The Musician - February 2006

	FEBRUARY 2006	LISTINGS HOME

Wed 1		Kent DuChaine plus J.J. £5 Authentic Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton styled delta blues.

Thu 2		Bill Mallonee plus Steve Dawson and The Amazing Pilots £6adv £7door www.billmallonee.net www.stevedawsonmusic.com This excellent Americana triple bill is headlined by Bill Mallonee, the lyrical and inspirational force behind The Vigilantes Of Love. Bill started playing music in Athens, Georgia in the late ’80s, inspired by the post-punk pop of the La's, XTC, Elvis Costello and The Clash plus the great college bands that passed through town, as well as Athen's own R.E.M. All three acts are sharing the one band and will no doubt finale with all three front-men performing on stage together.

Fri 3		David Wyatt Band plus Outroads + Whiskey A Go Go £5 www.davidwyatt.net David ended 2005 in grand style, playing some of the countries major venues supporting Tommy Emmanuel and making a big impact everywhere he performed. David is currently recording his second album and many of his new songs will be heard tonight. Although working in the same contemporary songwriter field as David Gray, Damien Rice and James Blunt, David is very much his own man with tons of his own ‘Wyatt’ style and charisma. As always David is accompanied by his marvelous band featuring the virtuoso, funky drumming of Gav and Neil’s skilful fretless bass.

Sat 4		Pirates Of Soul £5 Rockin' ten piece, brass driven, soul 'n' blues revue.

Sun 5		Closed

Mon 6		The City Acoustic Club £1/free Open mic every Monday, all welcome.

Tue 7		Neal Casal plus Danny George Wilson and Greg Vlesselman £9 www.nealcasal.com Neal Casal has never wavered from staring down life with an emotional intensity that's rare these days and his music hums with the buzz of vintage Californian rock, introspective lyrics and magnetically catchy tunes. His current CD, Return In Kind, tip's his hat to Gene Clark, Johnny Thunders and Ronnie Lane as over the course of 10 well-chosen covers, he quietly explicates the roots of his muse. The album has received four-star reviews in Mojo and Uncut. His guitar playing has made him in demand with Lucinda Williams and Badly Drawn Boy and live collaborations have included Ken Stringfellow (Posies) and Gary Louris (Jayhawks).

Wed 8		Bob Dylan Songbook Night £1 Kenny Willson presents the best of Dylan.

Thu 9		Vin Garbutt plus Alex Sutton £8 www.vingarbutt.com Vin Garbutt is reputed to have said that he is not interested in becoming a big star. Nevertheless in the area he performs, there is no bigger star. He prefers to be a big fish in a small pond. What the world realized long before Vin did, was that the small pond had grown over the years into a considerable lake. All this has happened without hype and the usual publicity from the mass media. This phenomenon has occurred solely by word of mouth, spread by people who have come across him, and felt the need to share this unique experience with their fellow countrymen.

Fri 10		Aynsley Lister Band plus Helium Soul £8 Storming rock and blues guitarist and his killer band.

Sat 11		Leicester Comedy Festival Just the Tonic presents The Big Value Comedy Show £5.50con £7door Acoustic music 8.45 till 9.45 Stand-up comedy 10 till midnight www.justthetonic.com www.regularbeat.com/ambrosetompkins The Big Value Comedy Show has been THE breaking ground for acts in Edinburgh for over 10 years. Keith Carter is the legendary ‘Nige’, the angry and confused man of comedy, Dave Dynamite brings his nonsense to the stage, Liam Mullone is a Leicestershire lad that’s a bit dotty and posh. Your compere is the incomparable Andrew Bird and live music comes from Ambrose Tompkins.

Sun 12		Joe D’Urso plus Mickey Kemp £8adv £10door www.jdcaravan.com Joe D'Urso's love for music began with his older sister's record collection; Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Meatloaf, Beatles, Elvis Presley, Bob Seger, Tom Petty, The Doors, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Jackson Browne and countless one-hit wonders from the 1950s to the 1970s and those classic’s have had a lasting effect on his own music making. In 1996, Joe left his job at the legendary Premier Talent Agency in New York City to pursue his career as a singer-songwriter. Since then, Joe’s music has earned glowing praise for his powerful brand of “original music based in good, old-fashioned rock and roll.” His roots and connections with the New Jersey music scene are evident in his Springsteen influenced performances.

