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X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Pickering Book Tree
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260918T193000
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DTSTAMP:20260823T184639Z
CREATED:20260823T184639Z
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UID:10000063-1789759800-1789768800@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Carrie Martin
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to welcome the wonderful Carrie Martin to the Book Tree as part of Pickering Midsummer Festival CIC’s Rooted series of events with the launch concert for her much anticipated new album\, Le Fay. \nThe title track is based on Morgan le Fay\, a powerful enchantress in Celtic mythology and Arthurian legend. Le Fay is a mystical album with elements of myth\, magic and spirituality. We are excited to hear Carrie share original songs from her new collection\, and some of the stories behind writing them\, live at this event! \nCarrie’s music spans an eclectic mix of folk\, blues and prog rock influences. She is an incredible song writer\, vocalist and guitarist\, and this is sure to be a fantastic evening. \nThe show will be opened by singer-songwriter John Drakes playing self-penned songs and covers in the traditional style. \nCarrie will then perform two sets\, one showcasing favourites from her extensive back catalogue of music\, and one playing tracks from her stunning new album Le Fay to celebrate its launch. \nThe event will be held in our atmospheric upstairs events space\, surrounded by the building’s old oak beams. Drinks will be available at an informal bar before the show and during the interval. \nThe bookshop door and bar will be open from 7pm\, and the concert will start at 7.30pm. \n  \nAbout the Musician\nMartin is equally skilled on guitar\, on vocals and as writer. The voice is distinctive- the crystalline purity and range of a Kate Bush\, the depth and delicacy of a Sandy Denny. And the songs to which she applies them stand up with any of her peers. The chord sequence of the title track evokes Joni Micthell’s Hejira album — Trevor Raggatt\, RnR Magazine \nBorn in Hull\, Carrie Martin is an acoustic guitarist and singer/songwriter from East Yorkshire UK. Mentored by instrumental guitarist Gordon Giltrap MBE she has attracted endorsements from Vintage Guitars\, G7th Capos\, Martin Strings and most recently she has become an artist for Faith Guitars. \nHer last three albums Seductive Sky\, Entity and Evergreen have included guests Elliott Randall\, Gordon Giltrap\, Oliver Wakeman\, Daniel Cassidy (brother of late Eva Cassidy) ex Bad Company guitarist Dave Colwell\, John Verity (Argent) and Roger Fisher (ex Heart guitarist). \nCarrie has performed in Canada on tour and has represented Vintage Guitars three times at the Namm Show In California. She also guests at various guitar shows around the UK to demo her use of open tunings. \nMay 2023 saw her take to the stage at The Roses Theatre\, Tewkesbury\, alongside Gordon Giltrap MBE\, Oliver Wakeman and the mighty Rick Wakeman CBE … which led to Rick quoting Carrie as ‘Phenomenal’. The following year she was invited by Rick to join him on stage for Morning Has Broken. \nIt’s pretty obvious from the moment you hear Carrie Martin sing that she is an outstanding vocalist with passion in each breath. Don’t be too sidetracked by that voice and stage persona and well-crafted songs\, because you might just miss the fact that she is a fine guitar player as well! — Gordon Giltrap \n  \nFind Out More\nFollow Carrie on Facebook or Instagram \nRead more about Carrie on her website \nExplore Carrie’s music on Bandcamp or YouTube \n  \nTickets\n£12 from the bookshop counter or online from the Pickering Festival: Rooted Ticket Source page \n \nDirect link to the event booking page here
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/carrie-martin/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Live Music,Pickering Festival: Rooted
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Carrie-Martin-Le-Fay-webp.webp
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261026T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261026T220000
DTSTAMP:20260830T024207Z
CREATED:20260830T024207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260830T024207Z
UID:10000066-1793043000-1793052000@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:John Blek
DESCRIPTION:John Blek once again proved why he remains one of Ireland’s most compelling folk songwriters\, delivering a performance that was honest\, funny\, moving\, and deeply memorable — Ian Mc Donnell (Mc Gig Music Magazine) on The Midnight Ache tour performance at Cleere’s Bar & Theatre\, Kilkenny  \nWe are excited to welcome Irish singer-songwriter John Blek to Pickering during the UK tour for his latest album\, The Midnight Ache\, which was released earlier this year. \nJohn is a fantastic musician and storyteller\, influenced by a varied mix of styles from the traditional folk of Ireland\, Britain and the US\, to alt. country\, to folk-informed pop. His music is emotionally resonant\, transporting the listener with his timeless voice\, fingerstyle guitar and stories often inspired by the many places he’s visited on tour. \nJohn’s music has been described as “always poetic\, always melodic\, always entertaining” (Julie Williams-Nash for Folk and Tumble Magazine on John’s 2023 album Until the Rivers Run Dry). His following album\, Cheer Up\, took him on a more introspective musical path\, revealing personal and poignant lyrical aspects of his character. The Midnight Ache continues in this direction\, with eleven soulful and gently resonant songs which are intimate and deeply human. \nBlek wears his vulnerabilities and anxieties openly\, just as he does his hopes and heart\, resulting in another sublime album that underscores his standing among the Irish greats — Mike Davies (KLOF Magazine) on The Midnight Ache \nJohn will play two sets\, including new music from The Midnight Ache alongside favourites from his impressive back-catalogue of nine solo albums. \nThe event will be held in our atmospheric upstairs events space\, surrounded by the building’s old oak beams. Drinks