Flying Donkey Events
​07720 484 950

11th March 2020
Neil Campbell / Liz Hanks & Michael Walsh 
​The Merlin Theatre
Meadow Bank Road, Sheffield, S11 9AH

Neil Campbell

The music of Liverpool classical guitarist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Neil Campbell draws on elements of contemporary classical, progressive rock, jazz and other musical styles. His output includes pieces for solo guitar, guitar and cello, songs, instrumental pieces for varied instrumentation and choral music. He has produced around twenty albums including three CDs of solo guitar music Through the Looking Glass (2003), Night Sketches (2004) and Tabula Rasa Suite (2014), along with a book of his compositions for solo classical guitar. 

His solo performances often involve him using loops and other technology to expand the sound and scope of what one performer can do with the classical guitar. As a soloist he has performed in the UK and Europe, and has been a regular performer at the International Guitar Festival of Great Britain. He particularly enjoys playing in ‘special’ venues and has performed solo concerts in spaces such as Union Chapel (London), Lancaster Priory, Birkenhead Priory, Sheffield Cathedral, Bishops House (Sheffield), Liverpool Central Library, John Ryland’s Library (Manchester), Chetham’s School of Music Library (Manchester) and St Lukes (Bombed Out) Church (Liverpool). In October 2013 took part in the legendary Irish Sea Sessions at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. He has recently toured North West venues with a refreshed version of his piece Ghost Stories - A Night Opera for soprano, guitar, soundscape and visual projections.

'One of the best acoustic guitar players of our time’ – Jon Neudorf, Sea of Tranquility

‘music of serious quality and distinction’ – Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music

‘The best guitar playing I have heard for a long long time’ – Victor Wooten, bass player

‘an outstanding guitarist whose originality of thought makes him far more than just another gifted purveyor of finger acrobatics’ - Classical Guitar Magazine

‘a man whose fingers have the ability to harness any imaginable sound in any given style’ – Sean Bradbury, Getintothis


Liz Hanks

Having always been inspired by folk and world music Liz has performed and recorded with a number of eminent folk musicians, including Martin Simpson, Kate Rusby, Jon Boden, Maire Ni Chatasaigh and Chris Newman. 

Liz is a co-director of the 'Up North Session Orchestra' and is in demand as a session musician. Album credits include Richard Hawley, Paul Heaton (The Beautiful South), Duane Eddy, The Longpigs, Ben Ottewell (Gomez) and The Courteeners. She has performed live with international artists including Smokey Robinson, Edwyn Collins, Richard Hawley, Wayne Hussey (The Mission), Neil Finn Amy MacDonald and The Charlatans. For the last 2 years Liz has been the solo cellist for Liam Gallagher’s UK and European tours culminating in performances at the 2018 Brit Awards and this year at Glastonbury Festival. 

Liz is also a keen improviser and has been involved with many theatre, dance and film projects. In 2018 performed at the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival, improvising to silent films alongside the pianist Neil Brand. 

This year Liz recorded a solo cello score composed by Anthony Weeden for the Laos film ‘The Long Walk’ which premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals

The collaboration with Michael Walsh began in 2016 (after Liz discovered they were neighbours by hearing his playing over the garden wall!) and has been inspired and encouraged by Michael to experiment using cello in a variety of traditional and contemporary
folk styles. 

Michael Walsh

Born in Manchester and raised in Stockport,England Michael Walsh grew up learning Sligo style flute playing from Marian Egan & Tony Ryan.

He is a Tutor and Doctoral Candidate at the University of Sheffield Department of Music specialising in Asturian Folk and Irish Traditional Music.

His new album, Quarehawk, was released in August 2019 and launched at Cambridge Folk Festival. Recorded in Manchester with Michael McGoldrick and in Sheffield with Tom Wright and Sam Proctor, the album is a mix of his Irish and English influences as well Asturian music he learnt during his doctoral research. He will be playing flutes, whistles and hulusi as well as singing two songs. The album showcases repertoire learnt growing up in the Manchester Irish community and documents the emotions he went through after his father died tragically during the recording.

In 2016 he was a finalist in the prestigious Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal Competition in Cork. He is a former All Britain Senior Flute Champion and has performed across Europe and in The United States with Trad Irish Groups, Céilí Bands and Theatre Productions as well as being featured on the Soundtrack to ‘The Irish Empire’ TV Series Commissioned by Radio Telefís Eireann/BBC Northern Ireland/SBS AUSTRALIA.

