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, many of them 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
9 NOVEMBER
Boxwood Chessmen
Attila Vural
Melody Causton
23 NOVEMBER
Gathering Tides
Paul Walker & Karen Pfeiffer
Floatstone
14 DECEMBER - XMAS SPECIAL
Cordwainers
Two Blank Pages
hazeyjane
CLUB INFO
FRIDAY 26 October
Glymjack
Ady Johnson
Damian Clarke
Glymjack
This stunning new English folk-roots band, led by acclaimed singer-songwriter Greg McDonald, are already making an impressive impact on the folk world, not least because they have been championed by and heavily involve the mighty Show of Hands, all of whom feature on their rave-reviewed debut album, Light The Evening Fire. Greg’s award-winning songs have previously been called “genius” (Rolling Stone), “captivating” (Q magazine), and “enough to remind you why you got into music in the first place” (Tom Robinson, BBC 6 music), and he is rapidly emerging as one of the UK’s finest folk songwriting talents. Currently touring as an acoustic trio, with Greg joined by fiddle virtuoso Gemma Gayner and bassist Dickon Collinson, Glymjack deliver a high energy, harmony-rich set of hard-hitting originals, English folk songs and fiddle tunes. This act is very definitely not to be missed! www.glymjack.com
“As good as contemporary folk comes.” Acoustic. “Virtually every song is a tour-de-force… if you like music that has substance, quality and style then this is for you.” Maverick. “Greg McDonald is a great singer, a great guitarist, but above all he’s a great songwriter.” Phil Beer. “Passionate, powerful and poetic… Greg McDonald is a genius song-writer.” Rolling Stone
KONTRA ROOTS CLUB GALLERY
Photos of our acts from the last six months (click to expand).
KONTRA ROOTS CLUB
Ady Johnson
Ady was a wow when he played at Kettering Arts Centre last autumn, but unfortunately had to cancel his appearance at the club a few weeks later due to illness. However, we’re now delighted to welcome back this fantastic performer whose incredible talent never fails to blow us away. A fabulous singer-songwriter whose instantly catchy songs, deft guitar work and gritty vocals have garnered him rave reviews and earned him national radio airplay across the UK, as well as appearances at major festivals and venues, Ady is one of our star performers and not to be missed. www.adyjohnson.co.uk
Damian Clarke
A musical treat! Damian is the UK’s foremost exponent of the hammer dulcimer and hurdy gurdy, a man whose musical mission is to showcase these wonderful instruments and make them appeal to a wider audience outside the folk scene. A fabulous musician, this autumn he is on tour performing songs from his excellent third solo album, Something To Say, and we are delighted to welcome him to Kontra. Also known for his performances with influential folk-rock band, Pressgang, which he founded in 1986, Damian has toured in over 12 countries, made 8 albums, and played just about everywhere, from television to theatres, from folk and medieval festivals to street fairs. Not to be missed. www.damianclarke.co.uk
