Dan Hartland, Alex Vann, The Gamophones and Zaria at Best Seat Sessions

Best Seat Sessions, the gig which my friend Jess (with a little bit of help from me) runs welcomes Dan Hartland supported by Alex Vann, The Glamophones and Zaria to Ort in Balsall Heath on the 25t of April.

Dan Hartland’s brand of rootsy country reinvigorates the lonesome troubadour shtick with a wry pop sensibility. From gentle acoustic picking to the robust influences of early rock ‘n’ roll, Dan’s observational, confessional style offers a potent mix of intelligence and soul.

A dynamic and engaging stage presence, Dan is currently touring his brand new album, Young Man's Game, which features eleven literate slices of Americana-influenced songwriting.

“His well crafted songs offer a fine balance between heartache and joy.” Americana UK

“Cuts right through to the listener’s innermost soul.” Maverick Magazine

Alex Vann is a West Midlands Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has many years’ experience as a solo artist and also in bands. His music encompasses a wide range of genres and subjects but is mainly from his pop and folk influences, and most with a storytelling focus. Alex is currently recording the fourth instalment of his ‘Silhouettes and Pirouettes’ collection of original songs which has won wide acclaim and sales.


 
Bringing the best music from the most famous eras, The Glamophones will take you back to some of the most iconic songs from the 20s all the way through to todays chart hits. These 3 Birmingham Beauties, Carrie-Anne, Laura & Kate will impress you with their beautiful harmonies and exciting musical arrangements. This talented retro girl group guarantee to keep your feet tapping, fingers clicking and your hips moving with every beat.


 
Zaria picked up a guitar around age thirteen, and unlike most musicians, she could put it down if she wanted to. It took about a year before she consistently began playing. However, her writing career started when she was in 4th grade. After combining the two abilities into an acoustic solo act, she played her first coffee house concert in 2009 with Van Wagner. She then began to learn more about the live performance aspect of music rather than the art of performing to the horses she tends to at a local farm. Her influences include, but are not limited to Ellie Goulding, Ingrid Michaelson, Kate McGill, Regina Spektor, and Gabrielle Aplin. 



Tickets are £5 in advance-http://www.wegottickets.com/event/262653#.UyxNe4WE_Qo

Or you can pay £7 on the door.

Ort is at 500-504 Moseley Road, Birmingham, B12 9AH.

The no. 50 Bus route connects Moseley Road to Birmingham city centre.

There is ample cycle parking opposite Ort and free car parking all around the venue.

Supporting Gary Nock at Best Seat Sessions

I'm delighted to be supporting Gary Nock when he is the featured guest of Best Seat Sessions at Ort on Friday the 7th of March.

Gary is the writer of beautiful songs including "Make It Better" which was used by Mars in a national TV ad and which Gary later rewrote as "Oh To Be a Villan" for his beloved Aston Villa.

Here's Gary's bio;

Gary Nock began his troubadour journey at the advanced age of 17, learning from songbooks, determined to capture whatever it is a classic songwriter has under their fingertips. Within a couple of years he was playing around the bars in Devon where he’d grown up. A while after his own material began pouring out, Nock moved back to the West Midlands – his birthplace – and started touring. His acoustic-rooted songs are steeped in his love of musicians such as James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Tracy Chapman, amongst many others.

From these humble beginnings Gary has since shared the stage with many great contemporaries including Ed Harcourt & Newton Faulkner, as well as writing and recording with some amazing songwriters and producers, including Rich Causon (Ryan Adams), Mads Hauge (Pixie Lott) and David Saw (Ben Taylor). Gary’s music has been used on three major TV advertisements, with Mars (UK and Ireland), Arla (Pan-European) and Microsoft (Worldwide) all choosing his songs for their campaigns. In October 2011 Gary released his debut album, ‘The Life We Learned To Live’ which is available on iTunes. 

2014 sees Gary continuing to write and record music, not only for himself but for many other artists now too. Recently having worked with Gary Lightbody and Bo Bruce on a song for the new ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’ movie, and now working closely with Polar Patrol Publishing and Kobalt, 2014 is set to be a big year for Gary, not only as a writer but as a performer and recording artist too.

Also appearing is the superb Lobelia Lawson;

American born Lobelia isn't just your typical singer-songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist who worked as a studio musician for 10+ years, she has won multiple awards for her songwriting, has been featured in Billboard Magazine, and was one of the original women of mp3.com in the early days of the Internet. 

Now living in the UK after a 7 year stint in Montreal, she hosts an acclaimed songwriter night at Tower of Song in Birmingham, a lovely little space recently short-listed by the PRS as one of the UK's best small venues. An advocate for sustainable touring, she travels the world performing at house concerts and small venues.

Tickets are £5 in advance- http://www.wegottickets.com/event/262631#.UwdABYWE_Qo

Or you can pay £7 on the door. (I recommend buying an advance ticket as the gig is likely to sell out)

Ort is at 500-504 Moseley Road, Birmingham, B12 9AH.

The no. 50 Bus route connects Moseley Road to Birmingham city centre.

There is ample cycle parking opposite Ort and free car parking all around the venue.