"This album moved me like no other" Eileen McCabe, Irish Music Magazine

"Spectacular" Lynette Fay, BBC Radio Ulster. 

“Beautiful” Ruth Smith, RTE Radio 1

"Unwavering boldness" Allan Wilkinson, Northern Sky. 

"Brave, groundbreaking and experimental" Nicky Crewe, Penny Black.

"A striking coherence across a multiplicity of influences and styles" Dave McNally, Folk Radio UK

Friday 3rd April 2020 
Maya Youseff Trio
 Crucible Theatre Studio, Sheffield

Damascus-born Maya Youssef is hailed as ‘the queen of the qanun’, a traditional Syrian 78-stringed plucked zither. Based on Arabic musical traditions, her innovative sound has echoes of everything from jazz to flamenco, infused with warmth, humour and optimism. She describes her debut album Syrian Dreams as her “personal journey through six years of war in Syria. I see the act of playing music as the opposite of death; it is a life and hope-affirming act.”

Maya has performed widely around the world, including at the BBC Proms, and is the winner of Arts Council England’s Exceptional Talent award and Songlines’ Newcomer Music Award 2018.

Thursday 14th May 2020 
Peggy Seeger & Calum MacColl
Abbeydale Picture House, Sheffield

Making a very welcome return to Sheffield on her ‘First Farewell Tour’, the charismatic Peggy Seeger - singer, songwriter, feminist, icon, Ewan MacColl’s partner and muse - is the undisputed queen of folk and political song. Join Peggy and her son Calum MacColl
(an exceptional musician in his own right) for a glorious evening of up-close performance. Expect to hear some of Peggy and Ewan MacColl’s most loved songs, readings from Peggy’s award-winning memoir ‘The First Time Ever', plenty of audience participation and
lots of relaxed family banter. 

“Peggy may be folk royalty, but there’s nothing either reverent or nostalgic about this joyous and intimate performance” The Guardian 

“Glorious - Peggy is a commanding presence” The Times

“An effortlessly intimate affair” The Scotsman

“A memorable warm and charming evening of great music, family humour and grace.” Irish World

29th October 2020 
Idris Ackamoor ☥ The Pyramids
Crookes Social Club, Sheffield

Alto and tenor saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, actor, and tap dancer, Idris Ackamoor is the founder and artistic director of the legendary jazz and world music ensemble.  Idris Ackamoor ☥ The Pyramids founded close to fifty years ago in 1972, dissolved in 1977, and then resurrected over 30 years later in 2007! Idris Ackamoor ☥ The Pyramids are charting new directions in the synthesis of world music and jazz influences into a unified innovative sound. 

Their last album, “AN ANGEL FELL", has been universally acclaimed as one of the best albums of 2018 by THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD, RECORD COLLECTOR, THE QUIETUS Magazine, and ALL ABOUT JAZZ Magazine, to mention just a few. Continuing their musical odyssey, Idris Ackamoor ☥ The Pyramids will perform new music from the album release entitled, “SHAMAN!” Like each new release from Idris Ackamoor☥The Pyramids “SHAMAN!” will be a departure from any previous release in terms of style, concept, providing fresh new perspectives and energy.

Idris Ackamoor ☥ The Pyramids will also be touring with a new group of original, veteran and brand new members including Idris on alto and tenor saxophones, vocals, keyboards and percussions, Sandra Poindexter on acoustic and electric violins, vocals and percussions, Dr. Margaux Simmons on flutes, Bobby Cobb on guitar/effects, Gioele Pagliaccia on drums and percussions, Ruben Ramos on acoustic and electric bass, and other surprise guests (line
 up subject to change).

THE PYRAMIDS was founded close to FIFTY YEARS AGO in 1972! Saxophonist Ackamoor had originally left his hometown of Chicago to study music at Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, where his teachers numbered legendary pianist Cecil Taylor. Via the Antioch Abroad Program, Ackamoor landed a year’s study overseas in 1972, which allowed him, and two Antioch students to travel to Europe and Africa where he co — founded THE PYRAMIDS. The trip took in a musical spiritual journey up into Northern Ghana, the land of the Fra Fra of Bolgatanga and the Islam-influenced Dagomba in Tamale, where Ackamoor taped some field recordings. “We played with the King’s musicians in Tamale. I also undertook a healing ceremony in the bush of Bolgatanga with a Fra Fra traditional healer (a Juju Man).” Back in Yellow Springs, THE PYRAMIDS brought together all of the knowledge from their journey and released 2 independently produced albums including “LALIBELA” (1973), and “KING OF KINGS” (1974). After graduating, Idris and the band headed to Oakland, California and quickly met other musicians in the thriving San Francisco Bay Area music scene where they recorded their third album, “BIRTH/SPEED/MERGING” in 1976. The Pyramids
 played their last concert at the 1977 UC Berkeley Jazz Festival sharing the stage with vocalist Al Jarreau, and jazz legends Woody Shaw and Dexter Gordon.

