of the UK’s finest live acts from a wide range of genres, including:

The Levellers, Fairport Convention, Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band, The Darkness, Chas & Dave, The Wurzels, The Gipsy Kings, The Blockheads and John Otway, to name but a few.

The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican can’t wait to bring their shindig back to the Shire Hall and they promise that they WILL rock you… but gently!

The greatest thing to come out of Barnsley, since the A61 to Sheffield” Jarvis Cocker, musician

“Loved The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican. Great fun” Jason Manford, comedian

“The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are very, very funny… one of the hardest working bands on the planet” Mike Harding, comedian, folk-musician, author & broadcaster

A ridiculous family of genius, hilarious, irresistible music makers, currently crowd-surfing to the bar all over the great county of Yorkshire and beyond, into the venues and music festivals of the UK. Long may they rock… but gently” Eliza Carthy MBE, Multi-Award Winning Folk-Musician

“They deserve the reputation they have earned as one of the festival scenes hottest bookings.” UK Festival Guides

“Rapidly becoming the must-have, must-see festival band, The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican played to an over-capacity Woodland Stage arena as hundreds more queued outside for a chance a catching their much-anticipated antics” FestivalFlyer.com (review of Bearded Theory Festival 2018)

2018!  The Autumn Season……(In reverse order….)

THE REVOLUTIONAIRES!

& The Juke Joint Kings.

Saturday December 1st      £12.50

So good we booked them thrice! 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!

ANIMALS & FRIENDS

NOVEMBER 24th  £20

Featuring from the original Animals John Steel and Micky Gallagher(The Blockheads, The Clash, Paul McCartney) plus Danny Handley and Roberto Ruiz . Following their critically-acclaimed and hugely successful tours together in 2008, 2011 and 2012 this legendary combination of musicians will once again be performing on the same stage together. With over 20 global top ten hits, The Animals remain a seminal rhythm and blues band who still command great respect. Expect a fantastic concert of pure classics including House Of The Rising Sun, We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, Baby Let Me Take You Home and more. After over 50 years the legend still grows.

As The Independent noted recently – 

“Though the band has changed, the songs remain eternal… alongside covers of Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker classics, they ensure that the nostalgic element comes with an enjoyably abrasive edge”.

Featuring from the original Animals – John Steel & Mick Gallagher (The Blockheads) Danny Handley and Roberto Ruiz.
In 1964 a wave of new energetic rock and roll swept over the youth of the world. On the crest of this wave was The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and of course The Animals. From the banks of
the River Tyne came the North East’s offering; a brand of rhythm n blues that the whole world seemed to grasp greedily.
The Animals were the second British band to top the American charts after The Beatles with the now multi-million selling and legendary anthem, ‘House of the Rising Sun’. The band subsequently
achieved over twenty global Top Ten hit records, many of which gained the Number One slot in various parts of the world. In Britain alone, the band had no less than twelve chart entries.
The Animals were the first British band to tour Poland and Japan.                                                                         

Have a look’n listen, click here….

THE REVOLUTIONAIRES!

& The Juke Joint Kings.

Saturday December 1st      £12.50

So good we booked them thrice! 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!

BUY TICKETS HERE.

STEPHEN DALE PETIT

NOVEMBER 10th     £12.50.

Stephen Dale Petit was so good on his first visit to Howden last year we just had to invite him back again. 

In the age of the TV talent show and the corporate pop cabal, Stephen Dale Petit is leading the resistance. He’s a man on a mission, sworn to establish the blues as the dominant force in popular culture. He’s a riot-starter and rabble-rouser, blowing out speakers with the “thrusting hooligan anthems” (Mojo) of his acclaimed studio work and igniting a new venue each night with his “raw, fresh energy” (The Times). He’s a genre spokesman and bluesman savant, whose BLUnivErSity lectures reboot the old masters for the modern age, while rallying new recruits to the cause. No wonder that Guitar & Bass cited Petit as “proof positive that the blues can move forward in the 21st century”.  

All the best bluesmen come with a backstory, and at 46, Petit has walked a winding path to the head of the modern scene. If his 1969 birth in California’s Joshua Tree desert was prescient – he was delivered by a passing doctor with a passion for the blues – then the acquisition of a Gibson SG at the age of twelve confirmed his calling. “The reason I’m on the planet is to play blues guitar,” Petit told BBC News. “I’m on a mission to spread the word about the blues and about the guitar – especially to young music lovers.”

Petit’s own epiphany hit hard. Rewind to his adolescence in the early-’80s and his formative influences were growing daily, taking in the vintage US heavyweights (Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Son House) and the British upstarts (Cream, Zeppelin, Yardbirds). Soon, he began his own precocious march on the Californian club circuit, playing five nights a week, cutting heads with senior players, jamming with titans including B.B. and Albert King, and immersing himself in the genre’s ethos. “The blues is a beautiful thing out of the cesspool of human nastiness,” Petit told Classic Rock. “This music was forged in horrific conditions. It was really the wail of a soul of a subculture of society in America. As a teenager, I was scared by it – but I couldn’t escape the pull.”

By the early-’90s, the bluesman’s love of the British boomers had lured him to the epicentre – London – for a period whose dazzling highs were offset by desperate lows. Collaboration and friendship with musicians including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Mick Jones and David Gilmour should have been his springboard, yet as the drugs flowed, Petit floundered, losing his momentum to addiction and dangling his talent by a thread. “It got to basically living on the street,” he recalled. “It was the blues that saved me. There was a moment when the choice was pretty clear: ‘Am I just going to be a drug addict and is my passion going to be washed down the toilet…?’”

Following that moment of clarity, Petit clawed himself back from the brink, regaining his confidence as a performer by busking in the bearpit of the London Underground, and attracting both a grass-roots fanbase and a media profile. “People started asking if they could buy the music they were hearing, and I didn’t have anything,” he says. “So I set about recording Guitararama.”

Guitararama proved to be the line in the sand. Originally self-financed and released in a limited pressing of 5,000 units, the buzz prompted a reissue in 2008 (with distribution from Universal) and pricked up the ears of media tastemakers. Suddenly, this former best-kept-secret was a regular guest on BBC Radio 2 (try 2011’s The BBC Sessions for a collection of his appearances) and a fixture in the music press, who declared Petit’s incendiary Firebird fretwork to “occupy a stunning middle-ground between the fire of Freddie King, the instinct of Jimmy Page and the soul of Clapton” (Classic Rock).

By 2010, The Crave upped the ante (included by Classic Rock in the Top 50 Albums Of The Year), while in 2013, the man in the hat raised the bar with Cracking The Code. Patently Petit’s most ambitious release to date, the album was home to his most ferocious originals, from Get You Off to Riot City, bolstered by A-list guests including Dr John, Mick Taylor and Hubert Sumlin. Tracking his solos mere days before his death, Howlin’ Wolf’s iconic guitarist gave Petit a glowing endorsement, “If a lot of people could play like you, shit, I’d sit back and smile”, and the wider reaction was just as receptive, with Cracking The Code deemed “rampant perfection” by The Blues.

Somehow, throughout this dizzying rise, Petit stuck resolutely to his guns. In 2007, the bandleader began spreading the word though his famous BLUnivErSity lecture tours, speaking at the UK’s universities and reeling uninitiated students into the genre with his charisma and insight. In 2010, he pulled together a crack squad of high-profile musicians, including Chris Barber, Ronnie Wood and Mick Taylor, in a successful bid to protect the iconic 100 Club (a venue that Petit dubs his “spiritual home”, having played there on more than twenty occasions).

That same year, Petit hit the High Voltage Festival in London for a decibel-limit-defying set that was bottled by the legendary Ronnie Lane Mobile Recording Unit. The resulting album – Live At High Voltage – was initially issued in 2012 in a vinyl-only, limited-edition run, before its near-mythical status sparked the 2014 digital reissue. “This is hands down the greatest live record you’ll ever hear,” raved The Blues in a 10/10 review. “Even The Who didn’t quite reach the intensity of Petit and friends.”

True to his word, this is a man on a mission. And in 2016, with Petit returning from double-headlining with blues-rock titan Walter Trout, there’s no mistaking a man who means every line, every lick, every fleck of spittle and drop of sweat. “I want to see the blues become mainstream,” he says. “I want to see it become common currency in the discourse of modern popular culture. I want to see it become blues city.”                                            

MARTIN CARTHY & JOHN KIRKPATRICK

& Jack Parker

OCTOBER 27th       £15.

National treasures Martin Carthy & John Kirkpatrick embark on a rare UK duo tour next autumn. These two leading interpreters of English folk traditions – folk guitarist/singer Carthy and squeezebox virtuoso/singer Kirkpatrick – are long-time collaborators in a variety of seminal musical projects: from John’s iconic 1976 Morris tunes album Plain Capers through Steeleye Span to Brass Monkey.

Their enduring enjoyment of playing with each other shines through in their performances – warm, natural and charismatic. Pure English folk pedigree! 

For more than 50 years, BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Martin Carthy has been one of folk music’s greatest innovators, one of its best loved, most enthusiastic and, at times, most quietly controversial of figures. His skill, stage presence and natural charm have won him many admirers, not only from within the folk scene, but also far beyond it.

Trailblazing musical partnerships with, amongst others, Steeleye Span, Dave Swarbrick and his award-winning wife (Norma Waterson) and daughter Eliza Carthy have resulted in more than 40 albums, but Martin has only recorded 10 solo albums, of which Waiting for Angels (Topic TSCD527) was the latest. A ballad singer, a ground-breaking acoustic and electric-guitarist and an authoritative interpreter of newly composed material, Martin always prefers to follow an insatiable musical curiosity rather than cash in on his unrivalled position. Perhaps, most significant of all, are his settings of traditional songs with guitar, which have influenced a generation of artists, including Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, on both sides of the Atlantic.

John is one of the most prolific figures on the English folk scene, performing solo, in duos, acoustic groups and electric bands, and has established an enviable reputation as an instrumental virtuoso (melodeon, Anglo concertina and button accordion), as well as a leading interpreter of English folk music. He has been a member of the Albion Country Band, Magic Lantern, The Richard Thompson Band, Umps and Dumps, Steeleye Span, Brass Monkey, Trans-Europe Diatonique, and Band of Hope, as well as numerous ceilidh bands.

As songwriter, composer, choreographer, and musical director, he has contributed to over sixty plays in the theatre and on radio. And as featured artiste, band member, or session player, his music can be heard on over 200 different commercial recordings.

