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. We also 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 (see map at bottom).
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 Northamptonshire's premier acoustic roots club, 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.
OUR NEXT CLUB MEET
UPCOMING SHOWS
22 FEBRUARY
The Occasional Orchestra
Phil Doleman
Odette Michell
8 MARCH
The Abrahams
Antoine & Owena
Dan Hartland
22 MARCH
King's Gambit
Benjamin William Pike
Lucy Kitchen
12 APRIL
Stella Hensley & Chris Newman
Wes Finch
Sunsinger & The High Seas
26 APRIL
Fred's House
Rondeau-Hartup
Louis Brennan
CLUB INFO
FRIDAY 22 FEBRUARY
The Occasional Orchestra
Phil Doleman
Odette Michell
The Occasional Orchestra
Welcoming back Darrell Mitchell’s brilliant, rousing six piece band, TOO are folk festival favourites and one of the most dynamic and classy acoustic bands around. Darrell’s top drawer original songs have excellent insightful lyrics, catchy rhythms, and the playing of the whole band is just superb. If you haven’t managed to catch them before, don’t miss out this time! www.theoccasionalorchestra.co.uk
KONTRA ROOTS CLUB GALLERY
Photos of our acts from the last six months (click to expand).
KONTRA ROOTS CLUB
Odette Michell
An English folk singer and songwriter with a dynamic new take on the acoustic tradition and a fabulous voice easily capable of demonstrating its finer points. Her vocal style has been described as "warm, intelligent, and sitting comfortably amidst folk guitar in a timeless songwriting style," and has been compared to the likes of Sandy Denny, Lucinda Williams and Joni Mitchell. Last year her debut EP By Way Of Night garnered positive reviews as well as gaining national and international radio plays on both mainstream and folk radio stations. A dynamic and energetic live performer, Odette has been fortunate to have shared the bill with music legends Joan Baez, Eddi Reader and Jools Holland amongst others, and has opened for Phil Beer (Show of Hands) as his special guest for selected dates on his solo tour. She is a wonderful emerging folk talent. "By Way Of Night demonstrates a freshness and vitality enduring in English folk… it also presents a talent that English folk should not ignore." FolkWords / "Odette Michell possesses one of the most remarkable voices you'll hear anywhere, and it's matched by a rare songwriting talent." Explorer Magazine / "Odette Michell has placed herself firmly on the map." FATEA Magazine. www.odettemichell.com
Phil Doleman
Ukulele virtuoso Phil has been at the forefront of the instrument’s revival over the last 15 years and is one of the most recognisable players on the UK ukulele scene. He has appeared at, and indeed headlined all the major UK ukulele festivals during that time, and is undoubtedly one of the instrument’s most talented exponents. It’s a few years since he played Kontra, but his incredible skills and entertaining performance wowed everyone last time and we’re delighted to welcome him back with his very classy repertoire of roots, blues and early jazz, played with swing and finesse. www.phildoleman.co.uk
