A WHOLE bunch of Yorkshire musicians are joining forces on Friday at The Crescent, in The Crescent, to perform in aid of the York charity Accessible Arts & Media.
Organised by Stan Smith and Ann Dunford of York alt-country duo Mulholland, the gig sees Accessible Arts & Media and Mulholland take to the stage together for a second time after their Neil Young 70th birthday gig last year.
Friday's line-up comprises Atomic Raygun, Carrie Martin and Mullholland, all giving their time and playing for free, plus Accessible Arts' Hands & Voices choir, who begin the show with a "guaranteed crowd-pleaser of a set".
Atomic Raygun. Picture: Yellow Mustang Photography
Atomic Raygun are a "hard trash surf garage dance music rock'n'roll five-piece", bringing together two former members of Bradford band The Bomb Circle and some of York's itinerant musicians "to scavenge the trash heap of rock'n'roll". The band's first EP, Welcome To Uncanny Valley, was released this month and is available only on 12" blue vinyl.
"Having headlined at various venues and festivals throughout the year, we're delighted to join this line-up supporting Accessible Arts & Media for one last outing in 2016," say Atomic Raygun.
Carrie Martin is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Hull whose influences are Eva Cassidy, Heart's Ann Wilson and her mentor Gordon Giltrap, who guests on her second album, What If, released by Trapeze Music. Keyboards player Oliver Wakeman (Rick's son) and Fairport Convention violinist Ric Sanders play on the record too.
Carrie Martin. Picture: Vicecersarobbi
Mulholland's alt-country and folk songs fuse the sounds of the city and the spirits of the backwoods. "Our influences reach back to the heyday of singer/songwriters in the Sixties and Seventies in our take on acoustic Americana, with close harmonies, self-penned country/rootsy material and reinterpreted songs from the past," say Stan and Ann.
Hands & Voices are a 50-strong singing and signing choir who have won national and international acclaim for their innovative approach to making music more accessible. On Friday they will be performing a folk-inspired set, given their special Hands & Voices twist.
“Stan and I are really looking forward to playing," says Ann Dunford. "Last year’s gig was such a joyful affair that we were really keen to repeat it. You just can’t beat the Hands & Voices choir for sheer enthusiasm and that, when coupled with Carrie’s beautiful singing and guitar playing and Atomic Raygun’s sheer energy, should make for a fantastic evening at The Crescent.”
Hands & Voices, the Accessible Arts & Media choir. Picture: Accessible Arts & Media
Rose Kent, managing director of Accessible Arts & Media, emphasises that "music and performance is for everyone". "At Accessible Arts we believe that inclusive music can and should be incorporated into the gigs and events that we all regularly go and see," she says.
"We defy anyone to watch our choir’s cheeky nature and sheer joy of performance and not leave with a huge smile on their face. We’d like to say a huge thank-you to Mulholland for continuing to support us; it’s going to be a brilliant night.”
Accessible Arts & Media champions and celebrates the skills and talents of young people and adults with disabilities through a range of pioneering and inclusive creative projects.
Tickets are on sale at £6 at seetickets.com/event/atomic-raygun/the-crescent/1034256 or at £8 on the door from 7.30pm.
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