Monday 19 May, Johnsonville Club, 1 Norman Lane (off Johnsonville Road), Johnsonville, Wellington, 7:30 pm. Plenty of parking up the drive at the venue, bus and train nearby. 

Entry: $20/$15 for members. Cash only (no eftpos facilities). 

Westward are Deb and Mike Harding, Lisa Dohig and Ken Kowalchuk – a foursome named after one of their songs and for their Taranaki home out in the west. All strong vocalists, accompanied by guitar and bass, they bring songs from near and faraway places and times, from the western highways of Ireland and the streets of Glasgow to New Zealand and our own government ‘putting on the squeeze’ (Andy Bassett). Modern folk anthems with a strong message – ‘let the music speak for itself’ (Merry Hell) and ‘you’ve got to do it while you can’ (The Langan Band). Folksongs of intrigue and inspiration, solace and celebration.

Mary Livingston and Sue Chamberlain

When Mary is not snapping amazing photos around Wellington city and coast, she is a singer-songwriter and guitar-player. Sue loves singing many types of music – jazz, country, show tunes, world music and the wide umbrella that is folk. Together they are keen to share their eclectic repertoire, including songs of myth, legend and passion from the ever-restless sea.

Peter Berry

“You are old father William and well past your prime and grown uncommonly fat…” – the starting line of an old poem that seems uncomfortably accurate nowadays. But I can still sing, which after all is the reason I’m coming down to Wellington to entertain you. I can sing anything from opera to bawdy ballads, but on this occasion, I will limit myself to New Zealand songs. Of particular interest to me are the songs of the likes of Dave Jordan and Peter Cape, as well as the old tramping songs that we used to sing in the back of the tramping club truck as we headed out to the ranges.

Note: The concert will be on the first floor, with access via stairs or the lift. You may have to press the button at the side of the door to gain access to the building.

Supper is not provided, but you’re welcome to purchase drinks, tea and coffee and snacks at the bar. If you want to purchase alcohol, a member of the Johnsonville Club will need to sign you in. Feel free to make your purchases on the way in and bring them up to the room.

Thursday 27 March, Johnsonville Collective Community Hub, 33 Johnsonville Road (opposite NZ Post), Johnsonville, Wellington, 7:30 pm. Parking, bus and train nearby. 

Entry: $20/$15 for members. Cash only (no eftpos facilities). 

Ceann an Éisc (“Key-arn un eeshk”, meaning ‘Head of the Fish’) bring toe-tapping tunes and soulful songs, blending the depths of Celtic tradition with exciting modern melodies.

With Em Griffiths on fiddle and vocals, Kris Nielsen on pipes, whistle, and flute, and Tom Stonehouse on bodhran, you can expect great craic with maximum groove.

Bring your dancing shoes, it’s gonna be a stomper!

Skinny Dennis, aka Eric Daubé and Glenn Barclay, have been playing and singing together for many years and the name of this duo comes from a real-life character in Guy Clark’s ‘LA Freeway’. In previous incarnations, they had more of an Americana sound, but these days they travel a slightly broader musical path, playing a mix of traditional/old and contemporary tunes with comprised of covers and originals. Eric’s wonderful singing is complemented by Glenn’s guitar and occasional mandolin – a combination honed over years of playing together and which they hope you will enjoy.

Recently Decent, Mairi Anne and Marius are originally from South Africa where they played in a variety of bands and festivals. Both play 12-string guitars and have formidable vocal range. Mairi Anne also plays bass and Marius, a rocker at heart, plays baritone guitar. Originally part of the Auckland-based Steam Punk Minstrels, since their move to Wellington they have been bringing their unique blend of Celtic and African folk music, with a hint of jazz and rock, to various local venues.

Thursday 27 February, Johnsonville Collective Community Hub, 33 Johnsonville Road (opposite NZ Post), Johnsonville, Wellington, 7:30 pm. Parking, bus and train nearby. 

Entry: $20/$15 for members. Cash only (no eftpos facilities). 

Krissy’s playing and singing honour the historical depth of folk music while making it her own. She connects deeply with her audience with music that transcends genre and stylistic boundaries. In the wonderful words of Mary Kippenberger: “those notes, those notes that make your neck elongate, your body inch upward, your hands taking an involuntary migration to the heart. Notes of such exquisite, primal purity. Or she just makes you pound your feet, clap your hands and then before you know it you are dancing.”

Keyboardist and harmony singer Peter Jackson is described as a player “whose quiet brilliance and intuition holds things together beautifully and sensitively.“ Together they create fabulous music, journeying from foot-stomping to heart-wrenching and everything in between.

Kirsty Bromley is a contemporary folk singer based in New Zealand who draws on a wide range of traditional music. She has a most disarmingly transparent voice, but in the way that she uses it, has the uncanny and beautiful knack of drawing attention to the song rather than the messenger. Her Debut Album ‘Time Ashore’ features original songs as well as carefully curated folk gems.

Thursday 28 November, Collective Community Hub, 33 Johnsonville Road (opposite NZ Post), Johnsonville, Wellington, 7:30 pm. Parking, bus and train nearby. 

