Category: Music Contemporary

Sat 28 Oct – Ultimate Elton and The Rocket Band

Buy Tickets for Event

Some tribute artists look like their idol, some sound like their idol. Paul Bacon as Sir Elton John does both! Close your eyes and you won’t believe your ears, open your eyes and you won’t believe them either! You simply won’t nd a closer tribute to Sir Elton John.

Rapidly established as the foremost Elton John tribute act in the UK, ‘Ultimate Elton and The Rocket Band’ present an uncannily accurate reproduction of the classic live shows of one of pop music’s most successful and best-loved artists – performances that also often feature some of Elton’s actual costumes, bought from his ‘Out the Closet’ sales!

With an extraordinary career spanning over 5 decades and with more than 50 ‘Top 40’ hits and over 30 albums to date
– Elton John is the single most successful solo artist ever! – Not too many performers can boast album sales of well over 250 million!
The band is able to draw on this amazing catalogue of hits to create a dynamic and powerful live celebration of Elton’s music. Featuring classics like ‘Candle in the Wind’, ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, ‘I’m Still Standing’, ‘The Bitch is
Back’ and ‘Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting’ – as well as other live favourites, the band creates a truly spectacular and professional show – The challenge is often not what to play, but what to leave out!

Ultimate Elton and The Rocket Band are now much in demand at festivals and theatres throughout the UK and beyond. They are certainly one of the top tribute acts working on the circuit today and this has recently been recognised at the National Tribute Awards 2013, run by the in uential ‘The Agents Association’ of Great Britain, who awarded the band ‘O cial UK No 1’ for performances as the ever popular Elton John Band!

Watch the Video

Quotes

“I was at the real Elton’s rst rehearsal with Nigel and Dee before his rst gigs back in the 70’s. This band has all the raw energy of that early line up. Quite simply the best Elton tribute you will see or hear anywhere!”
Stuart Epps, Record Producer (www.stuartepps.com)

“Blimey, he’s got it down, band are great too. How are his tantrums?”
Clive Franks, Elton John Record Producer and Elton’s live sound engineer for over 35 years

“Looks great and sounds great…The best tribute that I’ve seen!” Bob Halley, worked with Elton for over 30 years

http://www.ultimateelton.com/band/

Croft Hall – Hungerford 8.00pm Tickets £15 at ArtsforHungerford.com or at Hungerford Bookshop

Sat 28 Jan – Young Singer Songwriters – Beth George

Beth George is an electro pop artist. She combines delicate, sincere vocals with quirky synth and mellow dance beats. Compared to the likes of Jack Garratt and Oh Wonder, her authentic sound is built from experimental live loops and harmonies.
Her live set up, is a complex and captivating performance expressing emotional endearing lyrics of raw metaphors of an adolescence diary.

Beth George

19 year old electro acoustic pop artist accompanied by her piano and mesmerising live looping set up creating an ambient and captivating performance.

Beth is an 19 year old singer songwriter and pianist who memorises her audience with her delicate, raw vocals accompanied by her elegant piano melodies. Her passion for music began at a very young age and continued to grow when she began piano lessons at 7 years old. Beth was classically trained to grade 7 which has influenced her intricate playing alongside her pop style which has been compared to the likes of Birdy and London Grammar. Her live performances started with busking in her local seaside town in Whitstable Harbour where she gained a local following leading to gigs across Kent. Since then Beth’s musical career has taken off and over the past 3 years has won awards for ‘best original song’ at the Open Mic Competition’s regional final, gained recognition on Youtube from charting artists such as Naughty Boy and performed at industry linked venues such as Metropolis Studios. She recently released her debut EP ‘Breaking Through’ on iTunes and Spotify which she promoted with an EP Launch last summer. Now with her aspirations to song-write, Beth is attending The Academy of Contemporary Music where she is networking with other musicians, co-writing and producing new music and currently in the middle of forming a band to gig regularly with so if you’re after an intimate, captivating performance make sure you get down to one of her upcoming gigs.

Three young female singer songwriters bring their own great music and some covers for a great cafe style evening.

Hannah Dorman, Jenny Bracey and Beth George

Croft Hall Hungerford 8.00pm Bar 7.00pm Cafe Style

For Tickets Click Here

Hannah Dorman

British singer songwriter Hannah Dorman brings her unique style to the genre. With the emphasis on Pop/Pock, there’s a dusting of Country to be heard in all her songs. Lyrically mature, honest and relatable, Hannah delivers her songs with her distinct raw vocal power and a personable presence. This dedicated singer will draw you in with catchy melodies and a driven rhythm section.

http://hannahdorman.com/music/hannah_dorman_music.html

Jenny Bracey

20 year old Jenny Bracey is a developing singer-songwriter from South West UK. Her stunning vocals, and tidy guitar skills separate her from just another ‘girl with a guitar’. Jenny has strong rock influences leading to her developed sound on her recent recordings, showing off not only her skill as a songwriter and recording artist but also as a multi instrumentalist.
Jenny’s first release was her totally acoustic album entitled ‘Wishing For October’ in 2013, which has been commended with 5 star reviews stating it a ‘must download’. The title was based on Jenny’s desire to be 18, on her birthday in October! Following on from this Jenny received a development contract from Southampton’s premier recording studio River Studios, which lead to the release of her EP ‘Take Me Home’ including the single and music video for ‘Take Me Home’. Since then Jenny has released two singles, ‘Just Accept It’ – a breakup inspired song which has had international airplay, and ’10’ – a song inspired by rebellion, recorded with Downtown Artists in London Soho. Both of Jenny’s recent releases were selected for the New Music Monday feature on A.V.A. Live Radio.

Sat 28 Jan – Young Singer Songwriters – Jenny Bracey

20 year old Jenny Bracey is a developing singer-songwriter from South West UK. Her stunning vocals, and tidy guitar skills separate her from just another ‘girl with a guitar’. Jenny has strong rock influences leading to her developed sound on her recent recordings, showing off not only her skill as a songwriter and recording artist but also as a multi instrumentalist.
Jenny’s first release was her totally acoustic album entitled ‘Wishing For October’ in 2013, which has been commended with 5 star reviews stating it a ‘must download’. The title was based on Jenny’s desire to be 18, on her birthday in October! Following on from this Jenny received a development contract from Southampton’s premier recording studio River Studios, which lead to the release of her EP ‘Take Me Home’ including the single and music video for ‘Take Me Home’. Since then Jenny has released two singles, ‘Just Accept It’ – a breakup inspired song which has had international airplay, and ’10’ – a song inspired by rebellion, recorded with Downtown Artists in London Soho. Both of Jenny’s recent releases were selected for the New Music Monday feature on A.V.A. Live Radio.
A seasoned performer, Jenny’s played at venues such as the NEC in Birmingham and the O2 Academy in Oxford for BBC Introduces. She has also played numerous festivals including Vodafone Summerfest 2015, Newbury Real Ale festival, The Phoenix Festival and Treefest at Westonbirt Arboritem.
Jenny made her first European appearance in Italy in April 2016, and was also invited out to Nashville in May 2016 where she played her first international show. Jenny has recently returned from Budapest where she was invited out to sing with Internationally renowned band Firkin for their prestigious 8th Birthday Show.
An award winning artist, Jenny has participated in various Singer-songwriter competitions including Newbury Star Search 2014 which she won, Open Mic Competition Wantage 2012 which she also won, Jenny got through to the Finals of Britain Does Variety in 2013 and Open Mic UK where she was a grand finalist and winner of the Showcase Award.
Releases:
Acoustic Album ‘Wishing For October’ recorded at Evolution Studios, Oxford, 2013
Full Band EP ‘Take Me Home’ recorded at River Studios, Southampton, 2015
Full Band Single ‘Just Accept It’ recorded at Anton Road Studios, Andover, 2015
Full Band Singles ’10’ and ‘Long Time Coming’ recorded at Downtown Artists, London Soho for release in 2016

Sat 28 Jan – Young Singer Songwriters – Hannah Dorman

Three young female singer songwriters bring their own great music and some covers for a great cafe style evening.

