met brochure january - april 2011

What’s OnJanuary » April 2011

The Met is run by Bury

Metropolitan Arts Association,

a registered charity (No 701879).

We gratefully acknowledge

the support of our funders:

Address The Met, Market St,

Bury, BL9 0BW

Tickets 0161 761 2216

Admin 0161 761 7107

email [email protected]

web http://themet.biz

Paper made from an FSC

accredited sustainable

source, using vegetable based inks.

Please recycle this brochure.

And of our sponsors:

There’s plenty to get excited

about this season with The

Met building on our reputation

for attracting the very best

in touring artists to Bury.

We’re also making a number of

changes to the venue, including

a new recording studio opening

in April 2011. We’ve built a new

studio space and made upgrades

to make your visit even more

of an exciting experience.

This season, there’s plenty to

see including Dave Spikey, Paper

Birds, Roddy Woomble, Seth

Lakeman and Mike Harding.

We welcomed a record number

of visitors last year with plenty

of sell outs. Make sure you

book early for this season

and avoid missing

out on these

fantastic

artists.

Come along to events and

support us to keep us as

one of the best independent

art centres in the UK.

David Agnew, Director

Welcome

Uiscedwr and Mat Walklate jam in

The Met’s Malt bar, December 2010

R O C K & P O P

Manc FloydFull Circle 2011

Sat 15 January 8.30pm / £10

Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the

Moon is one of the biggest

selling albums in musical history.

Released in 1973, it stayed on

the US Billboard Album Charts

for 741 weeks continuously, the

longest duration of any album ever.

In this concert tribute band

Manc Floyd perform the album

in its entirety, as well as

classics from Animals, Wish

You Were Here and The Wall.

C O M E D Y

Laughing Horse Comedy CompetitionWednesday 19

January 8.30pm / £5

The Met is once again the venue

for the northern heat of this

prestigious national comedy

competition featuring a selection

of acts who will compete for

a chance of fame where you

the audience are the judges!

So come along and cheer a

local through to the finals.

C O M E D Y

Dave SpikeyThursday 20 & Wednesday 26

January 8pm / £15 / £14 conc

The legendary comedian

returns for a warm up in aid

of the Charity Paws 4 Kids.

R O C K & P O P

Whole Lotta LedLed Zep IV showFriday 21 January 8.30pm

£12 advance / £14 door

Whole Lotta Led pay tribute to

Led Zeppelin with a mixture of

Zep classics alongside the whole

of the Led Zeppelin IV album.

Given the thumbs-up by no less

a guitar god than Jimmy Page

himself, Whole Lotta Led are

the Led Zeppelin tribute band.

Manc Floyd

Dave Spikey

D R A M A

Call Mr RobesonWritten and Performed by Tayo Aluko

Wednesday 26 January 8pm

£10 / £6 concession & members

J A Z Z

Tayo Aluko’s one

man show is a roller

coaster journey through

the life of African

American actor, singer

and activist Paul Robeson.

An internationally known

star of the stage in the 1920s,

in later years Robeson became

increasingly political, fighting racial

segregation and supporting socialism.

Call Mr Robeson highlights how his activism

caused him to be disowned and disremembered,

even by the leaders of the civil rights movement.

The play features some of Robeson’s most famous songs

and speeches, including a dramatic rendition of Ol’ Man River.

Europe’s number one Western

Swing sextet are are back at

The Met, with their new line

up, bigger and better than

ever. The Swing Commanders

have emerged as international

artistes with their unique

rendition of popular music

from the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s.

Prepare for a great night out!

The Swing CommandersThursday 27 January 8pm / £10 / £9 concession & members

F A M I L Y

Room in the Sky Lyngo Theatre Company

Saturday 29 January 1pm / £6 / £4 members

F O L K R O O T S

Richard WoodSaturday 29 January 8pm

£12 / £10 conc & members

Dynamic celtic fiddle playing

from Canadian Richard Wood.

A foot-tapping collection of

celtic jigs, reels, strathspeys, and

clogs - traditional dance tunes,

and new material inspired by

his love of Scottish folk music.

“The most entertaining fiddler I

have ever seen.” Shetland Times

R O C K & P O P

Thea GilmoreFriday 28 January 8pm / £16 seated / £14 standing

Acclaimed as the finest UK singer-

songwriter of her generation,

Thea Gilmore has blazed a trail of

quality and artistic independence.

She has collaborated and shared

stages with The Waterboys,

Joan Baez, Steve Earle, Martha

Wainwright and Beth Orton.

“The most coherent, literate

and charged British singer-

songwriter of her generation...

makes mincemeat of the

current propensity for

feyness” **** MOJO

A Mr Kite Benefit.

The sky is so much bigger than

the earth and everything comes

from it - light and shadow,

clouds and rain and all the green

grass and the woolly sheep.

Two clowns play with all the

sky things and get everyone

else to play with them too.

You can join in on stage or stay

in your seat as the action is

brought to you by CBeebies’

Razzle Dazzle and Let’s

Celebrate star Patrick Lynch.

The world will seem a bigger

place afterwards... Ages 5-10.

D R A M A

The Ringof StonesPresented by t-Chi Productions

Thursday 3 February 7.30pm

£8 / £6 concession

The inspiring musical about the

plague village of Eyam returns

to raise money for British forces

charity Help for Heroes.

A cast of eighteen, full orchestra

and original songs. Powerful

musical theatre with laughter

and tears in equal measure.

C O M E D Y

First Thursday Comedy ClubThursday 3 February

8.30pm / £8

Featuring comedians George

Egg, Daliso Chapondra, Phil

Buckley and Paul Savage.

