French-Algerian guitarist, singer and composer, Pierre Bensusan is one of the most eloquent and diverse world musicians of our time.
The show also features Hinckley ACT regular Nigel Beck.
BUY PIERRE BENSUSAN TICKETS
Make sure that you secure your tickets for this exciting event buy purchasing in advance, using our secure online system at
www.hinckleyact.co.uk/pages/news/events
Non members £17.00
Members £15.00
About Pierre
Born in Oran, French-Algeria, in 1957, when France was decolonizing its Empire, Pierre Bensusan‘s family moved to Paris when he was 4. He began formal studies on piano at the age of 7 and at 11 taught himself guitar. Influenced in those early days by the folk revival blooming in Britain, France and North America, Bensusan began first to explore his own diverse musical heritage and then moved to the horizons beyond.
Best World Music Guitar Player
At 17 he signed his first recording contract, and one year later his first album Pres de Paris won the Grand Prix du Disque upon his debut at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland. Described by the L.A. Times as "one of the most unique and brilliant acoustic guitar veterans in the world music scene today“, Pierre Bensusan was voted "Best World Music Guitar Player in 2008“ by Guitar Player Magazine Readers Choice.
Do endorsements get any better than this?
"Pierre’s music gives me the shakes. No other guitarist shares his strange gifts of sophistication, accessibility and downright joy. Even at its most complex, Pierre’s music only needs ears to be enjoyed."
Leo Kottke
"Listening to Pierre Bensusan is rejuvenating. Beside his extraordinary touch and tone, the notes and melody appeal directly to the tender side of our human nature."
Steve Vai
"One of the truly gifted musicians of our time - he plays the guitar as if it were the very soul of himself."
George Winston
Booking and venue details
The entrance fee for the evening will be £15 for members and £17 for non-members. The event starts at 8 pm, with doors opening at 7.30 p.m.
The Hinckley ACT
Based in the Sketchley Meadows Business Park, Hinckley ACT is a high quality music venue that offers an informal and intimate atmosphere for concerts and for the monthly club nights, where musicians can come along and ‘take the stage.’ Established by company chairman, Keith London, on the premises of his firm Advanced Carbide Tooling (A.C.T.), the venue provides full stage and seating facilities, plus top quality sound and lighting equipment.
There is a licensed bar and ample free car parking.
I was born in 1958 in Long Eaton Notts. I first fell in love with the guitar when I was about 11 years old having heard classical guitar & flamenco played on the radio & T.V. I was totally fascinated & touched by the melodic and percussive sound of the instrument. After much pestering, my parents bought me my first guitar, a classical model for £17. Lessons were arranged for me & I started to learn the rudiments of classical guitar. I think my teacher became very exasperated with me as I found playing the instrument fairly easy but my sheet music sight reading was a nightmare! My handicap was I could play from memory very easily so I did! To this day I still cannot sight read standard notation although of late I have mastered tab which has enabled me to learn some of the music I've always loved and wanted to play.
By the age of 18 I had moved on to writing some of my own material and was desperately trying to imitate players such as James Taylor, Leo Kottke, Ry Cooder & Jackson Browne. As you could imagine the classical guitar lessons were by now a thing of the past much to my parents disappointment. About this time I began to perform in folk clubs. For a couple of years I enjoyed a certain amount of success amongst my peers. By the time I was 22 the guitar had been put aside to be replaced by sleepless nights & nappies. It wasn't until I reached my late 20's that I decided to have a go at being a rock star, the acoustic guitars being replaced by 2 fender telecasters and an ear shattering array of high powered sound equipment. I had a wonderful time in an assortment of original material performing bands.
After a gap of a few years, during which I had a new love affair 'with fast motorcycles' I returned to my first love, the acoustic guitar. It's taken many hours of practice & locking myself away in the spare bedroom to re-acquire & develop my sound & tone, both these things being very personal to every player. I've drawn great inspiration from such great players as Pierre Bensusan, Leo Kottke, Eric Roche, Antonio Forcione & many others. Time spent learning some of their pieces has been an invaluable tool in expanding my technical knowledge & repertoire and has contributed immeasurably in developing my own writing style.
