It’s October, which means you should have heard all about the new Liverpool Acoustic View Two Songwriting Challenge by now. If you’re a songwriter and you want to enter, you need to come along to the Entry Event on the afternoon of Saturday 8th October taking place at the same time as our Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon. Entry places are limited to a first come, first served basis. More details below.
Meanwhile, it’s time to kiss the Blarney Stone as we welcome back the Liverpool Irish Festival. In addition to the normal mix of music, history, sport, and culture, Liverpool Acoustic will be helping things along with our own contribution – see below for more details.
Taking place throughout October is Liverpool’s Oxjam Takeover, with the main events happening on or around 23rd October. £5 wristbands can be bought from here and will get you into all of the venues taking part, with all of the money raised going to the fantastic work of Oxfam overseas. Check out the official facebook event page for more details. The launch party is on Friday 21st with Pete Bentham and the Dinner Ladies at MelloMello, and the events on 23rd are at MelloMello, Mojo, and Parr Street and include Dan Croll, the Loose Moose String Band, Laura James, Lost at Sea Open Mic, and much more.
And if all that wasn’t enough, 28th October is the start of Liverpool Music Week 2011 which runs until 13th November.
LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC VIEW TWO SONGWRITING CHALLENGE
If you haven’t heard about this, where have you been hiding? This songwriting challenge is open to anyone living in Merseyside, West Cheshire, West Lancs, Halton or Warrington. To enter, songwriters should come along to the View Two Gallery on Saturday 8th October between 12pm and 5pm. They choose a piece of art that inspires them to write a new song, then they’ve got just over a month to write it before returning to on the evening of 11th November to perform it at the Showcase Event. For further information visit challenge.liverpoolacoustic.co.uk where you’ll also be able to see the rules, meet the judges, and check out the prizes. Places at the Showcase Event are limited, and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC AFTERNOON
Taking place at the same time as the Entry Event for the Songwriting Challenge is our first Acoustic Afternoon at the View Two Gallery. Between 1pm and 4pm on Saturday 8th October in the top floor performance space there will be booked acts and open mic slots available. The bar will be open for tea, coffee, or something stronger, and you’ll also get the chance to chat with the Liverpool Acoustic team, mingle with other musicians, and enjoy the artwork and hospitality of the View Two Gallery.
LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC LIVE
This month’s Liverpool Acoustic Live is once again being run as part of the Liverpool Irish Festival. It takes place on Friday 28th October at the View Two Gallery, and brings you musicians, singers and songwriters with connections to the Emerald Isle.
- Dave O’Grady
- Greta & Maev
- John McGurgan [Belfast]
Dave O’Grady was such a bit hit last year that we just had to have him back again. Joining him on the night will be the beautiful folk-tinged sound of Greta & Maev, with a mixture of traditional and contemporary music from Ireland, England, Scandinavia, and further afield – a real musical treat. Completing the lineup is John McGurgan from Northern Ireland, visiting Liverpool just to play for us. John’s a singer-songwriter with a great lyrical style, and plenty of songs that tell a story.
Entry on the door will be £6, but you’ll save money by ordering tickets in advance for £5 from wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic
Doors open at 8.00pm with music starting at 8.30pm. The night finishes at 11.15pm.
Facebook event is here.
www.liverpoolacoustic.co.uk
DIARY NEWS
It shows the strength of the local music scene when there are more events starting than finishing, as you can see below. If you know of any new or established events that aren’t in the diary, or any events currently in the diary that are no longer running, then drop us a line and let us know. We might even mention you by name, thereby giving your a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.
You say goodbye…
- Goodbye to Hilton Unplugged on Sunday afternoons which has come to an end. Thanks to Tony from Soul Doubt for letting us know.
- Goodbye (sniff, sniff) to Talk To Frank at Mo’nique’s on Thursdays, bringing an end to live music at the venue. Check out T2F on facebook to keep in touch with all the other fine events they organise.
And I say hello…
- Hello to Saturday Superhouse, a new weekly session-based acoustic showcase for both established and up-and-coming acts in Liverpool and the North West. Hosted by Miles Carrington, it takes place every Saturday evening at Vinyl on Lark Lane from 9pm to 1am. Details in the diary.
- Hello to the Red Door Open Mic every Monday night at the Red Door in West Kirby. Taking turns to host it each week are Caroline England and Ronan Boyle. Anything goes, really, and music, poetry, comedy or anything else is welcome. And performers get a free drink from the cocktail menu for sharing their talent. 8.30pm to 11pm.
