Woodman Folk Club - Newsletter

Hi Folks

Blimey!! Where did that month go then……??

In the blink of an eye November is upon us and once again we have a new set of guests to peruse, all of them previous visitors to the Woodman, so without further ado let me tell you all about what we have in store………

….Friday November 1st (tomorrow in case you hadn’t noticed), will be another of our sensational Singers’ Nights. Don’t be disappointed, these singers’ nights are normally over-subscribed, so please contact Debby or Derry on 01384 560462 to ensure you get a floor spot. Alternatively just come and enjoy the talent on display. A great night is guaranteed!

Please note that if you have pre-booked a spot you need to be at the club before 8:00 to confirm, or the slot may be re-allocated.

Then on the 8th of the month we are once again extremely delighted to welcome the return of an old club favourite and good friend, none other than Sunjay. November '22 was his last appearance at the club, the club where in fact he honed his craft and ‘cut his teeth’ as a performer, and an extremely gifted one at that. Our very own protégé has now developed into a seasoned performer and very professional artiste so this welcome return is somewhat overdue. A stunningly skilful blues inspired guitarist who has just gone from strength to strength and has made a name for himself far and wide on both the club and festival scene. It will be a great pleasure to have him back again tonight.

The 15th brings us another real treat because we are very happy to announce the return of the vibrant Kelly’s Heroes. These guys have been around for eons but this will be only their second Woodman appearance after a brilliant debut show in October last. With a repertoire that encompasses fast and furious Celtic tunes and songs, gentle ballads, quality contemporary numbers as well as some original material, this Nottingham based band are one of the most sought after on the club, pub and festival circuit. Their rich sound provided by the accordion, powerful rhythm guitar and bodhran give a fullness that belies the number of people on stage.

And on to Friday the 22nd when for or our final guest night this month we are once again delighted to bring you the brilliant songstress Liz Simcock, for what will be her sixth appearance with us believe it or not! She made her Woodman debut a back in 2014, went down a storm has consequently become a firm favourite at the club. Liz is a singer/songwriter who performs in folk and acoustic clubs mainly in and around the South East. In 1999 she featured on the Playpen Album of New Acoustic Music alongside Eliza Carthy, Billy Bragg, Eddi Reader and Kathryn Williams. Since then she has trodden an independent path, recording five albums and gaining a glowing reputation. An absolutely superb night is guaranteed.

Finally for this month Friday 29th will be another of our sensational Singers’ Nights. Don’t be disappointed, these singers’ nights are normally over-subscribed, so please contact Debby or Derry on 01384 560462 to ensure you get a floor spot. Alternatively just come and enjoy the talent on display. A great night is guaranteed!

As always, please note that if you have pre-booked a spot you need to be at the club before 8:00 to confirm, or the slot may be re-allocated.

Now, December will of course be a shortened month so let me tell you what lies in store for our final month of the year…

On December 6th and for their second appearance at the club, we are extremely delighted to welcome back The Rosellys - (Rose-Leys as opposed to Rose-Ell-Ees for those of you that strive for pedantic perfection)! They are an English country music band from Herefordshire who understand how to interpret traditional country music with an exciting clear sound. They produce well-crafted ballads as well as upbeat songs with a slightly rocky feel, and also classic country songs, all sung harmonically through the mic. It’s here that you sense the love for the music. The vocals are sensitively accompanied by instrumentation that isn’t too loud and compliment the voice of the main singer, Dr Rebecca Rosellys. Sometimes they gig as a duet, just Rebecca and husband Simon, but tonight we have them in all their glory as a full 5 piece band. It'll be a good'n, but don't take my word for it, come down!

And finally, for this year at any rate, on Friday 13th we will once again be featuring a Christmas themed evening brought to us by Mad Jocks & Englishmen. This will start at 8:00pm and not the usual 8:30pm as we have such a lot to pack in! Exactly one year ago we featured this wonderful local trio, as indeed we had done exactly a year before that, and the year before that, and...the year before...oh never mind! I think I'm beginning to see a pattern emerging here! Anyway, we’ll gloss over that and simply say that this will be the seventh appearance of the irrepressible MJ&E to the club having been regulars since their triumphant debut in November 2016. The band are legendary around the folk clubs and festivals of Olde England having been recording and performing for over 40 years, so they know a thing or two about putting on a good show. The three original members that form the band are George Gallagher (vocals and guitar), Nick Weston (banjo) and Andy Brownlie (vocals, guitar and mandolin) and the music, though folk based, is now much more eclectic and the typical Jocks set will incorporate bluegrass, folk, contemporary, and a generous smattering of comedy. You won’t be disappointed.

And that’s about it but don’t forget to look out for the next thrilling instalment of the Woodman Newsletter, coming to a screen very near you…..but not till next year!

Cheers dear friends

Rob x