Blackheath Folk Club

New website

2011-05-20T16:22:00.001+01:00

Blackheath Folk Club is still going strong, over three years after the first session. The best place to find out what's happening at the club these days is: http://blackheathfolk.com.

22nd December - Christmas Special with Bruise!

2009-12-17T17:24:00.001Z

We're having a Christmas party on Tuesday the 22nd, and our old friends Bruise are joining us for a couple of sets. There should be floor spots too (but get there early to get on the list!). There are even rumours of a buffet....

Beer & Carols at the Oak: Thursday 17th Dec

2009-12-11T12:03:00.001Z

The British Oak is having an evening of Carols on Thursday 17th of December, and there will be a few Club regulars there to help out and hopefully perform. Should be a good night.

Christmas

2009-12-11T12:01:00.001Z

The Club will be carrying on right through the Christmas period. Same place, same time.

Follow Blackheath Folk Club on Twitter...

2009-11-01T18:34:00.001Z

... if you fancy. https://twitter.com/BlackheathFolk

UPDATE on Thursday's fundraising night: £480 raised!

2009-08-22T10:19:00.002+01:00

A hugely successful fundraising activity for International Animal Rescue was held on Thursday 20th at Blackheath Folkclub. The event was organised by Lynne who runs the club. Its aim was to raise cash to stop the illegal trade in bear dancing in India. Alan Knight OBE and Director of IAR spoke of the work in which hundreds of bears had been rescued and rehabiliated from this cruel practice. IAR also helps other wild animals ranging from elephants to wild dogs used in dog fighting.

A whopping £480 was raised. Huge thanks go to the extremely talented local performers who made the night go with a blast: Simon Goodwin and son Daniel, Theresa, Kate, Jim Radford, Bob Hooper, Neil & Jerry, Colin and Roger, Bill Crowe, Jennifer and Louise, Frankie, Ed Dylan, Caroline and Baxter, Ken, Ed Dylan, Trevor and John, Lisa.

Special thanks to Woodsie for running the order and Theresa for sorting the raffle.

Great stuff. See you all hopefully on Tuesday next week.

SPECIAL NOTICE - fundraising night, Weds August 20th 09

2009-08-16T14:48:00.003+01:00

There will be a special fundraising night for International Animal Rescue at The British Oak on 20th August 09.

Performers who have already promised to play are: Fred Dylan, Short & Curly, Jim Radford, Bob Hooper, Neil Clasper, Jerry, Frank Aziz, Jennifer & Louise, Kate and other regular performers from Blackheath Folk Club.

PS Club is on on Tuesday as normal.

Club still going strong!

2009-07-28T18:36:00.002+01:00

Sorry for the lack of updates - been very busy. There are some photos to be put up soon, c/o Mick Woods.

Oh, and get well soon Lynne!

Tuesday 9th June 09

2009-06-15T20:53:00.002+01:00

An excellent night featuring a guest appearance from the fantastic Mitch Hiller, playing first on his own then with Simon accompanying on guitar. Duos were a bit of a theme of the night, with Trevor and John, Steve and Alan, and the Moldy Moldy Men. Richard made his first appearance at the club, and provided excellent fiddle accompaniment to a few performers, and joined Neil, Jerry and Caroline in tackling The World Turned Upside Down.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-06-10T08:36:00.002+01:00

Too may weeks without an update... We've had a couple of busy nights, a quieter night, and an extremely hot night. All good fun.

More details of Tuesday 9th of June to follow - a particularly good night!

Tuesdays 6th & 13th of May

2009-05-13T20:14:00.003+01:00

A couple of enjoyable sessions, with some new performers and the return of a few people we've not seen for a while. This week we ran out of time for all the performers who turned up - a reminder to get there early to guarantee your slot! Great to see: the Moldy Moldy men again; Eamonn's return; Ben's Bee Gees and Prince covers; some mandolins, an electric ukulele, a mandocello, George's twin-necked guitar/mandolin; the fantastic Roger; Laine Hines all the way from Swiss Cottage; and...a lot more (if the Oak's beer wasn't so good I might remember a bit more the following day).

Tuesday 28th April

2009-04-30T22:09:00.002+01:00

One of those nights that started out quietly, and ended with us running out of time to squeeze in all the performers we had. Really great to see some new performers (John and Niall's version of The Flight of the Conchords' Most Beautiful Girl In The Room went down particularly well). It was also great to hear Baxter perform excellent versions of Copperhead Road and Beeswing on the dulcimer - a great example of the kind of eclectic performance we get at the Club.

Some Photos From The Birthday Celebrations

2009-04-25T11:28:00.004+01:00

Thanks to Mick for these...

Tuesday 14th April: BRUISE + 1st Birthday!

2009-04-13T14:49:00.002+01:00

Good news: Bruise have agreed to open proceedings at our first birthday this tuesday. We're looking forward to seeing lots of old faces and regulars, and hopefully some new performers. Come along and help us celebrate a year of folk, almost-folk, and not-even-nearly-folk music at the British Oak.

