South London Area Guide

SWiTCH Debut Headline Show It’s finally time. SWiTCH first-ever headline show is here Limited tickets available - come make history with us. Presented by UK UNRLSD. This Event Is Open To All Ages

We could say more but put simply North Sea Gas are a highly entertaining Scottish folk band who have an ever-growing fan base ranging through all age groups thus giving the Gas shows a wonderful atmosphere and universal appeal. HERES WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT NORTH SEA GAS.. The band displays an attachment and a reverence for their roots from the very start. The music feels genuine, unpretentious and spontaneous, with a fondness for storytelling and beautiful harmonies. (Celtic Radio Boston) http://www.celticradio.net No airs and graces just fantastic music EdinburghGuide.com (Edin/Festival) ..they inherit the mantle vacated by The Corries and The McCalmans with tight vocal harmonies and well-chosen material..provide a solid well-honed sound vocally strong and musically complimentary..most commendable about North Sea Gas is their ability to balance up tempo material with quieter more thoughtful moments and treat each with commitment and professionalism. Fire in the Glen is an excellent showcase for their talents and shows them taking the Scottish ballad group mantle with fire and grace. John ORegan Freelance Music Journalist, Broadcaster, Lecturer Limrick, Ireland [email protected]

Crossfade is Music Strand's annual celebration of electronic and urban music, showcasing the work of Year 13 Music Technology students as well as a selection of Year 12s. This year for the first time we are collaborating with Digital Arts students to create bespoke visuals for each set, turning the OBIE theatre into a club with state of the art sound, projections and a huge range of original music. Presented by The BRIT School Limited. This is an 12A event

The spectacle marks the 50th anniversary of Tubular Bells, the debut studio album by English multi-instrumentalist, composer and songwriter Mike Oldfield. Oldfield, who was just 17 years old when he started composing the music, recorded and played almost all of the instruments on the album. Conceived in 1971 and finally released in 1973, it gained worldwide acclaim when the opening theme was used for the soundtrack of the horror film The Exorcist. Tubular Bells is a progressive journey through classical, jazz, folk, prog rock and electronica. Ten performers from Circa Contemporary Circus present Oldfield’s work in its physical form, their heart-stopping acrobatics intricately woven together to reflect the music. The performance is directed by Yaron Lifschitz. The musical director, Robin Smith, has collaborated with Mike Oldfield over three decades including memorable performances of Tubular Bells at Edinburgh Castle in 1992 and at the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony.

Lynne Heraud & Pat Turner Individually, and in combination with a variety of well-known singers and bands, Lynne Heraud and Pat Turner have both served long apprenticeships on the shop-floor of folk music. Lynne sang in a duo with Sue Ashby; performed with John Lambert and Frank Lee as Tom, Dick and Harriet; and has made a CD, 'Stars in My Crown' with Keith Kendrick. She was, for many years, the organiser and MC for the Hoddesdon Folk Club. Pat toured for six years with the folk band Filigree, making an album and also releasing a single! She was co-founder and MC of the City Folk Club in London. Together they later joined Pete Cunningham (ex-English Tapestry and Heritage) to form Brandis, making several radio appearances. They finally settled into a permanent duo and made their first CD, 'Parallel', in 2003, and have since made five more on the Wildgoose label. Between them they play guitar, recorder, English concertina and a variety of whistles (including swanee, policeman's and referee's), list a spoons workshop in their hall of fame, and are not in the least averse to dressing up or dancing when a song requires it. They both agree, however, that their voices are their most important instruments. Their resulting style is a unique blend of stunning song and harmony, and a humour which takes their audience on a roller-coaster ride - "everything from high tragedy to ingenious smut in glorious vocal harmony!" In addition to appearing at folk clubs and festivals, Lynne and Pat also organise and perform themed shows and workshops, music hall evenings (awash with sauce and innuendo), and a special show called 'A Birds' Eye View', which presents songs particularly from a woman's perspective (but which men are invited to attend as well and learn from!) Audiences need to be robust as their humour has been known to cause side-splitting injuries. They both, however, include emergency first aid amongst their many qualifications.

Counter's Creek is an acoustic folk band based in London who make original music inspired by the folk music of the British Isles and beyond. Jigs, reels, grooves from Eastern Europe & West Africa, catchy melodies with closely interwoven harmonies allied to a real sense of swing and dance energy. Whistle player Jonathan Taylor has worked in many different musical genres: best known as a jazz pianist who's played with artists such as Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Ruby Turner and various British jazz luminaries, he's also co-founder of Tango Siempre, appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and arranged music for Robert Wyatt. Singer Ben Cox studied Jazz at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, has played at major Jazz festivals with The Ben Cox Band, is currently musical director of four choirs in London and is an accomplished whistle/flute/harmonium player. Fiddler Tom Newell is known for his work with Effra who perform regularly at UK folk festivals as well as The Ceilidh Liberation Front, Alex Mendham & His Orchestra and pop acts including Muse, One Direction and Lana Del Rey. He also plays banjo and mandolin (not to mention charango and mouth harp). Guitarist Moss Freed plays with jazz/folk group Flekd, the Spike Orchestra, has recorded for John Zorn's Tzadik label and has recently completed a PhD at Hull University Four musicians from different backgrounds, united by a love of acoustic folk music, great tunes and earthy dance grooves. The name Counter's Creek refers to one of London's old rivers that used to flow from Kensal Green into the Thames. It has gradually disappeared over the last two centuries, first converted into a canal after which parts of it were filled in. These rivers still exist in some form underneath London's busy streets and like the new weird and wonderful musical projects in the city, bubble up to the surface every now and then...