Praise for Martin:  `Arguably the greatest English folk song performer, writer, collector and editor of them all’ Q Magazine

‘Carthy is a master of the ballad of substance, songs that tell stories, whether they are traditional, his own or from contemporary writers.’ The Telegraph

Praise for John: English Folk Dance and Song Society’s Gold Badge 2003

(Awarded for his outstanding contribution to English Folk Music)

“Kirkpatrick’s buoyant presence and lust for this music sounds more rampant than ever”Colin Irwin – fRoots 2009

TWO PIANO’S

SATURDAY OCTOBER 13TH  £12.50

Its not often we have to cancel a show and to get Two Piano’s to step in at the realatively last minute is wonderful news indeed! Are you ready to rock & roll like it’s the 1950’s again? Two Pianos will take you back in time to celebrate the magnificent “Sun Studios” era, performing classic hits from Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis, Chuck Berry and many more.Your evening will kick of to a rockin’ start as two of the UK’s finest and charismatic rock & roll pianists each individually perfom, along with a five piece band, a score of hits including “Whole Lotta Shakin”, “Never Can Tell”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Roll Over Beethoven”, “Honey Don’t”, “True Love Ways”, “Chantilly Lace”, “Johnny B Goode”, “Great Balls Of Fire”, “Oh Boy”, “Blue Berry Hill”, “Love Me Tender”, “You Win Again”, “Maybellene”, plus many more! The evening will progress into a climatic and energetic piano duel between the two pianists, resolving into a memorable night of foot stomping rock & roll! A show that even “The Killer” himself thinks “ROCKS!” Al Kilvo is an Americana piano player from Hull, Yorkshire in England, who plays with a style and verve described as that of the ‘Killer’ Jerry-Lee Lewis himself. As a youngster, Al appeared in many line ups in his native Yorkshire UK before forming an original country-folk band with M.G Greaves and the Lonesome Too. He has toured nationally with Hull’s own Beautiful South taking in major venues such as The Hammersmith Odeon and Edinburgh Playhouse. Al continues to home his skills in the musical styles of Americas southern states.In 2013 Al was invited to record an album with his close friend Johnny Pat in the world famous Sun Studios in Memphis TN with Kenny Lovelace and Robert Hall of The Jerry Lee Lewis band. Subsequently the event and recording have been brilliant and now Al and ‘JP’ are enjoying playing the music they love to a wider audience across Europe and the USA. Later in 2013, Al and JP performed in live venues on world famous Bourbon Street in New Orleans and Phil Brady’s in Baton Rouge as they continue to sell the Americans back their music! Al also continued to perform all over northern England and appeared weekly with his Country band in Cottingham ‘The Fork Handles’David Barton is a pianist and singer from Hull in East Yorkshire. From the age of eight, David developed a passion for the blues and boogie woogie piano, later discovering the art of rock & roll piano and likened to other artists such as Jools Holland, Meade Lux Lewis and Jerry Lee Lewis.  At the age of 26, David has already performed alongside some of the world’s most accomplished musicians, including jazz maestro Jamie Cullum, American blues guitarist Walter Trout and classical Mezzo-Soprano Katherine Jenkins to name a few. David has performed in venues around the country, including the prestigious Royal Albert Hall.  ‘He’s better than me. I have a funny feeling he will have his own show here one day’ – Jamie Cullum, RAH London.

SHERBURN,  BARTLEY & SANDERS.

& Foleys Folly.

SEPTEMBER 29th    £10

Following a chance meeting at Whitby Folk Festival in 1993, Chris Sherburn (concertina) and Denny Bartley (vocals and guitar) have been bringing their unique sound to audiences across Europe and America, creating one of folk music’s most enduring partnerships. In this time, they have recorded 7 critically acclaimed albums. Their obvious rapport has made them one of the busiest acts on the folk scene in the guises of their duo work and their well-loved line-up as Last Night’s Fun. Their soul stirring songs, exhilarating tunes and quick wittedness, ensures that no two concerts are ever the same.

Chris and Denny have now teamed up with Emily Sanders (fiddle/viola and vocals) and have become a well-established trio, for the first time blending vocal harmonies and strings to underpin Chris and Denny’s unique sound.

Emily originates from Staffordshire and was a founder member of the acclaimed Isambarde. They recorded 5 albums and came to the attention of Phil Beer who recorded and produced their last album. Emily has also toured with Simon Fowler’s (Ocean Colour Scene) acoustic folk line up, Merrymouth and regularly appears with Pete Morton and Chris Parkinson.

A new album featuring Chris, Denny and Emily (and other guest musicians) is currently being mastered as we write – check the website www.chrisanddenny.co.uk for release dates and more information.

                                                                                               THE HOWL and the HUM.

                                                                                             Sandra’s Wedding. Fiona Lee                                                

                                                                                                 September 15th   £10

The Howl & The Hum are a miserable disco who write Bond themes for films where Jimmy is still hung up on that girl. They combine dark hypnotic pop with post-punk influences, pierced with lyrics that make you call your mum the next morning.

Following acclaimed sets at Neighbourhood Festival and Loopallu and a debut tour of the Scottish Highlands in 2017, the York-based 4-piece embarked on their first headline tour in England in early 2018 to coincide with the release of new single ‘Portrait I’. Following this the band are releasing a series of new songs leading up to their first festival season featuring appearances at Latitude, The Great Escape, Live at Leeds, Standon Calling and the BBC Biggest Weekend.

“The Howl and The Hum are a seriously great band, from whom you will be hearing a great deal more in the coming months.”

Tom Robinson BBC Radio 6

“The Howl and The Hum are much more than just four lads armed with guitars and a handful of songs. Their sound has depth, imagination and creates an emotive mood. Their lyrical content is like a stream of subconscious poetry which paints dramatic pictures. They’re one of the main names on any movers-and-shakers list when it comes to new bands. We’re buzzing about them and I know the rest of the world will be too when they indulge in their masterpieces.” –  Jericho Keys, BBC Music Introducing in York and North Yorkshire

Sandra’s Wedding: My well-thought-out finale to 28 bands in 28 days has suddenly been thrown into turmoil. Having set aside the last two days of my new music feature for a singer/songwriter from New Zealand and a rock ‘n’ roll combo from Finland, I happened to notice, late last night, that an outfit by the name of SANDRA’S WEDDING had started to follow me on twitter. Of course, I reciprocated and was immediately taken aback by the outrageous claim in their Twitter profile (courtesy of a review by Radio York), that the band was ‘a cross between The Beautiful South and The Smiths’. Could it possibly be true? I held my breath, followed the links, and played the first song, “This Heart”, from 2017’s Northern Powerhouse album…….it was love at first listen!

As I worked my way through the album, it became apparent that there was an ace lyricist at work here – anyone rhyming Fray Bentos with asbestos in the middle of a pop song called “Death by Hanging” is top drawer in my book – and that I urgently needed to discover just who the mystery wordsmith was. It also dawned on me that it would be a dereliction of duty not to include Sandra’s Wedding in 28 bands. I certainly couldn’t scratch either of my last two acts (hey, I’m not wasting the hard work I’ve put in), so I’m just going to pretend that it’s a leap year and that February has 29 days this year and therefore 29 bands!

The wedding singer (and songwriter), by the way, is Joe Hodgson and he is backed by Jonny Hughes, guitar, Tom Hill, bass and Luke Harrison on drums. The band hails from Goole and describe their debut album as featuring ‘sepia-tinged songs focusing on love, loss and life in a Northern town’. They credit The Byrds, Randy Newman, ABBA, and, it should go without saying, The Smiths and The Beautiful South among their many influences!

FIONA LEE, is an emerging singer-songwriter from Yorkshire (the bottom of my street to be more precise) with a compelling voice which belies her years. Her songs tell tales of teenage life with both innocent simplicity and impressively mature observations. Having taught herself to play guitar, she discovered her true voice at a local acoustic night; since then she has been performing her songs publicly at every opportunity.

LIVE/WIRE

September 1st  SOLD OUT….SOLD OUT….SOLD OUT….

There’s a good reason we keep inviting Live/Wire back……They are simply….Awesome!! Live/Wire is The AC/DC Show. The hugely successful and unique six-man tribute to rock music’s greatest band AC/DC, complete with cannons, a wall of Marshalls’ and over two hours of High Voltage Rock ‘n’ Roll in a show critically acclaimed for its closeness in look and sound to the real thing.

Originally frontingAC/DCwas legendary front man Bon Scott, a wild man of rock and roll, whose untimely death shocked the World in 1980. This event came at a time when the Band were sampling global success for the first time. Dave delivers songs from the Band’s first half dozen albums from Dirty Deeds to Highway to Hell with Bon’s inimitable attitude, style and charisma.

AC/DC turned to Brian Johnson in order to fill the void left by Bon. Brian’s searing vocals Iced Back in Black, one of the best-selling rock albums of all time! Podge Blacksmith, a double take for Brian, gives a vocal masterclass which is un-paralleled in his half of the show and brings it bang up to date with more classic tracks right up to AC/DC’s hugely successful recent album, Rock or Bust.

The thundering freight train of a rhythm section keeps it all meticulously together with Dan as the metronomic Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar. Ed as the mercurial Cliff Williams on Bass Guitar. Paul behind the kit as Phil Rudd and Chris Slade rolled into one. With the Rhythm section ‘locked in’ the freedom of the stage and the music is given to Simon as Angus Youngwho delivers an uncanny performance with meticulous detail in appearance, energy and his note for note heartfelt renditions song after song. Simon honed his craft over many years and is a livewire during his two-hour plus Axe fettling duck-walking extravaganza of bedevilled Rock and Roll. 

The band aim to put you slap bang in the middle of the show with hit after hit, and you are expected to join in ! There’ll also be one or two gems thrown in for the aficionados!
We’d be hung, drawn and quartered if we didn’t play all the classics, Back in Black, Rosie, Highway to hell are all there, and the songs keep on coming until the cannons fire ceremoniously to bring the evening to a superb crescendo. If by this time you are still standing…we salute you! Long Live AC/DC…… Long Live LIVE/WIRE!!

2018!

21 in 21!

SNAKE DAVIS & THE BURDEN OF PARADISE

The 20th & 21st Anniversary concerts for The Yorkshire Cancer Centre Appeal. Help us pop £50k!

May 26th. £20  With The Tea Band and Martin Pierson.

It’s simple, if you know how to do it.

With Snake Davis, saxes, flutes, vocals. Helen Watson, guitar/vocals. Dave Bowie Junior, double bass/vocals.Breathtaking skill, warm co-operation and witty anarchic banter. Burden Of Paradise invites its audience into a world of tenderness, virtuosity and human frailty.

No drums. Just voice, saxophone and double bass. BoP’s unique interpretations of evocative songs from Dylan to Dowland are spell-binding.

Helen Watson sings like an angel, and Snake Davis’s saxophone has played a key role for a huge number of bands from M People to Eurythmics.

30 words..

Breathtaking skill, warm co-operation and witty anarchic banter, inviting audiences into a world of tenderness, virtuosity and human frailty.

Voice, saxophone, double bass.

Watson sings like an angel, Davis oozes soul.

The name:

We are all in paradise, if only we knew it. The burden is to accept it.

Featuring the incredible Bobby T as Marc Bolan, Too REX bring back the Glam Rock era of the seventies to enthusiastic audiences across the land. With a magical spell binding show that covers most of Marc Bolan’s career, from the early hippy period of Tyrannosaurus REX to the megastar, chart topping days of T-REX, complete with real vintage equpiment, full costume changes, glitter, and more than a dash of star quality, Too REX, the band, come incredibly close to the real thing.

The two hour show usually includes some early singles such as “Deborah”, and “One Inch Rock” and “Ride A White Swan” to the huge hits like “Get It On”, “Telegram Sam”, Hot Love”, “Jeepster” and Children of the Revolution”, to some of the fondly remembered album material, including tracks from the acclaimed Billy Elliot movie soundtrack and even recent blockbuster movie School of Rock with Jack Black who is an avid T.REX fan!

Too Rex have done the Yorks Cancer Appeal show twice before so it is a tremendous pleasure to invite them back for this landmark event.

Registered Charity Number 107530

I’ve always avoided incorporating the personal story that goes with these fundraisers, but given that these two shows are such a landmark and the money we would like to raise has a specific target of £7,000, far more than we have raised in one go before, it may help a little to illustrate the story a bit more?

