Event type: Concert

The Necks are one of the great cult bands of Australia.

Chris Abrahams (piano), Tony Buck (drums), and Lloyd Swanton (bass) conjure a chemistry together that defies description in orthodox terms.

Featuring lengthy pieces which slowly unravel in the most mesmerising fashion, frequently underpinned by an insistent deep groove, the eighteen albums by The Necks stand up to re-listening time and time again.

The deceptive simplicity of their music throws forth new charms on each hearing. Not entirely avant-garde, nor minimalist, nor ambient, nor jazz, the music of The Necks is possibly unique in the world today.

With a pure silken voice and lyrics that inspire and captivate, Martha Tilston has gained a large and loyal following.

She has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, released several critically acclaimed albums, gained a nomination for BBC best newcomer, appeared as a guest vocalist for Zero 7, toured internationally and worked with some of the world’s most inspiring performers. The past few years have seen Martha venture into the world of film making. She recently released her first feature film, The Tape, which is garnering much praise and excitement.

With her long-time collaborators and musicians Matt Tweed and Matt Kelly, she entwines raw vocals, sparkling melodies and thought-provoking lyrics with filmic movements and earthy baselines. To see them live is to connect with longed-for parts of ourselves…

Following the huge success of their 60^th anniversary tour in 2023, The Manfreds will be making their way to The Atkinson on Thursday 9^th May 2024 for a much awaited appearance.

They are considered one of the finest and most respected bands from the 1960’s era. Their numerous hits were not just ‘pop’ songs, many were R&B based with an undercurrent of jazz – a very unusual but winning combination of playing style and substance.

As a result, their records have a timeless quality and, some 60 years on, The Manfreds, with original front man Paul Jones, will be performing many of their hits, including ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’, one of the most popular and instantly recognisable songs of the ‘60’s, and still the biggest audience pleaser at their concerts, along with a mix of Jazz and Blues covers and tracks from their individual solo albums.

Paul Jones, with his unique harmonica sound, will be joined by Tom McGuinness on guitar, Pete Riley on drums, Mike Gorman on keyboards, Marcus Cliffe on bass, and Simon Currie on saxophone/ flute.

World-renowned sitar player and maverick musician, Niladri Kumar, performing alongside virtuoso percussionist Yashwant Vaishnav

Experience music through one of the most royal instruments of India, the sitar, accompanied by the tabla. Celebrated sitar maestro brings an unparalleled immersive experience of the timeless expanse of the classical Indian heritage through his own unique, captivating and popularly loved style, which captures the heart and stirs the soul.

New York City’s pop-jazz sensation, Postmodern Jukebox, are set to return to the UK, bringing their innovative twist on classic sounds and performing ‘today’s hits yesterday’.

Concertgoers can expect a dazzling, inspiring trip through the PMJ Universe – where modern-day earworms and iconic pop hits alike are reimagined in classic genres like 1920s jazz, Swing, Doo-wop and Motown, and brought to life by a cast of some of the world’s best singers, dancers and instrumentalists. Think The Great Gatsby meets Sinatra at the Sands meets Back! …To The Future.

When pianist Scott Bradlee started the time-twisting musical collective from a basement apartment in Queens, NY, an online, ‘viral’ success story was born – one that quickly led to sold out shows across North America and Europe in the summer of 2014.

The touring act received rave reviews from industry publications and world-renowned artists alike. In the years that followed, PMJ built a reputation as the ‘Saturday Night Live of Singers’ by introducing audiences to dozens of exceptional musical artists – many of whom had been previously overlooked by the modern record industry – and turning them into bonafide stars.

Ten years and two billion views on their YouTube channel later, a Postmodern Jukebox show has become something of an annual musical tradition for hundreds of thousands of dedicated fans all over the world – fans that often show up dressed to the nines in their vintage best, eager to immerse themselves in the experience.

Treat yourself and your loved ones to an exceptional Valentine’s piano recital in the beautiful candlelit setting of St George’s Hall Concert Room in Liverpool.  Renowned pianist John French will present an outstanding selection of classical and romantic piano works in what will be an evening to remember!

Featuring
John French (piano)

Programme
Mozart  – Rondo Alla Turka
Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata
Brahms – Intermezzo in A major op 118
Liszt
-Liebestraume No.3
-Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
INTERVAL
Chopin
– Ballade no.1
– Nocturne in Eb
– Fantasie Impromptu in C# minor
Debussy – Claire De Lune
Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue

Three outstanding singer-songwriters coming together to showcase their talent at the British Music Experience inside Liverpool’s Cunard Building on Thursday February 1st.

