Cambridge based folk rock band Fred’s House return once again to at Ventnor Arts Club on Saturday 17th at 8pm. This is a very popular band. Tickets
Quay Folk Club at Quay Arts Centre, Newport, has a debut act on Sunday 18th. Two For Joy are Lesley Tregear and Tina Goode, well known from other bands but performing as a duo for the first time. Regulars Keith Newman and Rick Otley take the second guest spot along with Martin Newnham. Floor spots are Steve French and Sally Garrett. 7pm start.
On Saturday 24th Wild Roses (Glenn Koppany and John Dawson) play at the Star Coffee and Ale House Sausage and Cider Festival, from 7.15
NOTE: THIS PAGE JUST HIGHLIGHTS A COUPLE OF MEMORABLE EVENTS. TO SEE FULL LISTS OF WHAT’S ON, RETURN TO MENU & CLICK ON EVENTS (OR ON CLUBS/SESSIONS/FOLK NIGHTS FOR REGULAR EVENTS).
Don’t miss the one-off events listed on the folkonwight Events page this October, plus the many clubs, folk nights and playalong sessions, of course.
OctoberHighlights
Friday 6th sees another Foodbank fundraiser at Quay Arts Centre, Newport. This annual event is always a heart warming evening. This year, enjoy performances by 2ndTA , The Rug Band and more. Sadly, there is a clash, as Wildwood Jack return once again to Ventnor Arts Club on that self same evening with their popular contemporary folk with guitar. See link on Events page.
Devon folk singer Jim Causley has been booked by Goddard’s Brewery for their Firkin Folk Afternoon in aid of Mountbatten on Sunday 22nd. Should be an excellent afternoon as The Watch are also performing.
NOTE: THIS PAGE IS JUST A FEW HIGHLIGHTS. TO SEE FULL LISTS OF WHAT’S ON, RETURN TO MENU & CLICK ON EVENTS (OR ON CLUBS/SESSIONS/FOLK NIGHTS FOR REGULAR EVENTS).
At the time of writing, there are 15 one-off events listed on the folkonwight Events page, plus the usual clubs, folk nights and playalong sessions, of course.
Highlights
On Sunday 24th September, Ben & Dom, a folk duo and folk choir leaders from London, are running a harmony workshop at 2pm, followed by a concert at 5pm. All this takes place at the Freshwater Memorial Hall, PO40 9UU. There is a link for tickets on the Events page. Looks fun, but is that Ben or Dom?
Fingerpicking guitarist Jon Wilks is visiting Quay Arts Centre, Newport on Friday 29th. Jon specialises in traditional songs and ballads. A link for tickets is on the Events page.
Sun 17 Quay Folk Club at Quay Arts Centre, Newport, 19.00. Guests: The Mistakings trio and Wild Roses, also spots from Tina Goode and Phil Washington
The morris sides are brushing up their dances ready for the long summer season. Clubs and Folk Nights are filling up as Covid recedes, it appears. More one-off events are being planned, like 2nd Time Around entertaining at the Lord Louis Library this month and a concert by Slainte Va at the Mountbatten Centre early in April.
Slainte Va
The omicron wave did result in one or two postponements so there is more to look forward to later on. Quay Arts put back the Cara Dillon date to April 30th and Outside Track to 29th June and they are bringing Rachel McShane and the Cartographers over for a return visit.
If comedy is your bag, don’t miss Steve Love’s Island Songs as you sip your morning coffee at Monkton Arts Cafe, Ryde. Steve performed there fortnightly last year and it looks like his ‘world tour’ is back on again.
See Events for details of all these happenings and many more.
Finally, live folk is able to start up again. The Travellers Joy Folk Club is in full swing fortnightly on Thursday afternoons. Their first performance resulted in a splash by the County Press, valuable publicity for the Island’s folk scene. Evenings in a marquee at the Waverley have started up. Folk at the Porter Club is planned to re-start on 10th June, with a possible earlier date at the end of May. Exciting news is expected soon about the Chillerton Folk Night, too.
