KONTRA ROOTS CLUB
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
10 NOVEMBER
Fred's House
Benjamin William Pike
Melanie Crew & Ross Palmer
24 NOVEMBER
Harbottle & Jonas
Ady Johnson
Lozt
15 DECEMBER - XMAS SPECIAL
Cordwainers
TC & The Bobcats
Whale
12 JANUARY
George Breakfast
Nick Corney & The Buzz Rats
Hazeyjane
26 JANUARY
Ben Smith & Jimmy Brewer
Rob Halligan
CarterDolby
9 FEBRUARY
When Rivers Meet
Stevie Jones & The Wildfires
Anne-Marie Sanderson
23 FEBRUARY
Flashback Photograph
Kete Bowers
Bernard Hoskin
CLUB INFO
FRIDAY 10 NOVEMBER
Fred's House
Benjamin William Pike
Melanie Crew & Ross Palmer
Fred's House
The annual return to the club for this sensational four piece band from Cambridge, Fred's House make summery 70's West Coast inspired folk/rock but have their own distinctively fresh sound that is very much part of now. These musicians have the rare ability to sweep you away with their gorgeous three part harmonies, moving lyrics, infectious melodies and uplifting grooves. Among their many influences are bands such as Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles. The band scooped the prestigious Syd Barrett Pride of Cambridge Award at the NMG Awards this year and are touring China as part of the Nanjing International Jazz and World Music Festival. Having released their critically acclaimed second album Faultlines, extensively toured the UK and played some big festivals, their outstanding and energetic live shows are gathering them rave reviews from all corners of the globe. Fred's House are currently working on their third album set for release in 2018. If you need a dose of the "feel-good factor", this is the band for you! www.fredshousemusic.co.uk
Melanie Crew & Ross Palmer
Two excellent young London based singer-songwriters who perform both separately and together. Melanie writes gentle, distinctive acoustic music with soulful melodies and has been getting extensive air play on local radio as well as receiving fantastic reviews. Ross is also a talented multi-instrumentalist and together they are a delightful combination. www.melaniecrewmusic.com
Benjamin William Pike
This outstanding and critically acclaimed acoustic roots musician from Leeds is a seasoned virtuoso guitarist, adept at playing steel string, lap slide and pedal steel. Exploring folk, alt country, blues and beyond, his debut album, 'Being & Nothingness', was highly praised for it's originality and unique musicianship and became one of Folk Radio's albums of the year in 2013. Benjamin has played across the UK, Europe, the U.S. and Canada and has been invited to open for such luminaries as The Felice Brothers, CW Stoneking, The Low Anthem, Steve Gunn, Old Crow Medicine Show, Kelly Jos Phelps and 'Cactus' Jim Soldi (Johnny Cash's guitarist). His new album, 'A Burdensome Year', was released earlier this year to rave reviews:
“Brilliant, faultless guitar player” – Folk London
“The understated acoustic virtuoso” – R2 Magazine
“Genuinely Creative and brilliantly deft” – Fatea
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KONTRA ROOTS CLUB GALLERY
Photos of our acts from the last six months (click to expand).
