E-Newsletter 249
14th December 2021
Hello everyone
Welcome to our final Newsletter for 2021.
With everything up and running again we’ve had some very enjoyable club nights and concerts plus our new format singers and musician nights which we’re now calling an ‘open mic’ as we’re using the club PA (although if you want to come along and perform and not use the mic that’s ok). The last few weeks have been a little unpredictable with two of our most popular guests needing to pull out at the last moment due to health issues. We lost both Allan Taylor and 2 nights of Martin Carthy. We’re wishing both artists a speedy recovery and we’re on track to book them both back in 2022. Our annual club Christmas party was to have taken place this coming Thurs (Dec 16) but as we were surrounded by a lot of uncertainty with the current situation we made the decision to cancel and look forward to reopening the club once again in the New Year on Thursday January 6 with special guest Jez Lowe.
At the time of going to press here is what we have planned at the club and in concert for 2022.
The Black Swan Folk Club reopens on Thurs Jan 6 2022 with special guest JEZ LOWE
No stranger to the Black Swan Folk Club Jez has been a guest at the club on numerous occasions playing to a full house. He won a double nomination in the 2015 BBC Folk Awards – for best singer and best new song – a timely reminder of his standing in the UK folk and acoustic music scene. Not only he is one of the busiest live performers in the country, but his songs are among the most widely sung by other performers, whether by long-established acts like Fairport Convention, The Dubliners and Bob Fox, or by the new breed of stars like The Unthanks and The Young Uns.
Tickets now available
https://www.wegottickets.com/
The next week Thursday January 13 we’ll be entertained by Celtic trio ROISIN BAN
And it's a real pleasure to welcome them back to the Black Swan Folk Club. A Leeds based band playing Irish and general Celtica - with Chris Dyson on fiddle, box player Paddy Heffron,& Gordon Tyrrall guitar, flute and vocals.
https://www.wegottickets.com/
On Thursday January 20 it’ll be time for another Singers and Musicians night or ‘Open Mic’ as we’re now calling them. We’ve also introduced a special feature spot for ‘open mic’ nights. Stepping up for this will be one of our most popular residents JUDITH HASWELL. No advance tickets for the ‘open mic’ nights just a minimum donation of £3 on the door.
For the last Thursday in January Thursday 27 we have the return of a master of song and stories ANTHONY JOHN CLARKE.
Welcoming A J back to the Black Swan Folk Club. This is bound to be another highly entertaining evening with tales and original songs, best known of which are "The Broken Years" (about The Troubles), "The Only Life Gloria Knows" (about homelessness), and "Tuesday Night Is Always Karaoke"
https://www.wegottickets.com/
And on Sunday January 30 we’ll be presenting our annual Winter Folk Day in conjunction with York Resident’s Festival. They’ll be live folk music in the club room between 2pm and 5-30pm and in the evening from 7-30pm to 10-30pm. This event is free to all York residents and a full programme will be announced shortly.
We’re partial to a slice of Americana at the club and on Wednesday Feb 2 in conjunction with York based promoters Please Please You we’re presenting Texan JARROD DICKENSON at the National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate YORK YO1 9TL
Hot off the heels of his fully sold-out ‘Unplugged & Distilled’ acoustic tour at the end of 2019, Dickenson returns to the UK for an electrified duo show with new songs and stories in tow. ‘His songs carry an independent spirit and grit… a hard-bitten, yet romantic eye that seems bred into Lone Star Songwriters.’ Q Magazine ‘Jarrod Dickenson’s rootsy, broad-ranged Americana draws deeply from tradition while forging all-new sounds.’ PopMatters ‘His deep, emotional, often luxurious voice envelops songs of love and loss, enticing you into these stories.’ American Songwriter
Tickets for this one are now on sale:-
https://www.seetickets.com/
Another co-promotion with Please Please You sees RTE Folk Awards winner JOHN FRANCIS FLYNN at The Crescent Club
8, The Crescent YORK YO24 1AW on Monday February 7
Fresh from a double award-winning appearance at the 2021 RTE Folk Awards, John Francis Flynn returns to the UK for a more extensive tour.
‘His solo flight swoops and soars with the confidence.’ The Irish Times ‘Folk Album of the Year’ Mojo Magazine **** ‘Human experience burns ferociously on this extraordinary debut from the uncompromising Irish artist John Francis Flynn. An extraordinary debut.’ The Guardian **** ‘Double Tin Whistle and Tape-Loops. Revelatory new takes on English and Irish folk songs in the manner of Sam Amidon. A singular and striking clarity of vision…. An extraordinary debut by any standard.’ Uncut Magazine ****
Tickets available for this one:- https://thecrescentyork.
Back to the Folk Club and our Thursday night itinerary for February looks like this:-
Thurs February 3 BROOKS WILLIAMS *
Thurs February 10 THE MATTHEWS BAARTMANS CONSPIRACY * (featuring Iain Matthews and BJ Baartmans)
Thurs February 17 Singers and Musicians Night ‘Open Mic’ with a feature spot from DAVID SWANN
Thurs February 24 PETE MORTON *
And in March we have
Thursday March 3 BOB FOX
Tickets:- https://www.
Sunday March 6 BLAIR DUNLOP at The Crescent Club YORK YO24 1AW
Tickets:- https://
Thursday March 10 LUCY FARRELL *
Thursday March 17 Singers and Musicians ‘Open Mic’ with a feature spot from RAMSHACKLE (no advance tickets)
Friday March 18 a folk club special at The Black Swan with
JACQUI McSHEE and KEVIN DEMPSEY*
Thursday March 24 WHITE SAIL and PAULA RYAN*
Thursday March 31 CLIVE CARROLL
https://www.wegottickets.com/
We’re also looking forward to
PEGGY SEEGER and CALUM MacCOLL at the Crescent Club on Wed April 6 *
GIGSPANNER BIG BAND at the Crescent Club on Saturday April 30 *
ANDY IRVINE at the Crescent Club on Monday 16 May *
KRIS DREVER and RACHEL BAIMAN at the NCEM on Sun May 29
https://www.seetickets.com/
THE UNTHANKS at York Barbican on Tues May 31
https://www.yorkbarbican.co.
*Denotes tickets on sale soon. Watch the website for details www.blackswanfolkclub.
BLONDE on BOB together with FREEWHEELIN’ (featuring Billy Bills and Graham Hodge) will be at The Black Swan Inn, Peasholme Green in YORK with their annual Christmas ‘Million Dollar Bash’ celebrating the music of Bob Dylan on Thursday December 30th at 8pm. Tickets on sale now:- https://www.
Black Swan folk club resident JOHN STOREY has recently released a new album entitled LANDSCAPES. For more details go to John’s website www.johnstoreymusic.
That’s it for this Newsletter. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a New Year that’s a little less chaotic than this one.
Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Chris and The Black Swan Folk Club