I’m supporting the fantastic Passenger at the Bay Horse tomorrow (Tuesday 15th June). One of my favourite Manchester acts, Pablo’s Finest Hour, are also on the bill. Here’s the line-up:
I’m really excited about doing the gig. You can buy tickets here…
Hopefully see you there!
Tom
We’re currently driving from Exeter to Totnes, for the last day of rehearsals before the gig tonight. It was sounding really nice yesterday. Basic premise is to get a load of songwriters together and then work on one new song for each songwriter, over a weekend. Then we’re all playing on each other’s songs.
A lot of the arrangements involve vocal harmonies, but there’s a cellist, two keyboards, guitars and djembe between us, so lots of scope for doing stuff.
The gig starts at 7.30pm tonight (Sunday, 9th May) and it’s £4 on the door. The venue is the Ariel Centre, Totnes.
Tom
I really enjoyed playing the Ripon Beer Festival on Monday. Just heard from the organisers that they raised a total of £6,068.00, which is great news. There was some really good music — and lots of great beer. Enjoyed going out for a quick curry afterwards with the Roosters before rushing back to do the All FM Unsigned show in Manchester!
Next year’s beer festival is Monday, 2nd May 2011…
Hello! There’s an exciting gig at Baa Bar, Fallowfield on Tuesday. It’s being put on by Silent Sara, in aid of the Red Cross.
The lineup is looking really good – it features seven acts, including Karima Francis, Kristyna Myles, Glyn Bailey, Robin Mukherjee, Risa Hall and Pavor Nocturnus. I’ll be playing a couple of songs too.
I think entry is by donation, 3 or 4 quid. Should be a really nice night. Things kick off promptly at 8pm…
Hi everyone,
Tonight there’s a free gig at Oddest, Chorlton, featuring John Herring, Kamal Arafa and John Lowndes. The night starts at 8.30 and it’s being put on by With A Little Help, to raise money for the Nordoff-Robins music therapy charity. It’s a completely free gig, but donations are welcome.
On Monday, we have the usual open mic night at Trof in the Northern Quarter, starting from 8pm – just turn up around then if you’d like to play.
And on Tuesday, it’s the brand new open mic at the Bay Horse, beginning 8.30pm — that’s in the downstairs bar.
Tom
Manchester band Anna Kashfi will be launching their new album, Survival
, at Fuel Cafe Bar in Withington tonight.
It’s a free show, and doors open 7.30/8pm. I’m really looking forward to the gig – it’s been a while since I’ve seen Anna Kashfi playing live, and it will be good to hear tracks from the new album.
The album is available to buy from Amazon.co.uk
Hi! I’m off to Liverpool today, but thought I’d recommend an event that’s happening today at the Dance House theatre in Manchester.
It starts at 4pm, and features some fantasic music acts, as well as a lot of theatre, poetry and other art performances. It takes place across two stages. Including the Dance House’s lovely auditorium. Promises to be a really good event.
Also happening in Manchester tonight are a charity gig at Jam Street – “Little Green”, and a performance by Denis Jones at the Band on the Wall. For other concerts happening, check out Seatwave to get concert tickets online.
Really enjoyed doing the Unsigned Show on Monday. We had some great live sessions from Kristyna Myles and April Maybe May. Here’s the full track listing:
1. Richard Barry – Strolling Along
2. Clare Mooney – Stop the War
3. Caulbearers – Small Spaces
4. Robin Mukherjee – Morning Chorus
5. Hannah Atkins – My Heart is Like a Flower
6. Kristyna Myles – Fooling
7. Kristyna Myles – Just Three Little Words
8. Kristyna Myles – Someone
9. Shimeon – Will in Chains
10. Alexis McLean – Let You Be
11. Aidan Smith – Pockets
12. Kate Sloan – A Romance Unfolding
13. Lorelei Loveridge – Oh, India
14. April Maybe May – Seasalt
15. April Maybe May – White Horses
16. April Maybe May – Fold
Acoustic Eclectic with Tom Kerswill - Wed 25th Nov
Acoustic Eclectic is a lovely acoustic night at the Q-Inn in Stalybridge. I’m playing there tomorrow evening (Wednesday, 25th November). It’s a free night (donations welcomed). There’s an open mic beforehand, and I’d really recommend it as a place to play. Lovely friendly, audience, nice beers – a good night!
You can add yourself to the Facebook event or head over to the acoustic eclectic myspace page.
Hi
This Friday at Kro Bar, we’re putting on some really excellent acts. We have Jon Gomm, the Woe Betides, Laienda, Lisa Marie Glover, I am Three, and I’ll be playing a couple of songs too:
It will be £4 in on the door, and get there for 7.30pm to see all the acts… Really looking forward to this one!
Trof Northern Quarter open mic
Artists can embed videos in their own site by pressing the embed button on the video player. Let me know if the comments if you have any problems playing the videos.
You can also see an index page of all the performances from the open mic.
The last ever Sunday open mic at Trof Northern Quarter is tonight. After that it will be every Monday. We’re replacing the Trof NQ night with a new night — which you can also come to tonight. It’s at Bar One, Withington and starts at 8pm. This is the second ever open mic we’ve done there, so I’m looking forward to it. I’ll be running Bar One tonight and Ollie with be running Trof NQ. See you later…
Note (20th Jan 2010) Bar One has now closed down, sadly — check elsewhere on the site for other Manchester open mic nights.