Photos, Videos, Links, etc

2009-04-08T09:28:00.002+01:00

If anyone has any photos or video from the Club that they'd be happy to share, please send them on to: blackheatholkfolk@gmail.com and I'll try to post them up here. Also, if any performers have their own website/MySpace pages, let me know and I'll add a link.

ADVANCED NOTICE: Blackheath Folk Club's 1st Birthday - Tuesday 14th April 09

2009-04-02T11:37:00.003+01:00

Please come and help us celebrate one whole year of Blackheath Folk Club on the 14th April. It should be a great night, with some old faces, and the usual regulars in attendance. New performers always welcome!

ADVANCED NOTICE - Tues 17th March is St. Patrick's Day...

2009-03-11T19:19:00.002Z

...and it's an Irish-themed night at the Oak. Bring your best Irish songs along and be prepared to sing along.

Tuesday 24th February

2009-02-26T13:20:00.002Z

A quieter night than usual (the football? the Blackheath-roadworks-inspired gridlock?), did at least see:
- two great new performers (Joe, with some original songs and a great version of Dylan's 'Subterranean Homesick Blues'; and Scott, with his own songs in the Scottish vernacular) .
- some new collaborations (Matt, Jerry and Simon with a Buddy Holly cover); Neil & Jerry tackling Billy Bragg's 'Great Leap Forwards'.
- the return of Mick and Steve.
- some great performances from regulars John, George Matt & Jerry.

We muddled through (just about) without Lynne, but look forward to her taking control of the list of performers again next week!

Tuesday 17th February 2009

2009-02-18T08:34:00.002Z

A busy night at the club saw 14 different performers; a song in Gaelic; tributes to the late John Martyn; folk interpretations of Led Zeppelin, Yazoo and Green Day songs;a bit of Dylan, some excellent harmonica playing; self-penned songs from Ben and Jennifer (always great to see a new performer at the club). All in all, a great night at the Oak.

2009 New Year Update

2009-02-04T16:52:00.000Z

A new year, and the club continues to go from strength to strength. We've seen some great new performers (including the fantastic Toby Benko); a guest appearance from Sossity ; new material from Bruise; and a great show of commitment as regulars made their way to the Oak through the snow and ice.

The format remains the same: 2 song/ten minute sets, floorspots and guest performers. Make sure you get along early to guarantee your slot!

Tuesday October 14th 2008

2008-10-15T22:24:00.000+01:00

At last a new post! Work, the enemy of the musical classes! So, what's new amongst the oakfolk? Since my last post western 'civilisation' has wobbled to the edge of the abyss but the British Oak remains a reminder of the good things in life (Freudian slip; I typed 'thongs' initially!)
Lynne, Theresa and I continue to be amazed by the talent that walks through the doors on Tuesdays. It's been great listening to regulars like Ben, Neil and Matt and Jerry go from strength to strength. And as for Kate, well, what can I say? She's become increasingly confident and really puts her songs over powerfully with feeling. Colin has given us another poignant new song and the two Simons are perennial crowd pleasers.
I must confess to a favourite; Caroline gave us an exquisite interpretation of 'There Were Roses' a fortnight ago, her minimalist autoharp chords creating a haunting backing to a really moving song. It ws great to have yet more diversity when her friend Claire played some lovely keyboards. Welcome also to Dan.
This Tuesday afforded us yet another unexpected treat in the shape of Fiddlesticks, a dynamic guitar/fiddle/vocal duo. The ringing applause said it all and I'm sure that we we see them again in an extended spot. Thanks also to Folkmob regular John for trotting out his band (didn't quite catch the name)
We had unexpected guests recently when the Gremlins put in an appearance. The PA certainly didn't take to them but, fortunately, it seems to have been a one-off appearance. Apologies to those artistes affected by unusually muddy sound.
Who am I

Tuesday September 16th 2008

2008-09-17T22:19:00.000+01:00

The, or one of the, great things about the club is the unexpected. This week the music was a little more folk-orientated than in previous weeks-whatever 'folk' means. Who said, 'all music is folk music?' It was Louis Armstrong (I heard it in a quiz and got it wrong; thought it was Bob Dylan!)
Perhaps it was the presence of our guests 'A Murder of Ravens' aka 'Bruise'. Our old friends Isabelle and Jim were joined by Gary on guitar. Gary and Jim's consumate musicianship complemented Isabelle's sumptuous vocals. What is more, the band appeared to go platinum as their very reasonably priced CD sold out. There's always e-bay.........
It was great to welcome one of Folkmob's stalwarts, Linda, who is renowned for her sensitive interpretation of traditional songs and Jim also, as usual, kept us in touch with our roots. This inspired Terry, Kate and moi to do some unaccompanied stuff. We also had great sets from a whole bunch of regulars and it was good to listen to Pete the Hat again (mais sans chapeau) I've personaly really enjoyed Colin's performances recently and last night was no exception. A reminder that he helps run a lively session at the Pelton Arms, SE10, on alternate Thursdays (including this week, Sept. 18th) As for Caroline's autoharp, it was a stroke of genius on Baxter's part to bring a pre-amp along.
I mentioned a workshop run by Martyn Joseph last week. I feel a neo-evangelical urge to spread the word about his work. He's writen three of the most beautiful songs I know ('Cardiff Bay', 'Dolphins Make me Cry' and 'Can't Breath') Check him out on You Tube or his website:
http://www.martynjoseph.co.uk/ You won't regret it. For the guitarists amongst you try a tuning he uses; drop the bottom string to D and the G string to F#and just have a pootle.

