Here is a list of the guests coming up. Click on pictures to enlarge. To download the Ram printable flyer from February - April 2012, click here. To download a list of dates from January - December 2012, click here. To get Adobe Reader, click here.
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!
http://www.edeyandpower.com£9 members/£10 non-members
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.
http://www.jackieoates.co.uk/£9 members/£11 non-members
Suntrap are MARY WILSON (voice, violin), PAUL HOAD (voice, guitar, harmonica, kick drum), ELISA BERGERSEN (violin, viola) and SARA BYERS (voice, accordion, guitar, whistles, bohdran). They perform mesmerizing music, mostly their own material but also choice covers from the traditional and contemporary folk repertoire. Songwriters Sara and Paul create original, innovative works drawing on the English song tradition and American Folk & Country. The fantastic double fiddle parts, guitars and harmonies give a full, rich, invigorating and deeply emotional sound. Locally based, Suntrap have played the club several times and appeared all over the UK and Europe at major folk festivals, folk clubs, arts centres and radio shows including BBC R2's Mike Harding. Always a treat, and once again their new album 'Unravelling' hits the spot!
http://www.suntrap.org£8 members/£9 non-members
A stunningly unconventional five-piece from London who proudly call themselves 'The world's first Alt-Bluegrass band', the CPs were formed in the 1990s by Kentuckian SID GRIFFIN and Scottish stand up comedian NEIL ROBERT HERD. Starting out electric, as a result of a dare they played a charity concert with acoustic bluegrass versions of their material, and the crowd reaction was such that it was acoustic from then on! Canadian fiddle virtuoso CARLY FREY, noted local attorney & bassist ANDREW STAFFORD and one of Britain's best young banjo players JOHN BREESE complete the line up. With a published author, a comedian and a barrister in their ranks, they are the only band who can sue themselves over copyright and joke about it! Their latest release, 'Durango', was recorded in a Colorado mountain studio 'Basement Tapes' style, a la Bob Dylan and The Band - everyone crowded in one room, few overdubs and lots of laughter. It faithfully represents their hot live act - 21st century bluegrass Clash meets Bill Monroe steeped in essence of Gram Parsons. They don't normally do small shacks like ours so dang well come along!
http://www.sidgriffin.com/the-coal-porters£9 members/£11 non-members
SIMON is quite simply one of the world's premier mandolin players (and composer for it), and he's pretty ace on guitar and fiddle too! HILARY is a wonderful singer, quintessentially English but easily crossing the genres from Celtic to ballads, blues to Berlioz. She's famed too for an unlikely taste in bass instruments (she could turn up with her giant mandobass or slimline semi-acoustic double bass), accompanying Simon on guitar on anything from Vivaldi to bluegrass and even the odd step dance if the wind is in the right direction. Together they put on a show that is uplifting, entertaining and jaw-droppingly good, with an ability to combine a truly diverse array of talents. Sliding easily from a beautifully evocative Irish ballad into a mandolin and guitar version of Handel's 'Arrival of the Queen of Sheba', they'll then have you singing along to one of their own notorious comic songs, or a Jake Thackray classic done absolutely in the style. A real feel good night.
http://www.mandolin.co.uk/duo.html£9 members/£10 non-members
First time at the Ram for this duo of piano accordionist SAM PIRT and percussionist GARY HAMMOND. Sam plays in the band 422, who in 1999 won the BBC Radio 2 'Young Folk' award and have since gone on to great success. He was a member of the first English group to go to the Ethno Folk Camp in 1996 and has developed and a huge interest in music from all around the world which has a major influence on his sound. GARY has a collection of over 400 types of instruments and has worked as a session musician with bands like The Beautiful South (travelling the world with them), and also Nina Simone. He plays many genres of music and all these different styles inform and influence the sound of The Hut People. As he says, "Sam has opened up my aural world to planet Folk, where I feel very much at home". The Hut People was born of a jam session, bringing together their multiplicity of styles into an exciting sound encompassing the myriad forms of 'World Music' that goes down well wherever it is served - and where better than in a hut?
http://www.thehutpeople.co.uk£8 members/£9 non-members
Geordie TOM is one of the leading fiddle players of our time. A virtuoso musician and fantastic singer, his interpretations of traditional and contemporary songs draw admiration all over. In great demand as a performer, session musician and teacher, he has created his own unique, instantly recognizable sound. His live performances are a rollercoaster of musical delights - rhythmic dance tunes, beautiful slow airs, great songs and choruses - all presented with his inimitable sense of humour and style. Tom is proud of his birthright and nowhere is this better expressed than in Mark Knopfler's song Why Aye Man. His latest CD title 'Tommy on Song' says it all! DAVID's guitar playing is unique and unrivalled, both flat-picking and fingerstyle. Blurring the boundaries between acoustic and electric, he coaxes out sounds that takes in jazz, country and R n' R and was a BBC R2 Young Folk finalist in 2003. Together they make music so good you'll be bouncing by the end!
http://www.tommcconville.co.uk £9 members/£10 non-members
LIZ is an established Ram favourite who writes and performs songs 'outside the box' with a warm-hearted sincerity, endearing quirkiness and a rare ability to connect with her audience on the same wavelength. She dissects her subject matter (herself included) in the nicest possible way, gently reforming it into gorgeous melodic songs that linger long after. Her last CD', 'Beachcomber', was another gem. It features the superb talents of double bass player IAN NEWMAN who adds thoughtful, sensitive, melodic lines with grace and economy (and who somehow delivers himself AND his string bass to gigs in a Smartcar) and WARWICK JONES, a guitarist of great technique and feel and a fine songwriter in his own right. Songs in the key of life!
http://www.lizsimcock.com£8 members/£9 non-members
ADVANCE NOTICE! Such being his popularity, we are selling tickets in advance for Phil's gig. Subject to availability, these are now on sale at 10GBP and 12GBP to members and non-members respectively. These may be bought either at the club on Friday nights between now and then or by ringing Bob & Maggie on 0208 686 9421. If possible please try to ring daytime or early evening.
Just a few days ago, PHIL will have performed at the Royal Albert Hall with Show of Hands in front of thousands of fans. That is quite some warm up gig! Phil is a big star who plays lots of instruments with dexterous ease, sings a great variety of songs and is funny with it. He's been on the telly, played the biggest gigs and yet he still comes and plays at homely little clubs like ours! Isn't life good?
http://www.philbeer.co.uk £10 members/£12 non-members