Brighton What's On Guide

SUSSEX FOLK GUIDE

Folk Music - Listings from August 21st until the end of September 2008

The listings on this page are taken from the paper magazine The Folk Diary. This paper magazine is now also available on line and each issue will be on-line as soon as it is prepared. As well as the listings, The Folk Diary has lots of useful adverts for folk festivals, shops and services as well as pages of reviews of recent folk and world music albums. Click on the symbol to go to the on-line version

Click HERE for details of the free, regular sessions of tunes, songs (or both!) in this area. Generally these are weekly or monthly sessions, but the webmaster will also help to publicise one-off sessions.

Thursday 21st August

Friday 22nd August

Saturday 23rd August
• COME ALL YE - with Sandra Goddard. - LEWES ARMS, Mount Place, Lewes.   Details:- 01273 476757 or email

Sunday 24th August
• BRIGHTON SINGERS' CLUB - The Crown & Anchor, Preston Village (by Preston Manor) Phone 01273 692849 or 330192 for details.

Monday 25th August
• BOB DYLAN THEME NIGHT - By popular demand. Mainly Bob's songs please, but we are not going to be too strict about it, especially with non regulars THE WHITE HORSE Bodle St. Green Nr. Herstmonceax. Details: 01435 812201 or 01435 864271
• TINARIWEN - Sahara's desert rebels bring their Fender Strat and elemental rock grooves to town. - KOMEDIA, Gardner Street, Brighton. Details:- 01273 647100

Tuesday 26th August
• EILEEN McCANN WITH DAVID K - AMBERLEY FOLK CLUB, Black Horse. Amberley, West Sussex Details:- 01798 875476 or email
• SINGAROUND - CELLARFOLK SONG CLUB, ROUND GEORGES Sutherland Road, Kemp Town Brighton. Details 01273 509552 or email
• PIGGIE'S OPEN MIC ROOM - THE PIG & BUTCHER Five Ash Down, Uckfield Enquiries - 01825 767206

Wednesday 27th August
• RUDE MECHANICALS - THE FERRY INN, Shoreham Details: 01273 452957 or 461950
• RORY McLEOD - The unique one man folk soulband, poet and storyteller. - KOMEDIA, Gardner Street, Brighton. Details:- 01273 647100
• COME ALL YE - OPEN STAGE NIGHT - WILLOWS FOLK CLUB, Arundel Football Club, Mill Road Every Wednesday at 8.00pm Details: 07790 51105
• BRIGHTON SINGERS' CLUB - The Crown & Anchor, Preston Village (by Preston Manor) Phone 01273 692849 or 330192 for details.

Thursday 28th August

Friday 29th August

Saturday 30th August
• COME ALL YE - with Diane & Steve Nevill. - LEWES ARMS, Mount Place, Lewes.   Details:- 01273 476757 or email

Sunday 31st August
• BRIGHTON SINGERS' CLUB - The Crown & Anchor, Preston Village (by Preston Manor) Phone 01273 692849 or 330192 for details.

Monday 1st September
• SINGAROUND - THE NELSON Trafalgar St, Brighton (100 yards from Brighton Stn.) Enquiries - 01273 776014 or email
• SINGERS AND MUSICIANS NIGHT - CROYDON FOLK CLUB Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Road, Croydon. 8pm Enquiries - 020 8698 5322 or 0770 3210 795

Tuesday 2nd September
• SINGERS AND MUSICIANS EVENING - THE SIX BELLS Chiddingly Enquiries - 01825 873337 or email
• COME ALL YE - AMBERLEY FOLK CLUB, Black Horse. Amberley, West Sussex Details:- 01798 875476 or email
• CELLARFOLK SONG CLUB - ROUND GEORGES, Sutherland Road, Kemp Town, Brighton. Details 01273 509552

Wednesday 3rd September
• RUDE MECHANICALS - THE FERRY INN, Shoreham Details: 01273 452957 or 461950
• HUGHIE JONES - WILLOWS FOLK CLUB, Arundel Football Club, Mill Road Every Wednesday at 8.00pm Details: 07790 51105
• BRIGHTON SINGERS' CLUB - The Crown & Anchor, Preston Village (by Preston Manor) Phone 01273 692849 or 330192 for details.
• TRISKEL - Playing over a dozen instruments between them, this exciting 5-piece band has enjoyed fantastic responses from audiences since coming together in 2006. Their repertoire is drawn mainly from the Irish and Scottish traditions, played with great drive and energy! - EASTBOURNE FOLK CLUB, The Lamb, High Street, 8.30pm Details: 01323 728268 or 638811