R O C K & P O P

RoddyWoomble

Familiar to many thousands

of music fans as the front

man in the Scottish rock band

Idlewild, Roddy Woomble

is also a celebrated solo

songwriter and performer.

He follows up his acclaimed

2006 solo debut My Secret

is My Silence with a tour

promoting his new album.

A Mr Kite Benefit.

F A M I L Y S H O W

Who’s Been Sitting inMy Chair?Freehand Theatre

Saturday 5 February 1pm

£6 / £4 members

A musical version of the well

known tale – with porridge and

bears and one two three chairs.

Think you know this story? It’s

not easy to tell when it’s winter

and the bears won’t wake up.

But spring puts a spring in our

steps – and one little girl is

always a step ahead… Ages 3-7.

Friday 4 February 8pm / £16

F O L K R O O T S

Vin GarbuttThursday 10 February 8pm


Vin Garbutt’s music is powerful,

moving, inspired, funny and gut

wrenchingly honest. This singer

songwriter is a BBC Folk Award

winner (and many times nominee)

and has been at the forefront of

the folk world for many years.

R O C K & P O P

Chris Farlowewith The Norman Beaker Band

Friday 11 February 8pm / £15

An unmissable evening of soul

and blues from this legendary

singer with a staggering fifty

years in the business.

Chris has guested with the

greats, including Van Morrison

and toured with The Manfreds,

Alan Price and many others.

From Stormy Monday via

Handbags and Glad Rags to his

number one hit Out of Time.

F O L K R O O T S

ahabFriday 11 February 8.30pm


Ahab emerged from the vibrant

music scene in Hoxton and

Shoreditch, the creative heart of

north London. The band share

a love of American music and

songwriting, and honed their

skills busking throughout London.

Mixing Americana with a British

folk-rock sensibility, Ahab’s

music has a laid-back swing

but there’s also an undercurrent

of indie edginess – a lot like

the popular Munford & Sons.

“Ahab is the real deal – top-

notch UK Americana featuring

tight four-piece harmonies.”

Simon Mayo, BBC Radio 2

R O C K & P O P

Sandy Wright and The Toxic Cowboys



Sandy Wright is Scotland’s

best kept secret. A renowned

songwriter, his works have

been performed by Eddi

Reader, Lau, Kris Drever,

Karine Polwart, Chris Wood,

Roddy Woomble and Boo

Hewerdine. In his sixtieth

year he released his

first album The Songs

of Sandy Wright.

With a band behind

him Sandy was

quickly invited

to play at the

Edinburgh

Fringe and

will embark

upon his

first ever

UK tour.

Chris

Farlowe

Vin

Garbutt

R O C K & P O P

Man Made SoleSaturday 12 February 8.30pm / £12.50 / Standing

D R A M A

Others Paper Birds Theatre Company

Man Made Sole return to The Met

to raise money for the NSPCC

charity. This twelve piece band

guarantee to get you off your

seat and on to the dance floor.

Performing songs from Stevie

Wonder to Amy Winehouse,

from Chic to The Commitments,

Man Made Sole always

get the place jumping.

Wednesday 16 February 7.30pm


Paper, pens and envelopes offer

peepholes into strangers’ worlds;

where secrets, self portraits and

confessions are shared through a

series of armchair interrogations.

Based on a six-month exchange

of letters and emails with a

prisoner, a celebrity and an

Iranian artist, Paper Birds offer a

visual and political exploration of

Other women, deconstructing the

stories and voices of women from

the East and West, from different

sides of the television screen

and different sides of the law.

Through live music, movement

and verbatim text, The Paper

Birds attempt to represent three

absent women and question if it

is possible to better understand

other women or indeed ourselves.

F O L K R O O T S

Emily PortmanThursday 17 February 8pm


Inspired by folktales and

ballads, Emily Portman

weaves harmony-rich

narratives relaying female

experience. These visions

of a darker Albion conjure

landscapes where mythical

sirens collide in urban

backstreets. Emily’s first

album has been received with

overwhelming acclaim. with

The Observer hailing it “A

remarkable and original debut.”

Man Made Sole

Others

ahab

Half-term holiday fun for kids... C O M E D Y

Buzz HawkinsTTFN Tour 2011

Friday 18 February 8pm

£15 / £12.50 concession

Rib-cracking comedy sketches

and daft bits from a lifetime

on the radio, crammed into

one bazzin’ show for old times

sake. Buzz Hawkins looks back

at The Bradshaws an’ all that...

and forward to the all new

Bradshaws animation series.

B L U E S

Green MacFriday 18 February

8.30pm / £8

Green Mac showcase the extra-

ordinary talents of Peter Green’s

Fleetwood Mac from 1967-70.

Featuring classics including

Albatross, Man Of The World and

Black Magic Woman, they perform

the blues Peter Green style!

F A M I L Y S H O W

A Little Bird Told MeSnail Tales


£6 / £4 members

Enter the world of wizards,

witches and magical animals

brought to life with music,

puppetry, ventriloquism, audience

participation and a touch of magic!

Delightfully absurd and always

colourful, curious and fun, the

stories explore everything

from helpful gazelles to

dragon poo. Ages 3 to 11.

F A M I L Y S H O W

How the Koala Learned to HugPeople’s Theatre Company

Monday 21 February 1pm

£6 / £4 members

Written for parents to enjoy

with their children, this is a

charming tale about the magic

of family and, of course, the

importance of a nice warm hug!

Join us for some great stories,

sing-along songs, superb

games and first class hugging.

All you

need

are

your

ears

(and your

arms!).

Ages 4+.