Entry: $20/$15 for members. Cash only (no eftpos facilities). 

Lindsey Shields is a singer and songwriter with her own take on things personal and political, including well-crafted lyrics on topics as diverse as real estate, Harrison Ford and the menopause. She is active in the Dunedin music scene, currently performing with Folkalyptica and the Irish band Erin St. Festival appearances include the Australian National Folk festival, the Vancouver Island Music Fest, and Auckland Folk Festival. She has also toured New Zealand twice and performed in house concerts and folk gatherings in the UK.

• https://lindseyshlds.wixsite.com/linds
• https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/lindseyshields2
• https://lindseyshields.bandcamp.com/

With her clear voice, great feeling, and delicacy Heather Innes will take you through the gamut of emotions from powerful ballads to gentle lullabies in a performance tinged with timely humour. She had toured numerous countries singing in folk clubs and pubs with various groups and in her a cappella duo Caim has even performed twice for the Dalai Llama in Northern Ireland.

WilkieMac, Lynne Wilkins and Michael Mackinnon, are based in Raglan. They have recently completed several recording projects and are looking forward to sharing songs from: ‘The Guinea Stamp’, a collection inspired by Robert Burns; ‘The Pleasure Will Be Mine’, a collection of favourite celtic and local folk songs; and ‘When the West Wind Blows’, a collection of Lynne’s songs and tunes.

We’ve had some terrific main events this year so far, but we’re taking a break this month for the Wellington Folk Festival, occurring at Labour Weekend.

To find out more about that, go to the website or follow Wellyfest on Facebook. It’ll be the biggest event in the Wellington folk annual calendar. 

Meanwhile our usual smaller events are still on – please see our Events page for details. 

First cab off the rank:  Acoustic Routes Social Club, Tuesday 2 October 1.30pm

We’ll see you at one of those events or at the Festival. Check back here to find out details of our November concert with Lindsey Shields all the way from Dunedin. 

Thursday 26 September, Collective Community Hub, 33 Johnsonville Road (opposite NZ Post), Johnsonville, Wellington, 7:30 pm. Parking, bus and train nearby. 

Entry: $15/$10 for members. Cash only (no eftpos facilities). 

Black Eyed Susie is a band born and bred on the Kapiti Coast, featuring the violin and guitar duo of Susan Colien-Reid and Ramon Oza. Susan has supported many artists including The Blind Boys of Alabama and Ramon is the slick funky blues guitarist with the husky voice who has played since he was 14 including drifting with the “Drifters”, so he’s pretty darn good… Susan and Ramon have worked together for many years and have played festivals, gigs and venues all over the North Island.

A classically trained violinist, Susan has had many accolades offshore and nationwide with her internationally acclaimed band Carousel, performing at Festivals in NZ and Australia. Ramon is one of NZ’s finest guitarists and a song writer in his own right. Together they have written and recorded songs with a strong Celtic / Blues / Funk sound. They are passionate about supporting needs in their own community and have performed and composed songs for White Ribbon Day events, Amnesty International, Food Banks, and Children’s Services. Their performances always include original songs, Fleetwood Mac, Beatles, Fisherman’s Blues, and a Raggle Taggle Gypsy-O.

https://on.soundcloud.com/PTHEoqSDqDoSKtNV9

Duncan Davidson is a New Zealand native with a clear passion for trad music. He has mixed Scottish, English and Irish heritage and has become an accomplished multi-instrumentalist with an emphasis on Irish trad and Scottish to a lesser degree. He is most sought after for his playing of the 2-row button accordion but also loves to play the tin whistle, trad flute and bouzouki! He loves sharing his music with live audiences whether in a concert setting or a tasty session in a pub or house alongside his muso friends. Duncan has also been teaching trad music over the last couple of decades and enjoys imparting the skills and nuances he’s picked up over the years.

Pick and Mixolydian are a Wellington-based acoustic duo featuring Jo Shrigley on ukulele and vocals with Bruce Omundsen on small pipes, tin whistle, and vocals. Jo’s singing with Wellington’s WOSOSI (World Song Singers) choir cemented her love of things international. As well as picking away at her ukulele, she is studying Music Theory at Victoria University. Highland piping has been a constant presence for Bruce over the last 40 years. Scottish and other Celtic music is a natural choice for the duo, but Bruce enjoys expanding on the mixolydian scale available to his pipes. Together Bruce and Jo have been building a varied folk repertoire and look forward to sharing their joy of music with you.

Thursday 22 August, Collective Community Hub, 33 Johnsonville Road, Johnsonville, Wellington, 7:30 pm. Parking, bus and train nearby. 

Entry: $15/$10 for members. Cash only (no eftpos facilities). 

A Londoner by birth, Vikki Clayton got caught up in music early. By the age of 13, she was asking for a guitar and her recognised musical talent led her to the Trinity College London, and eventually an honours degree in Performing Arts. Although she started out singing English folk songs, she continued listening to rock and progressive rock and the rest, as they say, is history, from the folk rockers ‘Ragged Heroes’ to Fotheringay and Fairport Convention.

