Folk, blues and humour in Bromsgrove.
Newcastle based four-piece Bridie Jackson & the Arbour are an eclectic group of folk-influenced musicians.Sitting somewhere between the lushness of Norah Jones and quirkiness of Joanna Newsom, they create songs that intertwine melancholy with joyful rich harmonies.
After releasing their debut album in 2012 with a sold out show at The Sage Gateshead, the steady rise of this successful quartet began with them securing an Arts Council England grant, a live session on Radio 4’s Loose Ends and radio play on BBC 2, 3 and 6 Music As winners of 2013’s Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition, the girls beat over 8,000 contenders for the title, and went on to play multiple stages at the legendary festival.
The band has won universal acclaim from both music critics and fans alike, with BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson naming the band as a favourite of 2013. Their music fuses influences as diverse as gospel, baroque and flamenco, with a mixture of percussion, fiddle, cello and a lead vocal of spine-tingling beauty. With a second album completed, the band is looking forward to sharing their new material with their growing army of fans.
Bridie Jackson & the Arbour are at Artrix on Wednesday 16th April. Tickets cost £12 (£10).
Former school teacher Mark Grist became an overnight sensation when he posted a film on the internet of him defeating a teenage grime artist in a rap battle. The footage went viral, racking up a whopping 3.7 million views. Since then, Mark has toured as half of Dead Poets with MC Mixy and recently starred on Channel 4’s Educating Essex. In his new show Rogue Teacher, Mark will combine words, rhythm and rhyme to keep the audience captivated right until the end.
Mark Grist presents Rogue Teacher at Artrix on Thursday 17th April. Tickets cost £12.
A big, bold festival favourite blues band with a brass section and six singers, Stomp and Holler pull together the best Midlands musicians to explode on stage with brass, blues, and a vast array of voices.
The new six-piece creates a muscular sound reminiscent of the floor filling music of New Orleans, driven by skin-tight rhythm section Chris Lomas (bass) and Martin Ball (drums/percussion) and featuring Abby Brant’s excellent piano playing and vocals. This is all topped off with Oliver Carpenter’s forceful stage personality, Dave Carroll’s exceptional guitar and British Blues Awards-nominated John Sanderson on saxes and flute. Stomp & Holler is bold, brassy and fills the stage with colour.
From the first growl to the last chord they’ll have you stomping and hollering for more as they move from groove to groove and beat to beat, taking you on a musical journey around the swamps, bayous and dance floors of the blues – all with a real sense of humour.
Stomp and Holler are at Artrix on Friday 18th April. Tickets cost £10 (£12 on the door).
Legendary American singer/songwriter Eric Andersen is joining forces with Irishman Ben Reel for a musical journey through folk and RnB.
Eric Andersen is widely regarded as one of the most poetic songwriters that sprang from the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1960s. As a musician he defies categorisation. His songs have been recorded and performed by world renowned artists such as Bob Dylan, Ricky Nelson, Judy Collins, Fairport Convention, Johnny Cash, The Grateful Dead and Mary Chapin Carpenter plus many others.
Over the last five years the charismatic Ben Reel has enjoyed successful tours in Europe, receiving rave reviews and attracting a growing fan base. His sixth album Darkness and The Light is powerful and soulful with deep meaningful lyrics and memorable anthemic songs. The album achieved critical acclaim when it was released in spring 2013.
Eric Andersen and Ben Reel are at Artrix on Saturday 19th April at 8.00 pm. Tickets cost £16 on the door or £14 (£12) in advance
Tickets for all shows can be obtained from the box office on 01527 577330 or online at www.artrix.co.uk.
