acoustic music evening every 1st Tuesday of the month
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Acoustic Music Club
For some time now I was looking for a rectangular, warm and cosy room where we could put a stage at one end and add ambient lighting. Full PA was a must for me, I wanted that ambiance where the room comes alive when someone is performing. I’m not knocking the good old true folk/acoustic clubs where there is a stage area with no PA, because this is where I cut my teeth from the age of 14 and learned what it was to face an audience. There are many good clubs about that I regularly visit which do this really well. Instead what I wanted to do was keep this format but take the performers to the next level. To put anyone who comes and signs in to play up in front of about 60 quiet audience, quality sound mixed by an engineer from a good vantage point, and a darkened room with ambient lighting on the stage. In other words the next step from the folk or acoustic club, a club that would bridge the gap between the folk clubs and appearing at a festival or large theatre. I just wanted a club where I could honestly say “here is an acoustic music club that will push the aspiring performers to that next level”
Floor Artists/Spots
For many years folk clubs have had “Floor Artists”. This is a term used for artists who wish to perform a 10 or 15 minute spot before the main artist. They do not have to be beginners, but it was a good platform for the aspiring performer to start, doing a “Floor Spot”. Seasoned performers would drop in just to support the club or maybe to advertise a gig they were doing soon, or even to ”Show Case” themselves in order to get a gig as the main artist at the club. The term “Floor Spots” started here. It’s crazy when you look at it from an English language point of view, trying to explain to someone learning English what a “Floor Spot” is. Our clubs floor spots are just the same as this. We like to welcome anyone, from any genre, who wishes to perform an acoustic set for any of the reasons just stated.
Guest Artist
The idea behind us having a Guest Artist is to say at the end of the evening “This is how it should be done”. Floor artists need someone to aspire to and learn from, and this is where our Guest Artist comes in. We have been very fortunate indeed with the Guest Artists we have had at the club. (Check Past Listings). We have tried to vary them as much as possible to give the public and performers an insight into the vast range of acoustic music. We only hope we can keep this up and need all the support we can muster. When I was young, performers like Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Weston Gavin and many more were the heroes of the day, you could see such performers at your local club. There is an abundance of Talent out there, we cannot rely on local radio, or it seems any other form of media at the moment to give us insight as to what is happening. In our way we wish to bring a small part of that to your attention. At the end of the day that Guest Artist has to enter the stage and entertain you and keep your attention for their set, any new performer needs to know how this is done.
Markus Reeves
I came across Markus Reeves in Leicester. Markus was everywhere at the time, performing his latest songs, putting on shows for charities, arranging show cases for acts to get work and engineering sound systems for acoustic performances etc etc. You name it, Markus was doing it, I bumped into him again and again. I liked his vibrance and approach and asked him one evening if he would like to run a club with me. Markus said “Yeah let’s do it” and the rest as they say is history.
The Royal Arms
As I said earlier “I was looking for some time” for a venue. The Royal Arms supplied all of the needs and wants. Separate from the pub, so no crowds to talk over the music, a warm cosy atmosphere but large enough to give a theatre feeling, the acoustics in the room were good, it had a place to expand into, it’s own bar, it’s own toilets(clean). The list is endless so I will not bore you with it. I know how this sounds like a paid advertisement from the Royal Arms, but I can tell you truthfully that without them the club would not be here. The way these people have paid is in sweat and hard work. They had trouble with the heating one time, they brought in gas space heaters before I could ask them. They had trouble with the bar workings, they carried jugs of bitter over from the main hotel so we could get our drinks. These Guys have done a magnificent job and have backed us from day one, even at their own expense. At this point I would like to say a great thank you to Puja, Anoop and all the staff. Next time you have the money to go out for a meal give them a thank you and go down to the Royal Arms, it’s great food and a great chef. Also if you need a room for your business meeting, a wedding or any other function these people will not let you down.
Club Achievements
To say that I’ve achieved my goals with the club would be an arrogance. If we have
stopped learning we are dead. I would just love to bring in more varied acoustic
music and get more of our youth to come in and see what it’s all about. We need people
to do write-
Come down and give us your support whatever or however that may be
Many thanks to you all
Bob Spencer
