Some of the very best names on the folk circuit have performed at The Atkinson since it reopened in April 2013 including The Full English Project, 3 Daft Monkeys, Steeleye Span, Maddy Prior and Dervish, to name but a few!
We think autumn 2015 is the perfect recipe for folk fans across the North West. It has the traditional, a splash of the alternative, a good glug of jiggy and playful arrangements with the downright unusual that together make for a great season of music and take us all the way to Christmas.
Blowzabella on Saturday 12 September is a genuinely unique band that makes an inimitable, driving, drone-based sound played with a fabulous sense of melody, rhythmic expertise and sheer feeling. They compose their own music which is influenced by English and European traditional dance music.
Featuring the talents of Andy Cutting – diatonic button accordion; Jo Freya – vocals, saxophone, clarinet; Paul James – bagpipes, saxophones; Gregory Jolivet – hurdy-gurdy; David Shepherd – violin; Barn Stradling – bass guitar and Jon Swayne on bagpipes, saxophone.
This event is gig style with standing in the lower level and seating in the balcony. Put on your dancing shoes for this event!
“Blowzabella deliver that rare beast – a live album that somehow manages to capture the rampaging spirit of musical freedom that first marked them apart from all other bands… and has never been replicated since.” Colin Irwin. fROOTS.
The Moulettes on Wednesday 16 September are one of UK’s most unique touring Alt.Folk bands who have been influenced by Bjork & Kate Bush.
With strings, guitars, drums, bassoon and synths Moulettes’ music weaves between Indie Folk, Chamber Pop and Prog Rock to create an incomparable universe.
The event comes as part of Smaller Rooms Touring, a new collective of venues promoting quality new music for audiences throughout the northwest.
“complex and beautiful…intriguing and unique” MOJO
The band contains all singing, multitasking, multi-instrumentalists; All of whom have shared the stage and studio with well known artists in Folk, Prog, pop and Rock, including Mick Jagger, Nick Cave, Seasick Steve, Bonobo, Gentle Giant, Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Bellowhead, The Levellers and many more.
Chris While and Julie Matthews’ musical partnership began in 1994 when they were key members of influential folk super-group The Albion Band. They left the band to concentrate on their work as a duo which has seen them tour throughout the world and gain an ever growing devoted fan-base. Their songs have been covered by a range of artists including Mary Black, Barbara Dickson, Christine Collister and Fairport Convention.
Both multi-instrumentalists Julie plays guitar, piano, ukulele, bouzouki, mandolin, harmonica and accordion and Chris plays guitar, bodhran, banjo, dulcimer and percussion – but it is the union of their two voices and skill as close harmony singers that continues to define their sound. You can see While & Matthews on Thursday 8 October.
Martin Simpson & Don Flemons perform a brand new collaborative material rooted in English and American folk traditions on Friday 16 October.
This partnership of English musician Martin Simpson (one of the finest acoustic finger-style and slide guitar players in the world) and American guitar and banjo player Dom Flemons (from the Grammy award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops) is the result of an English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) commission.
Both artists have been researching and exploring how folk songs travelled from England to North America and vice versa, changing shape as they journeyed. Having delved into archive collections in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library at Cecil Sharp House – including Cecil Sharp’s landmark folk music fieldwork notebooks and diaries from his collecting trips in the Appalachian Mountains – this is a night of top class musicianship and shared histories.
Enjoy an uplifting evening of: blues, folk, jazz, african grooves and much more from two outstanding guitarists John Etheridge (Solo) with special guest Kit Holmes on Saturday 17 October.
John Etheridge is one of the world’s most respected guitarists and his music spans a myriad of styles and influences. He was the guitarist for the celebrated jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli and he has also performed with: Soft Machine, Pat Metheny, Andy Summers, Dizzy Gillespie, Nigel Kennedy and is currently in a duo with the eminent classical guitarist John Williams. This is a rare opportunity to see John performing a solo concert, which features tracks from his highly acclaimed album I Didn’t Know.