Thursday 4th September
• STANLEY ROBERTSON, LIAM FARRELL, JOE WHELAN, REG HALL, SAM LEE - Our last night before our summer break is always a spirited, celebratory event with a great atmosphere. We have an assembly of favourite and talented singers & musicians from Scotland, England and Ireland to help us celebrate Will Duke's 60th birthday. Come and help us celebrate the birthday of one of England's most inspired interpreters of traditional song and dance music. - THE ROYAL OAK, STATION STREET, LEWES Details: 01273 478124 or 881316 or email

Friday 5th September
• TITUS - . - BRIGHTON FOLK & BLUES CLUB THE GOOD COMPANIONS Seven Dials, Brighton Details: 01273 822695 or 736514 or email
• MAGGIE HOLLAND - THE ECLIPSE Montgomery St. Hove.

Saturday 6th September
• MARIAN BUTTON: BALLAD FORUM - 10.45 a.m. - 4.45 p. m. Marian is a spell-binding performer of ballads & traditional songs. She won the prestigious Song Competition at the 2002 National Folk Festival. Bring at least one traditional or modern ballad to sing & talk about. To avoid clashes, please state your preferred ballad when booking. If your choice has already been taken, we will let you know so that you can choose another. If in doubt about what counts as a ballad, please use the contact email or phone to ask. - LEWES ARMS, Mount Place, Lewes.   Details:- 01273 476757 or email
• MARIAN BUTTON - An evening performance by the workshop leader. - LEWES ARMS, Mount Place, Lewes.   Details:- 01273 476757 or email
• MAWKIN:CAUSLEY - - FOOTLIGHTS, West Chiltington Village Hall Details 01798 812661

Sunday 7th September
• CHRIS MORETON - Chris Moreton is a brilliant and versatile guitarist. In 1996, Chris was Guitar Player Magazine's Guitarist of the Year. He is generally regarded as the leading British flatpicking guitarist. He is legendary at the UK bluegrass festivals, but his material covers a wide range including old time, country, folk and classical. Chris also plays mandolin and banjo, is a great singer and very humorous and entertaining performer. - HORSHAM FOLK CLUB The Normandy Centre Denne Road.8pm Enquiries - 01403 251188 or 01306 875653
• BRIGHTON SINGERS' CLUB - The Crown & Anchor, Preston Village (by Preston Manor) Phone 01273 692849 or 330192 for details.

Monday 8th September
• CLUB NIGHT with FLOOR SINGERS - THE WHITE HORSE Bodle St. Green Nr. Herstmonceax. Details: 01435 812201 or 01435 864271
• KIRSTY McGEE Support THE MERCURY MEN - Kirsty McGee describes herself as "a maker of delicate yet stubborn songs, an instinctive traveller, a human scrapbook". Years spent as a hitchhiker and a period of homelessness have enriched her knowledge of people and places, all whilst keeping her moving. After spending a while building tree houses and bagging-out earth from tunnels at road protest camps Kirsty sold all her possessions and hitched to Cornwall where she lived in a beach hut and learnt to fingerpick. Her affinity with a life of perpetual movement and a hand-to-mouth existence has made its mark on her songs in a manner reminiscent of Jack Kerouac and the 'beat' generation, and has made her music difficult to classify. She has been variously described as producing 'folk noir' and 'hobopop', and she and Mat were described in Maverick magazine as 'Simon and Garfunkel -the Tim Burton version.' - ACOUSTIC SUSSEX THE RAVENSWOOD, Sharpthorne. Details: 01342 714810 or email
• CALIKO - The welcome return of John and Jo after their successful world tour gets this year off to a flying start. Great songs THE BEACON, Nr Tunbridge Wells Details: 01892 782326
• BLACKHEART - CROYDON FOLK CLUB Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Road, Croydon. 8pm Enquiries - 020 8698 5322 or 0770 3210 795

Tuesday 9th September
• MIKE SHANNON GROUP - AMBERLEY FOLK CLUB, Black Horse. Amberley, West Sussex Details:- 01798 875476 or email
• CELLARFOLK SONG CLUB - ROUND GEORGES, Sutherland Road, Kemp Town, Brighton. Details 01273 509552

Wednesday 10th September
• RUDE MECHANICALS - THE FERRY INN, Shoreham Details: 01273 452957 or 461950
• COME ALL YE - OPEN STAGE NIGHT - WILLOWS FOLK CLUB, Arundel Football Club, Mill Road Every Wednesday at 8.00pm Details: 07790 51105
• MID-SUSSEX FOLK SINGERS CHORUS AND HARMONY NIGHT - THE FOUNTAIN INN, Ashurst near Steyning. Details: 01444 443280
• BRIGHTON SINGERS' CLUB - The Crown & Anchor, Preston Village (by Preston Manor) Phone 01273 692849 or 330192 for details.