Out of the blue, The Pyramids announced their return in 2007. “Around 2006 there was an increased interest in the 1970s music the band recorded with many requests from record labels to re-issue the early albums,” Ackamoor explains. “The Pyramids’ three LPs were showing up on eBay for high prices.” A Berlin booking agency began organizing European dates for the band and The Pyramids were fully back in business. The momentum has continued
 for the group with Ackamoor landing a Lifetime Achievement Award from Gilles Peterson at his Worldwide Awards in London.

“Like Fela and Sun Ra had a massive party and the whole world was invited. And everyone was blissed out and happy. All the time. Forever...” – Bleep.com

“This follow – up is nothing less than extraordinary...pure astral tripping.” – MOJO, July 2016 – Lois Wilson

“Ackamoor and friends have created a modern classic.. “...keep flipping this sensational LP until you’ve solved why you love it so much.” – MONOCLE, June 2016 – Robert Bound

Past Gigs

7th February 2020 
Little Robots & Funland
 Regather, Sheffield

Little Robots
First there was a bang. Then there was a clang and then all of a sudden out of the smoke three little robots appeared.... There's more than three of them and nothing robotic about their
 playing. This tight-knit collective born of the Seven Hills of Sheffield employ close harmony singing to draw the audience into their love of folk and blues.

"Little Robots are the most siren-like band I think I’ve seen". - Nat Johnson

"Through a steam-whistle of woman-powered vocals and eclectic instrumentation, Little Robots' full-blooded renditions of blues-folk originals feel immediately inclusive." - Diane Cluck

"Blending tight Appalachian vocal harmonies with ukulele strums and delicate rhythms, this Sheffield collective are a loveable bunch with a penchant for blues, bluegrass and folk" - Sam Walby, Now Then

FUNLAND
FUNLAND are Jim Baxter (singing, guitar) and Kate Wood (everything else). They joined forces in early 2019, sharing a love of melancholic pop songs from the 1980s and beyond, and combining complementary talents: melody and harmony, light and shade, words and pictures. They've been busy in the studio since then, working on some short musical stories, which they're excited to be bringing to an audience for the first time.

21st November 2019 
Jim Ghedi & R.Loomes
​The Merlin Theatre
Meadow Bank Road, Sheffield, S11 9AH

Jim Ghedi produces an alternative take on classic folk ideas, exploring themes on landscape and history. Incorporating 6 & 12 string guitar composition, orchestral arrangements, Jazz and traditional folk song. MOJO magazine praised his most recent album A Hymn For Ancient Land by calling it “Melodically sublime and infused with tradition”, while The Financial Times said “This is landscape music… landscape art.”

Nature permeates through his music, the subtle use of the instruments (guitar, double bass, violin, cello, harp, trumpet, piano) and beauty of the arrangements create something both fluidly transient yet also deeply rooted to a sense of place.

★★★★☆MOJO - "Melodically sublime... although Ghedi's music is infused with tradition, it's very much experiencing the present"

★★★★☆ The Independent - "a raga-like texture of tingling drones and jaunty picking that recalls both John Fahey and the Penguin Cafe"

★★★★☆ The Financial Times - "This is landscape music, a close relative of landscape art."

★★★★☆ Uncut - "There's respect here, but no folkloric nostalgia...a delightful hybrid strain"

★★★★☆ Q - "a brilliant finger-picker and songwriter...shining a welcome light into an underrated genre"

Folk Radio UK - "a small masterpiece”

R.Loomes

R.Loomes is a Sheffield based solo musician crafting moody, atmospheric compositions with lots of big, dark spaces and drifting points of light. With haunting vocals and elegant guitar she makes music that, despite its minimal and often quiet content reaches hypnotic and mesmerising heights.

