Songwriters Live: The Townsend Records Write Up (plus photos)

TOWNSEND Records in Great Harwood played host to an all day long Songwriters Live session on Saturday(April 20^th) with nine acts performing at the back of the shop to celebrate and promote independent music in style.

And I can personally vouch for the fact that there were queues out the door buying fresh vinyl, cds and  lapping up the noise from at least 8am in the morning. A worthwhile celebration of National Records Store Day – a national event supporting over 200 indie stores with acts playing simultaneously all over the UK.

Not to be outdone by the likes of Paul Weller’s in-store performance at Rough Trade East in London or Glasvegas live in Avalanche, Edinburgh - Lancashire, with all our home grown talent on the doorstep , enjoyed its own boost to a small but vibrant scene of musicians and songwriters with its own event.   Preston based songwriter Tom Metcalfe, a stripped down acoustic Susie Jones Band and Sweeney Astray were joined by the likes of Clitheroe’s The Remedy, Longridge songwriter Peter Aldridge with guitarist Steve Ripley, Glyn Shipman, of Ribchester, and Blackburn’s Brett Hamer, for half hour sets with mics and amps provided by Townsend. 

http://www.townsend-records.co.uk/rsd2013.php 

Townsend Records also has branches in Clitheroe, Chorley and Leyland.

Paid in sandwiches and constant brews, fuelled by good humour and a constant on-going desire to write and play, we fingerpicked, strummed and occasionally slid around an electric, to a backdrop of blue skies outside and cd racks in. Meanwhile, Great Harwood’s music lovers trundled about the shop and selected their latest choice of sounds old and new. Some stayed to watch and witness to sample the atmosphere of live performance.

Lancashire was also lucky enough to enjoy two sets from a young veteran from the national folk scene, Gren Bartley, a prolific songwriter and established performer now based in the midlands but previously a resident of Clitheroe and Manchester. Signed to Fellside Recordings in Cumbria, Gren is currently touring his fifth album of wistful, sweet guitar melodies entitled “Winter Fires”. A hard worker and all round nice fella, Gren has performed at festivals up and down the country and you could tell by his technical proficiency and easy going professionalism that he’d been there.

Gren Bartley, signed to Fellside Recordings in Cumbria, does some footstomping!

According to store manager Gaz, of the enormous, fantastic beard, it’s the was the busiest day this year and an all round success. The whole event drawing public attention to a well love institution the record shop, under threat, like the paperback, from online clicks and corporate domination.

Record Store Manager Gaz reviews the day.

For myself as a performer and songwriter I was delighted to find chocolate éclairs upstairs and disappointed that I only discovered the chicken and bacon sandwiches towards the end of the day.

Sweeney Astray (Anna, Mike, Elliott of The Remedy on bass and Katie)

 Mike, Anna and Elliott will perform live at the Chipping Acoustic Sessions this Thursday (April 26th)
The gig starts at 9pm at the Tilotson. This night is also an open mic so all guitarists and songwriters a re welcome.https://www.facebook.com/events/141635036019466/141635039352799/?notif_t=like

Double bass player Hannah Dacey is currently in London studying  at the Royal College of Music but will be back in the summer.

To hear music and for free Sweeney Astray downloads check their reverbnation site. http://www.reverbnation.com/sweeneyastray Please like our Sweeney Astray facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SweeneyAstray?ref=stream or follow us on twitter https://twitter.com/SweeneyAstray

for professional guitar lessons phone Mike Kneafsey on 07760888050