Thursday 11th September
• MATT QUINN - Matt is about to take up his place on the traditional music degree course at the University of Newcastle. We need this opportunity to thank him for his great contribution to out venture over the past couple of years during which we have seen his great talent develop at an amazing rate. ***This replaces the previously advertised appearance by Bajaly Suso *** - THE ROYAL OAK, STATION STREET, LEWES Details: 01273 478124 or 881316 or email
• ELIZA CARTHY - Fearless, colourful and maverick in the best tradition of English songwriters, Eliza tours her new album Dreams of Breathing Underwater. Powerful, vital and exuberant rhythms, absorbed from her travels around the globe, characterize this highly original, self-penned music. - KOMEDIA, Gardner Street, Brighton. Details:- 01273 647100
• A TASTER EVENING OF SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING - VENTNOR HALL Blatchington Road, Hove Enquiries - 01273 731927 or 735400 organised by Brighton RSCDS

Friday 12th September
• TITUS - This fine group from Hastings opens our new season as part of the Seaford Live weekend back at our original venue in The Wellington. Titus are a great close harmony group of musicians, singing everything from traditional ballads to Bruce Springsteen.- THE WELLINGTON, Steyne Road, Seaford. - 

Saturday 13th September
• HARVEST HOME - Bring songs & tunes about the harvest. If possible, let us know your choice in advance so that we can draw up a running order. Home-made harvest loaves, English cheeses & apples will be served. - LEWES ARMS, Mount Place, Lewes.   Details:- 01323 891981 or email
• SEAFORD LIVE! 08 SINGAROUND - 1.30pm MCs Mary Barr & John Cave THE OFFICE BAR Saxon Lane, Seaford Enquiries - 01273 776014 or email
• SEAFORD LIVE! 08 CONCERT - Joy Lewis & Derrick Hughes present Will Duke, Ian Chisholm, Sue Evans and The Spinning Jenny Clog Dance Side THE LITTLE THEATRE, Seaford Enquiries - 01273 776014 or email
• DAYTIME DANCE WORKSHOP - SUSSEX FOLK ASSOCIATION St. Peter's Chapel, Upper Belgrave Road, Seaford Details 01323 492310
• HASTINGS DANCE - SUSSEX FOLK ASSOCIATION Ninfield Memorial Hall John Portlock with recorded music Details 01424 753684
• THE WARSAW VILLAGE BAND - ELECTRIC VOICES, THE MALTINGS Farnham. Box Office 01252 745444

Sunday 14th September
• SEAFORD LIVE! 08 IRISH SESSION - 1.00pm MC Chris Martin THE WELLINGTON, Seaford Enquiries - 01273 776014 or email
• CLUB'S 50th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS - Dancing to the club's own ceilidh band, interspersed with songs and tunes from the floor, celebrating 50 years since the club started as Horsham Songswappers and the anniversary of when Lucy Broadwood handed over her collection English folk songs to Henry Burstow. Everyone is welcome to join the occasion - HORSHAM FOLK CLUB The Normandy Centre Denne Road.8pm Enquiries - 01403 251188 or 01306 875653
• BRIGHTON SINGERS' CLUB - The Crown & Anchor, Preston Village (by Preston Manor) Phone 01273 692849 or 330192 for details.

Monday 15th September
• MUSICIANS AND SINGERS NIGHT - CROYDON FOLK CLUB Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Road, Croydon. 8pm Enquiries - 020 8698 5322 or 0770 3210 795

Tuesday 16th September
• SINGERS AND MUSICIANS EVENING - THE SIX BELLS Chiddingly Enquiries - 01825 873337 or email
• BILLY MITCHELL - AMBERLEY FOLK CLUB, Black Horse. Amberley, West Sussex Details:- 01798 875476 or email
• CELLARFOLK SONG CLUB - ROUND GEORGES, Sutherland Road, Kemp Town, Brighton. Details 01273 509552

Wednesday 17th September
• RUDE MECHANICALS - THE FERRY INN, Shoreham Details: 01273 452957 or 461950
• TRISKEL - WILLOWS FOLK CLUB, Arundel Football Club, Mill Road Every Wednesday at 8.00pm Details: 07790 51105
• BRIGHTON SINGERS' CLUB - The Crown & Anchor, Preston Village (by Preston Manor) Phone 01273 692849 or 330192 for details.
• STEVE TILSTON - According to Dirty Linen magazine, Steve “can stand shoulder to shoulder with any guitarist/songwriter in the world”. That sums up our own opinion and the return of this much-celebrated songsmith should not be missed! - EASTBOURNE FOLK CLUB, The Lamb, High Street, 8.30pm Details: 01323 728268 or 638811