- Hello again to Monday Marmalade making a welcome return to Chameleon Bar after the summer break. Expect the same great mix of talented booked acts and open mic slots.
- Hello to Children of the Revolution! every Sunday evening at The Sink. Hosted by Ali Horn and friends it runs from 6pm to 11pm, with booked acts kicking off the night, followed by open mic. We’re reliably informed that there are cheap drink promotions, plus free Sambuca shots for customers on the hour every hour. Save one for us!
- Hello to 2Track Acoustic which takes place every Tuesday evening between 8.30pm and 11.00pm at Tank Bar on Westfield Street in St Helens. Tank is a cosy, living room-sized bar with a minimal PA, and the event is free. In addition, for the whole of Tuesday the venue will be playing only music from local artists, so if you want your music to be featured then head down for 8pm on a Tuesday. Thanks to Will Barnes for the info.
- Hello again to the Everyman Folk Club which is back after a summer break with a new day and venue. You can find them every Wednesday evening from 8pm at the Fly In The Loaf on Hardman Street.
- Hello to the Open Mic Night with J.D. at The Blackburne Arms on Catharine Street, every Thursday 9.00pm to midnight.
OCTOBER DIARY SELECTION BOX
Don’tcha just hate it when two great events clash in the diary? Difficult decisions aside, here’s our selection of acoustic events taking place in October. Click on the event in the diary for full details and links.
- Saturday 1st – T2F @ Eric’s – Talk 2 Franks’s first venture into the newly revived Eric’s on Mathew Street is free to enter and features Dave O’Grady, Bird, and more. Check out facebook for full details.
- Sunday 2nd – Acoustic Club Asylum Link fundraiser @ The Zanzibar 4pm to 11pm, £4 in, facebook event here. Artists include The Big House, Steve Pilgrim, Nick Ellis, Lizzie Nunnery, The Glendale Family, and more.
- Sunday 2nd – Paper Aeroplanes @ Leaf – with support from Natalie McCool. Tickets £7 here.
- Wednesday 5th – Karima Francis @ Mojo – another great Mellowtone gig, with support from Thomas J Speight and Nick Ellis. Tickets £7/6 and the facebook event is here.
- Thursday 6th – Sarah MacDougall @ Grateful Fred’s – Classic North American folk from the half Canadian, half Swedish singer-songwriter. Support is from the wonderful Steph Fraser. 7.45pm doors, 8pm start, tickets £6.50 here
- Friday 7th – Emmy the Great @ The Stanley Theatre – making a welcome return to Liverpool. Tickets £12.50 www.lgos.org
- Saturday 8th – Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon and the Entry Event for the Liverpool Acoustic View Two Songwriting Challenge. Details above.
- Saturday 15th – Heidi Talbot, with Boo Hewerdine @ The Brindley – a welcome return for Heidi, accompanied by Boo, plus multi-instrumentalist Matheu Watson. Tickets $14 from thebrindley.org.uk
- Friday 21st – The Kevin Critchley Outfit @ The Masque Theatre, with support from Bird, Deafen The Creatures, and Shy and the Fight. KCO will be performing with an extended string section and choir in their last ever gig before launching their new CD under a new name. Full details here.
- Friday 21st – Neil Campbell solo gig @ The View Two Gallery – a belated launch for the CD Through the Looking Glass. Entry £5 on the door includes copy of CD. Facebook event here.
- Saturday 22nd – This Is The Kit and Rozi Plain @ MelloMello – banjo, guitar and a voice of unaffected clarity, as Kate Stables is joined by her Wild Band. Support from Rozi Plain. Tickets £4/5 here.
- Sunday 23rd – Oxjam Takeover @ MelloMello, Parr Street Studios, and Mojo – £5 wristbands from here and will get you into all of the venues. Facebook event page here.
- Sunday 23rd – Breabach & Calan @ St George’s Hall Concert Room – the best of Scottish and Welsh traditional music in one compelling concert. Tickets here
- Friday 28th – Liverpool Acoustic Live @ The View Two Gallery, with the Liverpool Irish Festival. Featuring Dave O’Grady, Greta & Maev, and John McGurgan. 8pm doors, 8.30pm music. £5 in advance, £6 on the door. liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/live
- Saturday 29th – James Grant @ The View Two Gallery, 7.45pm doors, £10 tickets – the Love and Money singer performs his hits and solo work in an intimate acoustic setting. Support from Suzanne Jones.
AND FINALLY…
We’re currently looking at ways to improve the Liverpool Acoustic website and the service we provide. If you’ve got any big, bright or shiny ideas then we’d love you to share them with us by emailing them to contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk
Graham,
on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic Team