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Newsletter 14th January 2007 |
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If
you can listen in to BBC Southern Counties tonight (104-104.8FM,
95-95.3FM), you can hear Dave
Cousins from The Strawbs being interviewed on the South Live
programme, sometime just after 8.30pm. (And in the studio, Sussex singer Julie Roberts is playing
live). SIGNED
GUITAR CHARITY AUCTION |
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For
more information on Acoustic Sussex
shows including sound
samples,
click on the artists' website links below or visit our | |||
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Click on these
links (or visit the website) for more
information on upcoming shows. Ø
Friday 19th January
– Acoustic Strawbs (+ support) at Chequer Mead, East
Grinstead Ø
Saturday 27th
January - Beth Nielsen Chapman*
(+ support) at Chequer Mead, East
Grinstead Ø
Friday 9th February
- Keith
James – Songs of Nick Drake
at Chequer Mead, East
Grinstead Ø
Monday 26th
February – Anais Mitchell at The Ravenswood, Sharpthorne, nr East
Grinstead *Although
the Beth Nielsen Chapman
concert on Saturday 27th
January is sold out (cancellations only), the event is a
fund-raiser for 3 cancer charities, and will coincide with an auction of
an electro-acoustic guitar (sponsored by Hobgoblin Music in Crawley)
signed by a number of well-known musicians – see below for more
information. | ||||||
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Friday
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The
Strawbs
have enjoyed major success on both sides of the Atlantic. In the early
1970s, as well as the hit albums Grave
New World and Bursting at
the Seams, the singles Part of the Union and Lay Down topped
the charts. Thirty years on from their early chart successes, the Strawbs
now tour three times a year with an acoustic line-up - Dave Cousins on
guitar, dulcimer, banjo and vocals; Dave Lambert on guitar and vocals; and
Chas Cronk on guitar, bass and vocals. One
of the better British progressive bands of the early '70s, the Strawbs
differed from others of the genre because their sound originated in
English folk music, rather than rock. Founded in 1967 by singer/guitarist
Dave Cousins, the band featured Sandy
Denny for a brief period, before she joined Fairport
Convention. They were subsequently joined by keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman, contributing to the
powerful sound for which the band is renowned.
Dave
Cousins
is undoubtedly the heart and soul of the band - as songwriter, front man
and lead singer, he has led the band throughout its many changes. Cousins'
complex, epic songs are the cornerstone of the band's appeal, delivered in
his unmistakable vocal style and accompanied by characteristic 12 or 6
string acoustic guitar over a rock backing. His compositions form the vast
bulk of the Strawbs output. Alongside his musical activities Cousins has
also maintained a parallel career in both marketing and local radio. The Classic Rock Society recently
presented Cousins with the Lifetime
Achievement Award. A
long-awaited Strawbs boxed set was released in November, featuring live
tracks and many previously unreleased versions of well-known Strawbs
songs, sourced from the band's own archives. The trio have also recently
finished recording their first studio album in ten years, including
several new songs for a film on human rights for the Council of Europe,
and a song, Not All The Flowers Grow, which reflects on the Aberfan
tragedy. On the album they are also reunited for three tracks with Robert
Kirby, perhaps best known for his arrangements on the Nick Drake
albums. STOP
PRESS
The band have recently been invited to play at this year’s Fairport
Convention festival at Cropredy Support
for this show is provided by Brighton-based Martin Messent, who creates beautiful
music takes in folk, jazz and alt. country, combining it with love of
harmony. With vocals reminiscent of Ryan Adams or Ron Sexsmiith, get there
early to catch Martin –
highly recommended. |
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Saturday |
SOLD
OUT BETH
NIELSEN CHAPMAN
Tickets for Beth
Nielsen Chapman's concert on 27th January are now sold out
(cancellations only).
The concert is
the focus for several cancer charity fund-raising activities, to increase
cancer awareness and raise money for St
Catherine’s Hospice in Sussex, St Raphael’s Hospice in Surrey and
London’s Royal Marsden
Hospital. The event will
coincide with an auction (on eBay) of an electro-acoustic guitar, kindly
sponsored by Hobgoblin Music
in Crawley, which has been signed by a number of well-known musicians,
so far including: John Tams, Amy Wadge,
Shirley Collins, Ralph McTell, Tommy Emmanuel, Jacqui McShee, Nick Harper,
Gretchen Peters, Clive Gregson, Christine Collister, Dougie MacLean, Bob
Fox, Billy Mitchell, Dave Kelly, Al Stewart, Laurence Juber, Martha
Tilston, Kris Delmhorst, Pierre Bensusan, Martyn Joseph, Simon Nicol, Ric
Sanders, Chris Leslie, Gerry Conway, Karine Polwart, Edwina Hayes, Steve
Knightley and Phil Beer and, a recent addition, Richie Havens.
