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
26 APRIL
Fred's House
Rondeau-Hartup
Louis Brennan
10 MAY
Navaro
Hannah Scott
MG Boulter
24 MAY
Chris Fox
Acoustic-Us
Stephen Ellis
Richard Matthews & Karen Angela
14 JUNE
Chris Conway
Ruby Muse
Glove Compartment
SUMMER BREAK
CLUB INFO
FRIDAY 12 APRIL
Stella Hensley & Chris Newman
Wes Finch
Sunsinger & The High Seas
Stella Hensley & Chris Newman
Two consummate and lauded musicians, renowned velvet vocalist and songwriter Stella Hensley, along with outstanding veteran blues, slide and ragtime guitarist Chris Newman are a truly winning combination and always go down a storm when they play the club. Stella’s soulful vocals and Chris’s easy flowing style create a real synergy, and their performances are always powerful and wide-ranging, from the toe-tappingly catchy, through the slow and melodic, to deep blues. Definitely not to be missed. www.chrisnewmanmusic.co.uk
KONTRA ROOTS CLUB GALLERY
Photos of our acts from the last six months (click to expand).
KONTRA ROOTS CLUB
Sunsinger & The High Seas
Singer-songwriter Sunsinger (try saying that when you’ve had a few!) aka Simon Gutteridge, made a big impression at Kontra last year when he played an absolutely terrific warm-up. A fantastic singer with a wonderful voice, he belted out some some truly original songs packed full of catchy melodies and soaring choruses that incorporated folk, alt-country and pop-tinged Americana. We’re absolutely delighted to welcome him back for a full length guest slot, along with his excellent band. www.sunsinger.bandcamp.com
Wes Finch
This acclaimed and accomplished fingerstyle guitarist was fantastic last year when he made his club debut with Amit Dattani, and we couldn’t wait to get him back for a full solo set. With a style that feels rooted in folk but has the ambition and sophistication of pop, Wes's music has been described as "non-trad acoustic roots delivered with an edgy, risk-taking sonic boldness". One of the more potent newbloods reinvigorating British folk music, his live shows are engaging, energetic and intimate, and he has shared stages with the likes of Billy Bragg, Martin Carthy and Richard Thompson. A great talent. www.wesfinch.co.uk