Mon 13		The City Acoustic Club £1/free Open mic every Monday, all welcome.

Tue 14		Leicester Comedy Festival John Shuttleworth’s It’s Nice Up North £6adv £7door www.shuttleworths.co.uk Versatile singer/organist, John Shuttleworth decides to test the popular theory - that the further north you travel, the friendlier people will be - by venturing to Britain's most northerly spot, the Shetland Isles. Foiled by failing light, let down by a flat car battery, and buffeted by the constant wind, John doggedly pursues his quest; asking everyone he meets the all-important question; "Is it nice up North?" Filmed by internationally renowned photographer, Martin Parr, and co-starring Shetland tour guide, Elma Johnson, as herself, "It's Nice Up North" is a hilarious spoof documentary; a glorious mix of spurious actuality and complete nonsense from the mouth of John Shuttleworth.

Wed 15		Ashley Hutchings & The Rainbow Chasers plus Andy Griffiths £7adv £8door www.folkicons.co.uk It’s a great pleasure to welcome multi-talented writer, arranger, producer and band leader Ashley Hutchings to The Musician. As a member of Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, The Albion Band and as a solo artist, his influence and innovation are celebrated throughout the world and place him at the forefront of English folk music. With his latest band The Rainbow Chasers (including three talented youngsters; Mark Hutchinson, Jo Hamilton and Ruth Angell), Ashley continues to blend the traditional and the contemporary in ever more seductive ways.

Thu 16		Leicester Comedy Festival Sid Kipper plus Liz Allen Thu 16 £8 www.sidkipper.co.uk All aboard for a virtual cruise, with hilarious on-board entertainment delivered by Sid Kipper. Sit back and enjoy the view as Sid illuminates the voyage with songs and funny stories.. Hear about mermaids, mutiny, maroonings and mackerel. Join in the choruses of 'The Mild Rover' and 'The Shoals Of Whiting'. Step ashore and view the strange dress and outlandish antics of the natives of Cromer. Sail over the drowned village of Understrand. Travel through time to the days of sail, when Playbouy was a dubious magazine, full of pictures of bare boats' bottoms. Let your worries drift away until, fully refreshed, we end up in the Wash. Duty-free souvenirs will be available, as Sid shakes a pinch of salt, a dash of vinegar, and a touch of sauce on the finest fillets of his maritime repertoire, and offers a Kipper's eye view of his native coast.

Fri 17		The Two Timers plus Hazey Janes £6 www.twotimers.org Take two multi-instrumentalists with attitude, the mesmerizing Sarah James and the taciturn Gordon Russell; throw in an electrified suitcase, a strap-on snare, some raw harmonica and feisty vocals; steamroller the lot with some rock-solid rhythm guitar and what have you got - one helluva show for a start. And then there's the songs: soak up thirty years worth of Leadbelly, Alex Harvey, Tom Waits, T. Rex, Steve Earle, Led Zeppelin (I could go on), mix it with a strong dose of your own psyche and you have something which owes them all a lot but sounds nothing like any of them. It's an original and highly visual performance full of energy, verve, charisma and great music.

Sat 18		Leicester Comedy Festival Just The Tonic presents The Big Value Comedy Show £5.50con £7door Acoustic music 8.45 till 9.45 Stand-up comedy 10 till midnight www.justthetonic.com The second of the two Big Value Shows. Die Clatterschenkenfietermaus are ‘Germany’s worst pop group’… madly funny and highly original. Stephen Carlin has supported Stewart Lee on tour and is the hottest comic to come out of Scotland in years, Kerry Godliman is a London gal recently seen on TV’s ‘Spoons’. Compere is Jon Richardson and live music comes from the winners of this years Shed Songwriters Competition (still to be anounced at the time of going to press).