In 1989 I was diagnosed with testicular cancer, in common with a lot of men I had been dumb and in denial that there was anything wrong, as a result it had spread to my bowel, lung and lymph glands. I went to The Cookridge Cancer Centre near Leeds where the wonderful team there worked their magic and cured me. They saved my life, for which I am eternally grateful.

Following a shedload of “shall we shan’t we” conversations, usually in the pub at last orders, the very first fundraising concert was held in the Shire Hall at Howden in February of 1998 with Jim Diamond and Brian Willoughby, thanks in no small part to Martin Pierson who organised all of the musicians appearing that night.  Just over £2k was raised and that seemed to be it, nothing happened in 1999 then….following a chat about bands that were still around in the pub..there’s a theme developing here…..The Groundhogs were booked for the second one and….that was it, the annual Cookridge Cancer Centre Appeal was up and running. 

The following years, in no particular order, featured: Midge Ure, Jim Diamond & Snake Davis, (twice) Chris Farlowe, Waterson:Carthy, Hats Off To Led Zeppelin, Too Tex (twice) Mungo Jerry, Lindisfarne, Wilko Johnson and John Otway, Snake Davis & The Suspicions, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, pretty sure I’ve missed one or two but you get the idea…..

A few years ago Cookridge closed and the Oncology Centre at St James Hospital in Leeds was opened and The Yorkshire Cancer Centre Appeal was born, this year we have the 2oth and 21st fundraising shows for your delectation! Both artists who have helped raise funds in the past, they are:

On Friday May 25th, Too REX, a superlative tribute to T Rex, all the hits and more, a guaranteed grand night out. Tickets £17.50.

The following evening, Saturday May 26th, we have SNAKE DAVIS  & THE BURDON OF PARADISE.  Breathtaking skill, warm co-operation and witty anarchic banter, inviting audiences into a world of tenderness, virtuosity and human frailty.  Voice, saxophone, double bass.  Watson sings like an angel, Davis oozes soul. We are all in paradise, if only we knew it. The burden is to accept it. £20

Tickets for both shows are available from Touchwood Homecare in Howden, 01430 431535 and online  at http://www.howden-live.com

Up until last year we had raised £43k over the years for the appeal, its a big gap and a big ask but we would like to try and pop £50k this year so we need to raise £7k. You can help by kindly donating to the appeal here or, better still, buy tickets for one of the gigs, maybe both?

Cancer is a nasty, insidious disease and affects everyone’s lives in one way or another whether it be on a personal basis, family or friends. Help combat it by supporting these events and contribute to the marvellous work carried out at St James’s, thank you,  Mark Rodger.

THE HOWDEN VINTAGE DAY

Revisit the ’40’s. ’50’s & ”60’s.

APRIL 28th 12pm to 6pm ish Howden Market Place  

A new initiative from Howden Live. An afternoon of dance, music, vintage stalls,children’s vintage rides and games, displays, vintage vehicles, motorcycles and scooters, re-enactment, cinema and storytelling. Howden Minster hosts a vintage wedding dress display along with wedding photographs from the event itself!

Confirmed live entertainment outside during the day the day in the marketplace, which will be closed off, consists of The Moodswings, The Academy of Theatre Studies, The Kingston Swing Dancers, Rayner Rock ‘n Roll, The Trebels and Rockin’em. All compared and hosted by Major Swing. Old newsreel films and suchlike will be screened in the Reid Wilford Studio downstairs at  the Shire Hall and former Land Army girl Iris relating her wartime experiences next door in the Shire Hall Tea Rooms. Local shops have been encouraged to set up a vintage theme for the day and everyone that comes along is jovially encouraged to dress up in something vintage, Lindy hopper, Rock’n Roller, Zoot suit, Mod, Rocker, you choose! Other venues tba will be presenting live period music during the evening, the highlight of which, in the Shire Hall will be:

THE GLEN MILLER LEGACY

THE NORTHERN SHOWTIME ORCHESTRA  &  The Moodswings.

SATURDAY APRIL 28th  £12.50

A long overdue return for the Northern Showtime Orchestra as part of the Howden Vintage weekend.

The Glenn Miller Legacy show traces the career of the swing era band leader from jobbing musician to band leader and air force captain, performing all his greatest tunes and telling the story behind each piece, with the aid of slides and narrations.

He said: “Playing trombone myself I have always admired what Glenn Miller achieved with his orchestra. He was one of the true musical icons of the 20th century and his music has significance for so many people in the Western world. For this show we have researched the archives and will recreate many of his greatest records.”

Melodies to be included in the Glenn Miller show include Moonlight Serenade, The Saint Louis Blues March, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Chattanooga Choo Choo, In the Mood, American Patrol, Tuxedo Junction and Stairway to the Stars.

The orchestra is gaining national recognition for its range of theatre-style shows, recreating original musical performances of the legendary musicians and singers.

The band’s members include Tony, also a member of the George Bradley Big Band, the Geoff Laycock Orchestra and other UK brass and big bands; Kathy Seabrook, one of the country’s leading flautists; Graham Quilter, on clarinet and saxophone; trumpet player Nigel Blenkiron, pianist Dave Clegg and guitarist and singer Richard Adams.

THE BAR -STEWARD SONS OF VAL DOONICAN

April 14th £12.

Put on yer finest knitted gladrags, style your barnet, put on your dancing shoes and bring your finest singing voices, as we cordially invite you to witness the Greatest Show On Earth (in tank-tops). 

Hailing from Barnsley Rock City, The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are on a mission! Determined to follow in their spiritual father’s immortal footsteps and keep his legacy alive, they have a talent for Bar-Stewardizing other famous people’s songs with new comedy lyrics, on acoustic geetar, ukulele, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, accordion, keyboards and kazoo. To complete their squeaky-clean image, estranged brothers Scott, Björn and Alan have become instantly recognisable for their immaculate hair and their stylish choice of sexy knitwear.

The Bar-Steward Sons have, in their 11 year history played over 850 side-splitting shows and have brought smiles and belly-laughs to audiences across the UK; from Barnsley to Barnstaple, from Glasgow to Glastonbury. They continue to wow audiences with a fine selection of their greatest hits, including the likes of “Jump Ararnd”, “Tarnlife”, “The Lady In Greggs”, “Nandos”, “Fight For Your Pint”, “Bono Bloody Bono”, “Since You’ve Been Ron”, “She’s From Dodworth”, “Walking In Manp**s” and “If I Could Punch A Face… It’d Be Justin Bieber’s”.

The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican can’t wait to bring their shindig to Howden Live and they promise that they WILL rock you… but gently!

What folk had to say about The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican:
“The greatest thing to come out of Barnsley, since the A61 to Sheffield”
Jarvis Cocker, Pulp

“Loved The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican. Great fun”
Jason Manford, comedian

“The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are very, very funny… one of the hardest working bands on the planet”
Mike Harding, comedian, folk-musician, author & broadcaster

“A ridiculous family of genius, hilarious, irresistible music makers, currently crowd-surfing to the bar all over the great county of Yorkshire and beyond, into the venues and music festivals of the UK. They’re quality.”
Eliza Carthy MBE, folk-musician

“They deserve the reputation they have earned as one of the festival scenes hottest bookings.”
UK Festival Guides Review

“Bristles with proper belly-laugh moments… a LOL-a-minute through a variety of perfect pastiches. If there is any justice, the Doonicans deserve to be all over your Saturday night telly.”
‘R n R Magazine’ (5-Star Review)

HEART OF GLASS

MARCH 31st  

SOLD OUT….SOLD OUT…. Please note that we can only refund tickets if we are able to re sell them. With that in mind its always worth turning up on the door as there is always the odd one or two available, poorly people and suchlike…….

The show is partially seated with a standing area, you probably won’t want to sit down anyway……..

A record breaking 13th! appearance at the Shire Hall. There’s a good reason we keep asking this band back and that is that they provide a cast iron guarantee of a superb night out! 

A tribute to Blondie fronted by the delectable Denise Danielle described as ‘the closest to Debbie Harry yet!’
Heart of Glass are the foremost Blondie Tribute band in the UK and the only one that is fully professional. 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 upon the various songs. There is no finer exponent of the songs, style and raw energy of Deborah Harry and Blondie. This will be a real treat to see this band – it will be like experiencing the real Blondie in 1978

THE JUKE JOINT KINGS

& Dogfinger Steve

£8  SATURDAY MARCH 17th

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 band met over a series of musical free-for-alls at the monthly Blues Sunday at the Sun Inn Beverley; an open mic for blues fans and musicians of all abilities, hosted by none other than IBBA favourite Half Deaf Clatch at the time.

Being a Sunday, electric blues with a full drum kit couldn’t be accommodated, so a small group of participants (Brian Williams and Graham Hyde – Chicago Bound/This Way Up and Chris and Sara Saunders – Bad Hat Harry) began to look for an opportunity to ‘cut loose with some Chicago Blues’; it arrived in the form of a Steve Lawley’s postcard in a local music shop (‘Grumpy Drummer seeks blues band’).

After several happy months playing together whenever they could, they sought a spot at the Beverley Blues Weekender and were so well received that they decided to quit their other bands to focus full time on the ‘Juke Joint Kings’.

Their debut ‘accidental’ album, Live at The Stonemasons (a live recording initially intended for personal use only), received a very positive review in Blues Matters (issue 95) described as ‘having quality in every department’ and was just the boost the band needed to know they were on the right track.

Since then they have supported Tom Attah and the Bad Man Clan, The Revolutionaries and The Della Grants to name a few, and are regulars on the blues scene in Hull and Yorkshire.

Their second album is due to be released later in 2018, and will feature some of the original material, as well as the classic blues standards, that have been stirring up audiences over the past year and drawn fans from across the UK and Europe.

Dogfinger Steve, a Howden favourite, self penned, stompin’ cigar box guitar toons performed with passion and their very own brand of originality. Five years ago Dogfinger was born, stomping out a boutique brand of dirty swamp slide blues music on 3 and 4 string homegrown cigar box guitars and stompboxes. Three CDs and hundreds of gigs down the line, supports with the likes of Chris Helme, Skerryvore, Paul Liddell, many many festival appearances including Freedom, Beverley Blues, Beverley Folk… The Dogfinger army grows and gigs are always seat of the pants swamp fun.

GARY STEWART’S GRACELAND

HOWDEN MINSTER.

FRIDAY MARCH 16th    £15

Led by popular Leeds-based troubadour Gary Stewart (Gary Stewart Band / Hope and Social / Ellen & the Escapades) and backed his incredible 7-piece band, this spectacular group of musicians come together to recreate Paul Simon’s landmark Graceland album in all its glory.Expect to hear those magical songs, with their captivating stories, distinctive harmonies and South African rhythms brought to life in front of you with no detail spared; from the layers of guitars and percussion, right down to the legendary bass solos and maybe even some token dance moves – if you’re lucky!

MARCH 3rd  £6.50 

Sandra’s Wedding:   Bernie Laverick & The Made In Hull Band:  Fiona Lee

THE JAR FAMILY

The Jar Family may have had to cancel due to the weather but Howden Live haven’t!. The show will go on!

Out of the ashes and all that…….. Its a pleasure to announce that the humungously talented Sandra’s Wedding have stepped in at the very, very last minute and we have also added the wonderful Fiona Lee to the bill too, with Bernie Laverick and The Made In Hull Bandstill still calling by we still have a gig of mention folks!

Because of the difficulties inherent with contacing all of the ticket holders at this late stage anyone turning up will be offered a part refund if they care to stay for the reorginised show or a full refund if not. Not sure about a re organised date for The Jar Family as yet, we need to check available dates.

