Sunday 26th October
CHRIS SMITHER + special guest BettySoo
£18 | £20 [+10% booking fee]
Doors open 7.30pm
Seated show
Honing his synthesis of folk and blues for over 50 years, Chris Smither, truly an American original, returns to the UK to perform music from his vast song catalogue in 2025.
A profound songwriter and captivating performer, Smither mesmerises listeners with his guitar playing – melding the styles of his two major influences, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Mississippi John Hurt into his own signature guitar sound. His music draws deeply from the blues, American folk music, modern poets and humanist philosophers and continues to earn accolades. Critics universally agree on Smither’s important contribution to contemporary music from five-star reviews
in Mojo magazine to a Top 10 spot on Rolling Stone Senior Editor David Fricke’s best of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival performances in 2014.
Chris’ songs have appeared in films and TV shows and been covered by Bonnie Raitt, John Mayall, Emmylou Harris and Diana Krall, among others. Chris continues to tour festivals, music clubs and concerts halls all over the world.
Chris’ 20th album, All About the Bones, produced by longtime friend and producer David Goodrich, features eight brand new songs plus Smither renditions of Eliza Gilkyson’s Calm Before the Storm and Tom Petty’s Time to Move On. Recorded at Sonelab Studios in Easthampton, Massachusetts with Goodrich, Zak Trojano, BettySoo, and Chris Cheek joining Chris, All About the Bones is signature-Smither.
‘With a weary, well-travelled voice and a serenely intricate finger-picking style, Mr. Smither turns the blues into songs that accept hard-won lessons and try to make peace with fate.’ New York Times
All About the Bones: MOJO (5 stars) and The New York Times: ‘stoic existential ruminations sung in a pained, weathered moan and set to quietly virtuosic guitar.’
BETTYSOO
Singer-songwriter BettySoo joined Chris in the studio to make All About the Bones and is Chris’ special guest on this UK and Ireland tour.
‘Betty Soo may well have the most gorgeous voice in Texas …if not in all contemporary folk – its purity and strength can be downright devastating.’ Acoustic Guitar Magazine
She’s won the requisite awards: Kerrville NewFolk, Big Top Chautauqua Songwriter of the Year, Dave Carter Songwritng Award at Sisters Folk Festival, Mountain Stage NewSong Compettion. She’s played the festvals: multiple SXSW’s, Kerrville, Calgary, and more. And the radio shows: E-Town, Mountain Stage, WoodSongs, BBC 2 with Bob Harris.
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