F A M I L Y S H O W

Elmer the ElephantBlunderbus Theatre Company

Friday 25 February 1pm

£8 / £6 children & concession

Elmer was different. Elmer was

patchwork. He was yellow and red

and pink and purple and blue and

green and black and white. But

he was not elephant-coloured…

Based on David McKee’s best-

selling book, this fun-filled show

bursts to life with jungle characters,

catchy songs, and beautiful

hand-crafted puppets! Ages 4+.

Teddy Thompson Supported by David Ford

Saturday 19 February 7.30pm

£15 advance / £16 door / Standing

Son of folk rock royalty Richard and

Linda but don’t let the good manners,

pretty melodies and folk legacy

fool you. Teddy Thompson is a

seething ball of malcontent

brought up on a diet of classic

country music, merging

the writing skills of Dad

with the vocal grace of

Mum; not a bad start.

Here are real songs of

heartbreak; bitter lyrics and

intricate pop. Introspective

but never dreary. With

echoes of U2, Springsteen

and Jackson Browne, there’s

plenty of foot-stomping to

go with the melodrama.

Mike HardingMe, a guitar and some daft stuffWednesday 23 February 8pm / £15

C O M E D Y

In this, his first tour

for fifteen years Mike

Harding returns to his

roots with a vengeance.

With a couple of

guitars and more than

forty years of material

to draw on, Mike will

lead you into his own

comic world with

stories and songs that

have had audiences

collapse with laughter

from Sydney to

Stockton, Hong Kong

to Huddersfield. An

evening of songs,

daft stories and

monologues.

F O L K R O C K

Teddy Thompson Mike Harding

F O L K R O O T S

LauSaturday 26 February 8pm / £15 / £12 concession & members

Twice a sell out with Met

audiences in the past two years,

best group at the BBC Radio

2 Folk Awards for two years

running, Lau is a formidable

union of three of the finest and

most innovative exponents

of modern traditional music

in Scotland today: Kris Drever

(guitar and vocal); Martin

Green (piano accordion); and

Aidan O’Rourke (fiddle).

F O L K R O O T S

Emily SmithFriday 25 February 8pm


Emily Smith is a leading light

of the contemporary Scottish

folk scene. Her powerful, clear

vocals have gained her award

winning, worldwide recognition.

Emily comes to The Met with

songs from Traiveller’s Joy, her

stunning new album of songs

written and gathered on the road.

C O M E D Y

Tom StadeThursday 24 February 8pm


As seen on BBC 1 Michael

McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow

and BBC 2 Mock The Week.

This clever and controversial

Canadian tackles a huge range

of topics, from the obscure

to the familiar, from simple

gags to quirky anecdotes with

unexpected punchlines.

A M E R I C A N A

Eve SelisWed 2 March 8pm / £10

San Diego’s queen of Americana

returns to The Met. Eve blends

many styles of American music

into a high calibre cocktail topped

off with a splash of her delicious

“lemonade and whiskey” voice.

C O M E D Y

First Thursday Comedy ClubThursday 3 March

8.30pm / £8

This month’s comedy club

features the hilarious Dame

Mandy Knight, Jonathan Mayor,

Andy Watson and Duncan Oakley.

C O M E D Y

Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band

fans will be delighted to

learn that Roger Ruskin

Spear, Rodney Slater and Sam

Spoons have teamed up with

super-pianist Dave Glasson

to create more fun, music and

subversive diversion in the

spirit of the ageless band.

Three Bonzos and a Piano will

provide a very entertaining, life

affirming ‘hair of the dog’.

Dadaism for the New Age

delivered by the Old Sculptors

of Surrealism - Vivian

Stanshall’s legacy is heartily

celebrated. A guaranteed

hilarious evening of comedy.

Friday 4 March 8pm / £15

Three Bonzos and a Piano

D R A M A

When Will IBe Famous?Hard Graft Theatre Company

Wednesday 2 March 8pm


How easy is it to become famous?

After last year’s hit comedy Poles

Apart, Hard Graft return with a

brand new show. This time they’ll

be trying to become famous in

three months. To watch their

celebrity film go to hardgraft.co.uk

with her heartfelt singing offset

with wonderful stories.

She has a special ability to

communicate the message of a

song, whether it’s one of her own

melancolic compositions or a

more familiar cover version. She

has just released her third album

Good Things Happen Over Coffee.

B L U E S

Ben Waters TrioSaturday 5 March 8pm

£12 seated / £10 standing

Top flight blues pianist Ben Waters

brings his band to Bury for some

hot New Orleans-style blues,

rock’n’roll and boogie woogie.

One of the UK’s finest pianists,

and humorous performers, Ben

takes time off from his big band

project to make a welcome

return to smaller venues.

D R A M A

FamePADOS Youth Theatre

Tue 8 - Fri 11 March 7.30pm

Sat 12 March 2.30pm & 7.30pm

£7 Tue & Sat matinee

£8 all other performances

It is nothing short of a global

phenomenon. From the hit

movie and long-running TV

series to the recent smash-

hit West End musical, Fame is

indeed gonna live forever.

Set during the last years of

New York’s celebrated High

School for the Performing

Arts, Fame is an inspiring

story of a group of students

as they commit to four

years of grueling artistic

and academic work.

PADOS Youth Theatre return

following their sell-out

success with Les Miserables.

V A R I E T Y

Bury’s Got Talent 2011Auditions Saturday 5 March

from 10am / Free to enter

Are you a comedian, a magician, a

dancer, a singer or a songwriter?

A member of a band, dance

troupe or choir? Can you perform

a novelty or variety act?