Sun 19		Leicester Comedy Festival Guy Pratt’s My Bass & Other Animals £8 www.guypratt.com Join Guy Pratt legendary bassist on a hilarious journey from teenage bedroom to stadium rock, armed only with his bass guitar and frankly unbelievable tales of life in the music business. As bassist and songwriter Guy has worked with Pink Floyd, Madonna, Roxy Music, Iggy Pop, The Pretenders, Elton John, Tom Jones and was even in The Smiths for a week. He has won a Grammy and been nominated for two Ivor Novello’s. He co-wrote ‘Ain’t No Doubt’ with Jimmy Nail and ‘Vindaloo’ with Fat Les. He’s also written and produced TV scores for Spaced, Young Persons Guide To Becoming A Rock Star and Crocodile Shoes. Guy is currently playing bass with Roxy Music and touring his one man show.

Mon 20		The City Acoustic Club £1/free Open mic every Monday, all welcome.

Tue 21		The Persuasive Electric Blanket Lounge Free An evening of psychedelic space folk with - Thurston Lava Tube Psychedelic surf instrumentalists. Intermission To Saturn Sitar, harmonium and guitar from space. Peter Wyeth Indie folk. lavatube.stayfree.co.uk www.myspace.com/intermissiontosaturn www.myspace.com/peterwyeth

Wed 22		The Acoustic Collective presents... Annie Williamson, Kate Easton, Katie Skilling, Charlie Post £3 An all girl special from the popular singer-songwriters night.

Thu 23		John Spiers & Jon Boden plus Shelia Mosley & Pete Burnham £8 www.squeezy.fsnet.co.uk As members of Eliza Carthy’s Ratcatchers and founders of Bellowhead, Spires & Bowden are highly influential to the current generation of folk/roots artists. Now in their fifth year, musicianship and inventiveness are a given, with the lads increasingly focusing on delivering a big, thumping night out with showmanship, humor and raw energy. John Spiers is arguably the country's finest exponent of the Melodeon, Concertina and Bandoneon. Jon Boden is one England's greatest singers and also a hugely talented fiddle player and guitarist. They have justifiably, once again been nominated for best duo in the coveted BBC Radio Two Folk Awards.

Fri 24		Marcus Malone plus The Blues Devils £7 www.marcusmalone.com Funky, hard-driving blues and soul are put through a musical blender by this Detroit bluesman and his superb band to produce a hybrid that is at once both rocking and essential. Marcus is currently working on his new album which features wide array of material varying from gospel to heavy rock vibes. His live shows are always nothing short of electrifying and should not be missed!

Sat 25		Swill & The Swagger Band £8adv £10door www.tmtch.net Men They Couldn’t Hang co-frontman Philip 'Swill' Odgers and his riotous folkabilly combo. Flashes of U.S. country, folk and Eddie Cochran, blend with a touch of Britishness to create Swill's unique sound, described as conjuring up visions of The Clash as a skiffle band.

Sun 26		Juliet Turner plus Pierce Pettis £7 www.julietturner.com www.piercepettis.com When Juliet moved to Dublin to finish her degree and to start performing, word traveled swiftly and she was soon opening shows for Bob Dylan, Natalie Merchant, Sting and U2 and touring with Joan Armatrading and Ron Sexsmith. Her third album ‘Season of the Hurricane’ went platinum in Ireland and in Feb 2005 Juliet picked up an Irish Meteor Music Award for best Irish Female Performer alongside artists such as Paddy Casey, PJ Harvey and Snow Patrol. Live she is a quiet, relaxed performer with a wicked sense of humor, so prepare to be drawn in and bowled over.

Mon 27		The City Acoustic Club £1/free Open mic every Monday, all welcome.

Tue 28		The Gathering feat. Debby McClatchy plus Pete & Darren Tomlin £7adv £9door http://members.cox.net/debbymcclatchy The Gathering, an evening of authentic Appalachian mountain music, where Debby McClatchy, Tom Sauber, Alice Gerrard and Brad Leftwich will take you back to the golden age of banjo breakdowns, country and gospel songs, hoedowns and old time dances, offering a rare and intimate glimpse of life, not only as it was, but in all its vitality as a living tradition. Debby is an expert entertainer of enormous presence and sensitivity, always in warmest rapport with her audiences. She plays a huge range of musical instruments, but her main tool is her old-time mountain banjo and is recognized as one of it’s finest players in the world. Oh Brother this is not to be missed!