Hannah Dorman, Jenny Bracey and Beth George

Croft Hall Hungerford 8.00pm Bar 7.00pm Cafe Style

For Tickets Click Here

Hannah Dorman

British singer songwriter Hannah Dorman brings her unique style to the genre. With the emphasis on Pop/Pock, there’s a dusting of Country to be heard in all her songs. Lyrically mature, honest and relatable, Hannah delivers her songs with her distinct raw vocal power and a personable presence. This dedicated singer will draw you in with catchy melodies and a driven rhythm section.

http://hannahdorman.com/music/hannah_dorman_music.html

Jenny Bracey

20 year old Jenny Bracey is a developing singer-songwriter from South West UK. Her stunning vocals, and tidy guitar skills separate her from just another ‘girl with a guitar’. Jenny has strong rock influences leading to her developed sound on her recent recordings, showing off not only her skill as a songwriter and recording artist but also as a multi instrumentalist.
Jenny’s first release was her totally acoustic album entitled ‘Wishing For October’ in 2013, which has been commended with 5 star reviews stating it a ‘must download’. The title was based on Jenny’s desire to be 18, on her birthday in October! Following on from this Jenny received a development contract from Southampton’s premier recording studio River Studios, which lead to the release of her EP ‘Take Me Home’ including the single and music video for ‘Take Me Home’. Since then Jenny has released two singles, ‘Just Accept It’ – a breakup inspired song which has had international airplay, and ’10’ – a song inspired by rebellion, recorded with Downtown Artists in London Soho. Both of Jenny’s recent releases were selected for the New Music Monday feature on A.V.A. Live Radio.

Beth George

18 year old pianist & singer/songwriter influenced by Birdy, Lauren Aquilina and Oh Wonder with mesmerising delicate vocals and elegant piano melodies.

Beth is an 18 year old singer songwriter and pianist who memorises her audience with her delicate, raw vocals accompanied by her elegant piano melodies. Her passion for music began at a very young age and continued to grow when she began piano lessons at 7 years old. Beth was classically trained to grade 7 which has influenced her intricate playing alongside her pop style which has been compared to the likes of Birdy and London Grammar. Her live performances started with busking in her local seaside town in Whitstable Harbour where she gained a local following leading to gigs across Kent. Since then Beth’s musical career has taken off and over the past 3 years has won awards for ‘best original song’ at the Open Mic Competition’s regional final, gained recognition on Youtube from charting artists such as Naughty Boy and performed at industry linked venues such as Metropolis Studios. She recently released her debut EP ‘Breaking Through’ on iTunes and Spotify which she promoted with an EP Launch last summer. Now with her aspirations to song-write, Beth is attending The Academy of Contemporary Music where she is networking with other musicians, co-writing and producing new music and currently in the middle of forming a band to gig regularly with so if you’re after an intimate, captivating performance make sure you get down to one of her upcoming gigs.

Sat Feb 4 – Les Amours Baroques with Hannah Medlam

Local singer Hannah Medlam, together with father Charles Medlam on the bass viol, and London thoerbo player William Carter will present a programme of songs and court airs from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, interspersed with instrumental items on their period instruments.
Hannah studied singing in Vienna, Paris, Amsterdam and Marseilles, before taking to the opera stage in Holland (Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème), Montpellier (Janacek’s Cunning Little Vixen) and Limoges (Lady Pamela in Aubert’s Fra Diabolo). She opted for a period of further study in Rome to improve her bel canto and spoken Italian and is now firmly back on the concert stage with engagements in England, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Japan planned for the 2017/18 season. She sings frequently with London Baroque and has recently discovered the lute song repertoire. She will perform songs for the restoration stage by Henry Purcell, court airs by Michel Lambert, church and chamber works by Monteverdi, and Handel’s only French cantata in imitation of domestic Parisian music-making at the turn of the eighteenth century.
Charles will play a series of bass viol pieces on his 1689 Barack Norman. These will go from the sublime, Marin Marais’ lament for his teacher Jean de St. Colombe, to the ridiculous, a description of a bladder stone operation! The theorbo, also know as the chitarone, is the largest of the lute family instruments and has a series of bass courses, as well as the normal strings above a fingerboard. William Carter will be playing virtuoso music by Johannes Kapsberger, who, in spite of his name, was actually Roman and largely responsible for putting the instrument on the map.