Tuesday, September 9th

2008-09-10T22:07:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the lack of a new post last week. Your's truly started a new contract on the other side of London and has been struggling to get into a new routine. If anyone knows a magic route to Putney, let me know!
Previous posts have pointed out the rich diversity of musical offerings we're growing accustomed to at The British Oak on Tuesdays. This Tuesday was not only no exception to this but seemed broader still. Added to this was an exciting move towards groups of musicians coming together to jam together; whats is more, musicians from contrasting musical backgrounds. This week saw Caroline, Simon G, Colin and Chris provide a rousing finale.
We again welcomed newcomers. James played two eclectic sets demonstrating powerful vocals and sensitive, subtle guitar work. Katie has been lurking midst the punters for a few weeks and plucked up the courage to give us a powerful rendition of a June Tabor song. It was good to welcome back Jerry and Matt for a second time, this time without their marital chaparones. 'Creep' ensured that Radiohead were honoured with having a song featured at the Royal Oak.
No fewer than 17 musicians played according to Lynne. The majority were Oakfolk stalwarts and I particularly enjoyed Colin's new song, the bitter and poignant lyric complemented by Baxter's stirring mouth harp.
The British Oak is certainly the place to be this forthcoming week for live music. The inimitable Steve Morrison plays on Saturday night whilst we welcome Bruise, old friends of the club, on Tuesday. Jim and Isabelle will be joined by a friend for what promises to be a fantastic night. And all for free! Well, apart from your raffle tickets.........
I'm off to Lancaster this weekend to a songwritibg workshop (Yes, I know I need it!) led by Martyn Joseph, one of Britain's best kept musical secrets. I strongly recommend you to sample him on You Tube.

Tuesday, August 26th

2008-08-31T17:18:00.000+01:00

We were treated to two excellent sets by Andy Smythe, backed by Barry Targett. Andy performed a mixture of self-penned material and interpretatons of others' work. He switched from guitar to piano smoothly and was ably backed by Barry, mainly on violin but who also played some mean guitar in the second set.
As always it was desperation stakes at around 8.15 as we lacked that essential prerequisite for a successful open mic - performers! However, prayers were answered and a number of mainly familiar artists emerged to provide yet another rich and balanced programme. It was almost as if we planned it that way! Relative newcomers included John, a stalwart from Folkmob, and Ashleigh, who sang beautifully with Simon Goodwin to provide the customary jazz interlude. Colin shared an entrancing and heartfelt newly written song of his own with us with a sensitive harp accompaniment by Baxter.

Tuesday, August 19th

2008-08-26T00:39:00.001+01:00

DIVERSITY RULES!
What links Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, the Beatles, the Eagles, Damien Rice, Andy Williams, Prince, Gordon Lightfoot and British and American roots music? The answer is obviously the talented bunch of musicians who played on Tuesday, August 19th. There were fewer in the audience than usual but this did not dampen the atmosphere and a great night ensued.

Most of the performers were old lags but it was nice to welcome Neil who entertained us with sensitive interpretations of Bert Jansch and Gillian Welch material, further adding to the diversity of the vening. An innovation was an impromptu jam as a finale in which Colin, Simon G and Sion tackled some reggae and rhythm and blues songs. I (Sion) brought along my bass and am happy to atempt to accompany anyone who is up for it.

Speaking of diversity, I've played at some open mic events in Central London recently. They were good but had nothing like the depth and breadth that our regulars provide. We are so fortunate in this area to have access to jazz at Mycenae on Mondays, Folkmob on Wednesdays and Colin's fortnightly bash at the Pelton Arms on Thursday as well as our Tuesday sessions.

On Augut 26th we welcome Andy Smyth, a resident at Orpington Friday Folk. To get your appetites whetted for this his website is http://www.andysmythe.com/

Our ever-obliging host Peter has consulted the committee over concerns expresed by a resident over noise levels. We are therefore asking all those who come along to leave on tippy-toes, sotto voce.

The excellent and hugely entertaining Steve Morrison played at the British Oak on Saturday, August 9th. Steve is always tremendous and attracts quality musicians to accompany him. This gig featured an incredible percussionist called Mark Watson, Rolf Harris's drummer! Next Saturday (23rd) sees Bill Clift perform, another very classy act.

Forthcoming Events
26th August: Andy Smythe Duo http://www.andysmythe.com/home.html
16th Sept: Bruise
http://www.webotech.co.uk/cgi-bin/bruisemusic/WOT_displayinc.pl?file=w-gigs.inc