September Programme
2000
Keeping music alive in the
Allen Valley
Excellent . . . Good . . .
Fair . . . Indifferent . . . Always Live
Live Music
and
Welcome to
it!
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Offerings
SPECIAL PROMOTION: WOMEN
with WELLY
plus the last few weeks of
our incredible *Guys with Guitars* 2 for 1 offer
..
Friday 1st September, King's Head
Friday 1st September, King's Head KIERAN
HALPIN
Kieran is a brilliant entertainer whose following is about the most dedicated of any entertainer we've ever had in Allendale. This looks like a wonderful night in the company of a much loved musician, and as we've said in other pages only just recently:
Kieran Halpin
returns to the 'Dale
Friday night the 1st of September sees the welcome return to Allendale of a brilliant singer-songwriter who also happens to play the guitar. Kieran Halpin is well known to many throughout Tynedale, and his songs are great favourites with audiences all over the UK.
Believe it or not, there are still a few performances left in which to take advantage of the specially starred 'Guys with Guitars' gigs being promoted at the King's Head venue, in this popular Tynedale town.
And the evening with Kieran promises to be one of the very best. Kieran Halpin really is a musician's musician, and many of the acts put on in the 'Dale over the past year have been a direct result of his recommendation. His success rate with the critics and the audiences is incredibly high, but he doesn't compromise his acerbic wit and rapier-like skill on the finely honed phrase just to please any old fool. Kieran's music has developed and grown over the years so that his wealth of experience contributes to the whole performance. But this is all old news to his strong fan base which grows significantly after every performance.
After all, eleven CDs of brilliantly realised traditional and contemporary songs must mean something. Kieran's latest effort, 'Solo' was a great hit at his last performance. We remember being enthralled with his newest work, too, and with any luck he may have a new CD out that incorporates some of these sparkling lyrics and delicious tunes.
What we said
about Kieran's Gig this time
Sunday 3rd September,
Winter Gardens, HEXHAM
THE
POOZIES
Late Summer Tour in
Their only North-East
Engagement
Kicking off our
brilliant
WOMEN with
WELLY
Programme
!!!!
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Sunday 3rd September,
Winter Gardens, HEXHAM
What we said
about The POOZIES
Friday 8th September,
King's Head, Allendale
MAURICE
DICKSON
MAURICE
DICKSON Before this spring's gig, we said:
Headlining at the Cork Folk Festival in '98, Maurice is a seasoned performer with 6 CDs to his credit. The reviews of his albums have been stunning, whether it's "Where Eagles Fly", "Country-Pickin' Blues", or "Dreamer", which has elicited our own description of his music. Aye, it's dreamy, it feels a bit New Age, it's lovely, what more can we say? Maurice is a native of County Down, and he's served his apprenticeship with rock and blues bands around Belfast before striking out on his own in solo mode. Look for some brilliant guitar licks, some serious lyrics encompassing "Wine and Roses", "The Dream of the Dying Soldier", "Echoes in the Air", and the amazing "Spirit of Gerry" and "Born in the Troubles". This is New Age with realism attached, so it will be a wonderful musical display of some virtuosity, and that's a sure bet.
Now that we know Maurice, we'd say:
The driving guitar beat and the brilliant lyrics added with a straight melodic line and some ethereal harmony (and this is one voice, remember!), make up a brilliantly wonderful entertainment session that just grows and grows and grows. We're really looking forward to this gig, and we can't say better than that.
Part of our continuing *Guys with Guitars* special promotion, you buy a ticket for £5.00 and get into the next *GwG* gig absolutely free. Entertainers need not worry, we're standing behind all of those tickets, and we'll be eminently fair. This is music we want to hear, and we want as many people as possible to experience it.
BUT THAT'S NOT
ALL!!!
We're adding, for the benefit of those of you who want to enhance your guitar skills to the very max, we're adding a special GUITAR WORKSHOP, or perhaps we should call it a GUITAR MASTERCLASS, at a venue we will confirm with you by 'phone, if you give us a call on (01434) 685179, or drop us a line.
What we said
about Maurice Dickson this time
Friday 15th
September
King's Head
CHARITY 'Stars In Their
Eyes' Benefit Concert
Just in case anybody
was anticipating a traditional folky Northumberland Music
night, errhm, this is not. It's a good local charity, there
was a confusion over the booking. We know the word has gone
out in Folkwords that this is a folk night, but the
double-booking occurred after that issue went to press.
We're sorry to dis-accommodate the traditionalists, but
we're putting on a special Northumbrian night later in the
month by way of some compensation. Apologies, we're really
sorry about missing the group interaction, but we'd like to
take this opportunity to wish 'Bing Crosby' and 'Doris Day'
a great night!
Friday 22nd
September
Friday 22nd September
SPECIAL MUSIC
NIGHT WITH GUEST
Bill
Jones
Definitely
a Woman
with Welly
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We're delighted to present the second of our special Women with Welly promotions. Bill Jones probably doesn't need an introduction anymore, now that she's a veteran of at least a baker's dozen of festivals all around the country this summer. Here's your chance to hear her in an intimate setting. With her work soon to be profiled on national radio, if it's not already, Bill is one feisty woman who is set to go places! We like her songs, we like her presence, and we like her ! She's one very hard-working young entertainer with a distinctive voice, and her keyboad or accordian as accompaniment. You'll like her too!
With support for
the night from some of Tynedale's favourite
entertainers
Tickets only
£3.00
What we said
about Bill Jones
Friday 29th
September
NORTHUMBRIAN MUSIC
NIGHT
Perhaps the best
opportunity for all our new friends and visitors to
experience that quintessential special quality of our very
own entertainment. With the very best of the local talent
from Tynedale. These nights have a particular variety that
we really enjoy, whether it's many different instrumentals,
many different voices in many different songs, or a varietal
blend of all of the above, each night is a precious,
shimmering jewel of quintessential Northumberland as it is
today.
Saturday 30th September, King's Head
Saturday 30th September, King's Head Ken Hamm with
Jim Condie
Just for a change, let's start with Jim Condie, perhaps our favourite accompanist, who has featured on the King's Head's intimate stage with Mose Scarlett (review), Tim Williams (review), to name but two recent artistes with whom he's toured. The reviews for those nights are always glowing with praise for Jim's presence. And rightfully so, since besides accompanying these virtuoso guys with their guitars, Jim organises the tours as well. So many of these Guys with Guitars gigs are thanks to Jim's careful and persuasive promotions skills.
And for this very special evening, the last one in our own *Guys with Guitars* special promotion, we're ending on a very very high note, with Mr. Ken Hamm all the way from Canada. Jim forwards on some blurb about Ken that makes very intriguing reading:
"Ken Hamm is one of Canada's foremost interpreters of traditional roots and blues music. Since 1978, when he began touring solo, he has won a wide following for his stellar guitar work on both acoustic and steel body National, as well as for his original songs that reflect his rural westcoast life. Along the way Hamm was awarded a JUNO for best roots and traditional CD ("Saturday Night Blues"), and was nominated three years running as best acoustic blues guitarist by North America's "Guitar Player" magazine. This year he was nominated as the Best Acoustic Act of the Year by the Toronto Blues Society and he was a featured performer at the Montreal Jazz Festival."
Well, the blurb goes on and on, with incredible guitar skills always to the fore, and wonderful songs reflecting the land of Canada and the lives of the people who live there. But this is yet another case where you really shouldn't take our word for it, you really ought to get yourself down and hear this brilliant combo for your very self!
£5.00
Or with *GwG* coupon,
absolutely FREE!
From 8:30 pm
What we said about
Ken Hamm and Jim Condie
I