Thursday 18th September
• JIM WARD - The man who is such a master of the songs and monologues of the Cockney Music Hall ***This replaces the previously advertised appearance by Dave Sealey ***. - THE ROYAL OAK, STATION STREET, LEWES Details: 01273 478124 or 881316 or email

Friday 19th September
• RED EYE - Terry Lees, Chris Page and Jim sing and play old timey, bluegrass and Irish accompanied by dobra, mandolin, fiddle and guitar. Loads of harmonies, plenty of choruses all accompanied by ultra stylish musicianship.- THE WELLINGTON, Steyne Road, Seaford. - 

Saturday 20th September
• MARY HUMPHREYS & ANAHATA - FENLAND TUNES WORKSHOP for ANY INSTRUMENT - 10.45 a.m. - 4.45 p. m. These two skilled, enthusiastic & popular performers have unearthed some rare gems of English song & dance music, particularly from the Fenland area. They play melodeons, Anglo concertina, cello, banjo & English concertina. Mary sings traditional songs, mostly in English, a few in Welsh. The workshop will cover tunes mainly from the Cambridge fens & surrounding areas, especially featuring tunes from the unpublished manuscripts of William Clarke of Feltwell, Norfolk, some East Anglian tunes & harmony arrangements. Music will be sent in advance.- LEWES ARMS, Mount Place, Lewes.   Details:- 01273 476757 or email
• MARY HUMPHREYS & ANAHATA - An evening performance by the workshop leaders. - LEWES ARMS, Mount Place, Lewes.   Details:- 01273 476757 or email
• HEATHFIELD DANCE - SUSSEX FOLK ASSOCIATION Hurstmonceaux Village Hall Beryl Hartley 7 Martyn Bidgood with recorded music Details 01435 873551

Sunday 21st September
• CRAIG, MORGAN, ROBSON - To hear this trio is a wonderful experience. Moira Craig, Sarah Morgan, and Carolyn Robson are an a cappella harmony trio with an unsurpassed reputation in the UK and the States. Timeless songs of love and longing rub shoulders with compelling contemporary songs, and passionate, dramatic ballads take their place alongside lilting Shetland melodies or a stirring hymn from the Ozark mountains. The occasional solo song only adds to the variety of their overall performance. Here is a trio in which three distinctively different voices melt into one another to create a sound which is all their own - HORSHAM FOLK CLUB The Normandy Centre Denne Road.8pm Enquiries - 01403 251188 or 01306 875653
• BRIGHTON SINGERS' CLUB - The Crown & Anchor, Preston Village (by Preston Manor) Phone 01273 692849 or 330192 for details.

Monday 22nd September
• SUNTRAP - They perform a mesmerising array of music including their own material and the best of traditional and contemporary folk repertoire with guitar accordion and fiddles. THE WHITE HORSE Bodle St. Green Nr. Herstmonceax. Details: 01435 812201 or 01435 864271
• MARTIN CARTHY & DAVE SWARBRICK Support LISA KNAPP - Folk guitarist and singer Martin Carthy and virtuoso violin player Dave Swarbrick first became heroes of the British folk scene when they worked as an acoustic duo back in the 1960s, before Swarbrick went off to join the finest line-up of the hugely influential Fairport Convention. There followed a period of ill health for Swarbrick, with a celebrated moment in 1999 when the Daily Telegraph ran a very premature obituary while Dave was ill in the hospital. With his usual good humour, Dave retorted, "It's not the first time I have died in Coventry." In fact, he recovered, rekindled the relationship with Martin Carthy and, in 2007, they went on to win Best Duo in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. - ACOUSTIC SUSSEX THE RAVENSWOOD, Sharpthorne. Details: 01342 714810 or email
• HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN - Hot Club of Cowtown are the most globe-trotting, hard-swinging Western Swing trio on the planet. Tours with Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and The Mavericks keep them pretty busy…but tonight they introduce their new album. - KOMEDIA, Gardner Street, Brighton. Details:- 01273 647100
• SONG & MUSIC SESSION - THE BEACON, Nr Tunbridge Wells Details: 01892 782326
• STEVE ASHLEY - CROYDON FOLK CLUB Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Road, Croydon. 8pm Enquiries - 020 8698 5322 or 0770 3210 795

