Tom Kerswill

We’re presenting another Unsigned Show from 11pm-1am on Monday night. You can listen on 96.9FM in the Manchester area and on allfm.org

We have live sessions from Sam and the Bathroom Crooners, plus We are Willow – who are made up of Chris Butler from Butler Williams, and Kathryn Edwards.

So it’s going to be a great night of live music, and we’ll be fitting in as many of the best unsigned tracks as we can too…

Tom

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…

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, or you can listen to and download the album as an MP3.

There’s a free charity gig tonight in Altrincham (donations welcome). It features some really good Manchester musicians, and I’ll be playing a few songs there too. Here’s the blurb from the Facebook event page:

Welcome to the free community gig marking 6 months of the Energy Academy, a locally run initiative to help residents in South Trafford live more sustainably and save money to boot!

For your entertainment on this cold and potentially snow-capped night we have secured some of the finest acoustic acts the North-West has to offer. Notably:

Black Jack Barnet
Dan Gallagher
John Condy
Tom Kerswill
Vanessa Lewis
Dan Melrose
The Dandelion Clocks

Plus there will be guerilla conjouring from Mark the Magician to keep you entertained during the breaks.

Not only that, local company SponsorTrees.com will be planting a tree for everyone who attends the event and Energy Academy volunteers will be on-hand to give practical advice on how you can save energy in the home and beyond.

So if you live in the area and want to be entertained for free then get yourself down for some foot-stompin’, toe-tapping and thought-provoking music.

Just heard from Ian and Phil of the Huers, about an open mic that is happening on Sunday 31st January, from 8.30pm, near Up Holland, the other side of Wigan from Manchester. It’s a little bit far from Manchester, but could be a good night out from the city. Here’s the address and contact details:

The Fox Inn
24 Roby Mill
Skelmersdale, WN8 0QF
01695 622 449

You can also vist the Fox Inn website for more info.

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.

Tony and the guys at the Urmston open mic / jam night, have mailed to say that the next open mic will take the form of a special “Recording Guitars” workshop — that’s at their next meeting on 15th December 09.

The organisers say:

We will bring both hardware and computer based recording systems, and give a tutorial covering the basics of multi-tracking with particular emphasis (of course) on recording acoustic guitars followed by a Q&A session. Let me know in advance if you have specific questions

I also hope to invite the local Roland/Boss Hi-Tec demonstrator Mark Hassall to bring some demo kit along (an hopefully do a feature spot with his current band “John The Dancer”) to illustrate what is available to suit a range of budgets (or that last minute Christmas present request?).

Anybody who wants to go along, can get in contact with them via their website.

I’ve not been to the night myself yet, but I’ve heard it’s pretty good..

Chorlton Arts Festival

Please feel free to pass the flyer on to anyone you know who may be interested in getting involved, we would love to see them there. The launch party is an opportunity for visual/performance artists, venues and volunteers to find out more about the festival by meeting members of the team, picking up an application pack and asking questions. There’s also a jazz band and food.

The launch event is usually pretty fun – so it’s well worth going to if you have an interest in getting involved with the festival.

Tom

Hi

I promised I’d post all the videos from the Trof Northern Quarter open mic. Well, here are the remaining performances:

• Ed Miles
• Glass Ankle
• John Ross
• Josh McClurg
• Krazy Horse
• Krystina Myles
• Mat Hutson
• Michael Cope
• Modern Alarms
• Nadia
• Robin Mukherjee
• Steve Sarsons
• Teemu
• Zara

Or you can click through to my site for the complete list of performances.

Artists – feel free to embed these videos in your own sites. You need to press the appropriate button on the video player and it will give you the code.

It’s the first ever Monday open mic at Trof NQ tonight (from 8.30pm). I’m really looking forward to it…

Apart from the change of day, it’s going to be very similar in format to the old Sunday open mic at Trof. So, three songs each, and anything goes!

Tom

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

There’s a gig tonight, Tues 18th Aug, 8pm, at Trof in the Northern Quarter. In order of appearance:

Tom Kerswill
The Jade Assembly
George Borowski

It should be a fun gig. George is best known for being the “Guitar George” that Mark Knopfler refers to in Dire Straits’ song “Money For Nothing”

Door price is £3 (£2 with NUS). I’m really looking forward to it. I’m normally one of the people organising music there, or hiding behind the sound desk so it’ll be a nice change to be in front of the mic!

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.

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….

Tom Kerswill at Pulse Cafe, Todmorden

Just got back from doing sound at the “Hi, How are You?” Night at Fuel, promoted by Phil from Mushaboom. It was a really lovely night, despite headliner Jose Vanders cancelling. Mia Vigar, Deaf to Van Gogh’s Ear and Thom Stone all did excelent performances, and it was a great atmosphere, as always with Fuel. The chocolate brownies and coconut cake were especially good!

Hi, How Are You? Night at Fuel, WIthington

Hi

Two really good events happening tonight (I’ll be going to the one at Fuel):

For Folk’s Sake is at Cup, from 6pm-9pm, Featuring Tom Kitching and Gren Bartley.

Hi, How Are You?, from the people behind Mushaboom Folk, is happening at Fuel tonight. Featuring Mia Vigar, and Deaf to Van Gogh’s Ear

Tom

Hi – I’ve updated the Manchester open mic guide for June 2009. Let me know if you have any feedback on it, or know of other open mics in the Manchester area. I also have guides for Liverpool open mics and Lancaster…

Tom

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).