Newsletter 1st September 2008 |
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REMINDER |
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'”Shivering,
hollering, edgy, dark, delightful, disturbing, involving, beautifully
phrased, acoustic music'” The
Living Tradition ‘Imagine
Laura Viers’ immersion in the natural world combined with Michelle
Shocked’s dedication to the political’ - Time
Out
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“Kirsty
McGee and Mat Martin
are different. Everything about them, from the way they look, what they
play, the way they play, the way they have taken control of their music
and their career, is unconventional. Kirsty may write the songs, and her
long time collaborator, Mat, may work on the arrangements, but their
musical partnership is so close, so mutually creative, that it is
difficult to know where one’s contribution starts and the other finishes.
They are about to release a new collection of songs, THE KANSAS SESSIONS,
Kirsty’s fourth, on their own record label, hobopop records; a company set
up to spearhead their own sense of musical fair-trade. This CD too is
strikingly different. It is dominated by Kirsty’s clear, intimate, English
diction and phrasing, her dark, sometimes macabre, celebrations of life,
and Mat’s inspirational musicianship, but it was recorded in the United
States, it is full of joyously engaging songs, and shining with American
influences.” (Extract from this month’s
Maverick magazine) |
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Monday £10 (£12
door) 8pm Tickets are also
available at Hobgoblin in Crawley and Bullfrog in |
What they
say… Her
affinity with a life of perpetual movement and a hand-to-mouth existence
has made its mark on her songs in a manner reminiscent of Jack Kerouac and
the ’beat’ generation, and has made her music difficult to classify. She
has been variously described as producing ’folk noir’ and ’hobo-pop’, and
she and Mat were described in Maverick magazine as ’Simon and Garfunkel
-the Tim Burton version.’ Her
studio albums have attracted collaborations with some of the most
important names in the scene, such as producers John Wood (Honeysuckle,
2002), Boo Hewerdine (Frost, 2004), and Neill MacColl (Two Birds, 2006).
Her albums are recorded live in the studio, her shows are simple and
direct, and much of her work has been made using the instruments she has
built herself. Her fourth album due out in September promises to
encapsulate the hobo-pop style in a new collection of simple, edgy songs
played on traditional American instruments. “A
wonderful voice” Mike
Harding, BBC Radio 2 What
we say… The
Mercury Men have recently been signed to Sony BMG Records after a rush
from major labels to snap them up. Likened to artists such as Crowded
House, the band has supported Sinead O'Connor and, most recently, Deacon
Blue on their sell-out tour. It wasn't until Jinder, Gavin Wyatt and Simon
Johnson first jammed together after a gig in 2006 that they realised their
potential as a band. Friends for years, they continually bumped into each
other on the gigging circuit, and decided to explore their potential as a
harmony-based trio. Dubbed an 'acoustic supergroup', the trio were soon
signed to international giants Sony for a four album deal.
Preview tracks from the new
album can be heard on the band's MySpace site at www.myspace.com/themercurymen. |
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Don’t
forget that as well as our own shows, the Acoustic Sussex website has a
Regional Gig
Guide and links to
venues and clubs in the South East that offer folk, roots and acoustic
music – and our MySpace site
contains over 500 links to a variety of other MySpace ‘friends’ sites,
including musicians, venues, magazines and lots
more. |
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For
your
future diaries... |
Other 2008 dates in the
Acoustic Sussex programme include: Ø
22 September – Martin
Carthy & Dave Swarbrick + Lisa Knapp (SOLD
OUT) Ø
3 October – Eliza
Gilkyson with Robert
McEntee Ø
11 October – Richie
Havens (special promotion with
The
Hawth) Ø
22 October – Bob Fox & Stu
Luckley + Cathy
Burton Ø
3 November – John Tams & Barry
Coope + support (Michael
Chapman) Ø
17 November – Kreg Viesselman
+ support
(tbc) Ø
9 December – Dougie
MacLean + support (Jane
Taylor) More information
on all up-and-coming artists can be found on our website: www.acousticsussex.org.uk. You
can also find us on MySpace (with samples from some of the artists
appearing) at: www.myspace.com/acoustic_sussex. If
you know anyone who you think may enjoy our events, please forward this
email to them. |
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