My well-thought-out finale to 28 bands in 28 days has suddenly been thrown into turmoil. Having set aside the last two days of my new music feature for a singer/songwriter from New Zealand and a rock ‘n’ roll combo from Finland, I happened to notice, late last night, that an outfit by the name of SANDRA’S WEDDING had started to follow me on twitter. Of course, I reciprocated and was immediately taken aback by the outrageous claim in their Twitter profile (courtesy of a review by Radio York), that the band was ‘a cross between The Beautiful South and The Smiths’. Could it possibly be true? I held my breath, followed the links, and played the first song, “This Heart”, from 2017’s Northern Powerhouse album…….it was love at first listen!

As I worked my way through the album, it became apparent that there was an ace lyricist at work here – anyone rhyming Fray Bentos with asbestos in the middle of a pop song called “Death by Hanging” is top drawer in my book – and that I urgently needed to discover just who the mystery wordsmith was. It also dawned on me that it would be a dereliction of duty not to include Sandra’s Wedding in 28 bands. I certainly couldn’t scratch either of my last two acts (hey, I’m not wasting the hard work I’ve put in), so I’m just going to pretend that it’s a leap year and that February has 29 days this year and therefore 29 bands!

The wedding singer (and songwriter), by the way, is Joe Hodgson and he is backed by Jonny Hughes, guitar, Tom Hill, bass and Luke Harrison on drums. The band hails from Goole and describe their debut album as featuring ‘sepia-tinged songs focusing on love, loss and life in a Northern town’. They credit The Byrds, Randy Newman, ABBA, and, it should go without saying, The Smiths and The Beautiful South among their many influences!

Bernie Laverick’s Made In Hull Band went into the studio for two months last year to record ‘Another Day’, a collection of passionate and radical folk-rock songs that has created a huge amount of interest. A recent review published in ‘The Socialist’ concluded… “Another Day stands in the best tradition of British radical folk music. Its catchy tunes are instantly memorable and have a pop sensibility that disarms. But this belies a greater depth of lyric which challenges you to look at the world in a different light.” The band received a rapturous reception at their recent packed out launch gig at Kardomah94; its high energy performance and passionate delivery steamrolled through the set winning themselves multiple re-bookings from the venue owner. The full band boasts a seven piece line-up but can still deliver a punchy set with its core members; acoustic/electric guitars, banjo, bass and drums. It’s folk and it’s rock, with some pop and skiffle thrown into the mix that compliment the politically charged lyrics. Bernie Laverick’s MiH Band take no prisoners. It’s do or die!

FIONA LEE, is an emerging singer-songwriter from Yorkshire (the bottom of my street to be more precise) with a compelling voice which belies her years. Her songs tell tales of teenage life with both innocent simplicity and impressively mature observations. Having taught herself to play guitar, she discovered her true voice at a local acoustic night; since then she has been performing her songs publicly at every opportunity.

JO HARMAN & band

& Steve Fulsham

FEBRUARY 17th £15.

“A voice that leaves you speechless” ~ Huey Morgan,BBC Radio 2

Widely regarded the most exciting blues, soul and roots artist to emerge in Europe for decades, Jo Harman performs in support of her critically acclaimed, and commercially successful, second studio album ‘People We Become’, from which the track ‘When We Were Young (featuring soul superstar Michael McDonald) was BBC Radio 2 playlisted.

From blues to soul, gospel to Beatles-worthy pop, ‘People We Become’ is a modern album rooted in the timeless music of past generations.

Jo has had a remarkable rise to success. In 2013 she performed to over 300,000 people at Parkpop festival in the Netherlands, in 2015 she was headhunted by Amnesty International to perform at their prestigious awards alongside Joan Baez and Patti Smith, and in 2017 she made her US debut at Joe’s Pub New York, the stage where Adele and Amy Winehouse made their American debuts.

Live, her soul fuelled show ranges from hard rock to intimate, heart-warming ballads and features both her own emotive songwriting as well as personal takes on well-known standards.

And not to mention a rare acoustic outing for the man known as Steve Fulsham, he is very good.

Be amazed here……

BOO HEWERDINE

& Fiona Lee

FEBRUARY 3rd.  £12

Boo Hewerdine is well known as one of the greatest (and busiest) songwriter performers in the business, but incredibly, it’s been 7 years since Boo released his last studio album of original material God Bless The Pretty Things (Reveal Records 2009). Not that Hewerdine has been inactive, far from it, the period has been the most productive of his career. 

Boo wrote Radio Ballads for the BBC’s Olympic and recent Child Migration series. Elsewhere new songs were commissioned for art galleries and museums, including the Beneath The Dark Cloth project at the Met in New York. There has been a huge array of writing and producing with both established and upcoming artists and ‘passing something on’ to budding writers via his much loved songwriting workshops.

Boo spent three years writing a daily blog (http://boohewerdinesblogthing.blogspot.co.uk) which lead to podcast fun with that staff of The WORD (RIP) and invitations to join Radio broadcasts such as The Verb (BBC Radio 3) and a moment of personal satisfaction when his work was included in the radio round up Pick Of The Week on BBC Radio 4.

A chance meeting with American guitarist Brooks Williams one snowy night in Ely lead the pair to form State Of The Union (a duo who’s sound is simple, vibrant and alive, contemporary songs wrapped up in old time blues and country soul. State of The Union have recorded and released two albums and an EP, in quick succession, live in the studio with engineer Mark Freegard, the duo appeared on BBC1 TV Andrew Marr show performing their cover of Pet Shop Boys Rent. 

Hewerdine wrote lyrics and played on over 30 new recordings by and with other artists during the period including the acclaimed 2014 album (Vagabond) and 2015 EP (Back The Dogs) with Scottish singer Eddi Reader, Last Man Standing EP (2015) with Kris Drever of Lau and Duke Special. Reveal Records compiled the first document of his career to date with a fine Best of compilation “My Name In Brackets” and swiftly followed that with an album of lost recordings found in a box!  This album was Open which received five star reviews and was number 5 in the Telegraph Albums of The Year 2015. Last year was spent writing and producing an ambitious new double album and theatrical show for Chris Difford of Squeeze, details of which are soon to be announced. All that and Boo toured with Eddi Reader in Europe, Asia and played a series of sell out headline shows in the UK and an invite to host Boo Hewerdine & Friends songwriters circle at London’s Kings Place. There has not been a moment when Boo Hewerdine has not been working on something creative. His every day continues to be full of music and he has waited patiently to tell some older personal stories that will feature on his new May 2016 released Born EP and forthcoming Swimming In Mercury album (due September 2nd on Reveal Records). 

Hewerdine says…

“I felt like I had to wait for the right time to tell some old stories, working on the Best of compilation My Name In Brackets and finding the Open recordings took me back a little, each song a placed me in a memory. I soon realised I had to go further and revisit the time when I was first making music. Taking the bus down to Rough Trade in London with my demo tape Julia, playing cheap guitars with broken strings. 

For Swimming In Mercury and Born I have used instruments I’ve not used for years. The process has been more akin to when I was starting out in an indie band. I used my father’s old beat up piano and I wrote some songs with my son, Ben which was great. The lyrics came fast, I trusting my pen.

“There was West Side Story

A Minuteman was flying

New elements half dying

Catch 22”

(The Year That I Was Born) 

It blows my mind that I still have the opportunity to make music, that I have a voice and that there are people who want to hear and release it. Time is precious and this is the music that I needed to make.”

FIONA LEE, is an emerging singer-songwriter from Yorkshire (the bottom of my street to be more precise) with a compelling voice which belies her years. Her songs tell tales of teenage life with both innocent simplicity and impressively mature observations. Having taught herself to play guitar, she discovered her true voice at a local acoustic night; since then she has been performing her songs publicly at every opportunity.

BON GIOVI

JANUARY 20th.  £15

What is becoming a traditional opener for the Howden Live Year with a welcome return for BON GIOVI. Fronted by UK’s leading Jon Bon Jovi impersonator Gary Williams, the band have not only toured lengthily around the UK, for clients such as Harley Davidson, Vodafone, Butlins, Chicago Rock Cafes, Yates, Walkabouts, The British Motorcycle Federation and Jack Daniels, but have also performed internationally in over 25 countries, including The Middle East, Russia, Slovenia, Austria, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, France and Ireland to name but a few.

Bon Giovi were also the only UK tribute act to be asked to make a guest appearance on the New Jersey tribute album “Garden State Of Mind Vol. 1”, A celebration of Bon Jovi musical career to date.
Covering every aspect of Bon Jovi’s extensive career, BON GIOVI perform all the greatest hits such as ‘Living On A Prayer’, It’s My Life, Wanted Dead or Alive, as well as many others from every album ever produced in one amazing stage show which include all these hits and more, not too mention performing rare tracks that even Bon Jovi haven’t performed for many years.So if you’re ready to ‘Runaway’ on ‘One Wild Night’ down that ‘Lost Highway’ for a taste of the some of the world’s greatest Stadium Anthems, the closest you’ll get to the Real Thing.

BON GIOVI are the World’s Premier look-alike and sound alike Tribute to the New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi.
Formed in August of 1999, with over 16 years UK and International touring experience as a band and nearly 5 times that combined from individual members, this act is without compromise one of the best Tribute acts on the circuit today.

2017

 THE AUTUMN SEASON!

THE REVOLUTIONAIRES!

& Bernie Laverick and The Made In Hull Band

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!

Bernie Laverick and The Made In Hull Band: The band received a rapturous reception at their recent packed out launch gig at Kardomah94 its high energy performance and passionate delivery steamrolled through the set. It’s folk and it’s rock, with some pop and skiffle thrown into the mix that compliment the politically charged lyrics. Bernie Laverick and the MiH Band take no prisoners. It’s do or die!

http://

CARL PALMERS ELP Legacy Tour 2017.

SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT…

A tribute to Keith Emmerson, Greg Lake and John Wetton.

& Vinnie Whitehead

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.

Vinnie Whitehead is an all round entertainer who acknowledges and interacts with his audience. He writes music in a punky acoustic style and with a self deprecating sense of humour his lyrics take a wry look at real life events and experiences that audiences soon identify with. The result is great story telling over a musical soup incorporating Funk, Blues and Country with a Hip Hop thread binding it all together. The music carries a certain, energetic pop edge and Vinnie is renowned for his live stage presence and crowd banter that has been likened to that of a stand up comedian.  

                 http://

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

Award-winning Dutch violinist Tim Kliphuis breathes new life into existing styles with a high-energy blend of classical, gypsy jazz and folk music. His improvised sound is totally new and has popular appeal.

Classically trained and widely regarded as Stéphane Grappelli’s heir, regularly on tour with the fiery European gypsy guitarists, Kliphuis is a highly personal and inspiring performer, composer and educator.

He has shared the stage with legends Frankie Gavin, Richard Galliano and Les Paul and has been lauded for his musical genius by Nigel Kennedy. He was awarded the Scottish Jazz Award (International), has collaborated with the Richard Strauss Festival and Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and is the curator of the Fifty Fiddles Festival, in Rotterdam’s De Doelen concert hall.