will be available at an informal bar before the show and during the interval. \nThe bookshop door and bar will be open from 7pm\, and the concert will start at 7.30pm. \nBeautiful\, lush without being cloying\, understated and at a tempo that sounds like effortless perfection. John Blek always delivers and on The Midnight Ache\, smooth but quietly explorative music coupled with his soulful voice is a winning combination — Marc Higgins (Fatea Magazine) \n  \nAbout the Musician\nBlek is an artist with a story to tell. With his timeless emotive voice and layered fingerstyle guitar you will be transported from scene to scene as his expansive songbook unfolds. \nJohn Blek is Cork City born and bred but is currently residing in north Co. Cork. His parents\, both of whom were primary school teachers\, had to bribe him to stay in school after his 16th birthday with the promise of a new guitar on the completion of his final exams. Such was John’s belief in his ability and chosen path in life that he was willing to forgo the more traditional education sought by his peers. This conviction carries through to his art. His music is written from such a personal place that it creates the sense that he grew up with these songs\, that they are in his blood – and in a way he did\, they are his thoughts\, his words\, his sounds and his stories. Though not all autobiographical\, like many of the great painters\, an element of the artist exists in every portrait. \nIt all began for him in the passenger seat of his father’s Hiace van. Parked in the driveway running the battery down listening to cassettes from Jim Croce\, Willy Nelson and The Beatles. These formative musical experiences unknowingly laid the foundation for John’s self lead musical education. Later the discovery of Bert Jansch\, Bob Dylan\, Nick Jones and Neil Young added more fuel to his fire. He began writing his own music at 15 for no other reason than that he found it frustrating and false trying to learn and imitate other musicians’ work. That was the start of his pursuit of his own unique voice. \nBlek has a love of music in the real sense\, he creates to create. At 38 he has a catalogue of music that would represent a life’s work for many musicians. He is a career musician\, and has dedicated his working life to developing his art. He began his solo career in 2014\, and over the last eleven years has created a reputation as a singer songwriter who is sure to leave a legacy of timeless music that will speak to generations. He has released 9 studio albums to date Cheer Up (2024)\, Until The Rivers Run Dry (2023)\, On Ether & Air (2021)\, Digressions #2 Grounded (2021)\, The Embers (2020)\, Thistle & Thorn (2019)\, Catharsis Vol.1 (2017)\, Cut the Light (2016)\, and Cutting Room Floor (2014) with his 10th coming in January 2026. He speaks about his craft as passionately as he performs and has a dedicated fan base\, meaning he has a well-worn path returning to play venues across Germany\, Belgium\, Holland\, Denmark and the UK as well playing to sold out venues in Ireland. \nIn an age when it would be easy to become disillusioned with the music industry John has remained steadfastly positive and unyieldingly independent and creative. Known for being one of Ireland’s hardest touring musicians the Cork based creative tours relentlessly in Europe and the UK as well as his native Ireland. His live show is thoughtful and entertaining\, littered with stories and showcasing his arresting vocals and intricate guitar playing. \nWhile Blek is a solo artist he regularly collaborates\, and indeed will write new music with collaborators in mind. As a result\, it never feels like another artist is merely gate crashing his music instead it works as a beautiful harmonious meeting of artists who understand each other. Recent collaborations include Cathy Davey and Colm Mac Con Iomaire who play on Until The Rivers Run Dry album. Kris Drever & Kit Downes who both join John on his album On Ether & Air\, Joan Shelley who embodies Laura\, one of the characters in Blek’s duet ‘The Body’ and fellow Corkonian Mick Flannery who duets with him on ‘Revived’ a single from the 2020 album The Embers. \n  \nThe Midnight Ache\nThe Midnight Ache is a staggeringly beautiful and perfectly formed piece of alternative folk with a lo-fi heart and touches of modest grandeur delivered by an artist with a voice that could break a heart in two and songs that could heal the most weary of souls. \nKnown for being one of Ireland’s most creative and independent artists\, John Blek brings us another beautiful record of 11 new songs. This time around John has taken his DIY spirit one step further. Not only did he self record and produce the majority of the album he went so far as to build the recording studio with his own bare hands. A labour of love but labour all the same. \nIn April 2024 Blek finished building his new creative home\, Bigger River Recording Co.\, and set about working on what would become The Midnight Ache. Echos of Sea Change era Beck and Sparklehorse give this record a lo-fi intimacy while the string arrangements balance the sound with an element of grandeur and sophistication. Home is very much at the heart of this new album\, it features vocal performances by John’s wife and even the cover is adorned with pressed flowers from their garden. Additional production and mixing was done by regular collaborator Brian Casey at Wavefield Recordings. \n“This album took me by surprise. I was slowly writing and using the songs to try to get to know the new studio space. Sonically feeling my way around and seeing what I could achieve when all of a sudden I realised I was looking at a new record.” \n  \nFind Out More\nFollow John on Facebook or Instagram \nRead more about John on his website \nExplore John’s music on Bandcamp or YouTube \n  \nTickets\n£12 from the bookshop counter or online from the Pickering Festival: Rooted Ticket Source page \n \nDirect link to the event booking page here
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/john-blek/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Live Music,Pickering Festival: Rooted
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/John-Blek-webp.webp
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