The Ram Club

BBC Radio 2 'Folk Club of the Year' 2007

The Ram Club is one of the finest venues in the South of England for folk, acoustic and roots music. Our aim is to create a relaxed and intimate atmosphere to allow you to enjoy the music to the fullest. We meet on most Fridays at the Old Cranleighan Sports Club in Thames Ditton, Surrey and we pride ourselves in booking top artistes from the UK and beyond to perform for you close up in our convivial surroundings.

Friday night is Ram Club night, so come along and enjoy a great night out. With the odd exception we don’t sell tickets in advance – just turn up! The bar is usually open at 7.30pm and you can wait in there while we do the sound check before flinging the doors open at 8.15pm. If you’ve never been before just give us a try and we’ll make you welcome!

...and if you are a full-time student we’ll give you a generous discount.

Friday 3rd February 2012 - Lee Collinson

From the earliest age LEE has been blessed with fingers capable of guitar-playing beyond mere mortals, reaching the BBC 'Young Folk' finals, touring in a duo with Keith Hancock and forging a successful solo career with his eclectic repertoire comprising Folk in all of its forms. Lee comes up with really innovative, virtuosic arrangements for the songs he sings, which range from traditional folk and blues to lots from great contemporary writers like Randy Newman, Tom Waits, Joe Ely & Mick Ryan. If you like the guitar styles of Martin Simpson, Bert Jansch, John Martyn, then Lee is your man. His slide guitar in particular is stunning and his introductions and yarns gut-busting - and mostly true! We're really pleased that he can find the time to take the occasional break from the world of skipping tuition to remind us just how good he is!

£8 members/£9 non-members

Friday 10th February 2012 - Tim Edey and Brendan Power

TIM has done some stunning gigs at the Ram and is one of the finest young multi-instrumentals of his generation in the Celtic music scene and beyond. A virtuoso on both acoustic guitar and button accordion, his incredible musical ear and total technical command allow him to play the most demanding instrumentals and improvise freely in any style. His talent has been recognised by the top names like Sharon Shannon, Lunasa, Michael McGoldrick, Seamus Begley, Mary Black, Altan and Capercaillie, with whom he has toured, recorded and written for. BRENDAN is one of the most versatile and creative harmonica players around - Kate Bush, Sting, Van Morrison, Paul Young, James Galway, John Williams, Paul Brady, Altan, and Artie McGlynn can all vouch for that! No stranger to the club, he's also a fluent improviser in many styles and an award-winning player of Irish traditional music. He sings, composes and throws in some amazing beatboxing too, and the duo's blend of passion and virtuosity, free-wheeling approach and sheer joie de vivre is totally infectious!

Friday 17th February 2012 - Jackie Oates Band

JACKIE last played the Ram in 2007 with Reg Meuross, since when her rise has been meteoric. A fine fiddler and BBC Young Folk Award finalist, she was a founder member of Rachel Unthank and the Winterset before leaving to pursue a solo career in 2007. Several further nominations followed, and she won the Horizon Award for best newcomer in 2009. This year she is up for 'Best Album' and 'Folk Singer of the Year'. Jackie's distinctive, pure voice works equally well on traditional & more contemporary material. Her second album, 2008's Phil Beer-produced 'The Violet Hour', was in the Mojo Top Ten list, and 2009's 'Hyperboreans' (produced by her brother Jim Moray) also got great reviews and mainstream airplay. In 2010 she joined all-star fusion band The Imagined Village (alongside Eliza & Martin Carthy and Chris Wood), performing at major folk festivals and venues. In 2011 she took part in the Cecil Sharp song writing project, the resulting live album gaining top reviews all over. Tonight she'll be showcasing songs from her new CD 'Saturnine' and old favourites too.

Website created by Neil Poole. Content by Steve Poole.