Spiers and Boden have come up with an inventive new tour that will involve fans across the UK. Backyard Songs is their new touring project which takes place over 30 dates in April and May 2013. The songs they sing at these gigs will be determind by the public’s local knowledge of folk songs. Suggestions can be left on their website: www.backyardsongs.com using an interactive map to click on the flagged venues. Users can then click on a link to leave suggestions for local songs to help create a gig based on songs from your ‘backyard’. John Spiers:
“If you’ve got a link to an audio or video clip then that would also be fantastic. It could be a song from the town or surrounding area, or one that mentions the town, it could be a dance tune from nearby or even stories/plays from the area … the more the merrier! Also – we’re looking for suggestions for local acts who can contribute to the evening’s entertainment at any of the tour venues – again, anything which showcases the music, dance or folk-arts of the area and gives the show a more local flavour would be brilliant”
“Back Yard Songs was an idea that’s been bubbling under for quite some time now. One of the things that has always fascinated us about traditional music is that although it’s generally sorted by national boundaries, in fact it is infinitely local with quirky little tunes and stories originating from the smallest of villages.
“Add to that the fact that as gigging musicians we spend half of our lives on the road going from town to town, but never staying in one place long enough to really get a good feel for the local music, dance and customs of that area and we came to the conclusion that we could only really do both things at once if we got you lot to help us out!”
As well as social singing, one of the many things that fascinates Jon Boden and John Spiers about traditional music is that although it’s generally identified by national boundaries, many tunes and stories originate from the smallest of villages or tiniest of hamlets.
In one way or another, Jon (vocals/fiddle/guitar) and John (melodeon and coffee-making gadgets), who met 11 years ago in a pub in Oxford famous for its live music sessions, have spent half of their adult lives on the road, moving from town to town. Despite this, they have rarely stayed in one place long enough to feel that they had an intimate feel for the local music, dance and customs of that area. They have concluded that this can only really be achieved by inviting the locals to get involved.
The Backyard Songs Tour starts on 13th April and culminates on 25th May 2013 at Cecil Sharp House, London – the home of the English Folk Dance & Song Society. At that stage, the duo hope to showcase their favourite pieces of music from where the tour has taken them – as well, as music from the capital.
Whilst you’re browsing through the tour dates have a listen to their 2011 release ‘The Works’…it may bring some inspiration and a song suggestion!
Album Stream: The Works
Tour Dates
SPIERS & BODEN – The Backyard Songs Tour – April & May 2013
Saturday 13th April 2013
The Corn Hall, St Nicholas Street, Diss, Norfolk IP22 4LB
Tel: 01379 652 241 Doors: 7.30pm On stage: 8.00pm
Sunday 14th April 2013
Haverhill Arts Centre, High Street, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 8AR
Tel: 01440 714 140 Doors: 7.30pm On stage: 8.00pm
Monday 15th April 2013
Colchester Folk Club at Colchester Arts Centre, Church Street, Colchester, Essex CO1 1NF
Tel: 01206 500 900 Doors: 7.45pm On stage: 8.40pm
Tuesday 16th April 2013
Thomas Hughes Memorial Hall, Broad Street, Uffington, Oxfordshire SN7 7RA
Tel: 01367 820 282 Doors: 7.30pm On stage: 8.15pm
Wednesday 17th April 2013
The Red Lion Folk Club, The Red Lion, Vicarage Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7LY