Tuesday 23rd September
• DAN McKINNON - AMBERLEY FOLK CLUB, Black Horse. Amberley, West Sussex Details:- 01798 875476 or email
• CELLARFOLK SONG CLUB - ROUND GEORGES, Sutherland Road, Kemp Town, Brighton. Details 01273 509552
• MARTIN CARTHY & DAVE SWARBRICK - ELECTRIC VOICES, THE ELECTRIC THEATRE, Guildford. Box Office 01483 871443

Wednesday 24th September
• PRESTON REED - Drawing on blues, rock, funk and jazz influences among others Preston Reed’s vast range of explosively original music will forever change your expectations of a guitarist. - KOMEDIA, Gardner Street, Brighton. Details:- 01273 647100
• RUDE MECHANICALS - THE FERRY INN, Shoreham Details: 01273 452957 or 461950
• COME ALL YE - OPEN STAGE NIGHT - WILLOWS FOLK CLUB, Arundel Football Club, Mill Road Every Wednesday at 8.00pm Details: 07790 51105
• BRIGHTON SINGERS' CLUB - The Crown & Anchor, Preston Village (by Preston Manor) Phone 01273 692849 or 330192 for details.

Thursday 25th September
• STEVE TURNER - Steve is an outstanding singer and musician on mandolin & concertina who has returned to performing in recent years. - THE ROYAL OAK, STATION STREET, LEWES Details: 01273 478124 or 881316 or email

Friday 26th September
• THE RUDE MECHANICALS - Foot-tapping music for all occasions from this multi-instrumental duo from Shoreham. Barry Ruffell and Ray Chandler have a huge repertoire of varied material including original arrangements of traditional folk tunes and new compositions.- THE WELLINGTON, Steyne Road, Seaford. - 
• NICK HENNESSEY - Internationally acclaimed storyteller.- THE LAMB, High Street, Old Town, Eastbourne Details 01323 644206;

Saturday 27th September
• NICK HENNESSY - A powerful & much-admired storyteller, singer & harpist. - LEWES ARMS, Mount Place, Lewes.   Details:- 01273 476757 or email
• SEAFORD TEA DANCE - Janet Dingley with recorded music SUSSEX FOLK ASSOCIATION 2 - 5pm Alfriston Village Hall Details 01273 476978

Sunday 28th September
• NICK HENNESSEY - Nick Hennessey is a spellbinding ballad singer, harpist and storyteller. He is enraptured by words, imagination, myths and legends and delivers a powerful performance that enthrals his listeners. "A bard-like performer who makes you listen." - Folk Roots. "A fine voice, pure and unforced. His fluid style and engaging presence is a winning combination. A compelling demonstration of storytelling's many faces." - The Times - HORSHAM FOLK CLUB The Normandy Centre Denne Road.8pm Enquiries - 01403 251188 or 01306 875653
• BRIGHTON SINGERS' CLUB - The Crown & Anchor, Preston Village (by Preston Manor) Phone 01273 692849 or 330192 for details.

Monday 29th September
• MARTIN CARTHY & DAVE SWARBRICK - CROYDON FOLK CLUB Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Road, Croydon. 8pm Enquiries - 020 8698 5322 or 0770 3210 795

Tuesday 30th September
• SINGERS AND MUSICIANS EVENING - THE SIX BELLS Chiddingly Enquiries - 01825 873337 or email
• STEFAN GROSSMAN - AMBERLEY FOLK CLUB, Black Horse. Amberley, West Sussex Details:- 01798 875476 or email
• CELLARFOLK SONG CLUB - ROUND GEORGES, Sutherland Road, Kemp Town, Brighton. Details 01273 509552
• PIGGIE'S OPEN MIC ROOM - THE PIG & BUTCHER Five Ash Down, Uckfield Enquiries - 01825 767206

To book a barn dance or ceilidh band for events in this area, contact The Sussex Pistols - email here or have a look at their website.

Credits

This page has been produced by VIC SMITH, email here

Most of the information is from the (paper) The Folk Diary , which is edited and produced by: Jim Marshall, 3 Chester Terrace, Brighton BN1 6GB (Tel/Fax: 01273 559750) and Vic Smith, 26 Ferrers Road, Lewes BN7 1PZ (Tel/Fax: 01273 478124) The Folk Diary is free and is available at most of the events listed here, plus information centres, libraries and tourist information offices. If you have difficulty in obtaining a copy, send an SAE to either Jim or Vic.

Copy date for next issue of The Folk Diary:
August 30th for the October/November issue.
Next update of this page will be on September 18th