We all know that whoever wins the General Election on May 6th it won’t be us!

So screw the politicians and we’ll make our own entertainment at this special fundraiser for the Waltham Forest Trades Council.

The line up is two great pals of the club – Steve White & The Protest Family and Tunnel Visions very own Graham Larkbey & The Escape Committee.

I’ll be MCing and throwing in a couple of tunes as well.

It’s at the Rose & Crown in Hoe Street, admission is £3 and it kicks off at 8:00pm

Club regulars Sian Allen, Roger Huddle and Jim Kane are keeping our end up at the Mayday Celebrations at the Rose & Crown on Saturday May 1st.

They’ll be on from six in the evening or so as part of what looks to be a great evening of music Hall Variety , traditional Union song, Piano , vintage gramaphoning and DJ entertainment until late.

There’ll be kiddies stuff  in the afternoon face painting and arts and crafts activities and stalls.

There is also a Speech from Neil Gerrard and Other Union Mayday activists and if that wasn’t enough the Sound Box Review which is Tip Top Tony Tunes and Mademoiselle Sisamo.

The Rose & Crown is on How Street and you can find out more at their website http://www.roseandcrowntheatrepub.webeden.co.uk

I’ll be the main guest at the Romford Folk Club on April 6th.

The club is at The Sun, 47 London Road, Romford RM7 9QA Phone: 01708 743423

It all starts at 8 pm.

I’ve never been to this club and I’m really looking forward to it.

Our friends Raven who will be familiar to regular club goers are
supporting Eliza Carthy at the Water Rats this Thursday the 18th.

The Water Rats is at 328 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8BZ

Admission is £17 and it should be a great night!

The chaps have their own website here – http://theraven.me

The centenary celebration for the William Morris Hall on Sunday the 13th December is now taking shape.

There will be a rally at the hall itself in Somers Road E17 from two o’clock in the afternoon with speakers and music and we’ll adjourn to the Olde Rose and Crown in Hoe Street at around three for more informal celebration and music.

And part of that afternoon will be an informal tune session.

So bring your instruments to the Olde Rose & Crown from 3:pm on Sunday for a session and then onto the Plough for Leon Rosselson in the evening.

See you there!

Here’s some information about the hall

Here’s the website for the Rose & Crown

My Ceilidh band, currently known as The Upstreet Irregulars but maybe about to have a name change are playing this coming Friday the 12th at a concert as part of the Redbridge Green Fair Music festival.

We’re one of four acts that night and top of the bill just happens to be the wonderful Playing Rapunzel who are are guests at the club in a couple of weeks time, the 21st June to be precise.

It’s pretty much our first time playing to a listening audience rather than a dancing one so we’ve been practicing hard for this one!

It’s at Ilford Sports and Social Club, Cricklefield Stadium High Road Ilford IG1 1UE

Details at http://www.rgf.org.uk/musicfest.htm

Doors open at 7:30pm and I’ve no idea what the admission is!

The club was contacted by Stratford Circus and offered discounted tickets for Kathryn Williams this Saturday 7th Feb

The text of the email follows which explains how to apply for the discount.

Dear Kevin,

It was great to speak to you today and I am very pleased to offer your members and guests a discount on tickets for our forthcoming Kathryn Williams gig on the 7^th of February.

Details of the gig are as follows:

Kathryn Williams

Stratford Circus Upfront East Artistic programme

Kathryn Williams, supremely talented mercury prize nominee with an unrivalled critical reputation, teams up with Neil MacColl, a great session player and member of a hugely influential musical clan. They will be performing songs from their debut album, “Two”.

Sat 7 February

8pm

Ticket Prices

£15 / £12

www.williamsmaccoll.com

Tickets can be purchased in person at Stratford Circus, online at www.stratford-circus.com or by phone on 0208279101.  To receive a discount please let your members know to quote ‘FOLK’ for which they will be entitled to a concession priced ticket.

Last Saturday I paid a visit to a new live music event run by Jerry Spangles who may be familiar to regulars to the club as the bass player in Graham Larkbey and the Escape Committee who you can see every month at the wonderful Tunnel Vision Thursday.

The venue is The Waiting Rooms in Palmers Green overland station. It actually is the station waiting room – it’s absolutley tiny and if you need a pee you have to get the key from the bar and go down to the one on the platform!

They run a PA so it’s a bit formal but basically they have a series of guests get up and do two or three song sets. However Jerry keeps it very loose and spontaneous and at any point other musicians may get called up to join in. That could be a recipie for disaster but it worked really well.

We had some blues, some jazz, some old-timey / bluegrassy stuff and I did a couple of sets on guitar and banjo.

The next one is on December 27th and you can find out about the venue at http://www.hcweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk