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.
NEXT CLUB MEET
UPCOMING SHOWS
27 APRIL
Palmerston
Chris Ronald
The Very Lazy Sundays
11 MAY
The Candle Thieves
Ashes To Oaks
Wes Finch & Amit Dattani
25 MAY
Sweet Molly
Danielle Bowers
Kent Nielsen
8 JUNE
Huw Costin
Town Musicians Of Bremen
Oakleas Rise
SUMMER BREAK
24 AUGUST
Johns & Novak
The Campbells
Hannah Woof
CLUB INFO
FRIDAY 27 APRIL
Palmerston
Chris Ronald
The Very Lazy Sundays
Chris Ronald
An international touring artist based in Canada, this contemporary folk singer-songwriter has been influenced by countless British and North American artists from the 60s onwards. His music has been described as “Canadian folk with British roots” and likened to “the country and folk that came out of Laurel Canyon and the British Isles in the mid-seventies,” and in 10 years from 2004 he built up a steady following and reputation until his 2014 album Timeline catapulted him to a new level in his career with, among other accolades, a nomination for “Songwriter of the Year” at the 2014 Canadian Folk Music Awards. In live performance, Ronald draws on his abilities as a highly skilled singer, a storyteller and musician (guitar, harmonica, ukulele) to deliver a show that is captivating and unique. www.chrisronald.com
Palmerston
A fantastic five piece British/Americana multi-harmony and multi-instrumental band who sing top class original songs about everything from love to drinking! Huge fun, they have opened shows for stars such as Albert Lee, Ralph McTell, The Moulettes, and Mad Dog McRea. Not to be missed. www.palmerston.biz
KONTRA ROOTS CLUB GALLERY
Photos of our acts from the last six months (click to expand).
KONTRA ROOTS CLUB
The Very Lazy Sundays
Great Formed in 2010, this four piece acoustic band from the Reading area are purveyors of breezy tunes, slamming poetry and good times. Accomplished and hugely enjoyable, their highly original music carries influences from 60’s pop through Graceland era Paul Simon to elements of late 90’s lo-fi hip hop. Great fun. www.thelazysundays5.reverbnation.com