The musicians will introduce their instruments and their sometimes unfamiliar music.
It promises to be a fascinating evening’s music-making in the intimate setting of The Croft Hall in Hungerford.

Sat 4 Mar – Gigspanner

About Gigspanner 

Since his departure from folk-rock pioneers Steeleye Span at the end of 2013, legendary fiddle player Peter Knight has turned his full attention to his trio Gigspanner, and in the process has firmly established their burgeoning reputation as one of the most innovative acts on the folk/roots scene.

Hailed by Songlines as “another milestone in folk’s rebirth of cool” and by the late Sir                   Terry Pratchett who poetically observed “Peter Knight can spin the world on his Bow“.

There is however far more to Gigspanner than meets the eye, and to categorise these virtuoso performers purely as folk musicians would be to significantly undersell them, and to deny audiences the full scope of their musical embrace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np5t2lR8wYo

Tickets available from Hungerford Bookshop or: Eventbrite.co.uk

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/peter-knights-gigspanner-tickets-30692494076?aff=es2

Promoted by Hilary Stockwell

Fri 10 Mar – Elles Bailey & Her Blues Band

Elles Bailey brings her blend of Rootsy blues and Country to Arts For Hungerford
Full Band Show
Tickets £15
Bristol based Elles Bailey (28) seamlessly weaves rootsy blues, country and soulful rock with a contemporary edge and her trademark  ‘smoky vocals’ taking the lead.  Her husky toned, lived-in voice sounds like she has a 60-a-day habit, but was actually caused by a serious illness when she was three. Her two EP’s, both produced by Brian Banks, (Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie) ‘Who I Am To Me’ (Feb 2015) and ‘The Elberton Sessions’ (Oct 2016) were released to critical acclaim, and her debut album is set to drop Spring 2017.
No stranger to the scene, over the last three years, this captivating, hard-working songstress and her talented band have built up a loyal all-age fan base through relentless touring, through both the UK and Europe. She’s opened for acts like Wille & The Bandits and shared festival line-ups with Lisa Simone, The Mystery Jets & Wilko Johnson.
In fact, 2017 looks set to be a very busy year for Elles with over 30 dates scheduled in the run up to her debut album release in April. Her festival diary is also filling up very quickly. Elles will feature at The Great British Rock and Blues Festival in Skegness and will be opening for soul singer Jo Harman on her February tour before heading back into Europe in Spring 2017.
Her new album will be released Spring 2017, with her brand new single Wildfire dropping 10/02/17
Like many artists today, Elles is breaking down the barriers of traditional genres, taking inspiration from many and fusing them together to bring you her own unique sound, which is earning her a legion of devoted fans, young and old, from across the UK and further afield.
  Wildfire Teaser
– Perfect Storm
– Spring Tour
‘2016 has seen Elles and her band create major waves around the UK with their dazzling blend of rootsy blues and soul, with a recent bout of writing and recording over in Nashville and dates with Wille & The Bandits, Elles continues her rapid ascent to the top’
Slap Magazine
‘It’s safe to say that Miss Bailey is probably the best new blues prospect in the last decade and this latest set only goes to confirm that’
The Rocker
‘Bailey has a fine grip on her influences and her choice of blues-rock serves only to augment her smoky and infections vocals, Who Am I To Me will find favour among blues fans from around the globe’
Songwriting Magazine
‘Gritty, southern, smoky vocals that have a real bluesy/country feel to them’
Maverick Magazine

Sat 8 Apr – Jazz All Stars

The return of this top quality Jazz/Funk act, where does he find these great professionals and how does he persuade them to come to Hungerford.

