DBS News
Bluesnights Season 2011/12...
Dear Friend of Bluesnights
Although Bluesnights are having their summer break, here at H.Q. we are very much on the case with planning for the next season, starting with 'musicmeister' Geoff Achison and the U.K. Souldiggers on
Saturday, 22nd October 2011.
Geoff (a.k.a. The Guitar Wizard of Oz) needs no introduction to Bluesnights audiences. Making his sixth visit to Dorchester, Australia’s finest blues and roots artist will be in the excellent company of drumming legend Sam Kelly, keyboard maestro Paul Jobson and ‘ace of bass’ Spy Austin. What a way to launch the next Bluesnights season!
Our Bluesnight on Saturday, 19th November 2011. features rising star of the European and U.K. blues scene Marcus Bonfanti. Most recently seen at Bluesnights in the company of keyboard whizz Paddy Milner, in just a few short years he has opened for Robert Cray, been nominated for Best Male Vocals & Best Guitar in the British Blues Awards, and played at Glastonbury. Now he’s bringing his song writing, vocal, guitar and harmonica talents to Bluesnights for a solo show. Be prepared to be blown away!
Saturday, 10th December 2011. Christmas comes but once a year, and whenever we can Bluesnights books the incredibly talented SPIKEdrivers to see us into the festive season. The trio of Ben Tyzak (guitar/vocals), Constance Redgrave (bass/vocals) and Maurice McElroy (drums/vocals) deliver a stunning mix of original songs and blues standards guaranteed to warm a midwinter’s Bluesnight.
We are also busy negotiating with artists for the spring and summer Bluesnights; as always, these will be a mixture of solo, duo, trio and band musicians of national and international status. Which leads me to tell you that very reluctantly, we have had to increase ticket prices.
Having held them steady for three years, it’s very clear that if we don’t raise them for the next season we will lose money on just about every gig. So, here are the new ticket prices.
8.00 P.M. (DOORS/BAR OPEN 7.30 P.M.)
£12/£6* IN ADVANCE: £13/£6.50* ON THE DOOR
Senior Citizen’s ticket: £10 advance/£11 door.
*Under 18 or with N.U.S. Card
ENQUIRIES/BOOKINGS: 01305 266926
Everything else remains the same; raffle tickets still £1 for a strip of five; real ale on draught as often as we can get the Arts Centre to organise it; a warm welcome whether you're coming for the first time or more than 100.
We are committed to ensuring that Bluesnights maintains its national and international reputation as one of the best U.K. venues in which to be playing or hearing live blues.
We look forward to seeing you again in this new season.
Bluesfully yours
Tom Hopkins
Bluesnights organiser
August 2011
‘Live Blues – Up Close and Personal Since 1999’
Cara Weaver
The Cara Weaver Fund
Cara was a student at the first ever DBS Blues Summer School, back in 2000. She was a very talented young musician; her death in a holiday accident later that year was an enormous blow to her family and friends and a loss to the local music community.
The Cara Weaver Fund was founded in 2001 in her memory, with the aim of raising money to support young people in achieving their ambitions - musical, sporting and educational. The fund has provided bursaries for young people to attend Blues Summer School over the last five years, and helped launch our 'Big Girls Blues' singing project for local young women in 2005.
If you are interested in helping the fund, please send your donation to:
Gilly Weaver, Grove House, Osmington, Weymouth, Dorset DT3 6EZ
or e-mail: Gilly.Weaver@btinternet.com
Cheques can also be sent to: Mandy Cockwell, The Wey Valley School, Dorchester Road, Weymouth, Dorset DT3 5AN. Cash/cheques (payable to the Cara Weaver Fund) can be deposited at the HSBC Bank: St. Mary's Street, Weymouth.
Any support you can offer, either by way of donations or publicising this appeal, will me much appreciated.
Bluesfully yours,
Tom Hopkins
Chairman, Dorset Blues Society
From The Archives
"Ride over the Rockies in memory of Cara, aged 14"
© Dorset Evening Echo (5 August 2006, by Paul Greave):
BLUESNIGHTS music producer Tom Hopkins is planning a 600-mile charity cycle trip in memory of a Weymouth schoolgirl killed on holiday. Tom, 60, will cycle through the Canadian Rockies later this month to raise funds for the Cara Weaver Fund. Cara, 14, died in a cable car accident in 2001 while on holiday with her parents and brother in South Africa. The Wey Valley School pupil had visited the first of Tom’s blues summer schools for talented young musicians and following her death a fund was set up to provide bursaries for other youngsters to attend.
Tom, who has just retired from his job as a higher education consultant, said: “Cara was a talented musician, her death was an enormous blow to her family and friends, and a loss to the local music community.
“The Cara Weaver Fund was founded with the aim of raising money to support young people in achieving their ambitions - musical, sporting and educational. “I’ve wanted to do this ride since I first saw people cycling in the Rockies while driving through them in 1989. I’d now like to use my bike to try and put some money back into the fund so that it can help more young people.”
Tom will personally meet the £2,000 costs of the nine-day trip but is looking for people to sponsor him. He is due to take to the saddle on August 23 and has the full support of Cara's family.
He said: "Most of the journey will be on the roads and the longest day will cover about 85 miles, I expect it to be difficult but rewarding."
The Cara Weaver Fund has provided bursaries for young people to attend blues summer schools over the last five years and helped launch the Big Girls Blues’ singing project for local women in 2005. All money raised will go directly to the fund. If you are interested in sponsoring Tom, please email: Gilly.Weaver@ btinternet.com for details.
