Welcome to the Liverpool Acoustic Newsletter for November 2011. There’s lots to get through, so let’s get cracking!
Congratulations to The Good Intentions – Gabrielle, Peter and Francisco – who won the Best UK Americana Act of the Year at last month’s British Country Music Awards. A fine achievement, and very well deserved. You can see them next at Grateful Fred’s on Thursday 3rd November, where they’ll be supporting Josh Harty. Get yer tickets here (if there are any left!)
And while we’re on the subject, Grateful Fred’s Acoustic and Roots Nights has a new home. Unfortunately the owners of the Freshfield Hotel have decided to turn the function room into a bland, music-free gastro-pub (or should that be ghastly-pub?) so the Grateful Fred events have moved to a new home at Formby’s Royal British Legion club on Whitehouse Lane. Full details from gratefulfred.co.uk where you can also listen to and download the new Grateful Fred Podcast.
The International Guitar Festival of Great Britain takes place across Wirral from 3rd to 30th November. There’s plenty of variety and choice for guitar lovers everywhere, and enough acoustic events to keep us all happy. Full details can be found at bestguitarfest.com.
Liverpool Music Week is well under way and runs through to 13th November. Full details can be found at liverpoolmusicweek.com
The Liverpool Acoustic View Two Songwriting Challenge is an event like no other. Songwriters from across the area came along to the View Two Gallery at the beginning of October and picked a piece of art that inspired them to write a song. They’ll be playing their songs for the first time in public at this Showcase Event on Friday 11th November, with their art that inspired the song projected onto the wall behind them.
Two judges will pick a winner, and the audience will choose their favourite too. This event is sponsored by Crosstown Studios who have kindly provided the two main prizes.
Entry on the door will be £5 on the door and in advance from wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic with all proceeds going to Marie Curie Cancer Care and Garston Animal Rescue in memory of Liverpool Acoustic team member Sharon Jones who died in May this year.
Jon Gomm returns to Liverpool as part of his Domestic Science tour after his barnstorming performance for us last year. Leeds-based Jon is a singer-songwriter and virtuoso performer who uses one acoustic guitar to create drum sounds, bass lines and melodies simultaneously. His songs draw on a range of influences and styles, including blues and soul.
Support on the night is from the gypsy jazz swing of The Manouchetones, and the sweet sound of Switzerland’s finest, Nadine Carina.
Entry on the door will be £7, but you’ll save money by ordering tickets in advance for £6 from wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic
You say goodbye…
- Lost at Sea Open Mic is no longer taking place at The Sink every Thursday, and has been replaced by the Jambalaya Acoustic Session (see below).
- Jambalaya Acoustic Session is a new weekly event showcasing local talent every Thursday from 7.00pm to 11.30pm at The Sink on Berry Street. Each week will feature five performers. Contact Kimberley Coulson if you’re interested in taking part.
- Allure Rocks is a new weekly event every Wednesday from 8.00pm to 1.00am at Allure, Concert Square. It’s described as a night jam packed with an acoustic soul and indie vibe, with live music and DJs. Why not check it out? You can find it on facebook here.
- Lloyd Rock has a weekly show every Wednesday from 8pm at The Brink.
- Art Love Local is an open mic and visual art event which showcases one headline and two support acts each week. Every Thursday from 7.30pm at The Brink.
- Miles Carrington has a weekly show every Friday from 8pm at The Brink.
- Nick Ellis, formally of The Maybes?, hosts an acoustic session every Saturday from 7.30pm at The Brink.
- Open Mic is hosted by acoustic duo Soul Doubt every Sunday at Hannah’s Bar. It runs from 9.30pm to 12.30am, it’s free and all are welcome. This replaces the Sunday open mic formally run by Ogo.
- Jazz@TheHouse is a new monthly event on the first Friday of each month at the Blackburne House Cafe Bar. It starts at 7pm, is free to attend, and features Barry Dallman on piano, with guest musicians. November sees Maria Dunsmore providing vocals. If you fancy an evening of beautiful, chilled-out jazz then just drop in.
