Black Swan Folk Club

E-Newsletter 31

Late March 2005

Here’s another miscellany of club news items and other folk musings from the York area. As always, feel free to quote, pass on to interested friends, etc.

  1. NEW CLUB LEAFLET ISSUED. I am about to take the next folk club publicity flyer to our printers. The full text, minus Swan logo, is attached to this newsletter as a Word document and also as a plain Text file for those of you who prefer it that way. This leaflet covers April 21 to June 30. I’m getting it out in very good time to give you plenty of notice of all the tasty things in store.

  2. UP-COMING CLUB HIGHLIGHTS. There are three forthcoming “big” club nights for which tickets are on sale in advance. Artisan’s appearance on 14th April will be their sixth booking at the Black Swan and also, sadly, their last. They have announced that at the end of this, their twentieth anniversary year, they will be splitting up. Their summer months will be taken up largely with foreign tours, so this spring is just about your last chance to catch up with them in the intimate club setting which many would say suits them best. For John Spiers & Jon Boden on May 12th, a small club gig is a bit of a rarity this year, as they are very busy with their big band Bellowhead and also with Eliza Carthy’s Ratcatchers. There have already been quite a few enquiries about this one, and the advice has to be Book Early! Global troubadour and powerhouse one-man band Rory McLeod makes his Black Swan debut on 26th May and likewise a very busy and enjoyable night is on the cards. Those of you familiar with Rory will know how much he likes to play, so for this one there will be no floor spots other than MC Chris Euesden.

  3. Tickets for Artisan and Spiers & Boden are £7 each (£6 concessions), with Rory a touch more at £8 / £6.50. Tickets for all three are now available over the bar at the Black Swan Inn in normal opening hours (personal callers only, cash or cheque) and of course from me at any club meeting. If you live out of town and cannot get along to the Black Swan, contact me by phone or e-mail and we can arrange a postal sale, but bear in mind that I am away on holiday in the first week of April.

  4. AN EXCELLENT THURSDAY WITH FINE FRIDAY. The April gig I am most looking forward to myself is the local debut of Fine Friday on Thursday 21st. There’s quite a buzz about this young Scottish trio, with excellent early reviews for their newly released second CD. Those of you who saw Kris Drever with either John McCusker (December 2003) or Kate Rusby (April 2004) will know what a superb singer and player he is, and his Fine Friday companions Anna-Wendy Stevenson and Nuala Kennedy are said to be equally talented. I’ve made this one a pay-on-the-door event but have the distinct impression it could be as busy and as exciting as compatriot Emily Smith’s debut was last summer.

  5. MEANWHILE AT THE EARLY MUSIC CENTRE. A reminder that the great Dr Faustus present their special brand of English folk music at the National Centre for Early Music on Wednesday 13th April. Their new CD is not due out until May, but pre-release copies will be available at this concert. Then we move the spotlight to Irish music with the award winning young 7-piece band Danú on Tuesday 17th May. There have already been a fair few ticket sales for that one. Get yours from the NCEM Box Office on 01904 658338 or e-mail boxoffice@ncem.co.uk.