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About The Event
Katie Spencer & Henry Parker head to the Wrecking Ball Arts Centre for a mid-winter concert in the heart of Hull.
Katie Spencer
Raised in the East Yorkshire flatlands on the fringes of Hull, Katie Spencer’s landscape has always been that of open skies and widening rivers. Industry still shapes the city here. The people, as with the land, are moulded by tides and stark horizons.
Stand in the same place for long enough and you can watch the sun rise over the North Sea and then sink into crop fields, glowing auburn in late-summer sun. It is this sense of space and movement that flows through Katie Spencer’s music.
The songwriting, and most notably her guitar playing stems from a time when the steel-stringed instrument was truly finding its voice. Artists like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and perhaps most evidently Michael Chapman, flow into her sound, carrying with them the warmth and idealism of the early 70’s folk and songwriter movements.Katie Spencer’s widely celebratednew album, The Edge of the Land(2022), follows her debut release, Weather Beaten (2019) which was praised for its unique song-craft, spell-binding musicianship and crystal sonic clarity, as she brought together fans of music from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Delicate and un-rushed, the ten songs on The Edge of the Land drift by like ships on the horizon, yet intimacy and introspection still remain.
The inclusivity found in her recorded works is most apparent when on stage, with a personal connection and humour that allows the listener time to appreciate the emotion of the music. Her historical gig list is extensive, taking in the world-renowned Celtic Connections and Cambridge Folk Festival, whilst performances with Danny Thompson and Alan Thomson have left audiences in awe of her confidence and craftsmanship.
As live music has returned to our world, we can expect to see Katie Spencer where she belongs once more, eyes closed, in the moment, performing.
“The way Katie plays is never contrived, showy or imitative; it sounds true … a world-class folk guitarist” – fRoots
“Katie’s guitar playing has echoes of my dear friend the late great Bert Jansch. Like a musical weaver she threads her poetic lyrics through the guitar’s strings and produces little tapestries of song” – Ralph McTell
“She makes her own quietly ingenious musical statement through the notes and silences, making every note, phrase and musical punctuation mark count in a deft, elegant and intelligently undemonstrative fashion … Katie’s stylish blend of warmth and precision proves intensely captivating!” – Folk Radio
Henry Parker
With his eco-conscious debut album ‘Silent Spring’ (2019), Henry Parker laid down a new sound for modern folk music, drawing deep from the well of the sixties and seventies revival. His style is a clear joining of the past and the present, a unique voice in the folk world that echoes with sounds
of the tradition, whilst venturing beyond, into the realms of folk-rock and psych.
A devoted guitarist since childhood, Henry Parker’s musical roots go back to a self appointed upbringing in rock and heavy metal, yet, at the age of 20, paths were taken that led him adrift. Soon enthralled by the ethereal playing of Bert Jansch and Nick Drake; finger-picking and open tunings rapidly became the essence of his sound. Coupled with a love for his immediate moorland surroundings of West Yorkshire, we are presented with a strain of informed, progressive folk music found nowhere else.
Having spent the past 5 years playing headline concerts and supporting many of his musical heroes, including Michael Chapman, Wizz Jones and Bridget St John, Henry Parker’s 2nd album, ‘Lammas Fair’, released at the end of 2021, brings him to the forefront of the progressive folk music world. Heralded across the music press as an essential album, it is this latest release that has seen Parker emerge as a respected artist in the worlds of folk-rock, psych and traditional music.
“His relaxed vocals and songwriting are as warm and open as his tunings.” 8/10 – Uncut Magazine
“What Parker does so effectively is to blend ancient with early-70’s and modern styles.” – Mojo ★★★★
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