Wirral Folk on the Coast - reminder

We heard them on the radio airwaves yesterday, and what a fine job they did promoting the Wirral Folk on the Coast Festival?

But for those of you who didn't hear it, we thought we'd help out by giving a brief reminder that the festival is taking place next weekend, from 5th to 7th June.

This year's lineup also includes Gordon Giltrap, Mike Silver, Kerfuffle, Les Barker, Stanley Accrington, The Shellback Chorus, and more besides! Also appearing are local musicians Lizzie Nunnery, Elbow Jane, Joe Topping, Anthony John Clarke, and Loctup Together.

In addition to the ticketed concerts, there's also plenty going on around the fringe for free, including the Rolling Folk Club, singers and musicians sessions, and meet the artists sessions.

You can buy weekend tickets, day tickets, or tickets just for individual concerts if any in particular take your fancy. Although if you get a weekend ticket you can camp for free! No need to worry about how to get home after drinking all that rather fine real ale.

Full details can be found on the official website at www.wirralfolkonthecoast.com

New event: Folk at the Norton

Tonight - Tuesday 27th May - is the last night of the Ring O Bells Folk Club in Widnes. All good things must come to an end (or so they say) and this club is no exception. If you want to join in the farewell then head along to the pub in Pit Lane, Farnworth, Widnes, for 8.30pm and be prepared to sing!

Don't be dismayed, however...

The following night - Wednesday 28th May - a new club will be starting. However, this one is on the other side of the Runcorn Bridge (or is it the Widnes Bridge? We're never quite sure).

Folk at the Norton is a new, weekly music club that takes place every Wednesday at the Norton Arms, on Main Street in Halton Village.

It's run by Jean Finney (the same person who ran the Ring O Bells club) and it runs from 8pm to 11pm. Most nights are singers nights and the club welcomes any kind of acoustic music or performance.

Once a month they have a guest night, although singers are welcome for these nights too.

The guests lined up so far are

28th May - John Gregson (aka GROG)
24th June - Trim Rig and a Doxy, brilliant singalong shanty duo

For more information contact Jean Finney on
jean.finney[at]ntlworld.com 0151 424 3672

Crosby Music Festival 2009

The Crosby Music Festival kicked off on Friday and runs through to Bank Holiday Monday 25th May.

If the IPO isn't quite your thing then why not check out this perfectly-formed little festival taking place at a variety of venues around Crosby?

There are a fair number of acoustic performers too. Saturday saw Letters in Red playing on 'the stage'. And if you go along on Sunday 24th you can see The Big I Am (twice!), Steve Roberts and the Bank of England, The Kevin Critchley Outfit, Naomi Mather, and The Good Intentions.

Full details from www.crosbymusicfestival.com

Billy Bragg Special Offer - Gig Friday

Here at Liverpool Acoustic we just couldn't resist forwarding this special offer on to our readers. So here it is!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: festival[at]workingclassmusic.org.uk
Date: 2009/5/21
Subject: Billy Bragg Special Offer - Gig Friday
To: contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk

Hi For those who've not booked your tickets yet for Friday's Billy Bragg gig in Liverpool, there's a special offer on. The good folks at the WoW festival just sent me this so I'm passing it on to you. £10 tickets now available for Billy Bragg playing at the Picket on Friday 22nd. Quote 'WoW' when contacting Philharmonic Hall Box Office (0151-709-37989). Also on the bill are Alun Parry, Attila The Stockbroker and David Rovics, so it promises to be a tremendous night. See you there Festival HQ http://www.workingclassmusic.org.uk http://www.parryfans.co.uk http://www.parrysongs.com

Event review: The Gulshan Lounge presents Unplugged

Gig review: The Gulshan Lounge presents Unplugged

Thursday 7th May 2009 - 'SUMMER BLUES' featuring SJ Downes & friends

Travelling southwards away from Liverpool town centre and a mere pebbles throw away from Liverpool cricket club on Aigburth road, lies The Gulshan Restaurant.

Recently refurbished to what amounts to a very tasteful and comfortable setting, it is to the upstairs of the building which accomodates the evening's musical entertainment, on this particular occasion a performer at the high end of the spectrum for those who have a deep appreciation for delta blues.

The entire room seems to eminate a feeling of conviviality with the staff happily traversing the boards as and when required - while some customers sit at the handsome and well stocked bar, others enjoy the menu at the tables surplanted around the periphery of the tenderly lit space.

Like the music and its perfomer on the night, SJ Downes, the venue known as The Gulshan leaves me with only one word on my tongue to reveal, that word being Tasteful .

Tony Kehoe

The Gulshan Lounge presents Unplugged, every two weeks. The next one is tonight, Thursday 21st May, and features T-J & Murphy, plus friends. There's also open mic available.