Madcap are an exciting barn dance/ceilidh band based in Manchester and Cheshire UK.
They usually appear as a 5 or 6 piece band playing melodeon, fiddle, concertina, rauschpfeife, crumhorns, percussion, keyboard, guitar and more - but not all at once! With English, Scottish, Irish and French tunes the band aim to create a lively fun evening.
They provide the caller to explain the dances so no experience necessary! You provide the venue and the participants.
Book Madcap for your wedding, party, corporate, festival, fundraising event or whatever gathering.
Garron Frith is
a songwriter from the North West of England. After a gig with Grand Drive’s Danny
George Wilson he met musician/producer Simon J Alpin, the result was them
making the debut album. It was recorded in various hotel rooms, studios and
houses everywhere from London, San
Francisco, Spain
to Manchester. It
features 10 acoustic based songs with a wide range of musicians from Grand Drive, The
Willard Grant Conspiracy to Green on Red’s Chuck Prophet all adding a delicate
backdrop to the songs.
The
album received critical acclaim, Sunday Express called it a “Beautiful country
rock gem of an album”- 5/5, Maverick said he was “One of the North West's best kept secrets - that is
until now!” 4/5, “Highly enjoyable, Recommended”- wrote Acoustic Magazine and
Manchester Music called him “One of Manchester’s most underrated
singer-songwriters”. Radio and internet stations championed the album and this
led to Garron being asked to open for musicians like, The Saw Doctors, Imelda
May, Glen Tilbrook and Midge Ure.
Great News!! Peter will be supporting Dave Swarbrick and Gina Le Faux on 30th January 2010
Peter is a purveyor
of great songs accompanied by some excellent guitar playing. He spent his early
years sitting at the feet of such guitar luminaries as John James, Bert Jansch,
John Martyn and the like and learned to play finger picking guitar to a
standard that you rarely hear these days. His repertoire ranges from ragtime to
classical, from traditional to modern. An evening with Peter Butler consists of
some outstanding songs, interspersed with the occasional finger-breaking
instrumental linked with a relaxed but dry sense of humour.
During the day he runs Et Cetera, a company that sells music technology
products (Sonar, FL Studio, and other software products, computer
accessories such as soundcards, microphones, Peterson tuners and the
Sonuus G2M MIDI converter).
Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival 2009 Supporting Thea Gilmore
LIZETTES
Lizettes
Dr Bob and the Wildboys asked Liz to join them as an
occasional guest singer! She became for a time the 'Wildgirl!' They had such
fun, however like all great bands they began to digress and by the time they'd
added some much more 'girlie' material and a double bass they realised that
they had accidentally formed a new band 'The Lizettes!' Formed on a busy night
at Sandbach Folk Club when the name Lizettes just tripped off Winston’s tongue!
Liz has always yearned to sing with a band like this so joined by blistering
fingers Keith Haynes and mellowed out bass player Adrian Thompson, occasional
additional harmonies from the Roaring Girl June Bailey and of course Dr Bob
himself on 'instruments' their repertoire includes songs from artists such as
Dusty Springfield and Sandy Denny to John Martyn and Van Morrison and Liz’s own
special favourite Bonnie Raitt and they range from deep blues to a lighter
country folk style. Liz has never written songs as such (don't you think she
has enough to do!!?) but there are so many aspects of women’s voice that she
loves that there is no end to the material that she and the band choose. Liz still appears with the 'Wildboys' and made a debut not only on youtube this year, but also at the Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival supporting Thea Gilmore amongst other gigs. The band put a mix of both Wildboys and Lizettes material together for The Antrobus Beer Festival and have several more gigs coming up including Folk Club sets.The Lizettes and Wildboys have their own shiny new PA system and know how to work it! And they are looking forward to more gigs as we go into 2010.