26th September 2019
Manu Delago
​The Abbeydale Picture House, 387 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, S7 1FS

After touring almost simultaneously around the globe with Björk, Anoushka Shankar, Olafur Arnalds & releasing his multi-award winning music & mountain film 'Parasol Peak‘, the Austrian grammy-nominated percussionist and composer presents his new album with a 9-piece-ensemble. Dream-like Handpan sounds meet energetic orchestral beats.

Trained in classical percussion, the highly acclaimed Austrian composer, ensemble leader and musician, Manu Delago is one of the leading exponents of the Handpan (or Hang). In 2011 he recorded for Björk's Biophilia album and has since been her touring drummer, playing three world tours with the Icelandic singer. In 2013, he started performing and writing music with the sitar-player Anoushka Shankar. For his work on her album 'Land of Gold' Manu Delago earned a Grammy nomination. The versatile percussionist has also been a touring member of The Cinematic Orchestra and Olafur Arnalds. As well as releasing four genre pushing studio records on Tru Thoughts and One Little Indian, Manu Delago has also written several compositions for choir and orchestra such as the 'Concertino Grosso' which he performed and recorded as soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra.

His last record Parasol Peak is a unique and awe-inspiring album and accompanying movie, in which Delago leads an ensemble of 7 musicians on a mountaineering expedition in The Alps. Along the way, the group perform a collection of brand-new compositions in different locations, at varying altitudes. Delago states the whole expedition as a big lesson in team spirit and ensemble playing.

Now he returns with a brand-new album and his biggest live show to date. Circadian (out 13th September via One Little Indian Records) takes the listener through the cycle of sleep stages, emulating REM, light sleep, deep sleep and an abrupt awakening. Delago was inspired by the concept of individual circadian rhythms, due in part to his own lack of sleep as an international touring musician.

For his first performance in Sheffield, Manu will bring his 9-piece orchestra ensemble featuring woodwind, brass, percussion and strings. Expect a mesmerising performance from this world class musician.

“A masterful and sensitive musician”–The Telegraph

“Virtuoso”–The Times

18th July 2019
Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita
The Abbeydale Picture House, 387 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, S7 1FS

This sublime, critically acclaimed and multi award-winning collaboration between two adventurous virtuoso musicians - Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita - delivers a stunning exhibition of world-class musicianship. Drawing deep on their own diverse traditions and transforming them with remarkable synergy, Catrin and Seckou have built a formidable reputation for their extraordinary performances.

Following the huge success of their debut release Clychau Dibon back in 2013, their long-awaited second album SOAR launched in April 2018, followed by major UK tours in spring and autumn of 2018. The album takes flight on the wings of the osprey, the magnificent bird of prey recently returned to Wales after centuries of absence, which makes its annual 3,000-mile migration from the coasts of West Africa to the estuaries of Wales, soaring like music and dreams over man-made borders, on its innate and epic journey of endurance.

Entrancing, mesmerising, intricate and ethereal, this is remarkable music and a thrilling live experience.
“It’s rare that you hear something so beautifully conceived and performed” 
5* SIMON BROUGHTON, LONDON EVENING STANDARD 
(LIVE REVIEW, UNION CHAPEL, 12 MAY)

“...Bitchin” 
IGGY POP, BBC 6 MUSIC

“Hypnotic and ethereal, SOAR is a 
unique marriage of cultures” 
NEIL SPENCER, THE OBSERVER 
****4 STARS

“Sublimely beautiful” 
MARK RADCLIFFE, BBC RADIO 2

“Absolutely hypnotic” 
GUY GARVEY, BBC 6 MUSIC

16th May 2019
Milly Blue, Rhiannon Scutt, Sarah Johns Music Party
The Merlin Theatre, Meadow Bank Road, Nether Edge, Sheffield, S11 9AH

For our first event at the stunning Merlin Theatre, we bring you three outstanding female singer songwriters for a night of musical delight and intrigue:

Milly Blue
Based in Berlin, Milly started her musical career as a vocalist for Basement Jaxx whilst making dreamful pop music as a solo outfit. Soulful, wonky and sometimes shoegazey, Milly Blue blends loop pedal, electric guitar, kalimba and whatever else is lying around to produce her signature eclectic style. She has since worked with the likes of Andrew Hung of Fuck Buttons fame, Guillemots, Noah Slee and recently toured with Scissor Sisters, Gary Numan, Little Dragon and L7. 
Influences include Emily King, Sonic Youth, Talking Heads and Milly Blue is inspired by dramatic sky-scapes over Tempelhofer Feld, cobalt blue and the kindness of strangers. 
Her first solo album is due for release later this year.