8.00pm to 11.55pm - free entry

Details from Jad 0151 427 2273 Jad3k[at]hotmail.com

gulshan-liverpool.com

The Gulshan Indian, 544-548 Aigburth Rd Liverpool, L19 3QG

Liverpool Sound City and IPO festivals

Wednesday 19th May sees the launch of not one but two music festivals in Liverpool! Aren't we the lucky ones?

Liverpool Sound City is a festival and conference all rolled into one. According to The Observer it's "a music industry festival that will rival South by Southwest (SXSW)". Praise indeed!

The conference is a veritable who's who of the music industry, and anyone who's serious about making a career out of music would be well advised to attend.

But it's the festival side that gets the vote from the general public, with a multitude of gigs across 34 city centre venues over four action-packed days. There are some great gigs that you'll have to pay to get into, but there are even more free gigs this year.

There are far too many for us to list them all here (or in the Liverpool Acoustic diary, even!) so head on over to the website for full details.

www.liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk

www.myspace.com/liverpoolsoundcity

The International Pop Overthrow also launches on Wednesday 20th May, but this festival goes on for a full week, finishing on Tuesday 26th.

A mix of local, national, and international bands, groups and solo artists, all of the gigs take place in and around the Cavern Quarter of Mathew Street. And the best thing about it is that all of the gigs are 100% free!

There are so many local acoustic artists playing this year that it's really too much to list them all in the Liverpool Acoustic Diary, so the best thing for you to do is to head over to the website to see the full list of gigs. Why not print the gig list, then spend a happy hour with a highlighter pen marking all of the gigs you want to catch?

See you there!

Full details from www.internationalpopoverthrow.com/schedule-Liverpool-2009.htm

www.myspace.com/internationalpopoverthrow

Wirral Folk on the Coast Festival 5-7 June

Last year we mentioned the Wirral Folk on the Coast Festival in passing, but this year we thought it deserved a bit more shouting about.

After all, here's a festival right on our doorstep where we can see some brilliant musicians and acoustic performers from across the country.

The event takes place over three days from 5th to 7th June, and takes place around and about the O.C Sports and Leisure Club, 28 Bridle Road, Bromborough, CH62 6AR (that's Wirral, in case you hadn't worked it out from the festival's name!)

Headlining this year are the fabulous Show of Hands, with Miranda Sykes.

This year's lineup also includes

• Gordon Giltrap
• Mike Silver
• Kerfuffle
• Lizzie Nunnery
• Les Barker
• Stanley Accrington
• Elbow Jane
• Joe Topping
• Anthony John Clarke
• Loctup Together
• The Shellback Chorus
• and more besides!

In addition to the ticketed concerts, there's also plenty going on around the fringe for free, including the Rolling Folk Club, singers and musicians sessions, and meet the artists sessions.

You can buy weekend tickets, day tickets, or tickets just for individual concerts if any in particular take your fancy.

Full details can be found on the official website at www.wirralfolkonthecoast.com

Liverpool Acoustic Live preview: May 2009

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #14

Preview of Liverpool Acoustic Live 15/5/09

1. Jeff Jepson - 1001

2. Neil Campbell - November Song

3. Tricia McTeague - Beer Stained Coaster

4. Letters In Red - Got To Get You

Download the show for free
(right-click to download)

Or listen online below
(not available for email subscribers)

The next Liverpool Acoustic Live gig is taking place on Friday 15th May 2009 at the View Two Gallery on Mathew Street. The doors open at 8.00pm and the music starts at 8.30pm.

Entrance is £4 on the door, or £3 in advance from contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk

We've got four great acts for you to enjoy on the night.

Jeff Jepson
www.jeffjepson.co.uk
myspace.com/jeffjepson

Jeff Jepson is a singer-songwriter-musician originally from the Isle of Mann who impresses with his distinctive voice everywhere he plays. Although he'll be playing solo acoustic at the Liverpool Acoustic Live gig, he's also to be seen about town with the Jeff Jepson Band, and making music with the Neil Campbell Collective and with Alex Dunford.

Neil Campbell
neilcampbellcollective.com
myspace.com/neilcampbellsystemsmusic

Neil Campbell is a virtuoso classical guitarist whose musical career has followed a number of seemingly divergent musical paths including free improviser, singer songwriter, systems music composer, band leader and virtuoso guitar soloist. His works, whatever he turns his hand to, continue to receive popular critical acclaim.

Tricia McTeague
triciamcteague.com
myspace.com/tmcteague

Tricia McTeague is a singer and songwriter from Widnes. She's had the pleasure of working with some amazing and talented people in the past as Backing Vocalist (Ronan Keating), Session Singer and Writing Collaborator. Here's your chance to enjoy Tricia in the wonderful surroundings of the View Two Gallery.