Thursday 18th April 2013
Theatre Severn, Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 8HQ
Tel: 01743 281 281 Doors: 7.30pm On stage: 8.00pm
Friday 19th April 2013
Hungry Horse Folk Club, The Whitby Sports & Social Club, Chester Road, Whitby, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 6QF
Tel: 0151 678 9902 Doors: 8.00pm On stage: 9.00pm
Saturday 20th April 2013
The Duchess, Stonebow House, York, Yorkshire YO1 7NP
Tel: 01904 641 413 Doors: 7.00pm On stage: 7.30pm
Sunday 21st April 2013
The Library Theatre, Tudor Square, Sheffield S1 1XZ
Tel: 0843 208 0500 Doors: 7.30pm On stage: 8.00pm
Monday 22nd April 2013
ARC, Dovecote Street, Stockton-on-Tees TS18 1LL
Tel: 01642 525 199 Doors: 7.30pm On Stage: 8.00pm
Tuesday 23rd April 2013
The Stables Theatre, Stockwell Lane, Wavendon, Milton Keynes MK17 8LU
Tel: 01908 280 800 Doors: 7.30pm On stage: 8.00pm
Weds 24th April 2013
The Concert Hall, Town Hall, Blagrave Street, Reading, Berkshire RG1 1QH
Tel: 0118 960 6060 Doors: 7.00pm On stage: 7.30pm
Thursday 25th April 2013
The Astor Community Theatre, Stanhope Road, Deal, Kent CT14 6AB
Tel: 01304 370 220 Doors: 7.00pm On stage: 8.00pm
Thursday 9th May 2013
The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, Merseyside PR8 1DB
Tel: 01704 540 011 Doors: 7.00pm On stage: 7.30pm
Friday 10th May 2013
National Forest Folk Club, The Moira Miners’ Welfare, Moira, nr. Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire DE12 6BP
Tel: 01676 540 219 / 07881 558 158 Doors: 8.00pm On stage: 9.00pm
Saturday 11th May 2013
Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, Saltaire, nr. Bradford, West Yorkshire BD18 3JS
Tel: 01274 588 614 Doors: 7.00pm On stage: 8.20pm
Sunday 12th May 2013
The Met, Market Street, Bury, Greater Manchester BL9 0BW
Tel: 0161 761 2216 Doors: 8.15pm On stage: 8.30pm
Monday 13th May 2013
Arnside Educational Institute, Church Hill, Arnside, Carnforth LA5 0DF
Tel: 01524 762 460 /Doors: 7.00pm On stage: 7.30pm
Tuesday 14th May 2013
The Kirkgate Centre, Cockermouth, Cumbria CA13 9PJ
Tel: 01900 826 448 Doors: 7.30pm On stage: 8.00pm
Wednesday 15th May 2013
Guildhall Arts Centre, St. Peter’s Hill, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6PZ
Tel: 01476 406 158 Doors: 7.00pm On Stage: 7.30pm
Thursday 16th May 2013
Theatr Brycheiniog, Canal Wharf, Brecon, Powys LD3 7EW
Tel: 01874 611 622 Doors: 7.30pm On stage: 8.00pm
Friday 17th May 2013
The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire GL20 5NX
Tel: 01684 295 074 Doors: 7.15pm On stage: 7.30pm
Saturday 18th May 2013
Colston Hall, Colston Street, Bristol BS1 5AR
Tel: 0117 922 3686 Doors: 7.30pm On stage: 8.00pm
Sunday 19th May 2013
Bradninch Place, Gandy Street, Exeter EX4 3LS
Tel: 01392 667 080 Doors: 8.00pm On stage: 8.30pm
Monday 20th May 2013
St. David’s Hall, The Hayes, Cardiff CF10 1AH
Tel: 029 2087 8444 Doors: 7.30pm On stage: 8.00pm
Tuesday 21st May 2013
The Tolmen Centre, Fore Street, Constantine, nr. Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5AH
Tel: 01326 341 353 Doors: 7.30pm On stage: 8.00pm
Wednesday 22nd May 2013
Salisbury Arts Centre, Bedwin Street, Salisbury SP1 3UT
Tel: 01722 321 744 Doors: 7.30pm On stage: 8.15pm
Thursday 23rd May 2013
Ropetackle Arts Centre, Little High Street, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5EG
Tel: 01273 464 440 Doors: 7.00pm On stage: 8.00pm
Friday 24th May 2013
Forest Arts, Old Milton Road, New Milton, Hampshire BH25 6DS
Tel: 01425 612 393 Doors: 7.45pm On stage: 8.00pm
Saturday 25th May 2013
Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London NW1 7AY
Tel: 020 7485 2206
Afternoon Ceilidh: Doors: 2.00pm On stage: 2.30pm
Evening concert: Doors: 7.00pm On stage: 7.30pm
http://backyard.spiersandboden.com/