Then why not audition for a place

in this year’s Bury’s Got Talent

competition? To book a place

call Anton on 07765 873 612.

Part of “So You Think

You’ve Got Talent 2011”.

F O L K R O O T S

Edwina HayesSaturday 5 March 8pm


Edwina Hayes’ performances are

full of warmth and immediacy,

Ben Waters

Edwina Hayes

B L U E S

Ty GarnerSaturday 12 March 8pm


Ty Garner performs original

songs inspired from life and from

living life! His new album, My

Internet Baby has a world class

line-up of musicians who create

a cultural mix of blues roots,

jazz, psychedelia and beyond.

F O L K R O O T S

DàimhThursday 17 March 8pm / £12 / £10 concession & members

W O R K S H O P

Where Blues Meets Hip HopThe Roots of Popular Music

Saturday 12 March 4pm / £4

Looking at the history of

popular music and the musical

elements of rhythm and

melody. Learn how to use

rhythm and melody to explore

the links between blues and

hip hop. With Ty Garner.

James GrantFriday 11 March 8pm


One of the most talented

songwriters in the UK, James

Grant is probably best known

for his work with Love and

Money and Karen Matheson.

His solo career has been equally

successful, with strong influences

of Scott Walker and John Martyn

in his work. His fifth album,

Strange Flowers was released

last year to great acclaim.

R O C K & P O P

Celebrate St Patrick’s Day

with this dynamic Gaelic

six-piece playing Scots, Irish

and Cape Breton music.

This group are immensely

talented with a live energy

rarely rivaled, Dàimh (Dive)

offer a fresh, up to date

approach to traditional music.

An exciting combination of

musicians perform a high

energy, fast-flowing mixture

of tunes, fusing together their

individual styles on bagpipes,

fiddle, banjo, guitar, bodhran

and mandola to create a

unique and compelling sound.

Featuring Gaelic Mod Gold

Medalist, Calum Alex

Macmillan on vocals, Dàimh

released their most recent

album Diversions last year.

Dàimh

A M E R I C A N A

Matt AndersenThursday 17 March 8pm


At the Grant Arms, Ramsbottom

Canadian Matt Andersen has a

larger than life showmanship

that has been earning him a

fervent and steadfast audience

wherever he graces the stage.

A M E R I C A N A

Coal PortersSaturday 19 March 8pm


The Coal Porters started

life as a folk band but have

metamorphosed into an

authentic all-acoustic bluegrass

band and never looked back.

Their albums The Chris Hillman

Tribute Concerts and Turn The

Water On, Boy! built on this

exciting new acoustic format,

which audiences across the

country instantly warmed to.

Their new album Durango has

just been released to rave reviews

from Q and Uncut amongst others.

F O L K R O O T S

Seth Lakeman TrioFeaturing Seth Lakeman, Benji Kirkpatrick and Cormac Byrne

with special guest Sam Carter

Friday 18 March 8pm £17 Seated / £15 Standing

Widely regarded

as the UK’s

foremost

folk singer-

songwriter,

Seth Lakeman

takes the

established folk

orthodoxy and

turns it on its head.

The spirit of the

rock band meets

the timeless and

heartfelt subject

matter of the folk

tale in a blur of fiddle,

acoustic guitar and foot-

stomping rhythms, with

Seth’s unmistakable

vocals riding the wave.

His most recent

album, Hearts

and Minds was

released this year.

Armed with a

“killer voice” (Nitin

Sawhney) and the

ability to play

his guitar “like a

harp” (Time Out),

special guest Sam

Carter made his

mark with his debut

album Keepsakes

last year which led to

a BBC Radio 2 Folk

Awards Horizon

Award for best

newcomer

of 2010.

Matt’s sprawling blues, roots

and rock musical hybrid with his

sorrowing and soulful voice has

sparked a phenomenal buzz.

R O C K & P O P

Dave Rotheray’s Life of BirdsWednesday 23 March 8pm / £15

The former Beautiful South guitarist

brings his modern folk concept

album to The Met. With guests

Bella Hardy, Jim Causley and

Damon Butcher (Beautiful South).

D R A M A

OptimismFuzzy Logic Theatre Company

Wednesday 23 March 7.30pm


You want to be loved. People

love lambs, so... become a lamb.

Most people know when they’ve

made a wrong decision. But

what happens when someone is

convinced theirs is the right one?

Optimism is a twisted tale

of desire and self worth told

through the eyes of an idiot.

Blending dark clown with

multimedia and unusual

physicality, this production

is both brutal and dreamlike,

presenting a constant stream

of unlikely characters, peculiar

situations and striking visuals.

R O C K & P O P

The EnidThursday 24 March 8pm

£17 / Standing

The Enid are the world’s foremost

symphonic rock band fusing rock

music with the power, dynamics

and scale of symphonic classical

music. The masters of their art,

their achievement spans more

than twenty years. The band have

just released Journey’s End, a

powerful, romantic, uplifting and

thought provoking new album.

The Enid

Dave Rotheray’s

Life of Birds

Optimism

J A Z Z

King Pleasure& the Biscuit BoysFriday 25 March 8pm / £12 / £10 concession & members

F O L K R O O T S

The UrbanFolk QuartetSaturday 26 March 8pm / £10

The Urban Folk Quartet (Joe

Broughton, Paloma Trigas, Frank

Moon and Tom Chapman) is a

coming together of four of the

most inspired and experienced

young people working in music

today. Band members have

played with The Chieftains, The

Albion Band, Chris While and

Bellowhead amongst others.