Letters in Red
myspace.com/lettersinreduk

Letters in Red are Rachel Sparx (vocals), Will Binden (guitar, mandolin & piano), Camilla Wilson (violin) & Christopher Wood (guitar & percussion). Based in Liverpool they write, perform and record their own music. Mixing a wide variety of influences such as pop, indie, folk, classical, soul and electronica, Letters in Red’s songs reflect on love, loss and life. Winners of the 2008 Liverpool Irish Festival's Battle of the Bands, Letters in Red are ones to watch.

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #14

If you get the chance, please support your local artists by emailing them, joining their mailing lists, leaving them comments, going to their gigs, and buying their music direct from them where possible.

The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight is produced and presented by Graham Holland on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic website. It is also available on the Internet courtesy of Art In Liverpool FM (Defnet Media) and Re:place Radio (LIPA). The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight proud to be a member of the Association of Music Podcasting and is supported by Libsyn.

The theme music is King of the Faeries by Andrew Ellis from his CD Midnight On The Water.

Album review: Billy Bragg (and gig info)

Back at the beginning of April we posted the news that Billy Bragg would be appearing at The New Picket on 22nd May. At the time it seemed a long way away, but now it's just round the corner. So we though now would be a good opportunity to remind you about the details.

Billy Bragg, with support from Alun Parry, David Rovics, and Attila The Stockbroker

Friday May 22nd, 7.30pm

Tickets £15 in advance from Liverpool Phil Box Office

Brought to you by the Working Class Music Festival and Writing On The Wall

workingclassmusic.org.uk

The New Picket, 61 Jordan Street, Liverpool, L1 0BW

Now, here at Liverpool Acoustic we only review albums from local performers. However, on this one occasion we're willing to make an exception, particularly for someone who is a great friend of the city of Liverpool, and a valuable supporter of the Working Class Music Festival. So if you were in any doubt about Billy Bragg's musical credentials, read on...

Must I Paint You A Picture? The Essential Billy Bragg

Review by Stuart Todd © 2009 for Liverpool Acoustic

It's been over twenty five years since the release of Life's A Riot With Spy Vs Spy, the debut EP by Billy Bragg. Armed with just an electric guitar and a handful of songs, his lyrics dealt with political unrest and unrequited love. The music of Billy Bragg summed up an era of Thatcherism, materialism and unemployment. His left-wing socialist stance made him a cult figure in the Eighties, a decade littered with pop acts that were style over substance. His political activism and music has worked hand in hand and if one hasn't always subscribed to his views, at least his integrity as a performer reminds you of where you stand with him. His honest lyrical approach has characterised him as a thoughtful songwriter and performer.

It's also easy to forget just how melodic his music really is. Ahead of his upcoming gig at The New Picket and on the back of his recent album Mr Love & Justice, it's perhaps time again to reappraise the work of a unique artist with the two CD set Must I Paint You A Picture? The Essential Billy Bragg. Essential it certainly is! Sequenced in chronological order, it features a generous forty tracks along with a limited edition CD, making it a total of fifty tracks altogether, The set covers the first twenty years of his career, from 1983's Life's a Riot to the 2002 album England, Half English with The Blokes. His more recent work, such as Mermaid Avenue, is also well represented here.

The only snag on this otherwise superb compilation is the omission of She's Leaving Home, The Beatles song that Billy recorded for the charity 'Childline'and which gave him his only number one single in 1988. This was thanks in part to Wet Wet Wets version of With A Little Help From My Friends released as a double A-side. Nevertheless, this release is a must have for fans and serves as a worthwhile introduction to his work. The limited edition CD alone is worth the purchase (his albums have always been value for money). This set justifies Billy Bragg's position as arguably the most important songwriter to come out of England in the past twenty five years.

Best Cuts: A New England, The Milkman Of Human Kindness, Between The Wars, Levi Stubbs Tears, Help Save The Youth Of America, Sexuality and The Space Race Is Over.

Must I Paint You A Picture? can be bought from the following places
www.billybragg.co.uk - Billy's own website
News From Nowhere on Bold Street

Calling all budding songwriters

If you find yourself at a loose end this Bank Holiday then why not sit down and write a song? You never know, it might be good enough to win a competition.

Of course, you might already have a great song that you think is a cut above the rest. If that's the case, then why not enter it into one of the following songwriting competitions?

"The UK Songwriting Contest does what it says on the tin! This is a real chance for new songwriters to break into the music business." (Channel Four Television)

There are ten song categories in this national competition, including Folk/Country, Pop, Rock/Indie, Jazz/Blues, and Instrumental.

