Saturday 28th January 2012
BURNS NIGHT BASH at THE VOLUNTEER HALL

One of our most popular nights of the whole year, the Burns Night Bash is a great opportunity for local musicians to come and play and have a good time. It’s the night when the String Jam Club’s stage is being thrown open to musicians everywhere who want to perform & share their music.  Everyone will be a star for the night so please be there and take part in this magical musical marathon.  Whether performing or just coming along to listen, you are very welcome.  Whatever style of music you play, whether you're into jazz, folk, blues or singer-songwriters or whatever, whether you perform original material or do covers, whoever you are - we want to hear you play so come on down and enjoy the unique String Jam experience!  Toasting the haggis, piper & festive raffle.  The Burns Night Bash is a tribute to all the local musicians who have helped to create the enduring success of the String Jam Club "the Borders haven of acoustic music” - now in its 15th year.

String Jam Club on Facebook

Admission £8.00 to all on the door (includes haggis supper)
Please note this is not a ticketed event

Saturday 25th February 2012
MIKE WHELLANS

Mike Whellans is a one-man-blues-band explosion, the real thing, in fact the best 'solo blues band' any side of the Forth, and a keeper of the flame that burned so passionately in the work of this highly specialized form’s masters, including Doctor Isaiah Ross, Jesse Fuller and Whellans’ great British forerunner, Tony ‘Duster’ Bennett.

Like all true bluesmen and women, when Whellans sings and plays, he means it & sings straight from the heart. His high energy show is a masterclass in good time blues, played without compromise. Not only is he his own man as a singer, guitarist and ace blues harpist, but he’s also his own rhythm section, too, noted for his show-stopping beatbox vocal percussion. Mike is a consummate bluesman and a brilliant songwriter and the joint will be jumping!

'...one  of Scotland's heroes, a bluesman of amazing ability...a totally  brilliant one man band.'
Mike Harding BBC Radio 2  
"Jimmy Reed or Willie Dixon transplanted from Lake Michigan to the shores of Loch Lomond.”
Utne Reader
“A blinding array of material, exhilarating feelgood factor, engaging, well-crafted & rockin'.”
Living Tradition

String Jam Club on Facebook
www.mikewhellans.com

Tickets £9, available in advance from the venue or on the door

Saturday 31st March 2012
JOE TOPPING

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Topping “has a gift to write songs that will last and that others will want to sing” (John Wright) and is “one of the most beautiful voices I have heard” (Chris While). Playing anything from traditional British folk music to Delta blues slide guitar, Joe is noted for his great versatility on guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, harmonica, dobro and banjo.  After hearing and covering one of Joe’s songs ‘The Flame Danced Flamenco’ the late John Wright invited Wirral-born Joe to join his band, and Joe toured with John for 18 months playing at venues in all over the UK and Europe. Joe’s other major collaborations include Elbow Jane and Ashley Hutchings’ band ‘The Rainbow Chasers.’

Joe’s adventurous streak has taken him travelling throughout the world, including a trek across the Namid Desert for a landmine charity. In 2006 and with an old Gibson guitar strapped to his back, Joe undertook a 1,400 mile solo walk across America sleeping in motels, cornfields, cotton fields, graveyards, backyards and sugar plantations, meeting musicians and characters along the way, inspiring his exceptional album ‘Ghosts in the Shadows’ in 2010.

“A beautifully crafted album, played to perfection, fused with passion and heart”
Maverick Magazine     
“ Heartfelt vocal backed by intricate, intensely accomplished guitar work”
fRoots magazine   
“a cracking album”
Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2 

Saturday 28th April 2012
JIM MALCOLM

Jim Malcolm is the ultimate Scots troubadour. Travelling the world with his guitar, harmonicas and an engaging wit, he sings the traditional songs of Scotland and his own masterfully crafted songs in a style which is modern, accessible, yet utterly authentic.  As lead singer with the multi-award-winning band Old Blind Dogs for eight years, Jim appeared at the most prestigious festivals in North America and Europe, recording three studio albums and a live CD.

Now working as a successful solo performer with ten solo CDs to his credit, Jim is a renowned singer and one of the top handful of simultaneous guitar and harmonica players in the world, playing mostly in the folk guitar tuning DADGAD. Jim's concerts are always very entertaining, peppered with funny stories and observations in the great tradition of Scottish artists through the ages.  Jim has featured many times on radio and television on both sides of the Atlantic and his major highlight of 2011 was to perform some of his songs with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra at a sold-out concert in Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall.

We are delighted to welcome back this very special and highly-respected artist for his third visit to the club.  Not to be missed!

“Quietly, unforcefully and undeniably stunning”
Mojo
“One of the finest singing voices in Scotland in any style”
Living Tradition
“Jim Malcolm will just melt you in your seat.”
The Scotsman


String Jam Club on Facebook
http://www.jimmalcolm.com

Tickets £8 from the venue or on the door

Saturday 26th May 2012
IMMIGRANT WAGON and TOMMY ASHBY
(Double Bill)

A jam-packed double header featuring two of the most exciting acoustic acts to emerge from the Scottish Borders music scene in recent years.

