Blue Rose Code

Event information

A very exciting intimate gig with one of the UK's hottest acts Blue Rose Code. Tickets £12.50.

Kenneth J Nash 8.00-8.45
Blue Rose Code (solo) 9.00-10.00
Times tbc

Blue Rose Code
In the space of only a short few years and two stellar albums, Blue Rose Code, Edinburgh-born Ross Wilson, has gone from song-writing in the obscurity of an East London flat to being celebrated by the industry and fans alike as a legacy artist whose work stands alone, unsullied by the restrictions of trend. As Ross himself says, "I've never been cool and I've never been good-looking. In fact, I've zero interest in being cool".

From the first listen, the music of Blue Rose Code pricks the ears and demands the attention. It's merely the beginning. As BBC broadcaster Mary-Anne Kennedy said recently, "Blue Rose Code is one of those rare artists whose work makes you sit up and listen".

The Ballads Of Peckham Rye, Blue Rose Code's latest record, was nominated for the prestigious Scottish Album Of The Year Awards in 2014 and features a roll-call of remarkable talent, the likes of which brings to mind a bye-gone era from the sixties and seventies where collaboration was part of the process of making art. Danny Thompson, Karine Polwart, John Wetton, Aidan O'Rourke and Kathryn Williams all appear on the record.

Both singles from Ballads received heavy airplay and were playlisted on BBC Radio Scotland, the second, in particular, 'True Ways Of Knowing', was a personal triumph for Ross. "Having left school at 16 with no qualifications, for years I believed that the great art and poetry and literature of Scotland was out of my reach, inaccessible to me. I discovered the work of Norman MacCaig and his contemporaries and all of that changed when I put MacCaig's poem, 'True Ways Of Knowing' to my own music."

"I'm passionate about music being a vehicle for education so to have a piece of poetry playlisted on the BBC was a great kick" This was only the beginning of a broader cultural expedition where, supported by the Saltire Society, Ross is marrying the work of the Scottish Literary Renaissance to music.

Further praise has come from the most unexpected of quarters in Hollywood A-lister, Ewan McGregor. Ewan explained, "my uncle Denis (Lawson, star of Local Hero) gave me a copy of The Ballads Of Peckham Rye, it's beautiful and I can't stop listening to it."

Blue Rose Code has toured rigorously, paid his dues the old-fashioned way, changing line-up and arrangement of songs, depending on the gig. This bold, almost jazz-like vision for performing has earned him a fiercely loyal support up and down the UK. You never know quite what you're going to get at a Blue Rose Code show, the only guarantee is an unforgettable live experience.

It's this live reputation that recently had Edith Bowman personally ask for Ross to perform on the launch show of BBC At The Quay with Texas and Stornoway. Edith described Ross' performance with a nine-piece band, including guest Karine Polwart, as, "truly special and beautiful"
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Kenneth J Nash
Kenneth J Nash has never done things the easy way, but his courage to confront the darker moments of his past has led him to spending his years on the music scene carving out a thriving repertoire of haunting music that stirs the heart and spears the soul.

With a knack for blending his smooth, emotive voice with a lyrical prowess heavily influenced by his time spent on the road as a musician and DJ that threw his personal life into turmoil, his music resonates as a poignant story of a man who's been to hell and back more times than he can remember, but has come out the other side stronger.

Drawing on his influences (Cohen, Waits, Cash, Reed & Cave), his deftly dramatic songs of love, loss, regret and renewal - not to mention addiction - bring this artist's dark journey vividly to life. His passion for instrumentation is behind his absorbing production; guitar, mandolin, Irish whistle, cello and double bass combine to give his output a delightful folksy sound.

He has written and released five LPs under his own name (In the company of ghosts, Under a gypsy moon, We all belong, The brewer & the dealer & The fall of Eden) several live EPs, and makes regular appearances at festivals, folk clubs and acoustic showcases throughout the UK.

Recent highlight live shows of his career include playing the Hard Rock Cafe stage at the 2015 Isle of Wight Festival and being selected to appear at Seth Lakeman's alternative Hootenanny at The Convent. He has provided support for artists such as Eliza Carthy, The Wonderstuff, Mark Geary, Suzanne Vega and Seth Lakeman.

His songs have received radio play, been featured in the press and released on popular podcasts worldwide, while Independent Music News twice picked him as one of their 'artists to watch' and Folk Radio UK nominated him artist of the month and his LP album of the month in January 2015.

The LP 'the fall of Eden' was nominated as 'Best LP from a male folk artist' by Folkwords and he continues to receive accolades for both his live and recorded works.

With his intuitive gift for self-reflection and humble view of the world woven into a stream of beautiful melodies, the music of Kenneth J Nash is a warm, sophisticated pleasure.
www.kennethjnash.com
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Doors open at 7.00. No entrance once the acts are on stage. If you're late, you'll have to wait til the breaks.

Bookshop bar open serving ale and wine, hot and cold drinks and cake! No other food or drink to be brought onto the premises.

Booking highly recommended. Tickets from the link above or direct from the shop. Not available via phone.
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