Phil Ochs tribute night listings

Dogfishtrombone in association with Resonance FM presents:

I Phil Therefore I Am: A Tribute To Phil Ochs #2

featuring former Ochs guitarist Bob Rafkin
...
and

Bilkis
Teresa Disken
Adam Donen
Gus Garcia
Jack Hayter
Hungry Dog
Jason McNiff
Simon Onions
Slate Islands
Simon Stanley Ward
+ maybe a special guest or two

MC Ed Baxter (Resonance FM)

Phil Ochs began his music career in Greenwich Village in the 60s. He was a contemporary of Bob Dylan, to whom he was both a friend and a rival. Initially known for his topical and "protest" songs, Phil (like Dylan) later went on to write more abstract and poetic material. A very popular performer in his time, Phil remained engaged in supporting socialist causes, causing him to be branded "dangerous" and "un-American" by the FBI. By the early 70s a series of failures and setbacks sent Phil into a depression from which he never fully recovered. He produced very little new music during these years, suffering from writer's block and alcoholism. He finally took his own life in 1976.

This night aims to pay tribute to Phil Ochs the songwriter. This aspect of Phil is often overlooked and he's still sometimes written off as another 60s protest singer. Listen to the songs though, and you will discover a rare talent who could make you laugh, make you think and move you deeply.

We are delighted to welcome as our special guest Bob Rafkin, who played guitar on the Phil Ochs albums Rehearsals For Retirement and Greatest Hits as well as at the infamous "Gunfight At Carnegie Hall" concert. Bob will be sharing some memories of working with Phil as well as performing two of his greatest songs.

For more on Phil Ochs, see www.nomoresongs.com

Bob Rafkin
Now resident in Florida, Rafkin was originally part of the Greenwich Village folk community in the 60s, where his exceptional guitar work led to him playing for legends such as Phil Ochs, Joni Mitchell, The Everly Brothers, Randy Newman and Tim Buckley. He's also a very fine singer-songwriter in his own right, with a number of acclaimed solo albums to his credit. Bob returns to the UK with his tenth CD, Twenty Eleven, just released.
www.bobrafkin.com

Bilkis
Bilkis is Sophie Pathan, who hails from Leytonstone and plays stripped-down, beautifully melodic alt-folk. Reminiscent of early PJ Harvey without the obvious angst, this makes for sublime listening. (Shane Blanchard - Tasty Fanzine)
www.bilkis.co.uk

Teresa Disken
Teresa Disken is a new singer-songwriter with Cherokee blood and an Irish soul, a soothing melodic voice spilling across her inspired original songs with pop charm and rock edge. A former lawyer, she can sometimes be found performing her own material as a busker at tube stations, and has recently released her debut album, Venus and the Director.
www.teresadisken.com

Adam Donen
Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Adams album Immortality is a dark folk gem which garnered excellent reviews and comparisons to Leonard Cohen. Adam will be launching his new album, Vampires, backed by an 18-piece orchestra at King's Place on Friday 7 October. "A musical poet. RECOMMENDED!" Time Out
www.adamdonen.com

Gus Garcia
From São Paulo, Brazil, Gus Garcia sings in English, and his fascination with UK artists and culture is evident in his highly distinctive music. He released an excellent EP, Many Hiding Places, a couple of years ago and the long-awaited follow-up, Medieval, will be available shortly.
http://www.myspace.com/biconan

Jack Hayter
Jack Hayter has been a member of Spongefinger, Hefner and Dollboy and plays a unique variety of folk with splashes of electronica and bags of character. According to Tom Robinson of BBC6 Music, he sounds like Tom Waits and mates running amok in a second-hand music shop. New EP Sucky Tart is available now on the excellent Audio Antihero label.
www.jackhayter.com

Hungry Dog
Former Hungry Dog Brand front-man and Dogfishtrombone known for dark, tragicomic songs about marginal lives. A recent solo album, Dark Science, combines vocals, artificial drums, electric guitars, bird song and a variety of unusual effects to produce a truly unique sound. Its available at www.electriclabel.net
www.myspace.com/hungrydogbrand

Jason McNiff
A well-respected figure on the London folk scene, Jason McNiff and his music have been accurately described by Uncut magazine as sounding something like a post-Nashville Skyline Dylan and by Time Out as a triumph of English Americana. Jason will be launching his fourth album, April Cruel, on 12 September at St Pancras Old Church.
www.jasonmcniff.com

Onions
Former Atom Seed axeman and private eye Onions abandoned metal for folk and blues, resulting in the album The Old Straight Track a couple of years ago. Now armed with a 12-string and an array of effects pedals, his music is a compelling mix of roots and psychedelia.
www.myspace.com/thesimononions

Slate Islands
Formerly known as Kinkajou, Slate Islands are Polly MacLean and friends with their witty dark-folk ballads which sound something like The Handsome Family sharing a bottle of Irish whiskey with Jacques Brel. A wonderful new single, You Are The One, was recently released on the Blang! Label.
www.myspace.com/slateislands

Simon Stanley Ward
Former singer with the now sadly defunct band Black Bart, Simon Stanley Ward is a young country and Americana artist from London. Unashamedly adorned in cowboy hat and shirt, he has a wonderfully distinctive voice and a batch of great songs notable for their wit and storytelling prowess, as evidenced on recent EP Myself To Blame.
www.reverbnation.com/simonstanleyward


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www.resonancefm.com