The Village Folk Christmas Carol Club

17th December 2013

Taurus Bar, 1 Canal Street (just five minutes walk from Piccadilly station)

7.30pm doors open for 8pm start
Just £2 on the door

Is it that time of year again? We can't quite believe it either, but we love belting out a carol or two - and judging by your fine voices at the club with 4Square this week, we know you do, too! Come along for a song and a mince pie, and revel in everything Christmassy. Let us know if you'd like a Christmassy floorspot, too!

The Village Folk Club with 4Square

19th November 2013

Taurus Bar, 1 Canal Street (just five minutes walk from Piccadilly station)

7.30pm doors open for 8pm start
£8 full price / £6 for concessions

Sophie from The Village Folk Club crew has just got back from English Folk Expo where she saw 4Square. It might have been approaching 1am when the band were playing, but all the talkative souls at the bar, clutching their pints, soon fell silent at 4Square's antics.

After all, there's nothing quite like them. Rhythms are frenetic and varied, sauntering from one tradition, one culture, to another. Instrumentation is is deft, swapping mind-staggeringly frequent. And dance? Well, if you're not dancing by the end, one of 4Square will be - and you can't let her dance by herself!

Head over to Facebook to join our event page for updates.

The Village Folk Club with Dr Butler's Hatstand Medicine Band

15th October 2013

Taurus Bar, 1 Canal Street (just five minutes walk from Piccadilly station)

7.30pm doors open for 8pm start

£6.00 / £4.00 concessions

In a little change to our programme, we now have Dr Butler's Hatstand Medicine Band joining us on Tuesday 15th October, rather than the previously advertised Bo Weavil.

You may have seen Dr Butler's in some unusual places over the past few years... folk trains, art galleries, festival stages, birthday parties... They describe themselves as 'a trav­el­ling troupe of mu­si­co­lo­gical min­strels, ped­dling the good Doc­tor's unique good-time tonic to all four corners of the land.'

 

Their music is a rag-tag mix of old timey jazz and blues, some swing and ragtime, with a folky treatment - so you never know quite what you're going to get!

Head over to Facebook to join our event page for updates.

The Village Folk Club with Harp and a Monkey

17th September 2013

Taurus Bar, 1 Canal Street (just five minutes walk from Piccadilly station)

7.30pm doors open for 8pm start

£4.00/ £6.00 

Come and join the electro-folk storytellers... the harp 'n' banjo driven storytelling of Harp and a Monkey is imbued with a deep Lancashire sensibility that shines through in their beautifully crafted and sometimes spooky vignettes of northern life, love and remembrance.

The trio, who have been friends for more than 15 years, channel the ghosts of summers spent in municipal parks and winters walking on the moors. Ask them about their influences and they are as likely to cite Ordnance Survey maps and The Commonwealth War Graves Commission as they Bert Jansch, The Bolton Bullfrog or Bellowhead.

So far, they have enjoyed national radio support from the likes of Steve Lamacq and Mike Harding on BBC Radio 2 and Lopa Kothari on BBC Radio 3, along with Folk Radio UK and many more. Their self titled debut album received critical acclaim on its release in late 2011 and they were also invited to perform at the inaugural Homegrown Festival in 2012, hosted by The Met in Bury to showcase the best new English folk music to an international audience.

Have a sneak peek here... Be sure to book your tickets in advance, it's going to be a busy one!

Summer break

There will be no club night in August so enjoy the festivals and we'll see you in September for Harp And A Monkey. Keep checking back for more information.

The Village Folk Club with Zoe Mulford

18th June 2013

Taurus Bar, No. 1 Canal St (5 mins walk from Piccadilly station)

7.30pm doors open for 8pm start

£4.00/ £6.00 

Since arriving in Manchester seven years ago, American songwriter Zoe Mulford has become known as a clawhammer banjo player, a storyteller, and a writer of new songs with a grounding in traditional American, English, and Celtic music. Her night at the Village Folk Club will celebrate the UK release of her new album. "Coyote Wings" explores some new musical territory, adding some more upbeat contemporary sounds, slipping in a snatch of spoken word, and taking a few leaves from the Great American Songbook. The songs have the strong lyrics, vivid imagery, and offbeat subject matter Mulford's listeners have come to expect. Here's a love song for Wile E. Coyote, a bus ride with an ex-con and an evangelist, a wedding song for clowns, and - of course - pirates.