As usual we will be in for a real treat, Catch them here as no Marlborough Jazz this year, so no big tent appearance. Buy Tickets

The Band

Matt Holland – Trumpet
Matt is an old Hungerford favourite having played with the Jazz All Stars and the Adam Winslet band, he has also has been performing all around the world for the Last 20 years with the likes of Van Morrison, Lisa Stansfield, Marti Pellow, The Hoosiers & Burt Bacharach. http://www.matthollandmusic.co.uk/about-us

Jim Watson – Piano
Jim Watson is a freelance Pianist, Keyboardist Composer and Improviser. I studied at Leeds College of Music (BA Hons) then at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

London/Suffolk based I’m currently working with Manu Katche. Recent work includes Sting, Katie Melua, Richard Bona, Raul Midon, Zero 7, Incognito, Meshell Ndegeocello amongst others.http://www.jimwatson.net
Simon Price – Drums
Simon is highly regarded as one of the most musical and versatile drummers around having played with Chuck Berry and is a very busy sideman to many jazz musicians of high repute

Ralph Mizraki – Bass
Raph Mizraki was for several years a member of the mediǽval and renaissance band the Dufay Collective, in which he played oud, rebec, viol and mediǽval percussion, and was also frequently employed on violone with some of London’s leading early music ensembles such as His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornets and The Gabrieli Consort. He has also taken part in many cross-cultural projects with African and Arabic musicians, and toured extensively with Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band. He eventually gave up all this tomfoolery to concentrate on jazz and funk, and he is currently house bassist at the Spin in Oxford.

Sat 3 Sept – Terence Reis and Band

And what a band- Paul Geary on bass plays with Nik Kershaw, Chris Rea, The Dire Straits Experience and he’s playing Hungerford, get use to the quality Buy tickets now for our first event of the new season. ArtsforHungerford.com Click on post for video

 

Sat 3 Sept Terence Reis & Band

The first of our featured band members Simon Carter – Piano & Keyboards with a strong pedigree including Jamiroquai, 10cc, Midge Ure, The Dire Straits Experience Simon Carter

A showcase event of Terence’s own songs before he rejoins the Dire Straits Experience for a world tour, with an incredible band and support from Danica Trim and band Listen at ArtsforHungerford.com

 

Fri 29 April – Jazz All Stars

Jazz All Stars – 29 April Doors 7.30pm for 8.00pm. The first of our regular café style Jazz events featuring four world class musicians.  Fronted by Adam Winslet with , Matt Holland –  Trumpet, Laurence Cottle – Bass, Richard Cottle – Keyboards. + Drummer

Matt Hooper – Trumpet

Laurence Cottle – Bass

Richard Cottle – Keyboards

Michael William Connolly – Drummer

Buy Tickets

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Sat 2 April – The Bookshop Band

8.00 pm The Croft Hall Hungerford, Bar from 7.30 pm Tickets £6

Tickets are available online Click Here or from the Hungerford Bookshop from the 1 March

Come and have a great time enjoying an evening of music, based on books you know and many you won’t and have the opportunity to buy the books and hear about the next batch of Arts for Hungerford events. Most importantly relax with a beer and wine, some old friends or new friends and have a great evening.

The Bookshop Band are unique. They write songs exclusively inspired by books. They formed as part of the author events at local muti-award winning independent bookshop, Mr Bs Emporium Of Reading Delights. When an author comes in to do an author event, the band read their book before hand and write two songs inspired by it, to be performed in front of the author and audience at the start of the event.

Three years later, the band have written 100 songs inspired by books

The events at Mr Bs remain the core of the band’s songwriting, but the songs and their performances have taken the band all over the UK, playing in many of the nation’s bookshops, as well as overseas to Ireland and mainland Europe. They are regularly featured on the BBC, and their songs are starting to grace the airwaves Europe, Canada, Australia, the US and Mexico!

“Really fabulous new music” Bob Harris – BBC Radio 2

“There is something incredibly moving about hearing a song that has been inspired by that story from your head. It is like seeing your children do something without them knowing you are watching. The book acquires a life of its own. It made me cry listening to The Bookshop Band’s Harold and Maureen songs. The beauty, the tenderness, and the independence of them. That is something I will never forget.” Rachel Joyce, author