The Tom Topping Band

The legendary Merseyside Folk Band http://tomtoppingband.com/

supported by
ZOE MULFORD

After the residents Cockney Eric, Carl Corbett and Don & Heather, Zoe Mulford provided the perfect platform for this concert. Her brilliant musicianship and beautifully crafted songs put the audience in the best frame of mind by first insisting that we do not save things for best but use them all the time in Elegy as she did with her grandmother's cut glass. Accompanied by her own sensitive guitar playing Zoe was the ideal foil for The Tom Topping Band who then gave us an absolutely superb evening of songs and humour.

Real Time

The Scottish Band from the Borders
featuring KENNY SPEIRS & JUDY DINNING
http://www.thelandthelightthelocals.com

A first class concert with the ground prepared brilliantly by our resident performers during which time the room gradually filled. Then just when everyone thought they were having a good time Real Time burst upon us with Kenny starting off with The Gallowa' Hills, a fine traditional romp followed by some stirring violin, flute and whistle playing from Claire Mann and ably supported by Tommy Rosebugh on keyboard wo also created thir excellent sound and finally Judy Dinning with her guitar and bodhran.

Johnny Silvo

Johnny provided us with a night to remember or rather to never forget. We had a really good audience in cabaret style and he was MAGNIFICENT!!!! He was enjoyed so much that we begged him to continue longer so for the first time ever he took a short break and come back to play a third set. He said it was unique in his experience too but that he was delighted. Five minutes later he said he would sing until 11.30pm but finally reached a great climax at 11.45pm blowing everyone away with his mixture of folk, jazz, blues, comic songs etc but most of all because he is such a lovely man. He did it for the love of the people who so much appreciated him. What a man! What a night!

Tanglefoot

If you want to form a great band then you take a rock, like rhythm guitarist Steve Ritchie, and lean it against another, like bass player Al Parrish, and then you add a great singer, multi-instrumentalist like Terry Young and if you are lucky a brilliant violinist and singer like Sandra Swannell and back it up with a keyboard player such as Robert Graham. In time you find that they all play brilliantly, write songs and sing harmonies. Then you have TANGLEFOOT. Furthermore, you invite them to your folk club for a knockout, sell out gig on their last ever tour when a sudden flash of inspiration comes on hearing that Rob is a Stoke City fan and since they avoided relegation and are still in the Premiership you realise that they may have to come back next year after all so he can see a game and you get in quick with a request for a gig on their reunion tour when it comes about because you cannot believe that such a talented bunch of people do not want to continue playing together.

Jez Lowe

Northumbrian Singer Songwriter
Nominated BBC 2 Folk Singer of the Year 2008
http://www.jezlowe.com/

with Special Guest
ZOE MULFORD
http://zoemulford.com/

Other Roads

PETE ABBOTT, GREGOR BORLAND and DAVE WALMISLEY
http://www.other-roads.com

 

Some said the best yet. Certainly a capacity audience were enthralled by OTHER ROADS the brilliant band which arose from the demise of THE JOHN WRIGHT BAND. From the singing of Pete Abbott to the wonderful musicanship of Gregor Borland and Dave Walmisley they were in great form with a wide range of instruments coupled to perfect harmonies. Old Favourites like Black Clothes, The Queen of Old Argyll and Other Roads were mixed with new songs like the famous Steve Knightley's The Galway Farmer and more of Pete's and Dave's own compositions.