The
guitar will be listed on eBay from Thursday evening, 18th January, for 10
days (ie. final bids on Sunday 28th January). A link will be available on
the website shortly or go to eBay
from Thursday onwards and search under
Collectables.
The winning bid
amount will be publicised at Beth's show at Canterbury the same evening
(and on this website). If you have any problems bidding (or don't have
access to the internet and want to join the auction), please email us. Happy
bidding! |
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Friday
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Although
Keith James is still, in
some respects, a well kept secret, he has recently seen a gradual
emergence as one of the country's most valuable singer/songwriters, and
concert performers. During January, February and March 2007, Keith
performs his eighth UK tour entitled The Songs of Nick Drake, in which
almost the entire concert is dedicated to the work of the most loved of
all English singer/songwriters. Previous tours across the country,
totalling over 250 concerts, have seen audiences filling arts centres and
theatres to hear this music again after an absence from the live music
scene of well over 30 years. Nick
Drake
himself, was, during his prolific period, somewhat of a mystery. He only
lived to record 3 albums, "Five Leaves Left", "Bryter Later" and "Pink
Moon", all of which were regarded at the time as being flimsy and without
the substance that was called for to engage popular audiences. It has only
been in the last 10 years that many thousands of listeners have come to
appreciate their beauty. Nick Drake has now, thankfully, become the most
revered of all figures to take their place in the world of contemporary
acoustic music. It is with this in mind that these concerts are
presented. “A fresh and powerful approach to these
wonderful songs” |
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Monday
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Anais
Mitchell
began writing songs at 17. At
18 she moved from Vermont to Boston, and started playing for whoever would
listen. After a year of that, Anais enrolled in a liberal arts school back
in Vermont, where she studied political science and languages, ran a folk
radio show, and wrote and performed a good deal. She spent a half-year in
Austin, waitressing on 6th street and playing as much as she could. She
also recorded her debut album during that spring ('The Song They Sang When
Rome Fell'). In 2003, The
Kerrville Folk Festival honoured her work with the prestigious New Folk Award .
After
spending time in Cuba, a semester in the Middle East and some unexpected
touring with a rock project called "Circus Guy's Rock & Roll Revue"
Anaïs released her acclaimed album, 'Hymns for the
Exiled'. Anaïs
is passionate about the music of her native land, from old-school country
to dustbowl labour ballads to rebel rock. However, the time she's spent in
Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East has lent a worldly depth to her
writing, which she presents to her audience with a graceful presence of
spirit. With
a new CD, The Brightness,
released on February 13th, a nomination for Emerging Artist of the Year in the
2007 US Folk Alliance awards (to be announced on February 21st)
and with a live appearance on Bob
Harris’s Radio 2 show scheduled for March 3rd, this
should be the year that this intriguing singer songwriter gets the
attention she so richly deserves. Support
for this show is Toronto-based David
Celia, described as "roots-rock with hints of folk wrapped up
in a pop package” - and
getting excellent reviews whenever he plays in the
UK. |
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Described
recently by Mojo magazine as "the most coherent, literate and charged
singer-songwriter of her generation", new mum Thea Gilmore has blazed a unique and
highly independent trail
since releasing her debut album in 1998 aged 18. Prolific and
diverse, her seven albums run the gamut from hushed, intimate acoustic
settings to full throttle rock, always unified by her spine tingling
vocals and inspirational lyrics. In
August 2005 released "Harpo's Ghost" to unanimous rave reviews. The album
includes her collaborations with Mike Scott of the Waterboys and moved the
Daily Telegraph to confirm her as "one of the boldest and most poetic
lyricists working in British music...". Thea
Gilmore is a stunningly affecting live performer: her own woman and
defiantly, unshakeably the real deal. “One
of the boldest and most poetic lyricists Support
for this show is Erin
McKeown, asinger songwriter described as having "the wit of
Randy Newman, the innovative stylings of Bjork, and the intricate
arrangements of Elvis Costello". Erin has packed a ton of music into her
young career. With 5 studio albums, 2 EPs, and numerous soundtracks and
compilations to her credit, the 28-year-old multi-instrumentalist hasn't
stopped for a breather in the last 10 years. Along the way she has
averaged 200 shows a year and garnered the praise of fans and critics
alike. Her new release. Sing You Sinners, has received rave reviews (4
stars in Sunday Times).. |
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For
your future diaries.. |
Future
dates in the 2007 Acoustic Sussex programme
include: Ø
26
March 2007, Richard
Durrant (see
website) Ø
30
April 2007, Charlie Dore
(see
website) Ø
14
May 2007, Corinne West (see
website) Ø
4
June 2007, Vin Garbutt (see
website) More
information on all up-and-coming artists can be found on our website: www.acousticsussex.org.uk. You
can also find us on MySpace (with samples from some of the artists
appearing) at: www.myspace.com/acoustic_sussex.
If you know anyone who you think may enjoy our events, please forward this
email to them. |
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