--

[Music] can be made anywhere, is invisible and does not smell.
-W. H. Auden

New Album Available - Coyote Wings

Music Online:
www.zoemulford.com

Label:
www.azaleacityrecordings.com

Sales:
http://zoemulford.com/products.html

Price

Full Price £6.00 GBP Conc £4.00 GBP

The Village Folk Club with Three Sheets T' Wind

16th April 2013

Taurus Bar, No. 1 Canal St (5 mins walk from Piccadilly station)

7.30pm doors open for 8pm start

£4.00/ £6.00

Hailing from deepest West Yorkshire, we’re more than a bit pleased to announce that Three Sheets T Wind will be bringing their unique and exciting sound to the Village Folk Club in April. They describe themselves as ’punk influenced folk music, or folk influenced punk music’. Difficult to categorise them, but why bother!  Whatever it is, it’s great music and this lot can’t fail to entertain.  If you want a preview, have a listen to them on Facebook or My Space.  Tremendous!

16th April - Three Sheets T' Wind

Price

Full price £6.00 GBP Concession £4.00 GBP

The Village Folk Club with Gavin Davenport

Tuesday 19th March, 7.30pm doors for 8pm start

Taurus Bar, 1 Canal St, Manchester (5 mins walk from Piccadilly station)

ADVANCE - £6.00 conc/ £8.00 full price

 £10.00 on the door

 Gavin Davenport brings his new album 'The Bone Orchard' to us on his national tour. The night will see Gavin joined by (relatively) local lad and fantastic fiddle player Tom Kitching of Pilgrims' Way.

 

Click here to hear his wonderful performance of The Whitby Lad at Cheltenham Folk Festival 

  

There are no other gigs on this tour in the North-West so don't miss out and please note that tickets for advanced sales are reduced so click below to get your tickets now.

Tickets

Full price £8.00 GBP Conc £6.50 GBP

The Village Folk Club with The Bailey Sisters

Tuesday 19th February, 7.30pm doors for 8pm start

Taurus Bar, 1 Canal St, Manchester (5 mins walk from Piccadilly station)
£4.00 conc/ £6.00 full price

Many of you will know these lovely lassies already but in case you don't -

The Bailey Sisters are Alyson Rainey, Karen Dyson and Shelley Rainey. Karen and Shelley have sung throughout in various choirs, and met through their chamber choir Duodecimo, where Karen sings first soprano, and Shelley sings second alto. Although Aly’s musical background is mainly orchestral, she too has a fine singing voice, which fortunately slots neatly into the mezzo role. They decided to start singing together after attending several singing courses led by Maddy Prior, Abbie Lathe and Rose Kemp at Stones Barn in Cumbria.

With the addition of Karen’s guitar, and Aly’s fiddle, they offer a wide variety of traditional, self penned and classical material, ranging from the thirteenth century to the present day.  However, they are becoming particularly known for their a cappella performances which feature strongly on “After Silence, Music”

To have a listen to their lovely harmonies click here -

 http://www.baileysisters.co.uk

For tickets click below -

Price

Full price £6.00 GBP Concession £4.00 GBP

The Village Folk Club with Hence the Tortoise

Tuesday 15th January, 7.30pm doors for 8pm start

Taurus Bar, 1 Canal St, Manchester (5 mins walk from Piccadilly station)
£4.00 conc/ £6.00 full price

Formed during the summer of 2010 to play at Sidmouth Festival, Hence The Tortoise is an indie folk band comprising Glyn Shipman (guitar and vocals), Seamus Heffernan (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Vicky Lindsay (percussion and backing vocals). 

Glyn is the songwriting talent behind the band, producing finely crafted songs about love, death, disillusionment, compulsory purchase, internet dating and, of course, holidaying in Newquay with the Holy Trinity. Celebrity fan, Zeno of Elea (490BC - 430BC), says of the band, "Hence The Tortoise will always be ahead".

Listen to them here: http://soundcloud.com/hence-the-tortoise
Get your tickets here -

Price

Full price £6.00 GBP Concession £4.00 GBP