“I never wanted to be a star, just a highly respected musician like John Etheridge.” Sting – The Guardian
He performs with singer and musician Kit Holmes whose trademark sultry vocals and virtuoso guitar playing have wowed audiences across the UK .
Every now and then a really unusual band comes around and blows away all your critical senses with music so distinctive it really does leave you wondering how they create such delights.
The Peatbog Faeries are such a band – they conjure such a cross pollination of styles that it is hard to know where to begin with a description. There is nothing in the slightest that is fey or fairy about this crew, instead they’re a glorious mash up of Scottish roots and just about everything else you care to throw in the blender.
“Welcome to the weird but undoubtedly wonderful world of The Peatbog Faeries, Skye’s finest, where you should always expect the unexpected. Gloriously unpredictable, a band to treasure.” – fRoots
They’ve a new live album ‘Peatbog Faeries Live’ which is aural fireworks from the moment you push play, but there can be no substitute for getting out there and experiencing them first hand. You can do this on Thursday 24 October with us at The Atkinson.
We say our final goodbyes to Stackridge on Friday 6 November as they perform The Final Bow Tour after over 40 years of making eccentric, perfect, quintessentially English music. Aided and abetted by long serving musicians Glenn Tommey (Keyboards), Eddie John (Drums) and Clare Lindley (Violin and Guitar) they embark on their last ever tour of the UK this autumn.
Fans of folk can also enjoy An Evening with Mike Harding on Thursday 19 November. He is back on the road for a short theatre tour to mark the publication of his autobiography, The Adventures of the Crumpsall Kid.
Spend an evening in the company of the multi-talented Mike as he talks about growing up in Crumpsall in the 1950’s in the shadow of a dark satanic cream cracker factory and tells a shedload of hilarious tales from his early life.
The recently crowned BBC Folk Singer of the Year 2015 Nancy Kerr and The Sweet Visitor Band perform music from her eagerly anticipated solo debut, Sweet Visitor on Friday 20 November.
Nancy is joined on stage by James Fagan (Cara Dillon, The James Bros, and co-winner with Nancy of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Duo), Tom Wright (Albion band, Park Bench Social Club, Eliza Carthy), Tim Yates (Blackbeard’s Tea Party, Albion Band) and Rowan Rheingans (Lady Maisery). An evening of beautiful music is ahead!
The Bell That Never Rang is the hugely anticipated new album and tour from the U.K’s most musically revered and celebrated folk trio Lau, which we are delighted is heading to The Atkinson on Thursday 26 November.
‘Lau are a remarkable band – the most musically adventurous trio in British folk exquisite and hypnotic, musicianship at its best – The U.K’s best live band’ ***** The Guardian
Since their debut album in 2007 Lau have picked up four awards for ‘Best Group’ at the BBC Radio 2 Folk awards and the individual members have all won multiple awards and recognition for their acclaimed solo works.
The festive month begins with a real party, as we welcome Blackbeard’s Tea Party to The Atkinson on Friday 4 December. Voted best band at last year’s Cropredy Convention, and named THE band to see at Glastonbury by the Huffington Post, Blackbeard’s Tea Party are quickly growing to be one of the most in-demand bands on the folk circuit.
Traditional songs and folk tunes are given a heavy rock edge with playful arrangements and driving dance rhythms. This is all mixed up in an engaging, high-octane stage show that frequently leaves audiences cheering for more.
Prepare for a real super-group featuring four of the major stars of British music today – Eliza Carthy, Jackie Oates, Lucy Farrell & Kate Young on Sunday 6 December.
Carthy, Oates, Farrell & Young is a unique band. Each a brilliant and distinctive singer, they form a stunning vocal quartet. Each also a master fiddle player, they are a mighty string ensemble. Performing material from Laylam, the album recorded with Bella Hardy as Carthy, Hardy, Farrell and Young, as well as solo numbers, their set is a brilliant and inspiring measure of the quality of British roots music.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without The Albion Christmas Band on Friday 11 December. This year’s tour, ‘One For The Road’ coincides with the release of the band’s live album of the same name.
