Acoustic Anarchy

Martin Howard's Acoustic Anarchy has been running since 2017 at waterintobeer in Brockley (209 Mantle Road SE4), an acoustic live music night focusing on folk, punk and indie. There's a couple of events coming up in next few weeks.

As part of the Telegraph Hill Festival this weekend, on Saturday 23rd March 2024 there's a special featuring artists including:

• Joe Bitter is an acoustic punk rocker with songs celebrating cider, football and punk rock.
• Shouting into the Dark are a prog-folk duo with heartfelt songs of love, life and grief. Their latest song features a middle English section, which will be a first for the night.
• Drew Margot is a queer singer songwriter from LA whose work tends to revolve around gender, mental health, and often, dogs.

Then on Saturday 6th April 2024, headliners are The Water Chorus 'a young folk trio with an array of instruments tackling a mix of Irish and Scottish folk with plenty of tunes from further afield. They are exciting musicians with wit and zest and quite a dry sense of humour. Support comes from Neil Gordon-Orr, who will be playing some specifically South London folk songs. Regular host Martin Howard is joined by Max for some interpretations and originals'. More details here.

Drone Folk at Rye Wax

Tomorrow afternoon (Sunday 2.00 pm to 6:00 pm) at Rye Wax in the Bussey Building SE15:

'Cunning Folk Music invite you to a free afternoon of drone folk at RyeWax. Analogue synthesis combined with singing & playing. An eclectic selection of artists collaborating in an experiment in cross genre pollination.

The bill is expanding. At present confirmed artists include acclaimed Anglo-Polish folk singer Katy Carr, R2 folk award nominees Stick In The Wheel, storyteller Vanessa Woolf, psychedelic songwriter Jack Ellister, Cage & Aviary alumni Jamie Paton & George Hoyle, Teleplasmiste (Mark Pilkington & Michael J York), GentleFolk, Moonswift & Sand Snowman, the Delta Ladies & Richard Rufus'.


 

Music Monday: Skinny Lister - Down on Deptford Broadway

Skinny Lister pictured outside The Birds Nest on a return visit earlier this year
(photo by Brian Rasic)

Skinny Lister have come a long way since starting out in South London in 2009 and playing early gigs at the Ladywell Tavern, Birds Nest (Deptford) and Jam Circus (Brockley). Since then they've toured the USA, Australia, Europe and Japan, playing at numerous festivals.  Their first album 'Forge and Flaggon' (2012) featured the track  'If the gaff don't let us down' with its chorus of  'we'll sail away tomorrow, back to dear old Deptford Town'.

Their second album, released last month, is called 'Down on Deptford Broadway' and the album title features as a line in one of its songs, 'Six Whiskies'  - a tale of a drunken stumble through London.

I'm really enjoying the album, a mixture of folk-punk stomps that recall The Pogues and calmer moments, such as 'What can I say' sung by Lorna Thomas (video filmed around Hastings).

Music Monday: Pigeon Heroes in Goldsmiths Music Studios

Pigeon Heroes are a South East London-based folkish band who I was lucky enough to catch at the Kit and Cutter event at the Albany earlier this year. They have just posted a video of them recording a new song 'People and Trees' in the recently opening Goldsmiths Music Studios in New Cross Road. So take a look if you wonder what it looks like inside - or if you just want to hear some sweet melodies.