The event is headlined by Jenny Colquitt who is soon to head out on a British tour, and includes two other superb performers in Joel Gardner and Caitlin Gilligan.

Winner of the 2021/2022 FATEA ‘Female Artist of the Year’ award and the 2020/2021 GSMC Award for best female solo singer/songwriter, Jenny’s music is described as fit for film and storytelling at its finest.

A voice that uniquely combines the melodic undertones of artists such as Eva Cassidy and the rawness of Alanis Morissette, she writes with soul, lyrical vulnerability and style to accompany her musicality both through keys and guitar.

Supporting Jenny will be rising Cheshire artist Joel Gardner. With one hand placed firmly in Pop, Rock and Groove and the other in Trad, Roots and Folk, Joel’s music is built on infectious melodies, introspective lyrics and intricate guitar playing.

His songwriting style and sound is often compared to the likes of Paul Simon and Frank Turner and his music celebrates the simplicity of one man and a guitar. Performing live, his shows are an explosion of positive energy, charisma and showmanship honed from relentless gigging.

Over the years Joel’s music has won him an array of awards including the ‘Danny Kyle Award’ at Celtic Connections and Wath Festival’s ‘Young Performer of the Year Award’.’

God & Star Signs, his most recent release, is an anthemic yet bittersweet folk rock song exploring themes of dementia and lost love underpinned by Joel’s signature intricate guitar playing.

And opening the show will be Caitlin Gilligan from the rolling hills of rural Galloway.

Now based in Liverpool, her songs still echo the wildness of her Scottish youth. Stirring age-old folk songs into a set of bare-boned and poetically crafted originals, she demonstrates refreshing insight whilst simultaneously summoning the voices of times gone by. She draws much inspiration from folk giants such as Anne Briggs, Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen as well as traditional vocal music of Scotland, Ireland and America.

She has supported artists such as Martin Carthy, Martin Simpson, Sam Amidon, Rachel Sermanni, Emily Portman, Rachel Newton and The Rails. She played her debut Cambridge Folk Festival in 2019, where she was a selected highlight on The Den Stage. In the last year she has already secured some notable gigs such as Cottingham Folk Festival, where opened for The Unthanks.

Doors open at 6.45pm, first artist on stage at 7.30pm. Tickets £10.

On Wednesday February 21st Liverpool Urban Sketchers are holding a fund-raising concert to help celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the group.

They are raising money to publish a book of their sketches, and the profits from this concert will go towards this end. Anthony John Clarke will be performing in his inimitable style at Christ the King Parish Centre, Score Lane, Childwall, start time is 8.00pm, doors open 7.30.

Price of tickets is £13.50, contact Lesley Scholes, either via email: lesleyscholes@blueyonder.co.uk, or via Messenger,

Celebrated Irish singer and composer, Sue Rynhart, brings her show ‘You, me or the Wallpaper’ to the Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room on 1 Feb 2024.

Rynhart’s intriguing performance piece is a response to Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ground-breaking feminist short story The Yellow Wallpaper which recounts the story of one woman’s experience of postnatal depression.

Rynhart responds to the complex and challenging themes of the original text using her own personal experiences to explore how creativity has enhanced her experience of life and motherhood. Loved for her unique voice and extraordinary blend of folk and contemporary jazz, Sue is an adventurous and award-winning musician who is not to be missed.

She is accompanied by musicians Lina Andonovska and Mike Nielsen. The performance is part of the Liverpool Irish Festival St Brigid’s Day celebrations.

Serious Sam Barrett is a hard touring, folk and country singer/songwriter from Yorkshire, playing honest, heartfelt self-penned and traditional songs on 12 string guitar and banjo.

Raised in the Dales village of Addingham, Sam began performing in and around Leeds in 2004, with word spreading further afield with the release of his 2009 debut album Close To Home. Having performed at SXSW in Austin, Texas in 2010, he has toured the US widely, usually in the company of friends and fellow skaters The Pine Hill Haints.

Along the way, Sam has shared stages with the likes of Martin Carthy, Dave Burland, Katherine Tickell, Lucero, The Young Un’s, Frank Fairfield, Deer Tick and Karine Polwart, and received airplay and praise plaudits from the BBC’s Bob Harris, Marc Riley, Mark Radcliffe and Mike Harding.