“Winningly playful and technically brilliant” – The Scotsman

“One of the world’s finest fiddlers” – County Times

“Prodigiously talented, fearsomely fast and fun” – Time Out

An in-demand educator, Kliphuis is the author of best-selling Mel Bay books ‘Stéphane Grappelli Gypsy Jazz Violin’ and ‘Grappelli Licks’, the ‘Hot Jazz Violin’ DVDs and Jazz Etudes on video. His workshops and masterclasses have been featured at festivals, conservatoires and summer courses in the USA, Canada, UK, South Africa, Japan and Europe. Tim teaches improvisation at the Amsterdam and Tilburg conservatoires and hosts the annual sell-out Grappelli-Django Camp back home in Holland every August.

http://

STEPHEN DALE PETIT

& Dogfinger Steve

Saturday October 28th    £12.50

In the age of the TV talent show and the corporate pop cabal, Stephen Dale Petit is leading the resistance. He’s a man on a mission, sworn to establish the blues as the dominant force in popular culture. He’s a riot-starter and rabble-rouser, blowing out speakers with the “thrusting hooligan anthems” (Mojo) of his acclaimed studio work and igniting a new venue each night with his “raw, fresh energy” (The Times). He’s a genre spokesman and bluesman savant, whose BLUnivErSity lectures reboot the old masters for the modern age, while rallying new recruits to the cause. No wonder that Guitar & Bass cited Petit as “proof positive that the blues can move forward in the 21st century”.  

All the best bluesmen come with a backstory, and at 46, Petit has walked a winding path to the head of the modern scene. If his 1969 birth in California’s Joshua Tree desert was prescient – he was delivered by a passing doctor with a passion for the blues – then the acquisition of a Gibson SG at the age of twelve confirmed his calling. “The reason I’m on the planet is to play blues guitar,” Petit told BBC News. “I’m on a mission to spread the word about the blues and about the guitar – especially to young music lovers.”

Petit’s own epiphany hit hard. Rewind to his adolescence in the early-’80s and his formative influences were growing daily, taking in the vintage US heavyweights (Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Son House) and the British upstarts (Cream, Zeppelin, Yardbirds). Soon, he began his own precocious march on the Californian club circuit, playing five nights a week, cutting heads with senior players, jamming with titans including B.B. and Albert King, and immersing himself in the genre’s ethos. “The blues is a beautiful thing out of the cesspool of human nastiness,” Petit told Classic Rock. “This music was forged in horrific conditions. It was really the wail of a soul of a subculture of society in America. As a teenager, I was scared by it – but I couldn’t escape the pull.”

By the early-’90s, the bluesman’s love of the British boomers had lured him to the epicentre – London – for a period whose dazzling highs were offset by desperate lows. Collaboration and friendship with musicians including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Mick Jones and David Gilmour should have been his springboard, yet as the drugs flowed, Petit floundered, losing his momentum to addiction and dangling his talent by a thread. “It got to basically living on the street,” he recalled. “It was the blues that saved me. There was a moment when the choice was pretty clear: ‘Am I just going to be a drug addict and is my passion going to be washed down the toilet…?’”

Following that moment of clarity, Petit clawed himself back from the brink, regaining his confidence as a performer by busking in the bearpit of the London Underground, and attracting both a grass-roots fanbase and a media profile. “People started asking if they could buy the music they were hearing, and I didn’t have anything,” he says. “So I set about recording Guitararama.”

Guitararama proved to be the line in the sand. Originally self-financed and released in a limited pressing of 5,000 units, the buzz prompted a reissue in 2008 (with distribution from Universal) and pricked up the ears of media tastemakers. Suddenly, this former best-kept-secret was a regular guest on BBC Radio 2 (try 2011’s The BBC Sessions for a collection of his appearances) and a fixture in the music press, who declared Petit’s incendiary Firebird fretwork to “occupy a stunning middle-ground between the fire of Freddie King, the instinct of Jimmy Page and the soul of Clapton” (Classic Rock).

By 2010, The Crave upped the ante (included by Classic Rock in the Top 50 Albums Of The Year), while in 2013, the man in the hat raised the bar with Cracking The Code. Patently Petit’s most ambitious release to date, the album was home to his most ferocious originals, from Get You Off to Riot City, bolstered by A-list guests including Dr John, Mick Taylor and Hubert Sumlin. Tracking his solos mere days before his death, Howlin’ Wolf’s iconic guitarist gave Petit a glowing endorsement, “If a lot of people could play like you, shit, I’d sit back and smile”, and the wider reaction was just as receptive, with Cracking The Code deemed “rampant perfection” by The Blues.

Somehow, throughout this dizzying rise, Petit stuck resolutely to his guns. In 2007, the bandleader began spreading the word though his famous BLUnivErSity lecture tours, speaking at the UK’s universities and reeling uninitiated students into the genre with his charisma and insight. In 2010, he pulled together a crack squad of high-profile musicians, including Chris Barber, Ronnie Wood and Mick Taylor, in a successful bid to protect the iconic 100 Club (a venue that Petit dubs his “spiritual home”, having played there on more than twenty occasions).

That same year, Petit hit the High Voltage Festival in London for a decibel-limit-defying set that was bottled by the legendary Ronnie Lane Mobile Recording Unit. The resulting album – Live At High Voltage – was initially issued in 2012 in a vinyl-only, limited-edition run, before its near-mythical status sparked the 2014 digital reissue. “This is hands down the greatest live record you’ll ever hear,” raved The Blues in a 10/10 review. “Even The Who didn’t quite reach the intensity of Petit and friends.”

True to his word, this is a man on a mission. And in 2016, with Petit returning from double-headlining with blues-rock titan Walter Trout, there’s no mistaking a man who means every line, every lick, every fleck of spittle and drop of sweat. “I want to see the blues become mainstream,” he says. “I want to see it become common currency in the discourse of modern popular culture. I want to see it become blues city.” 

http://

 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.

The group was born by a chance encounter in 2002 when Willy appraoached a cellist he saw performing with a belly dancing troupe. “Willy was living on the Grand Union Canal near Tring. He saw and heard me playing and dancing in the garden of a pub close to wwhere his boat was moored and came rushing over with the immortal words “Would you like to join my band?”  IKnew who he was but must admit to being suspicious wether it was the cello playing or me he was interested in, so it tookm lots of telephone calls and persuading for me to audition for the band. Turns out, he was interested in both, we are now married.

The Willy that Mary refers to is Wild Willy Barrett, known as the Godfather of Grunge Folk, a highly respected musician whose styles include folk, blues, gypsy jazz, reggae, bluegrass and punk.

In the mid ’70s, Willy was invited by innovative reggae star Keith Hudson to feature on his acclaimed “Rasta Communication” album, alongside Sly and Robbie amongst others.  He has toured with Police, Madness and many more, been guitarist for George Hamilton IV, and recorded ‘The Contemporary Folk Guitar’ album with Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Gordon Giltrap & Ralph McTell.  All in all, he has had a long and varied career, and is happy with the enigmatic status he has achieved.  It is the gentler side of Wild that emerges with French Connection.

 “Having worked with Mary and John for more than ten years, I am delighted to be able to add French to the Irish/English mix. It has given us the chance to work on some interesting new arrangements, utilising the range of instruments at our disposal to their full advantage, testing their scope to the limit. It has definitely widened our horizons.”

For John Devine, a master of the Uilleann pipes, this has been an interesting couple of years, having also played at Buckingham Palace in the presence of the Queen.  “I was invited to play at the palace as part of the Irish State visit – it’s very, very posh and there were lots of celebrities around. I missed the opportunity to see Van Morrison, but I saw Niall from One Direction. “Speaking on Wild Willy Barrett’s French Connection, he says: “It is unlike anything you will ever see or hear with the range of music and musicianship. Willy holds it all together. He’s one of the most overlooked musicians in the country.”

Originally from Nancy in France, Aurora Colson’s lively personality fits in perfectly with the quirkiness of the other musicians, and she is already wowing audiences both French and English alike with her beautiful vocals.  “I was always interested in music while I was growing up – singing all the time, playing a little keyboard as a pre-teen, grabbing opportunities to play my dad’s drum kit when I was a teenager. I also discovered the old songs by Charles Trénet, Yves Montand, Édith Piaf and others that my grandparents were playing on their radios – I just loved these.”

Click here for a rather nifty sample of what you are in for……..   http://

THE BEAUTIFUL COUCH

SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT…

Please note: we will refund tickets solely on the basis that we are able to re sell them. There is a returns list at Touchwood, thank you.

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.

THE CADILLAC KINGS

& Chicago Bound

Saturday September 16th  £12.50

The Cadillac Kings are firm favourites on the blues, rhythm & blues & swing scenes and feature five of the UK’s top blues and roots musicians.
On 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’ 
* And in 2009 Canada’s ‘Real Blues’ Magazine’s awarded them best non American cd for ‘Trouble in Store’ ).
* Their 2012 release “Gonna Tell Your Momma” 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”  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.

And…..CHICAGO BOUND. Chicago Bound are a Beverley based acoustic Blues duo featuring local legend Brian Williams on harmonica and Graham ‘Eightball’ Hyde on guitar. Featuring music stretching from the Delta to Chicago. Popular across the local Blues scene Brian is one of the leading harmonica players in the region and is an encyclopedia of Blues history. He can also be heard playing washboard and spoons!. Graham has played guitar in local Blues bands for the last 15 years and is most at home with Chicago styles and 50’s style swinging Jazz. Together they also play in local renown Blues band The Juke Joint Kings! 

LIVE/WIRE.    SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT…   

Saturday September 2nd   £15.    Please feel free to put your name down for any returns at Touchwood, 01430 431535. Please note we can only refund a ticket if we are able to re sell it, thank you.

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. Thoswith 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 !! e 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 

KAZ HAWKINS.

& Urban Rain

Saturday May 27th   £10.

KAZ HAWKINS and her Band ..…. Winners of The European Blues Challenge 2017!…Kaz has been wowing UK venues & summer festivals with her new album ‘Feelin’ Good’ featuring 8 original songs & a new take on two vintage favourites.  Renowned bluesman Paul Jones is a fan, chatting about her tour dates and clearly enjoying her new songs ‘It Ain’t You’ & ‘Don’t Wait For Me’ and her great rendition of ‘Feelin’ Good’ on BBC Radio 2  (Paul Jones said “…terrific vocal performance from her and also lovely guitar playing from Nick McConkey”).  The new CD has received stupendous  reviews  : “Her band is a rhythm powerhouse”   and   “Multi-award winning and unique with ‘knock your socks off’ vocals from an equally delicious firework of a character”   

On her new album and a music video award winner : “This Is Me…. her voice deep with soul and emotion and then the words,  they are spell-binding. Stop what you are doing and listen,  this is a soulful philosophy for life This is Me and all I wanted to be.” (Bluesdoodles)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ff4t57s3jo

Festivals have said  “the audience wouldn’t let her go and the headliners kindly agreed to start late!” …  “Kaz Hawkins absolutely fantastic,  cannot believe her voice!”  … “She lives up to the hype about her forceful presence, leading from the front with her extraordinary voice – not just because of its power, or her occasional incredible falsetto, but more importantly because of its soulfulness”

Invited by BBC Radio Ulster to take part in a special Van Morrison 70th Birthday broadcast in Northern Ireland August 2015, Best Studio Album 2015 (Blues Matters), Best Emerging Artist (British Blues Awards 2015) and Winner of Female Vocalist Pure M Awards (Northern Ireland Industry Award), Winner of Best Music Video 2016 with Pure M Awards and a nominee for the UK Blues Challenge 2016

URBAN RAIN

‘Urban Rain’ are singer songwriters John Cox & Rosie Queenan – guitarist-bassists. Influenced by Bowie, Prince, Paul Weller, Chrissie Hynde, Patti Smith and Everything But The Girl. The sound is original, soulful, funky dark indie folk with cool vocal harmonies.

Formed in Hull 2014, they have played 3 live sessions on BBC Introducing and 3 live sessions on the Burnsy Show on BBC Radio Humberside. So far they have had 13 plays on BBC Introducing & 13 plays on the Burnsy Show! And their song “Shut Up Get Up and Dance” was included in the BBC Introducing Playlist of the Year 2015.

For live shows they are often augmented by ‘Dr Hyde’ on drums. Urban Rain live is a really engaging experience between them and audience…..

“Their sound was comfortably encased in my memory…warming the room with their positive energy” – Nix Chidlow Browse Magazin

Here she be…

THE JON PALMER ACOUSTIC BAND  & Katie Spencer

Saturday 13th May    £10

The Jon Palmer Acoustic Band is a highly acclaimed, high energy 6-piece folk, roots and rock & roll combo based in and around the musically vibrant West Yorkshire market town of Otley. The line-up includes guitars, mandolin, whistle, double bass, violin, and drums. Everyone sings! 

Best described as “a cross between The Pogues and The Oyster Band, with a bit of The Waterboys and The Saw Doctors thrown in for good measure” the band regularly performs at festivals and venues across the North of England.

“I never tire of this band, soaring songs, sing-along choruses… and passion. Perfect! Do yourself a favour and acquire Live at Otley Courthouse. Do yourself a second favour: go see them at their live best” 5 Stars – R2 Magazine

“A blur of hedonistic delight” – Fatea Showcases 

“Jon Palmer is a very fine songwriter… if the band were a heavy electric group they’d be The Levellers, but that would lose the subtlety of the acoustic performance.” – R2 Magazine (Rock n Reel)

“Genuinely well written songs” – Maverick Magazine

“they explode out of the same box as The Pogues, The Saw Doctors, and The Waterboys… a fantastic band” – The Troubadour Show 

The current line up of the Jon Palmer Acoustic Band is: Jon Palmer – vocals and guitar (former Grolsch UK Songwriter of the Year, and a published songwriter with Sony)      Wendy Ross – violin and vocals (Magna Carta, The Sentimentalists)   Rik Silvers – double bass and vocals (Plumhall)  

Matt Nelson – mandolin, whistles and vocals (The Pack with Bella Hardy and Sam Pirt)  Roy Whyke – drums and percussion (Jon Strong Band)                Nick Settle – guitar and vocals

KATIE SPENCER,  is a singer songwriter inspired by the people and her surroundings in the Yorkshire countryside. Enjoying music from a young age has developed her ever-evolving and infinite musical tastes and influences, including John Martyn, Ryley Walker and Led Zeppelin. Katie is also in the process of creating her debut album alongside Brian Young, featuring Ted McKenna, with bass written by Danny Thompson.

HEART OF GLASS

SOLD OUT…29th April  £12.50…SOLD OUT…

Please note: We can only refund returned tickets if we can resell them, thank you.

A record breaking 12th! appearance at the Shire Hall. There’s a good reason we keep asking this band back and that is that they provide a cast iron guarantee of a superb night out! 

A tribute to Blondie fronted by the delectable Denise Danielle described as ‘the closest to Debbie Harry yet!’
Heart of Glass are the foremost Blondie Tribute band in the UK and the only one that is fully professional. 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 upon the various songs. There is no finer exponent of the songs, style and raw energy of Deborah Harry and Blondie. This will be a real treat to see this band – it will be like experiencing the real Blondie in 1978

SNAKE DAVIS & THE SUSPICIONS

SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT… SOLD OUT…  Saturday April 15th  … SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT…

Returns only folks. Put you name down at Touchwood, 01430 431535 to stand the chance of getting one of those. Please note that we can only refund your ticket if we are able to re sell it, thank you.

A rare outing for this Northern Soul spectacular and a long overdue return to the Shire Hall, one of only four Suspicions gigs (so far) in 2017.

Twenty plus years ago, in the student bar of Leeds Polytechnic, “Snake Davis and his Alligator Shoes” were born . A soulful unit playing sax versions of Stax, Motown and Atlantic classics. They went on to be embraced by the Northern Soul scene. They lit up the Astoria Ballroom and Central Station, Leeds as they played to some of the most passionate and committed music-loving crowds anywhere in the world.
The passing years have scattered the individual Band members to various parts of the world but the nucleus of, Snake, Bass man “Dangerous” Dave Bowie and Guitarist, Mark Cresswell come together every year or so to back visiting American soul stars.
 Several years ago the three decided to re form the SUSPICIONS (a storming 8 piece with Brass and girl singers ) and take to the road doing their OWN show again for the first time in many a moon!

• Snake – Saxes
• Dave Bowie – Bass
• Mark Cresswell – Guitar
• Bryan Hargreaves – Drums
• Paul Birchall – Hammond/Keys
• Bob Taylor – Trumpet
• Doreen Edwards – Vocals
• Sue Quinn – Vocals

Come and see what all the fuss is about . expect to be dancing, swaying or slithering in your seats as they storm through Wigan classics and beautiful Soul ballads.

Snake Davis has appeared live with M-People, Eurythmics, Lisa Stansfield, Acoustic Alchemy etc. etc. as well as numerous tv appearances. His unique sax sound has found it’s way onto many classic hits such as, M-People’s “Moving On Up” and “Search For A Hero”, Take That’s “A Million Love Songs” and Lisa Stansfield’s “Change”

And…And…Not forgetting …THE SOUL PRESERVATION SOCIETY. Spinning authentic Northern Souls discs for your delectation…..

The 19th fundraising concert for The Yorkshire Cancer centre Appeal. Reg charity no 1075308

THE SAM KELLY TRIO

& Fiona Lee

Friday March 31st  £10

Sam’s debut EP – entitled ‘Your Way Home’ was released in March 2013, which swiftly created a buzz of interest in the folk scene for Sam’s music. He followed this up with the release of the widely acclaimed ‘Spokes’ EP in February 2015. This cemented Sam’s place further as one of the most exciting young prospects in the folk scene – landing him a nomination in the Best Singer category at the 2015 Spiral Earth Awards, and grabbing the attention of BBC Radio 2’s Folk Show. Touring as a trio with Jamie Francis (banjo) and Evan Carson (percussion), Sam has gained a reputation for an incredibly high class and dynamic live show, and the guys are rapidly becoming firm favourites at venues and festivals in all parts of the country. After a barnstorming performance to a completely rammed Club Tent at Cambridge Folk Festival 2015, the guys were invited to play their first session on Radio 2 live from the festival.

Not content with resting on his laurels, Sam enlisted the extraordinary talents of new band members Ciaran Algar (fiddle) and Graham Coe (cello) and went straight back into the studio to record his debut album. ‘The Lost Boys’ came out in November 2015 to a storm of rave reviews, cementing Sam’s place as one of the most rapidly rising stars on the UK folk scene, and enticing Radio 2 to invite the guys into the BBC studios as the featured live session guests on the Mark Radcliffe Show – an honour usually only bestowed upon much more established musicians. The album has also been championed by numerous legends of folk broadcasting, including Mike Harding – who played tracks from the album for four weeks in a row on his online radio podcast. Sam is taking the album on tour throughout 2016 with the full album band, aptly named Sam Kelly and The Lost Boys.

Coming from a family largely made up of Norfolk dairy farmers has left Sam with an unmatched experience of singing in front of hurtfully disinterested Friesians, and his meandering musical journey has ranged from reaching the final of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent as a teenager, to being selected for the first ever EFDSS Artist Development Scheme. Whether playing to 13 million people on prime-time television, or to 10 people in a tiny pub, Sam’s child-like fascination with music shines through, and his passion for discovering and rekindling the sounds of his musical heritage has gained him the respect of peers and audiences worldwide.

“Sam has such a beautiful voice and sings with so much soul. I’ve seen him perform live a few times and he’s amazing”Cara Dillon

“I think this guy is absolutely brilliant… His voice is beyond sublime.” Mike Harding

“Really fabulous stuff”Mark Radcliffe

“A captivating performer, Sam Kelly has one of the best young male voices in British acoustic roots music. Seriously…Check him out!”Sean Lakeman

“The Lost Boys is an outstanding debut album.”Bright Young Folk

“This is the album that the folk world has been awaiting… The Lost Boys is going to be huge.”Folking.com

FIONA LEE, is an emerging singer-songwriter from Yorkshire (the bottom of my street to be more precise) with a compelling voice which belies her years. Her songs tell tales of teenage life with both innocent simplicity and impressively mature observations. Having taught herself to play guitar, she discovered her true voice at a local acoustic night; since then she has been performing her songs publicly at every opportunity.

Try this (click here)

For those of you who think you may have heard of Sam away from the folk scene, this may jolt your memory.

THE JAR FAMILY

& Steelyard Blues.

March 18th £12.50

Hartlepool based The Jar Family are five individual songwriters and musicians, who decided that, rather than strive for success in isolation, they would join forces to pool their talent.Although on paper the idea of five very different and charismatic personalities with a wide range of musical styles working together harmoniously seems unlikely, the stunning results of their work to date speak for themselves. Taking their name from the donations jar they passed around at early gigs, the band are a tight knit group who had the foresight to realise that they were stronger collectively than they were individually.
To pursue their ambitious vision some tough early decisions had to be made. With few musical opportunities and even less resources at their disposal in their native North East the band temporarily moved away from their families in Hartlepool and relocated to a deserted farm in the remote Cambridgeshire countryside. There they built themselves a basic rehearsal studio and living in a ramshackle collection of old caravans for over a year they started to develop and refine what was to become the Jar Family sound.
A relentless touring schedule, which has seen the band appearing as special guests to a number of established artists such as Jake Bugg, Babyshambles, Alabama 3 and others has brought their raucous and engaging shows to all corners of the country. Picking up an ever-growing army of admirers as a result of this live activity the band has now established a major fan base of fanatical supporters throughout the UK. 
The Jar Family recorded new material at the legendary Monnow Valley Studios in 2014 with acclaimed producer Rupert Christie and ar released a new album ‘Family First’ in September 2015 amidst more inexorable touring.

STEELYARD BLUES have a pedigree longer than both of your arms, having played with the likes of Robert Cray, Spencer Davis, The Average White Band, The Yardbirds and many, many more at countless venues and festivals across the UK and Europe. Playing a mix of early Fleetwood Mac, Hendrix and blues standards they get yet another Howden Live stamp of grooviness and quality……

THE NICOL BAND, MAX BIANCO & DOGFINGER STEVE

Saturday February 18th  £7.50

SATURDAY JANUARY 21st.  £14.

SOLD OUT!    Give Touchwood a ring to get your name down for returns. Refunds only available if we can re sell your ticket.    SOLD OUT!

Help Hull kickstart their 2017 Year of Culture with a band of Hulls finest!

Saturday January 7th   £15.

Fronted by UK’s leading Jon Bon Jovi impersonator Andrea Ojano. The band have not only toured lengthily around the UK, for clients such as Harley Davidson, Vodafone, Butlins, Chicago Rock Cafes, Yates, Walkabouts, The British Motorcycle Federation and Jack Daniels, but have also performed internationally in over 25 countries, including The Middle East, Russia, Slovenia, Austria, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, France and Ireland to name but a few.

Bon Giovi were also the only UK tribute act to be asked to make a guest appearance on the New Jersey tribute album “Garden State Of Mind Vol. 1”, A celebration of Bon Jovi musical career to date.
Covering every aspect of Bon Jovi’s extensive career, BON GIOVI perform all the greatest hits such as ‘Living On A Prayer’, It’s My Life, Wanted Dead or Alive, as well as many others from every album ever produced in one amazing stage show which include all these hits and more, not too mention performing rare tracks that even Bon Jovi haven’t performed for many years.So if you’re ready to ‘Runaway’ on ‘One Wild Night’ down that ‘Lost Highway’ for a taste of the some of the world’s greatest Stadium Anthems, the closest you’ll get to the Real Thing.

BON GIOVI are the World’s Premier look-alike and sound alike Tribute to the New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi.
Formed in August of 1999, with over 16 years UK and International touring experience as a band and nearly 5 times that combined from individual members, this act is without compromise one of the best Tribute acts on the circuit today.

It is our tremendous pleasure to announce that this autumn 2016 season is now officially the 30th anniversary season of HOWDEN LIVE/HOWDENSHIRE LIVE ARTS.  The fundamental ethos of Howden Live/HLA is still ” Enjoying live entertainment in the company of others”. Please join us in this wonderful celebration season.

Doors 7.30 for 8pm unless otherwise stated.

 JOHN OTWAY & The Big Band

3rd December, 2016
£12.50

From the age of 9, John Otway knew he wanted to be a pop star. But even at that young age, having listened to his sister’s Beatles and Stones records, he knew he would never be able to do what they do. However, when his sister got the latest Bob Dylan album, he knew there was a place for him and he set about learning how to play guitar.

Otway had to wait until 1977 and the rise of punk before his dream of fame and fortune would finally become a reality. Having caught the eye of the producers of the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test, Otway’s performance on that show would grab the attention of the watching audience. Otway, ever the showman, decided to jump on to the amplifier of his colleague during a performance of Bob Lind’s Cheryl’s Going Home. (Un)fortunately for Otway, he misjudged his leap and sent Wild Willy Barrett’s amplifier tumbling as he crashed down straddling the box under the amp.

The full force of the impact was absorbed by the most tender part of his body, but in doing this one simple act of recklessness and his wanton disregard for his own safety, Otway was the talk of everyone who watched that evening’s programme.

Not only did he see a surge in his audiences, sales of Otway’s sixth single, the half-spoken love song Really Free increased dramatically and reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart. An appearance on the BBC’s flagship music programme Top of the Pops, where Otway & Barrett were introduced by Elton John later, Otway was finally a star. It would however, be his greatest success for some time.

Despite numerous attempts to get back into the charts, Otway would have to wait 25 years for his next taste of chart success. In the intervening years, Otway would become an actor; write an autobiography (Cor Baby That’s Really Me: Rock and Roll’s Greatest Failure); perform sold out shows at London’s Astoria and Royal Albert Hall; make regular appearances at both Glastonbury and Edinburgh Festivals; and write the nation’s seventh favourite lyric of all-time (beating Bob Dylan and Paul Simon in the process).

In 2002, Otway achieved what he desired the most – a second hit. A concerted publicity campaign saw Otway reach number 9 with the disco pastiche Bunsen Burner and a second appearance on the Top of the Pops. Despite this success, a planned world tour collapsed, but Otway continued to gig extensively around the UK either with his band, as a duo with Wild Willy Barrett or solo. A follow-up autobiography was penned in 2010 and titled: I Did It Otway: Regrets I’ve Had a Few.

In 2012, to celebrate his 60th birthday, Otway produced his debut movie titled Otway the Movie: The Story of Rock n Roll’s Greatest Failure. A screening for producers was held at London’s Leicester Square with the final scenes from the movie filmed on the red carpet and edited into the film. The film was then taken to Cannes Film Festival and a 50-date tour of cinemas in both the UK and North America. It was subsequently voted the 2nd best film of the year in a poll of its readers conducted by The Guardian newspaper.

In 2016, Otway announced that he was planning to record a new album. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, he will take his band to the Caribbean island of Montserrat to become the first international recording artist to record there since the Rolling Stones in 1989

 THE REVOLUTIONAIRES! 

Saturday 26th November, 2016
£10.00 And…..The Juke Joint Kings

Scorching a trail across the live music venues of the land is this sizzlin’ hot 1950’s R&B combo…

…The Revolutionaires!

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! ”    

From hokum to hi-octane swing, the six piece JUKE JOINT KINGS bring you the best in electric blues from Tampa Red to B.B. King and all points in between. All local bluesicians, the JJKs supported Tom Attah and the Bad Man Clan at this year’s Beverley Blues Weekender

They are:…Brian Williams (harp and vocals), Graham Hyde (guitar), Steve Lawley (drums), Sara Davidson (bass), James West  (guitar) and Chris Saunders (vocals).

THE DISHONOURABLE MEMBER

Murder mystery

Saturday November 19th  

£12.             7.20 for 8pm.      With a hot dog supper!

   THE BEAUTIFUL COUCH 

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.

COLIN BLUNSTONE

Now rightly regarded as one of the most innovative British groups of their brief but brilliant 1960s incarnation, the Zombies’ name was happily reactivated by Colin and keyboard wizard RodArgent for globally acclaimed records and tours, as they built up to the 50th anniversary of their formation in 2011. That was fuelled by the incredible afterlife of their fabled (and famously misspelt) ‘Odessey and Oracle’ album, released after the band’s initial split in 1968. By 2003, its brilliant originality was recognised with a place in the top 100 of Rolling Stone magazine’s Top 500 Albums of All Time list, and it went on to win Mojo’s Classic Album award in 2009. Blunstone’s timeless tones have been at the forefront of the Zombies’ ‘She’s Not There,’ ‘Tell Her No’ and ‘Time of the Season,’ collaborations with the likes of Dave Stewart (‘What Becomes of the Brokenhearted’) and the Alan Parsons Project (‘Old and Wise,’ among many other album appearances), and a solo catalogue containing such gems as ‘Say You Don’t Mind,’ ‘I Don’t Believe In Miracles,’ ‘Misty Roses,’ ‘How Could We Dare To Be Wrong’ and ‘Levi Stubbs’ Tears.’

 His incomparable voice has been in our consciousness for five decades, on some of the most memorable songs in pop history. In 2016, Colin Blunstone’s amazing heritage is more respected than ever –  From media, fans and fellow musicians alike, there’s now fresh appreciation all over the world for Colin’s work in his own name, The core band  is guitarist Tom Toomey, who also plays with the Zombies; Pete Billington, who’s played keyboards for the likes of Alison Moyet and Kid Creole; bassist Chris Childs (Andy Summers, Paul Young) and drummer Pat Illingworth (808 State and the other Dave Stewart, the one from Eurythmics).  

LISA MILLS
Sat 15th Oct, 2016.  £10

Mississippi native, now Alabama resident Lisa Mills could be called a blues singer, or a gospel singer, or a torch singer or an R&B singer, and each label would be accurate. In fact, as the reviews of her 2014 album I’m Changing(a remastered and remixed reimagining of her 2005 debut album, enhanced by the inclusion of a handful of new tracks) poured in, she was described in all of these terms, and at least a couple of critics suggested they even heard the nascent stirrings of a jazz stylist in some of her more nuanced readings.

Listeners responded to Lisa’s sophisticated, emotional performances by making her 2015 U.K. tour a rousing success marked by sellout ornear-packed venues, brisk post-concert CD sales and the inevitablequery as to when she would be returning. To the latter the answer is“2016,” when the excitement of 2015 will be parlayed into an extended U.K. and European tour, on which bookings are being focused on festivals, concert halls and centers. And by the time the 2016 tour gets underway next Fall, she will have a new album to promote, titled Mama’s Juke Book. A special and deeply personal project, Mama’s Juke Book will be comprised of songs Lisa found by chance in her late mother’s possessions—specifically, in a Dollar Store General spiral notebook in which her mother had handwritten lyrics to 25 of her favorite country tunes, all dating from the early ‘70s. Her mother, Jan Powell, was a country music devotee who unfortunately passed away in 2012. In addition to her love of music, Jan unconditionally loved her daughter, was her biggest fan and most enthusiastic promoter, and not least of all, was her trusted confidant. In a real sense Mama’s

Juke Book is a love letter from daughter to mother but it is also a Southern cultural timepiece capturing mainstream country music in a transitional period ahead of the emergence of the Outlaw movement in the mid-‘70s. Grammy winner Trina Shoemaker, who steered theretooling of I’m Changing, is returning in a producer’s role on Mama’s Juke Book.

Although the content of Mama’s Juke Book is drawn from country, Lisa’s interpretive artistry takes country for a new spin when chestnuts originally recorded by the likes of Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Buck Owens, Conway Twitty and others are revealed to have hidden pockets of soul and blues when considered from a fresh point of view by a versatile vocalist—similar to what she demonstrates on I’m Changing in finding new avenues of expression on covers of the Rev. Robert Wilkins’s “I Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing,”

DOGFINGER STEVE may be getting a little ‘ho hum’ these days about being referred to as ‘Driffields answer to Seasick Steve’ but such comparisons are affectionate in the face of self penned, stompin’ cigar box guitar toons performed with passion and their very own brand of originality. Five years ago Dogfinger was born, stomping out a boutique brand of dirty swamp slide blues music on 3 and 4 string homegrown cigar box guitars and stompboxes. Three CDs and hundreds of gigs down the line, supports with the likes of Chris Helme, Skerryvore, Paul Liddell, many many festival appearances including Freedom, Beverley Blues, Beverley Folk… The Dogfinger army grows and gigs are always seat of the pants swamp fun.

It is our tremendous pleasure to announce that this autumn 2016 season is now officially the 30th anniversary season of HOWDEN LIVE/HOWDENSHIRE LIVE ARTS. The focus will be on the weekend of the 16th and 17th of September when we have the CREEDENCE COLLECTION appearing at Howden Working Mens club on the Friday and all day on Saturday with HOWDEN…LIVE! At the Shire Hall, where we have some of the cream of acoustic talent to have appeared at the Shire Hall over the years. The fundamental ethos of Howden Live/HLA is still ” Enjoying live entertainment in the company of others”. Please join us in this wonderful celebration season.

 HOWDEN….LIVE!! with THE CREEDENCE COLLECTION.

PAUL LIDDELL, Paul’s modern take on the ‘one man band’ using live loops, guitar percussion, harmonies and effects has seen him supportartists such as Turin Brakes, Jon Gomm and Billy Bragg. A diverse and challenging writer with a unique voice, his live performances range from whispering intensity to a white knuckle, edge of your seat, ear splittingly glorious racket.

STONY,  Richard Adams (Guit/voc) and Mark Gordon (Piano/voc) appeared in Howden several times longer ago than we may care to remember and after a hiatus invloving careers and families are back together again! Expect a bunch of new songs along with a load of old favourites… both covers and oiginals.

CARRIE MARTIN  is an acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter from Hull in Yorkshire. Her guitar playing has attracted sufficient attention for her to be recruited as an endorsee by Vintage guitars. Influenced by the likes of Eva Cassidy and Ann Wilson from Heart, her writing and performing style nevertheless defies categorisation, as evidenced by her debut album “Luna”

KATIE SPENCER,  is a singer songwriter inspired by the people and her surroundings in the Yorkshire countryside. Enjoying music from a young age has developed her ever-evolving and infinite musical tastes and influences, including John Martyn, Ryley Walker and Led Zeppelin. Katie is also in the process of creating her debut album alongside Brian Young, featuring Ted McKenna, with bass written by Danny Thompson.

LIVE/WIRE
Saturday September 3rd, 2016

£15

SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT…SOLD OUT…

There is now a waiting list please ring Touchwood in Howden, 01430 431535. Please note we can only refund ticket returns if we can re sell them, thank you.

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 Ash gives on stage with his portrayal of the livewire 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 !!

A MONTH OF SUNDAYS IN JUNE

Some years ago when the format of the Month of Sundays appeared to be on its last legs it was rejuvenated by the presentation of  four consecutive brass bands on Sundays in June by Maureen and Brian Greenwood, for the last few years that mantle was taken up by David Drinkwater until he decided to call it a day last year.

At that time it was decided to resurrect the original format of the Month of Sundays, as in a varied sequence of presentations of different genres, which we detail below for your delectation.

This endeavour would not have been possible without financial support from Howden Town Council, Drax, Howdens Joinery and sponsorship from Longs garage.

SUNDAY JUNE 5th, THE SELBY ROCK CHOIR and ALLSORTZ (swing band). In Howden Minster. (£1)  2pm

Rock Choir was started in Farnham, Surrey in 2005 by musician and singer, Caroline Redman Lusher. Rock Choir pioneered the contemporary choir movement in the UK. It was the first choir to offer the general public the chance to sing pop, rock and chart songs with no entry audition and no requirements to read music or have any previous singing experience.

AllSortZ are a group of musicians who formed in 2014 and chose the name because we are all so different from each other. We began by playing with four or five of us, for fun and the experience. Since then group has expanded to fifteen and we now play a variety of music including swing, marches, popular music and film theme music. AllSortZ couldn’t be a more appropriate name for a band’s repertoire and it’s members.

In 2015 AllSortZ played at The Jug & Bottle for the Tour de Yorkshire race and at Wressle to help raise funds to refurbish the village hall.  At Christmas five gigs were played in as many days.  This year sees the band being booked more regularly and performances will include;  Howden’s A Month of Sunday’s in the Minster in June, Bubwith’s new Music Festival at The Bubwith Centre, for a Foggathorpe village’s celebration for the Queen’s birthday and at Howden Show in July

HEART OF GLASS

£12.50

7.30 for 8pm

There are only a few tickets left for HEART OF GLASS and therefore we have withdrawn the online option for buying tickets. Hard copy tickets are still available at Touchwood Homecare, Howden, 01430 431535.

Well! …..Thought you had seen the last of Heart Of Glass at the Shire Hall? We are pleased to say that you can think again, back for a record breaking 11th performance! 

A tribute to Blondie fronted by the delectable Denise Danielle described as ‘the closest to Debbie Harry yet!’ There is a very good reason we have booked them back every year, a record now for consecutive appearances in Howden! That reason is that they simply rock! A cast iron guarantee of a superbly entertaining night out .
Heart of Glass are the foremost Blondie Tribute band in the UK and the only one that is fully professional. 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 upon the various songs. There is no finer exponent of the songs, style and raw energy of Deborah Harry and Blondie. This will be a real treat to see this band – it will be like experiencing the real Blondie in 1978

Saturday May 14th

DOGFINGER STEVE may be getting a little ‘ho hum’ these days about being referred to as ‘Driffields answer to Seasick Steve’ but such comparisons are affectionate in the face of self penned, stompin’ cigar box guitar toons performed with passion and their very own brand of originality. Five years ago Dogfinger was born, stomping out a boutique brand of dirty swamp slide blues music on 3 and 4 string homegrown cigar box guitars and stompboxes. Three CDs and hundreds of gigs down the line, supports with the likes of Chris Helme, Skerryvore, Paul Liddell, many many festival appearances including Freedom, Beverley Blues, Beverley Folk… The Dogfinger army grows and gigs are always seat of the pants swamp fun.

Saturday April 30th

TOO REX    £14 

7.30 for 8pm.

VIN GARBUTT  

SATURDAY APRIL 16TH £12 

& Fiona Lee

7.30 for 8pm

Winner of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards “Best Live Act” Award 2001Vin’s career has spanned over 40 years of constant world wide touring which must make him some kind of elder statesman of folk. His songs were inspired by the folk tradition at the beginning of his career, they still are but have transformed into gritty social comment and life observations. He is renowned for his hilarious intros but for him his song lyrics are the crux of his performance.“Vin cuts through the bull, grasping those he meets firmly by the hand and shaking them up with a dose of laughter and tears. It’s a true gift to be able to make us laugh and squirm at the same time, but Vin does both. He should be prescribed on the National Health.” English Folk Dance & Song Society.“Every budding singer-songwriter please take note: attending a Vin Garbutt concert is now mandatory before your first public performance. Garbutt is the undisputed master of communicating with an audience.” Penguin Eggs magazine. CanadaBBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Nominee for “Best Folk Singer” and “Best Live Act” Awards 2001Winner of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards “Best Live Act” Award 2001Honorary Degree of Master of Arts awarded to Vin by Teesside University in 2001 for his music and his services to the arts and culture of the area of the North East of England.BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Nominee for “Best Live Act” Award 2007.Vin Garbutt is reputed to have said that he is not interested in becoming a big star in the accepted sense. Nevertheless in the area of music where he performs, there is no bigger star. He prefers to be a big fish in a small pond. This attitude means that his need for privacy and a balanced home life are safeguarded and satisfied. What the world realised long before Vin did, was that the small pond had grown over the years into a considerable lake.All this has happened without the hype from big Record Companies, and without the usual publicity from the mass media. He has performed all over the globe, and in parts of countries that the biggest stars will never see. This phenomenon has occurred solely by word of mouth, spread by people who have come across him, and felt the need to share this unique experience with their fellow countrymen.

Fiona Lee is an emerging singer-songwriter from Yorkshire with a compelling voice which belies her years. Her songs tell tales of teenage life with both innocent simplicity and impressively mature observations. Having taught herself to play guitar, she discovered her true voice at a local acoustic night; since then she has been performing her songs publicly at every opportunity. As well as playing regularly at open mic sessions, she is currently working with producer Chris Miley, developing and recording her songs for her debut release later in the year.

CANCELLED …CURVED AIR …  CANCELLED

Instead:………HOWDEN ACOUSTIC! Katie Spencer. Dogfinger Steve, John Cox & Rosie Que aka Urban Rain, Carrie Martin and Jack Parker.

Saturday April 2nd 

7.30 for 8pm.

Right then! There may be the odd thing I have forgotten but wheels are in motion with We Got Tickets for partial refunds for people who would like to come to HOWDEN ACOUSTIC tomorrow instead of Curved Air and full refunds for them as don’t. Partial and full refunds are also available for folks that have bought tickets the old fashioned way. Details of what is happening have been spread as far and wide as is possible at such short notice and Broadley’s printers in Goole have pulled out all the stops and sorted new posters for us. We just need a full house now and you lot out there are the ones that can help us with that,  thank you.

KATIE SPENCER is a singer songwriter inspired by the people and her surroundings in the Yorkshire countryside. Enjoying music from a young age has developed her ever-evolving and infinite musical tastes and influences, including John Martyn, Ryley Walker and Led Zeppelin. Katie began to teach herself to play the guitar in December 2012 and soon after started writing refreshingly mature songs that quieten the room, as you accompany their characters on evocative and poignant journeys. Katie is also in the process of creating her debut album alongside Brian Young, featuring Ted McKenna, with bass written by Danny Thompson.”

(From the Blues Band

CHRIS HELME (Band show) + Joe Harkin

Saturday November 30th 2013  £10

Chris Helme first rose to prominence as the front man of John Squire’s post-Stone Roses band ‘The Seahorses’  Still rightfully remembered for the anthemic Britpop classics ‘Love Is The Law’ and ‘Blinded By The Sun’ – songs that evoked everything the 90’s stood for, the excitement, the culture and the bands that provided a voice in a period of political and social imbalance. Present day societal context may well in fact mirror those times but the man himself, now, appears cut from an entirely different cloth.

Helme has an enviable back catalogue, bolstered further by his acclaimed works with The Yards, but it’s his latest offering The Rookery’s knack for melody and imaginative, intricate, three-way guitar interplay that brings each track to such lush, blossoming, climaxes. Add to this Helme’s keen ear for arranging and those brooding string passages resonate even more deeply.

“Echoing the fragility of Gram Parsons, while flirting with the rustic side of Neil Young”

Uncut

“Dreamy but driven indie folk. Enhanced by lavishly layered productions and a deftly deployed string quartet.”

Q Magazine

Born 1987, Joe is a singer songwriter from Howden. He writes and plays his own songs with an originality and grasp of the live’s of people he has come across. With an observational  song writing style he wittily documents on shady local characters, troubled economic times and his own doldrum days. He started writing songs at the age of 22 and soon formed the Dirty Rogues. The band went on to enjoy success at regional level and played a number of big venues, including Liverpool’s 02 arena and the famous Cavern Club. Unfortunately their success didn’t last as members left with work commitments forcing the band to split in 2011. This should not detract from the talent of Harkin, whose lyrics and playing style are unique and deserve their place on a stage

.

THE FRANK SINATRA STORY

THE NORTHERN SHOWTIME ORCHESTRA

Saturday November 16th  £10

The Northern Showtime Orchestra’s latest show The Sensational Sinatra Story features Richard Adams, a singer more used to singing his own self-penned songs as an acoustic artist, having sung for eleven years in a duo popular in folk and acoustic circles – Stony. Richard has effortlessly crossed over to big band swing and his delivery of the songs made popular by Sinatra has received critical acclaim wherever the show has been performed. “I’ve been a fan and a student of Sinatra’s singing since I was a teenager, and trying to retrace the great man’s life in this show is an amazing and daunting experience,” says Richard.

Stevie Mould is a 16 year old Singer/Songwriter from Beverley. Stevie has always had a love for singing but in 2010, she started to attend the Hull City Council Creative Voice music sessions. From this Stevie has been given the opportunity to perform and build her confidence, whilst performing with other young people. Stevie’s first opportunity was to sing in the 2010 Freedom Festival, at Fruit Humber Street. This was a whole new scene singing to an audience but she loved it, Stevie even went to gather more crowds by singing on her own at the top of Humber Street. Stevie was becoming a little more confident and played at various other gigs such as The Coolture event held at the City Hall, The Pickering Park (Hull) 100th year celebration, Creative Voice sessions at The Lamp and on two occasions she performed with other young people in the Musicport event held at Bridlington Spa. In 2010 Stevie joined her school gospel choir, and is still a keen member. Stevie also decided to teach herself the guitar, and then took to taking lessons at school. I think the past year for Stevie has been a year of Festivals, taking part in the Beverley Folk Festival with young people from her school. Stevie also took part in the Trinity Festival 2011 and the Freedom Festival 2011. Stevie’s next gig was Tribfest in the under 18’s Acoustic tent, organised by Freedom Road Creative Arts. As well as school and gigs Stevie had started to attend an open Mic night, which is held at George’s Bar Driffield and organised by Singer/Songwriter Edwina Hayes. Dreams soon became reality when Edwina asked Stevie to support her, at a gig in The Old Courthouse Thirsk. Stevie’s first professional gig and to support Edwina Hayes, what more could a 15 year old girl ask for? 2012 has been an excellent year performing at many venues and festivals including Hull Folk and Maritime Festival, Humber Sesh, Trinity Festival, Filey Folk Festival, Tribfest, Queens Gardens and also the open Mic nights at The Ship Inn Sewerby run by the Whiskey Dogs.