E-Newsletter 165
9th September 2013
I had planned to issue a full length newsletter about now, but so far I haven’t had enough free time to pull it all together. Here instead is a brief bulletin, mainly to remind you about this week’s excellent club guest.
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1. TOP CLASS AMERICANA WITH KATY MOFFATT. Paying her fourth visit to the Black Swan, Katy Moffatt is our very special guest this coming Thursday, 12th September. Katy’s debut in 2007 is still vivid in my own memory as a particularly wonderful night and her return engagements in 2008 and 2011 were also outstanding performances, so it is pleasure to welcome her back.
So who is she, some of you might ask? Raised in Texas, now resident in California and a working musician since the mid-70s, Katy is simply a wonderful storyteller in song and a captivating stage performer who blurs all those artificial labels such as “folk”, “new country” or “Americana”. She has released a string of excellent albums and has collaborated with other notable American songwriters such as Tom Russell and her own brother Hugh Moffatt.
I don’t often quote verbatim from an artist’s website, but this says it well, I think:
From childhood memories of listening to late night radio in Texas, through her Nashville years, and her decades of global performance, Katy has developed a vibrant style that combines her magnificent voice with great guitar work and song choices from ballads to blues that both entertain and illuminate. Reflecting a passion for historical events, past and present, personal and farther afield, her songs shine a light on her life and the lives of generations of Americans. With a poet’s lyricism and the unbending realism of a seasoned reporter, Katy seamlessly weaves together a story that is at once singular and universal.
“If ever there was the perfect singer-songwriter it is Katy Moffatt. Her songs are drenched in emotion, her voice perhaps the most searingly beautiful thing you’ll ever hear,” said critic Nick Dalton in (of all places) The Daily Express
Although by no means a “mainstream” folk club act in Britain, Katy fits snugly into our “up close and personal” small venue ethos. Others must find the same thing and it is interesting to note that her current UK tour is almost 50% in folk clubs.
Fresh from his extended break in Ireland, Chris Euesden will be our MC and Eddie Affleck will be looking after the sound. Entry will be available on the door from 8pm (£10 full or £8 concessions), or you can of course pre-book at www.wegottickets.com.
2. NEW BROCHURE PUBLISHED. The new folk club brochure was mailed to out-of-town outlets today (Monday) and will be available from Thursday onwards at the Black Swan, and at local outlets (Central Library, Tourist Information, Red Cow Music, etc.) as soon as I can get them delivered, probably next weekend. It covers everything we are doing from 19th September through to 6th February next year. Full details have also been uploaded to the club website and booking is now available at WeGotTickets for all our club guests in that period.
3. A NIGHT OF ENGLISH FOLK WITH FAUSTUS. One other quick reminder: we have our first NCEM concert of the Autumn season coming up on Friday 27th September, with the dynamic English folk trio Faustus, comprising Saul Rose, Benji Kirkpatrick and Paul Sartin. This one has been selling quite well and we are within about 40 sales of what we need to break even. That said, it would be great to have a really full house for them, so do bear it in mind. Booking is via www.ncem.co.uk or on 01904 658338, with prices of £14 and £12.
I’ll try to write a full newsletter this coming weekend, so expect to hear from me again fairly soon.