On the gig scene, Second Time Around already have a number of dates listed on the Events page and Andy Roberts is offering live music plus refreshments most Saturdays in Freshwater (see Clubs etc.)
Second Time Around
Morris dancing activity may take longer to resume as a spectator sport, but the Men of Wight were rumoured in January to be discussing a possible programme for this summer!
May Day morning at the Longstone before the virus struck
New projects
Paul AT Wilson, a scriptwriter with BBC credits to his name, is starting a mumming and storytelling performance troupe on the Isle of Wight, called, appropriately enough, Wight Mummers.
Now that live outdoor practising is possible again, several new musical collaborations are rumoured in the pipeline…..
Isolation Row, John Hacker’s wonderful brainchild to get us through lockdown, was one year old in March. The Tuesday zoom to celebrate this anniversary featured cake, hats, cuddly toys and, of course, bubbly drinks. All the songs had to be happy and cheerful, much to John Bentley’s disgust. But, Bluebeard soon had his revenge!
On the following week, JB was in charge. Only songs about murder, death and disaster, heartbreak, loss and misery were permitted. By half time, the official death count had reached 209, including a mine disaster (168 men and boys lost), a massacre (30 McDonalds chopped up) plus an unspecified number of lambs and goldfish gone west, five broken hearted lovers, one flat broke feller who had to leave town and one singer claiming to be killed thoftly with a thong. John Bentley was in seventh heaven!
Andy Roberts at Quay Arts
New Releases
Andy Roberts’ album of thirteen of his folk club favourites, ‘The Rowan Tree’, will finally be released on 10 April 2021. The songs Andy writes are always interesting and melodic. This album has been enhanced by collaborations with other local musicians. A bookable online concert to celebrate the launch takes place on Saturday 10th April from 18.00 to 19.30. Album details: The Rowan Tree | Facebook To order tickets for the concert, £3, click here: https://andyroberts.bandcamp.com/merch/album-release-livestream
Vincent Scriver (far left) on stage with the Festive Folkies
Meanwhile, Vincent Scriver (of Double Hitch and Festive Folkies fame) has a new solo venture, called Eagre. His reflective instrumental release ‘Parting/Sweet Sorrow’ is free to stream and just £1 to download for keeping. eagre.bandcamp.com
Pubs Open
The Traveller’s Joy Folk Club is scheduled to meet in the pub garden on Thursday 15th April at 2pm.
A new cross-Solent folk night dedicated to sea-related songs is currently in the process of being launched. The plan is to meet alternately in Yarmouth and Lymington a short haul away from the ferry terminals. As casting off is impossible at the moment, there will be Zoom meetings, (probably fortnightly) to get everyone on deck.
The first Zoom cruise, earlier this week, was well-crewed with plenty of lusty sea shanties and a good range of forebitters and landlubber ditties. The voyage was a harmonious one. The captain, Steve West of Lymington, was most welcoming to all the sailors, whether singing or listening.
Exciting News 2
Planning is well underway for the Yarmouth Sea Songs and Shanties Festival 2021. The original date in June is impossible, of course, but a new date has been earmarked. Provisionally, the festival will now take place from Friday 3rd September to Sunday 5th September 2021 in Yarmouth, so pencil it in your diary.
Ace sound man, Mike Butler
While we wait
Those wonderful organisers, John Hacker, John Bentley and Mike Butler, are giving us another Quay Folk Club on Sunday 28th February at 7.30, (which is why this post is appearing a little earlier than usual). Guests are regular Zoom visitors, Steve and June Wigley from Derbyshire, plus our very own Keith Newnham. An enormous amount of work is involved in such a production and the team have put together quite a few club evenings since the virus took hold, as well as the Isolation Row Folk Festival. Watch on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZu8dbWsZ9Q or Facebook www.facebook.com/supportquayarts/posts/257849495917347 Club funds have been depleted in order to support Quay Arts through lockdowns, so contributions to boost the club’s coffers should be made to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/quayfolkclub
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