ESSENTIAL CLUB INFO
Held on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month at Earls Barton Working Men's Club in Northants, a typical Kontra evening will showcase three varied, top quality acoustic roots acts who play for 45 minutes each approx. The club starts at 8pm and runs through till 11pm, and though it is non-profit making we do charge a token £3 admission to cover costs and welcome voluntary donations. Our Earls Barton venue is ideal for acoustic music: characterful and friendly (it also serves real ale) and can be found at 1 Queen Street, Earls Barton, Northants, NN6 0LN. Further info and history below.
ABOUT KONTRA ROOTS CLUB
From humble beginnings in 2004 as an open mic at a Northamptonshire village pub, Kontra gradually evolved through several changes of venue and format, all the while building a reputation for presenting entertaining and eclectic evenings of quality acoustic music. It is now acknowledged as not only Northamptonshire's premier acoustic roots club, but one of the most popular and respectd clubs of its kind in the UK, attracting some of the best up and coming acoustic talent from across the country, as well as more established performers from home and abroad. With an open music policy that welcomes all genres of acoustic roots music as long as it is of outstanding quality, Kontra is a rare success story in these difficult economic times. Run as a non-profit making enterprise, admission to the club is just a token £3, and the acts, often professional musicians, play for expenses only. That they do so is testament to the excellent reputation the club has built up over the years, with its friendly atmosphere, large, loyal, and enthusiastic audiences, excellent sound (courtesy of Geoff Bland), and the imaginative programming of organiser, Kev Buxton. Priding itself on the fact that it sets no musical boundaries other than quality, a typical Kontra session crosses many genres within the space of a single evening: folk, blues, Americana, jazz, world, contemporary and traditional music all find a welcome reception on the Kontra stage.
Next meeting FRIDAY 27th SEPTEMBER with guests
When Rivers Meet, Town Musicians of Bremen, Lucy Kitchen
UPCOMING SHOWS
11 OCTOBER
Speak, Brother
Attila Vural
Irene Rae
25 OCTOBER
Katy Hurt
Ward & Parker
Louise Brennan
GALLERY
RECENT PHOTOS (click to expand)
KONTRA ROOTS CLUB
When Rivers Meet
Rapidly becoming one of our most popular acts, this knockout husband and wife duo always get a great reception when they play the club. Though they come from different musical backgrounds, their sound has united, and a distinctive, unique, timeless style has emerged based around strong vocal harmonies. Their music is unchartered territory: rustic, organic, touching on Indie-folk but not fitting exclusively into any one genre, and in more recent times also incorporating a strong element of punchy blues. Live acoustic performances showcase Aaron’s finger style guitar and Grace’s fiddle and mandolin breaks, blending with their rich, strong harmonies on a rollercoaster of emotion, telling musical stories authentically, deliberately and with honesty. www.whenriversmeet.co.uk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=221qkoVULzg
Town Musicians of Bremen
Top This wonderful new folk trio made a big impression when they made their debut at the club last summer and we’re delighted to welcome them back. Featuring Andrew Lowings (Bouzouki), Leon Gormley (Guitar & Cittern) and Lewis Jones (Nyckelharpa & Melodeon) they play with soul, humour and dexterity, producing sounds that are equally traditional and contemporary - and immensely enjoyable! Andrew Lowings (father of Kim) and Leon are both well known to Kontra audiences of course, and their new band is one of the must-see live acts for 2019.
Lucy Kitchen
An up and coming young singer-songwriter whose strong, striking songs, delivered with both fragility and conviction, range from stripped back confessionals to Americana (with elements of psychedelia). An in-demand singer, she has been compared to Joni Mitchell and Beth Orton but vocally has hints of the great Sandy Denny, fresh and warm yet haunting and emotive. With two excellent and highly praised albums under her belt, she is definitely a talent to watch. www.lucykitchen.com
27th SEPTEMBER GUEST INFO