If you would like to hear and watch The Lizettes live performance click here!
Cave have been playing together for almost three years. They have toured extensively, playing major
festivals and venues across England including main stage slots at Sidmouth Folk Festival, Cromer Folk
on the Pier, and Saul Folk on the Water.
They have also enjoyed two successful short tours to Germany.
Cave's first full-length album is now available, which they will be promoting throughout 2009.
Cave's live set consists of original songs, as well as a splash of traditional tunes played in the
band's unique style.
"...A live set from Cave that combined originality and energy. Their music is carefully crafted to
a vibrant mix of powerful modern rhythms, with a folk undercurrent". (Picturedrome :: Events Manager)
Bandersnatch
Bandersnatch – The musical styles of the band are as diverse as the line-up suggests. The band has the ability to move effortlessly from traditional ballads to contemporary songs as well some impressive instrumentals. And, of course, there are the self-penned songs of Clive Leyland, a former member of the band.
The band has no lead performer. Roles change to meet the needs of the music. Complex musical and vocal arrangements are delivered with an understated ease that allows the richness of the sound to engage the audience. The flexibility that results from the instrumental versatility allows the band to adapt its performance to the venue. In fact, the band is equally at home in a small club as well as the concert stage.
'A New Acoustic Experience' — from their developing website comes the following review snippets:
"superb…" (BBC GMR)
"simply brilliant.." (Autumn NW Folk Fed)
"a touch of class" (Mike Silver)
"Masterful purveyors of harmonic folk" (NW Enquirer)
"Soon to be one of the most sought after bands in the country" (Biddulph Press)
“Get them booked, they are wonderful!” (Parkgate Folk Club)
"We’re going to hear a lot more in the future from Elbow Jane…" (Ali O’Brien BBC GMR)
Thom Kirkpatrick Beautiful Noise
Northwich-born singer-songwriter
Thom Kirkpatrick is swiftly establishing himself in the UK folk
scene since his gig with The Beautiful Noise at Middlewich (June 2006).He
has been back since!! MFAB 2009 he appeared at the last minute - as always the
elusive Thom!! We couldn't track him down until the last minute as he'd been
touring with Switches!
Combining the Beautiful Noise's unconventional percussive
arrangements and line up with a sincere, melodic approach to
songwriting, through the complex polyphonic nature of his arrangements,
he never detracts from the intimacy of his song material. Drawing equally
on folk, South African rhythms and Indie influences, the 'beautiful
noise' is subtly layered in such a way that it warrants repeated listening.
Not simply approaching traditional styles with an
orchestral tag like many before him, Thom's music is a stripped-back,
acoustic and organic experience exploring human themes of loss, trepidation,
time and age, whilst maintaining a lively, rich and driven approach.
Mix with The Beautiful Noise and add to this the utterly
involving and mesmerising experience of watching Thom Kirkpatrick. One of those
rare finds — a singer songwriter with a genuine sincerity, matched only by his
talent and passion of performing ... for you.
Thom is a rare talent - outstanding in fact. Every gig he does
is pretty much guaranteed a sell out, and Thom thanks for letting me sing with you! I loved it - a real treat!
Listen to 'The Fear' Liz's (favourite song) click here to go to Thom's Facebook page!
The Antics!CREW
The Antics!CREW — Balloon Wizardry! Walkabout Characters, stilt walkers, Children’s Clubs for Festivals including face painters, make and do parent and children friendly all day painting, drawing, junk modeling sessions, storytelling, tailored to your event/festival needs. Adult corporate events.
Past events include, Shakerstone Festival, Shackiesourus Club. The Zoo, family room at the Great British Beer Festival, Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival, Nantwich Acoustic…… and many more……
From a Dave Tuxford article in Manchester's "City Life" in 2004:
"It's pretty big for a postman on Tib Street." An email from Dominic Collins foreshadows the release of his single, as yet unrecorded. I've been favourably disposed towards the Singing Postman de nos jours ever since he troubled to thank me for a review of his first CD - a red letter day and no mistake.
The single duly arrives accompanied by a letter telling me how Collins came to write the song, "There's A Massive Folk Festival In Middlewich". He'd done an email shot to various club and festival organisers and Middlewich's Liz Rosenfield had given him a booking on the strength of live spots at the George Inn in Sandbach and the Boars Head in Middlewich.
There was just one small hurdle - Collins had said that he could write a song on any given subject and Rosenfield called on him to prove it. Collins wasn't about to admit that all he knew about Middlewich was that it was off the M6 and - well - had a folk festival, but he wasn't entirely relishing the prospect of mugging up on the town's local history. Why, he might have had to read a book.
Then Collins told his wife in bed that night that, rather than spending a week in Spain in June 2005, they might be sharing a tent in a muddy Cheshire field. Most men wouldn't have survived that revelation but Pat somehow resisted the temptation to do a Bobbitt and Collins had his song, a taster of things to come on his yet-to-be-recorded new CD and available via his website for a paltry £2. (Ed: it's now £6 inc p&p)
Perhaps it's time Collins, having won his songwriter's spurs, ceased to define his work in terms of his day job. It's a bit like Philip Larkin describing his poems as "not bad for a middle-aged librarian".
"Graham Breeze and Toby Wilson are an acoustic duo that favours the roots end of American Country music alongside their own compositions. They play guitar, mandolin and dobro and sing in harmony with a sublime sense of taste and discrimination. These guys are real players: they have touch; they have judgement; they have talent. Anyone who can do a Lyle Lovett song and make you sit up with attention has to be good. Lyle Lovett, a Texan who epitomises style and sophistication in country music, is an impossible act to emulate; Graham and Toby did the song proud. They are deft of touch, with a wonderful sense of timing, their voices beautifully blended. If there is a better duo doing this sort of roots country music in the Midlands then I haven't heard it: exquisite music, exquisitely played."
Neil Dalton
Ian 'Murf' Murfitt
‘Murf’ has worked for many years under the name of Chambers. It’s personal, don’t ask! ‘Murf’ plays serious melodeon and was voted in the top 10 in the country; he also plays a mean fiddle and harmonica. His self-penned songs range from tear jerking to plain daft. His performances fill the biggest stage (not hard considering his rather large ex rugby playing stature) or the smallest room!
'Murf' has toured and recorded with The Foot and Mouth Review Band, Happenstance, The Bob Webb Project, Steam Head, Davian Reel and Hudson Swann. He has an interest in running workshops especially for melodeon players who want to learn Bass and Rhythm techniques.
CRB checked Workshop leader for adults and children.
Dave Dove
www.myspace.com/davedoveA mixture of contemporary material ranging from ballads to high energy folk/rock played on a 12 string Acoustic Guitar. Astounding guitar playing from this singer songwriter, Dave also is gaining experience as a music facilitator working with children and young people on all aspects of singing, writing songs and performing techniques. Also winner of A Song From The Heart of Cheshire 2005.
www.tomdoughty.com “Tom is one of the most original new artists I have heard in a long time. With his unique approach to guitar and his vocal interpretations of traditional and his original tunes, he has managed to create music that is all his own". Woody Mann
Doughty has this technique of taking an old blues song and making it his own, he doesn't adopt an over blown deep southern accent or feel he's got to rip the strings off the neck with the intensity of it all. Rather, he concentrates on feeling, subtlety and that thing we used to call soulfulness.His first album “The Bell”, which appeared a year or so ago, was very well received and rightly earned him an interview spot on BBC radio’s the Paul Jones Show, as well as some classy club and festival gigs.
For many years Dr Bob travelled the deep, deep, south of Cheshire with his little dog called Boo, in retrospect, not a very well chosen name for a dog of such a nervous disposition. Keeping to the back roads, he went from town to town selling Dr Bob’s Special Elixir. For the benefit of American readers, Cheshire is the largest county in the England, spanning several times zones and remains to this day largely unexplored. The Elixir was made to a special recipe so secret that Dr Bob himself had to keep a blindfold on every time he made up a new batch. A brief exert from the label will give the reader some idea of the power of this potion: “cures impotence in rabbits, encourages cats to sit by the fire and makes parents invisible to teenagers. Avoid contact with brightly coloured fabrics”.
Upon reaching each new village the doctor would gather together the young ragamuffins, who in exchange for a few coins, would throw bricks through the local windows carrying cordial invitations to a “Special” evening performance. For the benefit of American readers, ragamuffins are poorly dressed children who have roamed the streets of England since Dickensian times, getting in to mischief but at the same time always managing to maintain a cheeky grin. Flaming torches would light the stage as “Fatima the Turkish Slave Girl” did her dance of the twenty four veils. It was based on the dance of the seven veils but she liked to wrap up warm. Once a decent crowd was gather the Doctor himself would take the stage and expound the properties of the Elixir, while Fatima wandered the audience feigning disinterest while vending Elixir to the locals.
It was on one of those evenings, after the crowd had gone but before the police arrived, that good doctor noticed two youngsters sitting on a nearby fence. One of them held a simple hand crafted guitar and the other held a simple hand crafted guitar. “What’s your names boys” asked the Doctor “I’m Woody” said Woody and this here’s Kid Lightnin’” “What do you boys want?” asked the Doctor. “We want to leave our simple backwoods life and join your show” said Woody. “If you can play those boxes of yours like you can sit slack jawed on a fence, you’re hired. It pays £10 a day but you have to provide your own food, bedding and wages. Let’s hear what you can do!” The boys started playing and after just a few minutes a tear formed in the corner of the Doctors kindly old eye, after a few more minutes he was crying, later he went on to do some screaming and before the boys had finished had tried to kill himself in many different ways, some of which were quite ironic.
Needless to say, the boys were taken on. Within a very short time they were closing the show. Unfortunately, they were doing this just after the show started. However, you can’t spell the word success without some of the letters in the word perseverance and it wasn’t long before crowds were shouting down the Doctor and demanding to hear the “Wildboys” that they had heard so much about.
Well that’s the story of Dr Bob and the Wildboys and how they got together and eventually started making that sweet, sweet music you’ll find here. If you like what you hear, tell them; if you don’t there’s still a few bottles of that old Elixir for sale.
And then the Wildgirl came to join them, with melancholy or maybe just plain miserable songs that only a Wildgirl with a story to tell can sing!
Zoox
www.zoox.comZoox (Linda Game, Jo May and Becky Menday) are a superb trio serving up a cocktail of new melodies and traditional tunes with a delicate balance of strings, wind, percussion and voices. Be prepared for a fabulous array of instruments from contrabassoon to congas. Exciting arrangements, great musicianship and infectious energy typify the performances of Zoox in a show which is guaranteed to entertain and enchant.
Zoox have been gigging for almost 2 years now, playing around clubs and festivals and other venues including; Towersey Folk Festival (with Kerry Fletcher), Broadstairs Folk Festival (Supporting Shooglenifly), Lewes Folk Rock Festival, Gardner Arts Centre (Brighton), Chipping Norton Theatre, Stroud Fringe Festival, Gower Folk Festival (with Kerry Fletcher), Chippenham Folk Festival (with Kerry Fletcher), Mac (Midland Arts Centre, Birmingham), Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival Cambridge Folk Club and many more.We have also had some radio play on the Sarah Kennedy show,radio2
Zoox are available to play at weddings, civil ceremonies, parties, corporate events, fairs or anything else you can think of!
Performers In One 
Garron Frith
Sandbach 'Singing on the cobbles in a lorry!'
Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival 2009 Supporting Thea Gilmore
Wildgirl Liz