King Pleasure and the Biscuit

Boys are more than just the

world’s greatest swing band,

they are an institution! Paul

Jones on BBC Radio 2 called

them “the hardest act to follow

since the parting of The Red Sea”,

Atomic Magazine from New

York wrote “To those who say

that swing is a musical form

best left to Americans, prepare

to be proven wrong. This British

combo is bullet-proof!”. V A R I E T Y

Bury’s Got Talent 2011Semi FinalSunday 27 March 7.30pm

£6.50 / £6 groups of 10+

An evening of entertainment and

variety as the best of the Bury’s

Got Talent 2011 auditionees

take to the stage to compete

for a place in this years final!

Presented by Platinum

Productions and Promotions.

D R A M A

The Birthdayof the InfantaTrestle Theatre Company Wednesday 30 March 7.30pm / £10 / £6 concession & members

Adults and young people alike

are invited by the Infanta, the

Spanish princess, to her twelfth

birthday party, the only day

of the year she is allowed to

play with other children. But

mixing with those not of her

own rank comes at a price…

Adapted from Oscar Wilde’s

story and performed in Trestle’s

unique physical style, The

Birthday of the Infanta takes

you on a compelling journey,

through the constraints of

social hierarchies to the

price paid for love. Ages 9+.

F O L K R O O T S

Rua Macmillan and Ewan RobertsonThursday 31 March 8pm


J A Z Z

It Might As Well Be Spring Metro Jazz

Tuesday 29 March 7.30pm / £6

Put a spring in your step with a selection of great tunes from Metro

Jazz, The Met’s community jazz orchestra, led by Munch Manship.

Both winners of BBC Radio

Scotland’s Young Traditional

Musician of the Year award,

Ewan Robertson and Rua

Macmillan join forces to create

one of the most dynamic

duos on the folk circuit.

Ewan is best known for his work

with the popular Breabach. He

has just released his debut

album, Some Kind of Certainty.

Rua is a celebrated solo musician

and released his debut album

Tyro last year to great acclaim.

R O C K & P O P

Alan PriceThursday 31 March 8pm

£20 / £17.50 conc & members

Alan Price began his world class

musical career in the early sixties

as arranger and keyboardist for

legendary rock group The Animals.

In 1965, he formed the Alan Price

Set, with whom he recorded a

string of chart topping hits. In

the late sixties he embarked

on a distinguished solo career.

Alan continues to produce his

unique brand of music, and he

performs regularly across Europe.

R O C K & P O P

Never For EverA tribute to Kate Bush

Friday 1 April 8pm


Never For Ever are a four

piece band dedicated to re-

creating the music and visual

experience that is Kate Bush.

The show includes all the

hits, and uses costumes and

movement based on the

original videos and footage

from the only live tour.

With the emphasis on

attention to detail, Never

For Ever are as close as you’ll

get to the real Kate Bush.

J A Z Z

52 SkidooA tribute to Fats Waller

Friday 1 April 8pm


Three-piece 52 Skidoo are

a tribute to legendary ’20s

jazz pianist Fats Waller.

They bring back to life the

era of prohibition, speakeasys,

vaudeville, rent parties, Harlem

stride piano and hot jazz.

Join the band at new show,

The Joint is Jumpin as they invite

you to a 1920’s stride piano

party in the heart of Harlem.

F O L K R O O T S

The ChairSaturday 2 April 8pm


Hailing from Orkney, this is The

Chair’s first ever non-festival

gig south of the border. In 2007

they won Best New Act award at

Celtic Connections Open Stage,

and just one year later were

named Best Band at the Scots

Trad Music Awards. With twin

fiddles, banjo, accordion, guitar,

bass and percussion, The Chair

are about energy,

fun, and great

traditional

music.

Fats

Waller

The

Chair

Alan

Price

P O E T R Y

The Ian McMillanOrchestra

A M E R I C A N A

The DavidWax MuseumWednesday 6 April 8pm


The David Wax Museum

(“one of Boston’s hottest

new bands” The Boston

Globe) fuses exuberant

Mexican roots music with

homegrown American country

folk, creating a unique

Mexo-Americana sound.

With Latin rhythms, call-and-

response hollering, accordion

pumping and donkey jawbone

rattling, they have won over

audiences internationally.

C O M E D Y

First Thursday Comedy ClubThursday 7 April

8.30pm / £8

Comedy with Tony Burgess, Gus

Tawse, Adam Staunton and more.

The David

Wax Museum

Friday 8 April 8pm

£14 / £10 concs

Yorkshire

words and

European

music

from poet,

broadcaster

and comedian

Ian McMillan,

composer Luke

Carver Goss

and friends.

Ian hosts weekly hit

radio show The Verb. He’s

Yorkshire Planetarium’s Poet

in Space, Poet-in-Residence

for Barnsley FC, Humberside

Police’s Beat Poet, Yorkshire

TV’s Investigative Poet and a

regular on Newsnight Review,

The Today Programme, You

& Yours, Any Questions,

Quote Unquote, Just A

Minute and Have I Got News

For You? His rip-roaring

poetry shows are legendary.

Cats make him sneeze.

D R A M A

Jesus Christ Superstar PADOS Theatre Group

Tue 12 - Fri 15 April 7.30pm / Sat 16 April 2.30pm & 7.30pm

£8 Tue / £12 Sat evening / £10 all other performances Monkey Poet’sWelcome to Afghanistan!Thursday 14 April 7.30pm


In the last two centuries,

Britain has fought three

brutal wars in Afghanistan.

This new black comedy jumps

back in time to the 1830s to look

at the first and most disastrous

of these. Drawing on eye witness

testimony, it weaves a vivid tale

of cynical politicians, bumbling

generals and weary squaddies.