- Ascension Thursday has now doubled in size! Not only does it happen every Thursday at The Bier Keller it has also sprouted an extra night and now also runs every Thursday at The Harbour Bar (formally Regent Bar) on South Road in Waterloo. Hosted by Greedy Jesus and guest hosts, the night features booked acts and open mic, runs from 7.30pm to 11.45pm, and is absolutely free. Keep an eye on Greedy’s facebook profile for up-to-date event and gig info.
- Acoustic Recovery is a brand new event at The Lomax, the recently reopened venue on Cumberland Street in the city centre. Talk 2 Frank presents a weekly show every Sunday from 7.30pm to late, and it’s free entry for all. Contact Frank for more info. facebook.com/T2F.page
- Thursday 3rd – Dave O’Grady ‘Dirty Little Secrets’ EP launch @ Parr Street Studio 2 – free entry, plus special guests playing alongside Dave. 7.30pm to 10.30pm. Facebook event here.
- Friday 4th – The Miserable Rich @ St Bride’s Church – the Brighton-based band are touring with performance poet Alabaster Deplume, and will be performing songs from their spooky new album (launched on 31st October!). Joining them are Sparkwood & 21, Married to the Sea, and Fallen Leaf. Doors 7.30pm, admission £5 on the door, and BYOD. Facebook event here.
- Sunday 6th – Zoey Van Goey @ The Kazimier – with support from Emily and the Faves, and Nik Glover. 8pm start, tickets £6 (£5 conc)
- Thursday 10th – The Folk Upstairs @ The Zanzibar returns for a special fundraiser in aid of the Save Our Sue Campaign. Downstairs is Sick Night curated by John King, featuring Pete Bentham and the Dinner Ladies, Town Bike, Audio Asylum, and more. Upstairs is curated by Rachael Dunn and features Rachael, The Big I Am, Neil Campbell, Rowan Reid, and more. Tickets are £3 in advance, £5 on the door. Full details here.
- Friday 11th – Liverpool Acoustic View Two Songwriting Challenge: Showcase Event – 6.45pm doors, 7.15pm start – entry £5.
- Saturday 12th – Radical Liverpool @ Studio 2, Parr Street continues this month with headline act David Broad, a fantastic singer-songwriter, bluesman and rebel from Leeds. Support is from house band Our Morals, and Keith Price. Tickets £4.50 from wegottickets.com or £5 on the door.
- Wednesday 16th – Kate Walsh @ The Unity Theatre – The 28 year old singer songwriter from Essex has been likened to Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush and Jane Austen. Support from TJ & Murphy. Details and tickets here.
- Saturday 19th – TJ & Murphy @ Birkenhead Priory – with support from Gerry Murphy. Tickets £10 (£8 conc) here, and there’s a bus going from The Monro (and back!) for only £4. Email Mherons@aol.com for more info.
- Thursday 24th – The Grande album launch @ Eric’s – Liverpool’s favourite 6-piece Americana and Alt. Country band launch their debut album Bleaker St, a limited ‘Fan Only’ edition available to buy on the night. Support is from Neville Skelly, and tickets are £5. Details here.
- Friday 25th – Jon Gomm @ Liverpool Acoustic Live (The View Two Gallery), with support from The Manouchetones, and Nadine Carina. Tickets £6 in advance and £7 on the door. Full details from liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/live
- Saturday 26th – Dead Cities album launch @ St Brides – with support from Sunstack Jones, and Adam Millington. 7.30pm start, £5 on the door, and BYOB. Facebook event and advance ticket link here.
AND FINALLY…
As you can see from the Diary News and Diary Selection Box sections above there’s an incredible number of acoustic events taking place on the local scene. However, there are still some events that we’re not finding out about until after they’ve taken place. If you know of an acoustic event that’s not in our diary then use the handy ‘Add Event’ button below (it’s on our home page too) to tell us all about it.
As always, if you’ve got any comments or suggestions you can leave a message in our Guestbook, or drop us a line using the Contact Us form or by emailing contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk
Graham
on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic team