UPCOMING SHOWS
10 APRIL
Nick Corney &
The Buzz Rats
Harrowman
Hannah Woof
ESSENTIAL CLUB INFO
Held on the 2nd and occasional 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 at the bottom.
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 respected 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.
KONTRA ROOTS CLUB
CORDWAINERS
The new lineup of Earls Barton’s very own barnstorming folk band will be playing a variety of traditional and contemporary folk based songs and tunes from Britain and Ireland, providing a suitably rousing climax to the Kontra year. There’ll be rip-roaring high energy favourites, a few interesting obscurities, and jigs and reels a-plenty! Huge fun.
RECENT ACTS
Our next metting is on
FRIDAY 10th DECEMBER
when it's our Christmas Special and we'll be celebrating the festivities with:
Cordwainers / Paul McClure
Andrew Buckley / Bob Whale
COMING NEXT
PAUL McCLURE
A welcome return for this brilliant folk/Americana/alt-country singer-songwriter from Rutland, whose warm, expressive vocals contain a nice edginess. With songs to "rival the output of any touring US troubadour” there is an openness and honesty to his beautifully honed tunes that is very appealing. Not only a great musician and talented songwriter, his acerbic wit makes him a real entertainer. Paul has become a regular at the club in recent years and one of our most popular acts.
ANDREW BUCKLEY
Also making a long delayed return to the club is this terrific local musician who for many years was one of our most regular performers. Over the years Andrew has gradually established himself as a highly accomplished singer-songwriter, a creator of hook laden pop melodies and toe tapping tunes. Don’t be fooled by his self-deprecating stage persona, this is intelligent, beautifully crafted acoustic pop of a very high order.