Hi everyone,
We’re starting a new open mic, every Sunday from 8pm, in Bar One, Withington.
We’re aiming to keep the vibe similar to our Sunday open mic in Trof Northern Quarter, which sadly will be coming to an end on the last Sunday of October. (The Trof NQ night will then run each Monday from November onwards).
Would be great to see you at the Bar One open mic this Sunday (tomorrow). We’re aiming for everyone to be able to play three songs each, but since it’s a brand new open mic, there may well be room to do a few more than that on the first few Sundays.
Or for people nearer the centre of town, head down to Trof Northern Quarter tomorrow, for the last-but-one Trof NQ Sunday open mic!
If you’d like to play either open mic tomorrow, drop me a comment below, or else just turn up around 8pm…
You can join the Facebook group for info on the open mic at Trof NQ. And we’ll be setting up a group for the new Bar One open mic shortly too…
Tom
Hey – I’m playing a free gig again at Jackson’s Boat, Chorlton, this Saturday 12th September. Oniyama and the Sun Collective are on stage at 5pm, with me on stage at 6pm. It’s a free gig, and it sounds like the weather will be good… So come along for an afternoon / evening drink!
Tom
Hi everyone,
Because of the bank holiday, Trof Northern Quarter have cancelled the open mic night we usually do there tonight. It’ll be back on next week.
As a replacement, I’d recommend Uluru’s open mic (Chorlton). Run by Ricky Damiani, it kicks of at 7.30pm. I’ll be heading down there, and there will be a featured slot from Passenger, of Brighton — they’ll be doing a 45 minute set at 9.30pm. It’s all free of course, and should be a really good night.
Tom
Hi, How Are You at Fuel
MONSTERS BUILD MEAN ROBOTS
“Echoes of Sigur Ros and Explosions in the sky” – Artrocker
http://www.myspace.com/monstersbuildmeanrobots
FUEL CAFE, 8PM, FREE IN.
If you like loud pounding guitars, thom yorke style electronica, and beautiful soundscapes a la Mogwai, Sigur Ros…you must not miss this gig from Brighton 4 piece MBMR
Take a chance to hear something new. something exciting.. and go away having seen your favourite new band.
With support from…
THE WOE BETIDES
Pop duo championed by Jeremy Warmsley!
http://www.myspace.com/thewoebetides
“There’s something dark and brooding about The Woe Betides… sweet, fast-paced chorus, heavy guitars and almost New Romantic-esque vocals. Not too shabby at all!” (Stool Pigeon)
OH STOCKHOLM!
http://www.myspace.com/ohstockholm
“Conor Oberst may have competition!” Sandman
Festival on Wednesday in Spinningfields
It’s part of the Spinningfields Summer Festival, and it takes place in the Kro Bar there. He’s had some great acs, including the Bee’s Niece and Pablo’s Finest Hour (who both played at the launch night), and then a set by I am Three last week.
It’s well worth checking the night out. The next is on Wednesday, 5th August, from 5pm till pm. It features The Thingumajigs and the Hatstand Medicine Band. And it’s completely free.
The Pulse Cafe in Todmorden is a great little cafe, with good vegetarian / vegan food, good coffee, and even an alcohol license. It’s open till 11pm most evenings, and has live acoustic acts on many nights. It also has a Sunday afternoon acoustic slot, which I really enjoyed playing.
It’s easy to get to from Manchester — there’s a direct train, or you can go by bus for slightly cheaper.
There are some good acts coming up there, including Josephine Oniyama on 23rd August 2009. It looks like all the gigs there are free.
The food and drink is good value, and the staff are really friendly. Definitely recommended if you’re in the Todmorden area.
I’m running the Trof Northern Quarter open mic night in Manchester tonight, together with Ollie Smith. It kicks off at 8.30pm, and each slot is 3 songs long. Everybody’s welcome – it tends to be mainly musicians, but it’s usually pretty varied and we have occasional poets and comedians too. Slots often fill up by around about 9pm, so it’s worth getting down early if you can.
The Trof NQ open mic is every Sunday (except bank holidays). You can find out about other Manchester open mics elsewhere on the site!
Tom
I’m playing at the Pulse Cafe Bar on Sunday, 2nd August from 2pm. It’s a free gig and is going to be nice and relaxed….
I hosted the Deaf Institute open mic on Sunday. I was standing in for Phil, who normally runs things. It’s the first time I’d made it to the open mic night there (I’m usually running the one at the Northern Quarter Trof on Sundays)… And I really enjoyed it.
Things get going there around about 9pm, and in this case it went on till after 12am, though I think things usually would wrap up at 11. It was one of those nights where, just as things were drawing to a close, another musician or band would walk into the venue with guitars, and we’d start again.
One of the highlights was a set by Optional Wallace — who then went on to take part in a jam at the end of the night.
I’d recommend it as a good Sunday open mic – together with the other nights on a Sunday (recommended open mics on a Sunday include: Trof Northern Quarter, Uluru, Bar Brau and Joshua Brooks).
