Music GUIDE
jam on sunday
BENEFIT GIg
Every alternative Sunday at the Sprotbrough Country Club, DN5 7SD Next Sprotbrough Jam Session is on the 14th of December.
Benefit Gig for Multiple Sclerosis Cask Corner Cleveland Street, Doncaster, DN1 3EH
“Shall we go to the live music afternoon Jam on Sunday at the Country Club in Sprotbrough?”
The weekend had been pretty foul weather-wise, so on consideration a visit to the Cask Corner on Remembrance Sunday seemed like a bleak prospect. Well, the weather brightened up and so did my mood, so I ventured out to catch this all-day event to raise funds for, and awareness of, the debilitating illness multiple sclerosis.
Not something you thought you would hear. Live music in Sprotbough? At the Country Club? Maybe you thought Sprotbrough was just a quiet little village in Doncaster with nothing going on. Holding live music events? Shouldn’t it all be member’s cards, tweed and annual shooting outings? Well no, quite the opposite. For a year now the very hip and trendy Sprotbrough Country Club has been holding a bi-monthly live music event called Jam on Sunday, concocted by owners Janine and Paul, who have owned venues in Sheffield and seen some huge bands play at them - Arctic Monkeys, for one.
9th September, 2014
Walking in at 3pm, intent on catching the first act, what I found were two men, a ladder and a faulty speaker. The PA had broken down but a replacement was ushered in and 15 minutes later, the show began. It’s impossible to critique each act here - there were 13 in total - but the day was split in two, the first half comprising solo acts, duos and bands that were largely acoustic, while from 8pm we got mostly electric with various beatists on drum rota.
Jam on Sunday was invented to be exactly what it says on the tin - a jam session for musicians and music lovers. I went down to the latest session and was amazed by the real variety of talent that got up on stage. One duo turned up with a huge bass and enchanting vocals which captured the whole audience.
All performers gave their time for free, which is obviously praiseworthy, but it’s clear to see they were chosen on merit, entertainment value and contrasting styles. Lovely. That the Cask Corner is a lively and vibrant place anyway is a given. Almost from the start people came and stayed and the atmosphere was pure joy.
Throughout the afternoon, many different acts got up on stage. Not all had a lot of experience playing in front of a crowd and for some it was their first time, but the whole crowd got behind them. One act that really stood out was a family who come along every week, with a young boy called Mason taking to the stage to perform on his guitar and sing along with it. Everyone in the room listened attentively as he played and erupted into applause as he finished giving his own twist on lots of classic songs.
The day went on, each act superseded the last and the room filled up in no time at all, so it felt more like a party. The MS balloons around the raffle table did nothing to dispel that impression.
I was surprised to see many of the returning acts sticking around after the jam session had finished for drinks and to string together a few chords and have a sing together. Not only did this continue at the Country Club, but many of the acts and Janine and Paul themselves all invited me to go to the local Indian restaurant’s just a stone’s throw away. We sat around a large table, enjoying our food, and everyone erupted into song again. The whole day had a warm, inviting feeling that made me wonder – why didn’t I know about the music scene in Sprotbrough?
Antoine Araignée
Moving on to said raffle, I clutched my handful of tickets awaiting numbers to be called. I could have waited till the cows were cocoa’d and slippered but still left empty handed, save for the tightly clutched, uncalled tickets. They raised £168 for charity, so a job well done.
(Photo Credit: John Fuller ©2014)
Gavin Clarke
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