Rhiannon Scutt
In live performance, Rhiannon’s ability to captivate an audience is only superseded by her ability to deliver a line that can break your heart in an instant. An entirely untrained guitarist, Rhiannon’s unique style was born from a combination of strong influences as she taught herself through her teenage years. You can hear the insistent high speed finger-picking she learned from Lindsey Buckingham, the fearlessness with which she hits a chord at the pique of a crescendo and the percussive upstrokes from Ani DiFranco. Both of these are tempered by her knack of knowing exactly how to use dynamics to her advantage as a solo performer. 

Sarah John's Music Party
Songwriter and performance artist, Sarah Johns Music Party brings you her stripped back, DIY spirituals.
Recalling the purity of Vashti Bunyan, rawness of Scout Niblett, musicality of Tune-Yards, and with a belief in ritual theatre, expect heartfelt incantations that invite the different characters of Sarah Johns Music Party to come out and meet the audience. It is both a meditative and theatrical show.
Starting her career in Hull with music projects, Mr Beasley and Coolfun, Sarah is now living in London where she works as a solo artist and collaborator in both the folk and performance art scenes.

"Absolutely spellbinding" - Lauren Laverne - BBC 6 Music 'Headphone Moment' // a ‘Release of the Week’ – Rough Trade East

16th March 2019
The Hills Are Alive!
Regather
57-59 Club Garden Road, Sheffield, S11 8BU

Flying Donkey Events takes an excursion away from the Picture Hou​se to bring you three top quality acts in an intimate setting at Regather.  All profits will go towards the anti-fracking movement.

A project born out of a late night imagining, of drunken nostalgia, a love of raving and a desire to create something weird and wonderful for friends. Now realised through the mediums of song, spoken word, conversational poetry (what even is that?), Dub, Techno, a Scouse accent, musical theatre, guitar, dance, strobe, projections, fiddle, Folk music, recorded soundscapes, film, friendship and dodgy rap...

Penny is a songwriter and vocalist with a transatlantic sound. Performing original songs drawn from her tongue-in-cheek, insightful interpretation of everyday life.

Winkie Thin was born in the wrong decade. He decided to stick to performing 1930s Paris cafe music on his accordion and other equally old stuff on his ukelele.

29TH NOVEMBER 2018
Lau
The Abbeydale Picture House, 387 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, S7 1FS

Scottish folk pioneers Lau return with their first new music since 2015’s ‘The Bell That Never Rang’ (Album of The Year - The Herald, ***** The Guardian).

Premiering at Edinburgh International Festival August 18 2018 - at one of their now legendary self curated Lau-Land events - the new music was written in Shetland and highlights the continuation of Lau’s experimental approach to folk music with increasingly minimal arrangements in song form which include the themes of togetherness and forgiveness.

Among the new songs is ‘Scapa Flow 1919' written for the BBC Radio Ballads series around the experience of the stranded German sailors leading up to the scuttling of the Grand Fleet at the end of WW1.

As always with Lau there’s plenty of progression on a purely sonic level too. Their new music continues to explore the marriage of acoustic and electronic sources and the arrangements continue down the path of intertwining instrumental music and song.

Lau is a trio that put a lot of thought into the live experience and presentation, something anyone who shared in Lau’s acclaimed Decade tour will know, they have fresh theatrical ideas for Lau’s 2018-2019 tour.

10TH OCTOBER 2018
​​Matthew Halsall & The Gondwana Orchestra​
​The Abbeydale Picture House, 387 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, S7 1FS

Manchester based composer, producer, trumpeter, DJ and founder of Gondwana Records, Matthew Halsall is one of UK’s most creative talents. 

A gifted trumpeter with a beautiful, expressive tone, his music has explored his love of the transcendental spiritual and modal jazz of Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, as well as more contemporary dance music and electronica. 

Tonight’s rare UK concert features regular collaborators pianist Taz Modi, bassist Gavin Barras and sublime jazz harpist Tori Handlsey. Drums TBA. Expect to hear music from Matthew’s last two albums, Into Forever and When The World Was One alongside new music.

Support comes from Caoilfhionn (pronounced Keelin) Rose a supremely talented singer-songwriter based in Manchester. Expect beguiling originals driven by Rose’s eclectic taste in music, with influences ranging from The Mummers to Polly Paulusma, Broadcast to Rachel Sermanni, Peter Broderick and many more. Her Gondwana Records debut recording Awaken will be released this Autumn.

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​​​​​​Website: Sally Collister