The Harrison, Kings Cross
Saturday 16th May
Doors 7:30pm, Live Music 8:00pm
Tickets £12 Advance £15 on the door
Have you been searching for moments of calm within the chaos?
For one special vernal evening this May, Contemporary folk songwriters Chris Cleverley and Poppy Prescott bring a rare, collaborative live show to Kings Cross’ iconic Harrison, centred around creating brief, but lasting moments of peace and grounding, within the chaos of 21st Century life.
Part of the ‘Nine Vernal Evenings’ tour, extending from the lush vernal awakening of Beltane, to the mysticism of Midsummer, join them in exploring the healing power of nature, the calming presence of ambient, atmospheric guitar music and the impact of the breath on body and mind.
Framed around this crucial Springtime hinge of the year – as the seasons change and blossom with honeysuckle mysticism – this special evening is a rejuvenating journey of folklore and landscape, season and self.
Whether you’re a lover of live music in tranquil, intimate settings, a student of relaxation and mindfulness, or simply yearning to re-centre yourself within the frenzy, Chris & Poppy invite you to experience some glimpses of calm to soothe the frayed edges of this fractured modern world.
Following on from their meeting at Chris Difford’s mythical Somerset songwriting retreat, this concert marks a new and exciting phase in their combined creative exploration.
Chris Cleverley was born under a solstice moon, in the honeysuckle mysticism of a late 80s Midsummer, where the symbolic sounds of ‘Hunky Dory’, ‘Graceland’ and ‘Ladies of The Canyon’ echoed from the woodchip walls of the South Birmingham terrace where he was raised; quiet and curious, saturnine and shy. Here, the soul of a young artist was shaped.
Three decades on and his unique brand of dreamy, psychedelic folk has taken him from the columns and airwaves of The Telegraph, Sunday Times and BBC 6 Music, to the world-renowned stages of Cambridge Folk Festival & the English Folk Expo, twice earning him FATEA Magazine’s ‘Male Artist of the Year’ Award.
Come bask in the intricate fingerstyle and lush ambient soundscapes of this true guitar-man, inspired by the Lo-fi American Greats, Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens & Phoebe Bridgers; A curious tapestry weaved from the hazy psychedelia of the 60s folk revival and the soulful oblivion of the 90s Pacific Northwest.
Hastings born singer-songwriter Poppy Prescott draws even the rowdiest of crowds to silence with her soft soulful vocals and folk-style storytelling.
Growing up surrounded by musicians, Poppy begun performing live long before she was allowed to be hanging around music venues.
a songwriter drawing equally from the folk tradition of John Martyn, Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell and the sharp honesty of contemporary artists like Adrianne Lenker, Billie Marten and Lianne La Havas.
Over the past year she’s co-headlined a tour across London and the South East, sold out The Troubadour, and played festivals including WOMAD. Her music has been praised on BBC Radio 6 Music and she’s been awarded both the Creative Access x McLaren bursary and a scholarship to Richard Thompson’s New York guitar camp.
The best introduction remains her live shows – understated, open, and charming.