A double bill with Monkey

Poet’s Welcome to the UK!, a

hilarious look at modern Britain.

PADOS Theatre Group will

be marking the fortieth

anniversary of the premiere

of Jesus Christ Superstar,

Tim Rice and Andrew

Lloyd Webber’s smash

hit musical sensation

based on St John’s Gospel

account of the last week

of Jesus’ life.

The show premiered on

Broadway in 1971 and ran for

nearly 1000 performances.

Since then and thanks

to worldwide touring

productions and revivals on

some of the most prestigious

stages, Jesus Christ Superstar

has become a phenomenon

enjoyed by millions.

Karine Polwart TrioSaturday 9 April 8pm


Twice winner of Best Original

Song at the BBC Folk Awards,

Karine Polwart combines the

economy and universality of

the folk storytelling tradition

with a probing intellect and

compassionate lyricism.

F O L K R O O T S D R A M A

F O L K R O O T S

Findlay NapierFri 15 April 8pm / £8 advance / £10 door

Findlay leads the Scottish nu-folk

revolution with anthemic tales of love,

debauchery and sin. Napier has been

emerging as a songwriter of

increasingly impressive

stature for some years

now, in his Queen’s

Anne’s Revenge side-

project as well as

with Back of the

Moon’s repertoire.

Napier is clearly

relishing the

chance to put his

own work centre

stage, and it certainly

merits such standing,

especially matched with

his colourfully expressive,

thrillingly powerful voice.

R O C K & P O P

Jane Taylor BandSaturday 16 April 8pm


Jane Taylor is no ordinary singer/

songwriter. She has an intangible

magic in her voice, the kind

that draws you in and holds

you. Honest, real songwriting

are combined with smoky, sassy,

sultry melodies with a razor sharp

lyrical bite. Beautiful... Song

writing at it’s absolute best.

B L U E S

Buddy WhittingtonThursday 21 April 8pm


Lead guitarist in John Mayall’s

The Bluesbreakers, Buddy

Whittington is now a solo artist

playing a mix of original material,

classic blues from the likes of

BB and Freddie King to Delbert

McClinton and Warren Haynes.

Buddy’s passionate guitar

playing has earned him many

plaudits, including an appearance

in Guitarist Magazine’s 100

Top Unsung Guitarists.

Buddy

Whittington

Jane

Taylor

Findlay

Napier

Fun for the Easter holiday... F A M I L Y S H O W

Wolf TalesPickled Image

Wednesday 27 April 2.30pm

£8 / £6 children & concession

He’s big, he’s bad and very, very

hairy but underneath he’s not

that scary! Meet the Wolf, here

to set the record straight. Little

Red Riding Hood is not the

innocent she pretends to be, and

as for those three little pigs...

Pickled Image use puppetry,

shadows, recipes and songs to

create a hilarious look at the

truth behind fairy tales. Ages 5+.

F A M I L Y S H O W

Stig ofthe DumpImage Musical Theatre

Saturday 23 April 2.30pm

£6 / £4 members

Clive King’s story of Barney and

his Neolithic friend Stig has

been a favourite since the sixties.

Barney and Stig’s adventures

in and around the chalk pit

culminate in a journey back in

time to the days when there were

only Stigs and stone circles.

Beautiful costumes, an ingenious

set and wonderful music. Ages 5+.

F O L K R O O T S

Katriona Gilmore and Jamie RobertsThursday 21 April 8pm


BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award

nominees Katriona Gilmore

(ex-Tiny Tin Lady) and Jamie

Roberts (Kerfuffle) perform

material ranging from

blazing instrumentals to

contemporary arrangements

of traditional songs.

Their first album Shadows &

Half Light was described as

“inspired” by fRoots and awarded

five stars by Rock’n’Reel .

F O L K R O C K

Silver DogsSaturday 23 April 8pm


Silver Dog’s six members

are drawn from a variety

of musical backgrounds

(including rock, soul, blues and

classical) which results in an

experience unlike that of any

other English folk rock band.

The band’s live set is built

around original interpretations

of traditional songs, stories

and legends. Blending acoustic,

ambient and rock elements,

Silver Dogs will appeal to lovers

of folk and rock music alike.

Stig of the Dump Wolf Tales

J A Z Z

Stacey KentThursday 28 April 8pm / £17.50

F O L K R O O T S

The Demon BarbersFriday 29 April 8pm


Youthful, charismatic and with

bags of attitude, The Demon

Barbers combine traditional

instruments with the oomph of

a superb rhythm section, making

a unique and captivating sound.

Taking traditional ballads, they

make strange and dark tales of

Gothic danger; they don’t so

much make folk rock as make it

quiver and pulse with electricity.

“one of the most exciting acts

around... check them out...” fRoots

F O L K R O O T S

Damien O’KaneThursday 28 April 8pm


Damien O’Kane has a growing

reputation as a creative and

exciting musician and singer,

regarded as one of the finest Irish

players on the scene. Best known

for his work with Shona Kipling

and Flook, he has recently been

a member of Kate Rusby’s band.

Damien’s debut solo album

Summer Hill was released last

year to great acclaim.Stacey Kent, a best-selling

member of the Blue Note

roster of recording artists,

now boasts six best-selling

albums, a string of awards,

including the British Jazz

Award, The BBC Jazz Award

for ‘Best Vocalist’, and Album

of the Year, as well as a fan

base that enables her to

sell-out concert halls around

the world.

She has just released her

new album, Raconte-Moi.