“The perfect antidote to the corporate Christmas” – The Guardian
The Albion Christmas features the combined talents of Simon Nicol (founder member of Fairport Convention) on acoustic guitar and vocals, Kellie While (Albion Band), acoustic guitar, vocals and percussion, Simon Care (Edward II), melodeons, and the Guv’nor himself, Ashley Hutchings (founder of Fairport Convention, Albion Band, and Steeleye Span) on bass guitar and vocals.
The Young’uns are a force of nature on stage. Their irrepressible humour, infectious love for harmony singing, passion for storytelling and commitment to maintaining the tradition of social commentary have quickly made them one of the most sought after acts on the English folk scene with the rare ability to make audiences laugh and cry in equal measure.
2015 sees the release of their 4th album and a major tour to celebrate their 30th birthdays – come along and celebrate with us on Sunday 13 December.
“Glorious harmonies, waspish wit, powerful songs and relentless banter…..irresistible” ★★★★★ The Guardian
Looking ahead to 2016…and on sale now
Oysters3 is Oysterband as you don’t know them -up close and personal. John Jones, Alan Prosser and Ian Telfer, the three founder members and creative heart of folk-rock legends Oysterband, invite you to an evening of fresh acoustic performance and not-entirely-discreet stories – an insight into their history, sometimes turbulent, often funny, with great songs from every era of a unique career. Come and get up close and personal on Wednesday 20 January tickets are on sale now.
The originators of British folk-rock music, Fairport Convention return on Saturday 30 January. One of Britain’s best-loved bands for nearly fifty years they launched in 1967’s ‘summer of love’, former members include Richard Thompson, Dave Swarbrick and the late Sandy Denny.
On Friday 5 February Gretchen Peters brings her 20th Anniversary UK Tour to The Atkinson. Since the release of her “career album” (NPR), 2012’s Hello Cruel World, the two-time Grammy nominee has been in near-constant motion, touring for the past two years and releasing a live DVD and CD, Woman On The Wheel, in early 2013
Emma Lloyd, Principal Manager: Programmes, Audience Development & Enterprise said:
“Autumn is always a big music season for us especially for our folk and roots programme. We are bringing some of the best names on the circuit to Southport so we hope that fans of the music will support us so we can continue doing so into the future.”
Tickets for all our folk and roots events and more are available online at theatkinson.co.uk or by calling the Box Office on 01704 533333. They are also available over the counter during The Atkinson opening hours.
Please be advised that there is a £2.50 booking fee for telephone and online sales. From September 1 this will change to £1 for all bookings.
-ENDS-
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LISTING INFORMATION
Blowzabella
Saturday 12 September
£15 Upper Balcony Seated / £13 Lower Level Standing
The Moulettes
Wednesday 16 September
£12
While & Matthews
Thursday 8 October
£17 (£15 concessions)
Martin Simpson & Don Flemons
Friday 16 October
£15
John Etheridge (solo) with special guest Kit Holmes
Saturday 17 October
£15
Peatbog Faeries
Saturday 24 October
£18 (£16 concessions)
Nancy Kerr & The Sweet Visitor Band
Friday 20 November
£12
Blackbeard’s Tea Party
Friday 4 December
£14 (£12 concessions)
Carthy, Oates, Farrell & Young
Sunday 6 December
£12
The Albion Christmas Band
Friday 11 December
£18 (£16 concessions)
The Young’uns
Sunday 13 December
£12
Please be advised that there is a £2.50 booking fee for telephone and online sales. From September 1 this will change to £1 for all bookings.
The Atkinson
Lord Street
Southport
Merseyside
PR8 1DB
HOW TO BOOK
In person: Visit The Atkinson box office on Lord Street
For tickets: visit the website theatkinson.co.uk or call box office on 01704 533333
Posted on 18 August 2015 under Just announced
