Becca Williams is a singer songwriter who grew up in the leafy tranquillity of North Wales. She started playing the guitar at the tender age of 12 taught by the same teacher as Coldplay’s very own Jonny Buckland. Inspired by the guitar playing of the late great John Martyn and the lyrical genius of Joni Mitchell she set about learning the trade the traditional way, earning her stripes performing at local pubs and folk clubs whilst still in her teens.
You think you know folk music and then someone like Jim Moray comes along.
Jim sees pop, rock and folk all as parts of the same musical world.
He comes bearing Skulk, a fifth album of soulful English music, plus a sheaf of industry awards and the wherewithal to locate folk music in its rightful landscape: the modern world. In Jim’s vision, the oral tradition is electrified, not only technically but emotionally.
We will also be featuring a perfomance by Sister in Arms Rapper as they prepare to compete at DERT. Dont miss out on this wonderful night, buy tickets below.
Taurus Bar, 1 Canal St, Manchester (5 mins walk form Piccadilly train station)
£4 concessions and floorspots, £6 all the rest
Twice nominated for BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Kirsty McGee has been touring to critical acclaim since her debut in 2002. Her style continues to defy categorisation, earning her the tag of 'cult' singer-songwriter in the UK.
Combining styles as diverse as folk, jazz, chanson and Americana, her work is held together by her distinctive lyrical style and astonishing voice, equally comfortable in dark, intimate ballads and up-tempo carny-shuffle numbers. Her shows explore a cross-section of these energies through an extensive range of subject matters and instruments. Reviews for her most recent album 'No.5' (recorded live in one take with her full band The Hobopop Collective) have been unanimous in their praise for her skilled handling of words and impeccable taste in arrangements.
With a history of politics, homelessness and wanderlust, Kirsty McGee suffuses her work with a musical vagrancy that enriches her songs and styles, from "hipkat trilby swing" (acoustic magazine) to "exquisite and skeletal" (Q Magazine).
Quotes:
'Bewitching' **** - Q
'A fascinating talent' - Clash
'Rich, versatile and immaculately controlled' - Americana-UK
Taurus Bar, 1 Canal St, Manchester (5 mins walk form Piccadilly train station)
£4 concessions and floorspots, £6 all the rest
Born and raised in the English Lake District, Pete Ord is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer currently based in Manchester. Descended from a rich heritage of folk music, Pete began Morris dancing at the age of 10 learning the art and traditions of English dance and song from his dad. He began writing and recording songs in his early teens and went on to gain a BA (hons) in Music Production from Leeds College of Music.
Pete is passionate about the English tradition and in particular his own Cumbrian heritage. In 2007 he began researching Cumbrian dialect songs and in 2010 he produced and released a book and CD of traditional Cumbrian songs sung by local legend Bruce Wilson. Pete learnt to sing traditional song from the local masters and his own performances move seamlessly between the traditional and the original. A finalist in the 2010 New Roots competition, Pete has gone on to perform in folk clubs around the country exciting audiences with his delicate and honest arrangements. We are very excited to welcome a local lad. Come down and see him and get in touch if you'd like to do a floor spot. Esther & Jen x
Future dates -
Tuesday 17th January - Pete Ord
Tuesday 21st Feb - Kirsty McGee