“She has charm to burn, a

smile that could give you

hope in February and sings

like nobody’s business”

The Wall Street Journal

Featuring Jim Tomlinson on

saxes, Graham Harvey on

piano, Jeremy Brown on bass

and Matt Skelton on Drums.

Christian Bök

T E x T

Soundand DarkText Festival

Saturday 30 April 7.30pm


A dramatically constructed

evening of experimental

sound-poetry including the

first UK performance by

acclaimed Canadian poet

Christian Bök, the author of

the acclaimed Crystallography.

ComingSoonNine Below Zero

Thursday 5 May 8pm / £15

Lady Chatterley’s Lover

Hull Truck Theatre Company

Wednesday 11 May 8pm


Spiers and Boden

Friday 13 May 8pm


Lucy Kaplansky

Saturday 14 May 8pm


The Big Whistle Festival features the UK’s finest folk musicians

performing and teaching the whistle. Whether you’re a seasoned

professional or just starting out, there’s a class for you!

John Spiers

& Jon Boden

The BigWhistleFestivalFeaturing…

MichaelMcGoldrickLúnasaFuture Trad CollectiveRoss & Jarlath …and many more!

Fri 6 & Sat 7 May

Tickets on sale

from January!

Cara

Dillon

Night of the Guitars

Featuring Martin Turners

Wishbone Ash and Skinny Molly

Sunday 15 May 8pm / £15

Mad, Bad and

Dangerous to Know

MsFits Theatre Company

Tuesday 17 May 7.30pm


Fairport Acoustic Convention

Thursday 19 May 8pm


Le Vent Du Nord

Friday 20 May 8pm


Hot Club of Cowtown

Saturday 21 May 8pm / £15

Session A9

Sunday 22 May 8pm


Chris and Kellie While

Thursday 26 May 8pm


Belshazzers Feast

Saturday 28 May 8pm


Orkestra del Sol

Friday 3 June 8pm / £10

Cara Dillon

Saturday 4 June 8pm / £20

Lucy Kaplansky

The Blues Band

The Blues Band

Wednesday 8 June 8pm / £20

John Otway

and Wild Willy Barrett

Thursday 9 June 8pm


Iona

Friday 10 June 8pm / £17.50

Danú

Wednesday 15 June 8pm


The songs of Leonard Cohen

Keith James

Saturday 18 June 8pm / £10

Blazin’ Fiddles

Blazin’ Fiddles

Thursday 23 June 8pm


Arthur Smith

Wednesday 29 June 8pm


takepart

Classes &

Workshops

Met ExpressMon 7.30pm-9pm

Tues 10.30am-noon & 7.30-9pm

Drama for people with disabilities.

This group is not currently

accepting new members.

Black Pudding Youth TheatreTuesdays 5pm-7pm

From Bury Youth Service, led by

MaD Theatre. email D.Cretney@

bury.gov.uk for information.

Streetwise DramaMondays 5pm-7pm

A weekly drama session for young

adults. Contact 0161 253 6476.

Metro Jazz Mondays 6.30pm-9.30pm

£70 (£50 conc) per term

Led by Munch Manship. Front

line musicians needed for

The Met’s community jazz

orchestra. Over 16s only.

StagecoachSundays 10am-1pm

With Ruth Mauriello. For 6-16

year olds with an interest in

dance, drama and music. For

more information call 0161 763

6161 or 07738267346.

Bury Boys Break-DanceAuditions for places January 10

Monday 4pm-5.30pm / £3

A break-dance crew for boys

from ages 11-16. Learn break

dance moves and stunts. All

levels of experience welcome.

Bury

Youth

Dance

Bury Youth DanceTuesdays 5pm-7pm

Led by Claire Fildes.

For 11-17 years olds interested

in dance. Young people explore

their creativity through dance

for performance. Participants are

invited by audition. The group

has recently been working on a

dance for film project with film

and dance artist Julia Griffin.

Exhibition

Joy DivisionPhotographs by Martin O’Neill

January, February & March

In the Main Theatre Foyer

Martin O’Neill’s photographs

show legendary Manchester

band Joy Division playing live

at Bowdon Vale Youth Club

in February 1979, over a year

before their infamous show

at The Met. They capture the

intimacy of the gig, which

took place on a tiny stage in

front of around 150 teenagers.

A book of Martin’s

photographs will be on sale.

Salsa Beginner’s course

Free taster Sat 15 Jan, 2-5pm

Then every Tuesday at 7.30pm

from Tue 17 Jan for 8 weeks

£6 per week / £42 for course

Work off those extra Christmas

calories and learn to dance!

Learn a catalogue of steps and

turn patterns, building them

into a routine that you can

practice and show off on any

dancefloor. Each week steps will

be revised and added to in fun

and lively classes. No partner

required but couples are very

welcome. Casual clothing and

smooth soled shoes essential.

See you on the dancefloor!

Salsa Improver’s sessions

Tuesdays 8.45pm for 6 weeks

£6 per week / £36 for course

Do you already know how to

dance, but want to improve

your skills? Come to these

weekly sessions and learn

how to raise your game.

Bury Youth TheatreWeds 5.30-7pm (9-13 yr olds)

Weds 7-9pm (14 yrs +)

£2.50 per session

Led by Marc Young, Clare Fildes

and Sammy Deas. Bury Youth

Theatre is a fun drama session

which takes place at The Met

every Wednesday. BYT members

explore their creativity through

devising, improvising, games,

and other performance related

activities whilst developing skills

such as team building, voice

projection and confidence!

SingWeds alternate weeks / £4

Sing is a drop in group that

gives anyone and everyone the

chance to enjoy the magic of

group harmony singing, and to

experience a wide range of songs

from many different genres.