Vikki has also recorded eight solo albums with guests including John Giblin (Simple Minds), Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), and Liam Genochey (Steeleye Span), and sung with other folk luminaries, including Richard Thompson, Ralph McTell, and John Martyn. She can make you laugh, cry, rejoice and celebrate within the first set.

We are delighted that Vikki has made New Zealand one of her three current homes and are excited and honoured to have her as a guest at Acoustic Routes.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm4vFDkRANc
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQHw9TjziHU
• http://www.goldilox.co.uk/engfolk/frames/vikki_clayton.htm

Kevin and Rosie sing traditional unaccompanied folk songs. When they met in the singing circle at Wellington Folk Festival, they already had a voice apiece, then they found their voices agreed with each other, and they have been singing harmony together ever since. Their repertoire is flavoured by Kev’s Sussex origins. Farming, songs of the sea, social commentary, history, thievery, and pretty little small birds, sung with feeling: real unadorned old-school trad.

Don Mackay is a Newtown based singer-songwriter best known as one third of “Don and The Divorcees”.  His songs wander about the borders between folk, country and rock.  He has been described as “angry old man shakes his fist at the clouds, and 3 chords”.

Thursday 25 July, Roseneath School Hall, Maida Vale Road, Roseneath, Wellington, 7:30 pm. Parking on site or catch the number 14 bus. 

Entry: $15/$10 for members. Cash only (no eftpos facilities). 

We’ve got a multiplicity of artists from the Wellington region for our July concert, with a loosely country/Americana/bluegrassy sort of flavour, and a healthy mix of covers and self-penned songs. There’s sure to be something to tempt you, so do come along and enjoy a night of warmth and harmony.

Dean Murray is a singer songwriter, luthier, builder, environmentalist, gardener, and fisherman. His large collection of songs, written over a period of 20 years, traverse conversations and observations about places, people, politics, and the planet. They are delivered with sincerity, along with a bunch of stories. Expect a very special combination of homemade songs on handmade guitars in various genres from folk through country to reggae, with occasional harmonica on the side.

Phonic Fever are an exciting new band keen to share their eclectic mix of original songs with ragtime, blues, swing and bluegrass influences. All four sing, sharing lead vocals and four-part harmonies. Anne O’Donnell (harmonica and ukulele) and Charles Greenlees (guitar, mandolin and fiddle), otherwise known as Chazanne, co-write most of the songs. Geoff Pearce (acoustic guitar) is a promising new songwriter and Jenny Kilpatrick of the Eagals and Madillionaires (acoustic bass) completes the line up. Their songs are often tongue in cheek with an element of infectious fun, but with occasional serious undertones and social commentary in unexpected places, for example The Bluegrass Boys and Let’s all love lettuce .

Haewai (Houghton Bay) Collective began a couple of years back when Janine Mitchell recorded an album of her original songs “Etched in My Soul”, with the support of Jack Binding’s great lead guitar and vocals, plus Kevin Ikin’s mandolin magic. Since then, they have performed at various venues including the Moon Bar and Thunderbird café in Wellington and at The Mussel Inn in Golden Bay and have recently been joined by Pete Lamb with his sensitive percussion.

Janine continues to write songs in a 60’s / 70’s folk style, and the group also has lots of fun reviving many of that era’s covers. Favourites include anything that touches the heart; political, protest, environmental and social issues. They are also collaborating on writing new songs.

Ratproof includes Cara Brasted, Rose Dohig, Phoebe Smith, Alex Howie and Rachel Dohig (but without Cara for this gig). They bring a unique mix of instruments and harmonies which have appeared round many kitchen tables, bonfires and more recently the stage, and feature solos on fiddle, banjo, flute, harmonica, and mandolin. Ratproof play acoustic folk/Americana music with both traditional and contemporary selections.

Where the name came from is unclear, even to the band themselves. Is it because Rose caught several rats and a weasel and on her trapline? Or because one day they’ll turn punk? Or because their first gig was at a seed swap? Who knows?

Monday 17 June, Tawa Community Centre, 5 Cambridge Street, Tawa, 7:30 pm. Parking on site or catch the number 60 bus, or the Porirua train to Tawa station.

Entry: $7/$5 for members. Cash only (no eftpos facilities). 

June is a big month for the stars, and this is your chance to star! 

June 21 is the Midwinter Solstice (and the shortest day) and towards the end of June, the cluster of stars we know here as Matariki (the Pleiades) will rise in the sky, giving rise to the beginning of the Māori New Year. We’d like to invite you to celebrate whatever part of that may be important to you in a singaround with a hygge-style (cosy) ambience at the Tawa Community Centre.

Bring your songs, poems or tunes with a wintry, starry and/or Matariki theme and let’s warm up the winter’s night together. To keep it cosy there won’t be a sound system, and to keep it safe, there won’t actually be an open fire!

If you’d like to participate by performing a number or two, please contact Ruth on 0274 515 486 to register.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there. We may even have some seasonal refreshments to share!

Note we have changed both the venue and the usual main event date so as not to clash with other events that may be scheduled at this time. Our usual singaround at Johnsonville on the third Monday is cancelled for this month.