Music GUIDE
ROOTS MUSIC CLUB
Battle Of The Bands
Roots Music Club 40th Anniversary 12th September Ukrainian Club, Beckett Road, DN2 4AD
Cask Corner, 3 Cleveland St, DN1 3EH The Hallcross, 33-34 Hall Gate, DN1 3NL Diamond Live Lounge, Wood St, DN1 3LH Sine FM 102.6
Tonight is the 40th anniversary gig at the Roots Music Club. The club originally started in the Rockingham Arms in Wentworth as the brainchild of Jonti Willis and Rob Shaw. It has had many homes over the years, but is now firmly established at the Ukrainian Club on Beckett Road, which has a reputation amongst artists for being a good live roots music venue. In 2004 the club won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Club of the Year award. The headline act for tonight is one of the icons of the folk scene, and one time cohort of Tony Benn, Mr Roy Bailey. But first to grace the stage is an unassuming gentleman who goes by the name of Graham Fellows. This turned out to be something of a reverse Stars in their Eyes, because Graham is none other than comedy legend John Shuttleworth. Graham sings songs from his early repertoire (before John), including the delightful ‘Denise from Doncaster’, which tells the story of Donny lass calling her local radio station and winning a £5 record token. Graham often slips into John mode as he plays his set and he certainly has something to fall back on when John puts on his slippers and shuffles upstairs. Enter Roy Bailey, a man in his seventies, to play two sets to complete the night. Roy played the first ever gig of the Roots Club back in September 1974 and is welcomed back by an enthusiastic crowd of seasoned Roots goers and folk virgins alike. Tony Benn once described Roy Bailey as “the greatest socialist folk singer of his generation”, and you can see why, as he sings his way through the evening with two sets worth of audience-grabbing stories. Roy is a true storyteller, both in his music and mid-song patter. He captivates and entertains the crowd with tales of his 50 years on the road and a thought-provoking mix of folk and protest songs from his vast repertoire. The Sheffield folkster has the entire audience eating out of his hand, singing away to the chorus of every song.
Cask Corner, The Hallcross, Diamond Live Lounge and Sine FM are looking for new original bands. Think you’ve got what it takes to be the next Bang Bang Romeo? This may be your first step on the ladder. Forget X Factor. We all know it’s fixed anyway. Battle of the Bands will get you noticed. What better way to build an authentic fan base in your hometown? The winner will receive a cash prize and a support slot at Diamond Live Lounge. They’ll also appear live on Sine FM’s radio show The Otherway, hosted by local music promoter Simon Saynor. The two runners-up will get to play support gigs at Cask Corner and The Hallcross in 2015. The competition starts in January 2015. Bands will be contacted in December to confirm the dates they will be competing and the bar they will be performing in. Voting will take place via social media and public vote on the night, so get your friends and fans whipped up. There are a couple of rules in place before battle begins: 1.) Have a band and write your own material, and 2.) Have a set of at least three of your own pieces. Simples. To enter the competition, email botb@caskcornerbar.co.uk with your details, band name and band Facebook page (if you have one), and a video, MP3 or Soundcloud link. Let battle commence. Gavin Clarke (photo James Truepenny ©2014)
The Roots Music Club has roots, folk and Americana acts on every Friday of the year. Under 17s get in free with an adult. Food is often served during the night with a ‘pay what you want’ tariff and a raffle takes place, with prizes including CDs, bottles of spirits and free gig tickets. For every five gigs you attend, you get to see the sixth one totally free. Full gig listings can be found on at www.rootsmusicclub.co.uk Andy Henwood: @beetlebeard
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