The group sing unaccompanied

(acapella) and all songs are

taught by ear – no music reading

ability is necessary. This is a non-

performing group – the focus

is very much on having fun and

enjoying singing for its own sake.

Come along and see for yourself!

Script.comWednesdays monthly

Interested in writing for TV,

theatre, radio or film? This

member led-group meets to

share scripts, and offer support.

New members welcome. email

[email protected].

Aiming HighSaturdays 11am-1pm / £2

Weekly sessions for young people

with disabilities or additional

needs, from Bury Council Childrens

Services and The Met. Craft and

drama sessions, gallery and theatre

visits. Build confidence, make

friends and learn skills in a fun and

creative environment.

Bloco AshêSaturdays 11am-1pm

£5 / £3 conc / £2 under 16s

A welcoming and exciting samba

percussive workshop catering

for beginners and beyond. The

band welcomes new members.

Bury Youth Theatre

To book a table for your meal,call0161 763 9399

Food& DrinkStart your evening with a meal at

The Met and end it with a drink

in one of our candle lit bars.

Eat in our restaurant Automatic,

serving fine food all day.

Sample real ales or a selection

of fine whiskeys in our foyer

bar Malt, open every day.

Our first floor Theatre Bar offers a

range of beers and wines before,

during and after each show.

Edwin StreetRecording StudioThe Met is building on its

success as a top north west

folk venue by constructing a

recording studio to become

the region’s leading centre for

traditional music performance,

participation, education and

recording. The studio, set to

open in April 2011, will be a

facility for the community

and local musicians. This

professional space will support

talented musicians who would

like to make music their career,

use music as a device to help

young people learn additional

skills and attract professionals

to train and record in Bury.

For information about courses

available, as well as costs for

hiring the studio, email hires@

themet.biz or call 0161 761 7107.

We are proud of our reputation

and success but like all charities

we know that we cannot rely

on ticket income and subsidy

alone. Donations and sponsorship

have a real impact enabling us

to fulfil our mission to entertain

and delight as well as supporting

emerging artists. We also support

educational activities and work

with trusts, foundations and

donors to create projects such as

the Family Friendly Film Festival

and our Recording Studio.

How to support The MetBECOME A FRIEND

Our friend scheme includes

numerous benefits including:

• Money off event tickets

• No booking fee

Support The Met • 10% off food in Automatic

• Invitations to VIP and

member events

• Seasonal newsletter

• Direct updates from the

Director, David Agnew

• Member allocations

on sell out events

• Priority notification of events

Prices start from just £30 or

£50 for a joint membership,

valid for one year.

For more information call

us on 0161 761 2216.

BECOME A CORPORATE FRIEND

Current friends include Manchester

Airport, The Rock Shopping and

Leisure Destination and The

Mill Gate Shopping Centre.

We tailor each membership on

the size of your donation.

Give us a call to chat about how

The Met and your company can

work together.

DONATE TO A PROJECT

If you want to donate to

The Met as an individual or a

company you can do so on line,

along with a ticket booking, or

by visiting our ticket office.

You can choose where your

money goes:

• £50 enables us to book a

tutor to run workshops

• £500 allows us to

book a professional

musician to deliver a

workshop and a show

• £1000 enables us to

buy equipment for the

recording studio or bring

in a theatre company for

adult or children’s shows

Or call us on 0161 761 7107

to chat about other projects

or sponsorship opportunities.

AccessThe Met is a fully accessible

venue, both on its ground

and first floors.

• The entrance is fully

ramped with a lift to

the main theatre and

accessible toilet facilities.

• We have staff on hand to

help. Should you require

a personal escort, we

can supply that person

with a free ticket.

• A magnetic induction loop

for hearing aid users is used

in the Main Theatre for the

majority of our events.

• Guide dogs are welcome,

and water can be

provided upon request.

We want your visit to The Met

to be a first class experience.

If you have any special

requirements call us on

0161 761 2216 to let us know,

and we'll do our best to help.

Hire The MetFor performances, conferences,

meetings and exhibitions, our

spaces are as versatile as your

events. Our experienced staff

and professional facilities take

the hassle out of your event:

• Sound and lighting

by experienced stage

technicians

• Ticket sales through our

friendly ticket office

• Fully licensed bar

• High quality catering from

the expert chefs of Automatic

• Marketing advice and support

We welcome promotions

by bands, amateur and

professional groups, and

independent event promoters.

Call The Met on 0161 761 7107

or email [email protected] to

discuss your requirements.

By phone from

0161 761 2216

Online via

www.themet.biz

In person from The Met.

Mon to Fri 10am-8pm;

Saturday 11am-5pm.

Other ticketing information...• Concessions are available for

children, and people over 60,

on benefit, or in education.

• Groups Buy 10 tickets in one

transaction and get an 11th free.

• We are unable to offer refunds.

Ticket exchange may be possible.

• A transaction fee is

payable on phone and online

bookings. There is no fee

for bookings in person.

Ticket booking Aged under 26?Then you can see brilliant theatre

at The Met, absolutely free!

The offer applies to shows that have

the Night Less Ordinary logo above.

To reserve your place just phone us

on the day of the event (on 0161

761 2216) or call into The Met. We

will hold your ticket for you until

one hour before the show starts.

Free theatre for under 26s is

made possible through A Night

Less Ordinary, an Arts Council

England scheme in association

with Metro which will provide

618,000 free theatre tickets to

anyone under 26 in more than

200 venues across England. The

scheme runs until March 2011.

For more information visit

themet.biz/freetickets or

www.anightlessordinary.org.uk.

met brochure january - april 2011

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