The prizes for the category winners include a place on the Best of 2009 CD, an honorary Diploma in Music, professional website to showcase your songs, free membership of the Guild of International Songwriters & Composers, free song copyright registration, and promotion and media support.

What's the catch? Well, there is a cost of £15 per entry, but if you've got a great song then isn't it worth the investment? Hmm?

The closing date for entries is 30th June 2009, so if you haven't written the winning song yet you'd better get cracking!

Full details from songwritingcontest.co.uk

If you fancy your chances on the international stage then you might want to consider the International Songwriting Competition.

Judges for last year's competition included Tom Waits, Chaka Khan, Neil Finn, Ray Davies, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ricky Martin, and KT Tunstall! This year's judges are yet to be announced ("they haven't asked me yet.." Graham).

There's over $150,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs, and the deadline for entries isn't until 7th October.

There are 21 categories in total, and each entry is $30 per song. However, before 15th July any extra song will cost $20.

Full details can be found at songwritingcompetition.com

Make It, Break It (MIBI) is a unique songwriting contest for young UK based musicians to showcase and develop their music to get to the next step.

Judges include Chris Martin (Coldplay), EMI record label & music publisher, Radio 2 presenter Mark Radcliffe, music producer Steve Levine.

There are two categories - 14-16 years, and 17-19 years (What? No 'oldies' allowed?)

Previous winners from Liverpool include Marc Kenny (2003), Natalie McCool (2007), and Lee Broderick (2008).

There are fantastic prizes to be won, including an all expenses paid 5 day music academy, a private consultation at EMI and a full session in their recording studios.

The deadline for entries is Monday 8th June.

Full details from makeitbreakit.org

Liverpool Acoustic Newsletter - May 2009

Liverpool Acoustic Newsletter - May 2009

It's nearly Star Wars Day, so we'd like to be the first to say May The Fourth Be With You.

And the fourth, sorry... force is certainly strong in the Liverpool acoustic music scene this month.

There are more CD and EP releases to look forward to. And not only have we got visits from Karima Francis and Billy Bragg, we've also got the Crosby Music Festival. In addition, May sees the ever-expanding International Pop Overthrow taking place over the late spring bank holiday weekend. This year the IPO has a new venue - The Grapes - dedicated to acoustic solos and duos.

Liverpool Acoustic Live this month is on Friday 15th May, and features Jeff Jepson, Neil Campbell, Tricia McTeague, and Letters in Red. More details coming soon on the News and Reviews blog.

SPOTLIGHT

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #13 was out last week, and featured some of the bands and artists who have recently launched their new albums.

Hot on it's heels, Spotlight #14 will feature the four artists booked for the next Liverpool Acoustic Live gig on Friday 15th May. All of the shows can be found at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/spotlight

The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight can also be found at Re:place Radio replaceradio.com, courtesy of our friends at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, and on Art In Liverpool FM, thanks to our friends at Defnet Media defnetmedia.com

And a piece of good news - the Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight has been accepted into AMP, the Association of Music Podcasting, an international group of podcasters whose aim is to promote new and unsigned artists by producing high quality music podcasts. AMP can be found at musicpodcasting.org

DIARY

May's diary is pretting darned full, with lots going on over the late Spring Bank Holiday weekend at the end of the month. Rather than listing a handfull of them here, we'll be posting news items on the News and Reviews page telling you about the one's that stand out as being a little bit special or different. You can subsribe to this blog via email, or by using the RSS feed in readers such as Yahoo! and Google. You can also look up events for yourself by visiting the Liverpool Acoustic Diary

If you're an organiser of acoustic events, or a musician performing at one, then let us have the details as soon as possible so we can add it to the diary. If we're given enough information and enough advance notice we can even so a news item about it for special one-off events.

TWITTER

Rather than swamping Graham's twitter account and facebook profile with regular Liverpool Acoustic updates we've decided to branch out with our own twitter account. Updates from the News and Reviews page will be posted to it automatically, but we'll also have the flexibility to post urgent items and breaking news without flooding the inboxes of those who get their news from us via email.

twitter.com/lpoolacoustic

AND FINALLY...

A huge thank you to those who have contributed to the website recently. Sue from Bread Magazine is writing an album review for us, and Tony Kehoe has been checking out a new acoustic night in Aigburgh. Both of these items will be published on the News and Reviews blog this month, along with a review of an album by a friend of the city who'll be perfoming here later this month.

If you have anything you'd like to contribute to the Liverpool Acoustic website then please let us know by using the Contact Us form or by emailing contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk It would be really nice to get some more reviews of gigs, open mics, and showcase events.

Graham (on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic team)