Immigrant Wagon is an up-and-coming progressive indie outfit, performing tonight as an acoustic trio, featuring Selkirk musicians Paul Macaulay (guitar), Robin Sapkota (guitar) & Fraser Harris (percussion). With influences covering a wide range of styles including ska, reggae, blues, rock, soul, funk & disco, their music is unique, hard to categorise and totally original, with great guitar chops, self-penned songs & vocal harmonies. Now based in Glasgow, tonight they launch their new album which we can't wait to hear!

Originally from Innerleithen, singer-songwriter & guitarist Tommy Ashby has always gone down a storm at the club. His folk and blues stylings seamlessly integrate with pop songwriting to create well-crafted and immediately catchy songs which we guarantee you'll be singing all the way home! Tommy's new EP, 'Jump Right In', covers a wide range of musical styles, from the laid-back summer vibe of the title track to the driving, rock-tinged 'Play With Fire'. Tonight performing with members of his band, this promises to be an exhilarating and vibrant set.

String Jam Club on Facebook
manverseslife.bandcamp.com
tommyashby.bandcamp.com

Tickets £7 from the venue or on the door

Saturday 23rd June 2012
CHIMES OF FREEDOM – THE SONGS OF BOB DYLAN

If it is true, as Pete Seeger believed, that all songwriters are links in a chain, then one of the biggest links of all time must surely be Bob Dylan.  An inspiration for generations of musicians throughout the world his career has spanned 50 years, resulting in 34 studio albums, 13 live albums, 58 singles and millions of dedicated fans.  ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ alone has been covered by hundreds of artists, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and ranked one of the ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time’ in 2004 by Rolling Stone. From his early days as a folk and protest icon, through his electric ‘Judas’ period, up to the present day, Bob Dylan has remained a constant in our lives, a role model for all who would aspire to write great songs.

And before you get too excited, no – we haven’t booked Bob Dylan to play at our intimate acoustic club.  Instead, we have the next best thing.  A whole night dedicated to his music.  We are throwing the stage open to all musicians who would like to perform their favourite Dylan numbers in a non-stop showcase of some of the best songs you will ever hear. Get in touch if you'd like to play, it’s going to be a cracker!
 
String Jam Club on Facebook

Tickets £7 from the venue or on the door

Saturday 28th July 2012
THE MELTING POT with ANGUS GUNN & FRIENDS

String Jam Club is delighted to host ‘The Melting Pot’ in conjunction with RX Promotions - an evening of exciting and original contemporary music by the cream of emerging Borders musicians, headlined by the talented Angus Gunn.  This event is the perfect showcase for Angus, who made one of his first live performances at the club many years ago when he was only fourteen.  Now in his twenties, his assured, intense and unique style and impressive finger-picking never fail to impress and his performances have deservedly won him a very loyal fan base, both locally and beyond.  String Jam audiences are listening people who really appreciate good music, and that’s why Angus has always been so well-received here, and why ‘The Melting Pot’ has now become a very popular annual event.

Tonight, Angus & friends present a non-stop roller-coaster of a show, packed full of new sounds, new voices & great music.  Some of the artists on the bill may be new to the club, some already ‘old hands’ even though barely out of their teens - but together they create a vibrant & impressive programme, and one you really shouldn’t miss.  This is what’s best about experiencing live music up close at String Jam Club - “I saw them first at the Salmon Inn” - if you love music, how can you resist?

String Jam Club on Facebook
www.facebook.com/angusgunnmusic
www.facebook.com/RxPromotions

Tickets £7 from the venue or on the door

Saturday 25th August 2012
ROD CLEMENTS

A very welcome return visit from Rod Clements, famous Lindisfarne hitmaker & writer of ‘Meet Me On the Corner’ whose career reads like a veritable Who’s Who of the folk-roots world including major collaborations with Bert Jansch, Pentangle and Ralph McTell (Rod played bass on ‘Streets of London’), and more recently with Thea Gilmore & Rachel Harrington.  The classic hallmarks of a Rod Clements show are spine-tingling slide guitar, instinctive songwriting and a relaxed and intimate on-stage presence with songs and stories from all stages of his career, including tracks from three critically acclaimed solo albums.

One of British folk-rock’s true originals and still thriving in today’s roots music scene, Rod is a genuine survivor of the heady 70s and is now recognised as a consummate artist who has never rested on his laurels, either as a songwriter or as a live performer, winning over a whole new generation of roots fans. His musical influences are firmly embedded in blues and the folk canon which initially inspired him. With a wealth of new solo songs and an enviable back catalogue of classics to draw from, you can expect a hugely entertaining non-stop feast of memorable songs and instrumental wizardry.

“Iconic folk genius”.
R2
"A cult  artist in the making."  
Simon Jones, fRoots
"A man emerging from the Lindisfarne years and carving his own unique furrow in inimitable style."
BBC Radio Scotland

String Jam Club on Facebook
www.rodclements.com

Tickets £9 from the venue or on the door

Saturday 29th September 2012
TBC

Saturday 27th October 2012
TBC

Saturday 24th November 2012
TBC

December
No Event