The guide is pulled together by the Grassroots Music Network, representing a number of independent live music venues in the borough – The Trades Club, The Golden Lion, The Grayston Unity, The Puzzle and The Blind Pig.
The latest edition features events set up by a group of 16 to 19-year-olds from the ‘Do-It-Together Youth Music Boot Camp’.
At the start of the year, a number of young adults applied to join the Culturedale initiative, run by local musician and promoter Andy Abbott. The ideas was to start a music collective to help form the next generation of cultural activists in the grassroots music scene. The group includes emerging musicians, promoters and technicians from across Calderdale.
Andy Abbott: “Throughout March and April we visited grassroots music venues in the borough and heard from the venue owners, programme managers, bookers, committees, technicians and behind-the-scenes workers who shared their journeys, tips and advice, and opportunities to get involved locally. We also met with independent record label operators, festival curators, designers, studio owners and other people in the wider music industry.”
Each session that Andy organised was varied and bespoke, but the overall takeaway was that you don’t need to wait to get involved, and that the grassroots music scene, especially here in Calderdale, is excited to support and work with young people however it can, and retain, develop and grow the wealth of talent that exists here.
The Boot Camp cohort have now utilised their skills and contacts to pull together a programme of gigs throughout May, June and July.
Andy: “It’s an impressive range of events that they’re involved in as musicians, promoters, technicians or sometimes, in true DIY fashion, all three.”
Take a look at the PDF Gig Guide above for details. Some of the many highlights include:
Monday 19th May
Toria Wooff + Rebecca Spooner, The Golden Lion (Todmorden) – Gothic folk and singer-songwriter. 7pm. Free entry.
Sunday 25th May
Antidote feat. Emergence Collective + Dean McPhee + John Haycock,Victoria Theatre Green Room (Halifax) – 6:30pm £12/£10.
Saturday 28th June
DIT Calderdale Acoustic Open Mic, Sowerby Bridge Festival, Town Square Pop-up, Wharf Street -11am–4pm.
Saturday 28th June
Dan’s Girlfriend + Anjaana, Sowerby Bridge Festival, Fire & Water, Hollins Mill Lane – 7pm. Free entry.
Thursday 3rd July
Lower Slaughter + Slow Knife + Lands & Body, The Golden Lion (Todmorden) – Noise rock and experimentalism. 7:30pm £8/£10.
Saturday 6th July
Rebecca Spooner, Heptonstall Festival
Saturday 12th July
DJ Adam Statham + Jordan Rothwell, The Golden Lion (Todmorden) – 8pm £5/£7.
Saturday 19th July
DIT Calderdale All-dayer, featuring Testament, The Memory Club, doogle, Preskooler, The Puzzle Hall (Sowerby Bridge). 1pm-late. Pay-as-you-feel / donations entry.
Friday 25th July
Atlas, The Polished Knob (Todmorden) – Indie rock from Walsden / Rochdale. 8pm. Free entry
Sunday 27th July
Antidote featuring Ibantuta + Hameed Brothers Qawwal, Victoria Theatre Green Room (Halifax) – 6:30pm. £12/£10.
Keep an eye on the Culturedale website – http://www.culturedale.couk – for more news about the Youth Music Takeover programme and future events from the Do-It-Together Boot Camp.
The feature image of Rose Villas performing at The Trades Club was taken by Jamie Herbert – @jamieherbertphotography07
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