Junction of Ashford Road & The Street, Godmersham, Canterbury, Kent CT4 7DR
Friday, October 6, 2023
7:30 pm
Chris Wood
In a world of soundbites and distractions Chris Wood is a truth seeker. His writing is permeated with love and wry intelligence, uplifting and challenging as he celebrates the sheer one-thing-after-anotherness of life. Tom Robinson and Chris Difford are fans while Stick In The Wheel and The Unthanks look to him as an influence. Winner of 6 BBC Folk Awards, he’s played with The Royal Shakespeare Company and was a key member of The Imagined Village along with Billy Bragg and Martin Carthy. A wise and soulful craftsman, his concerts are a cliche free zone.
His most recent album ‘So Much to Defend’ has received wide critical acclaim and includes reflections on minor league football, empty nest syndrome, learning to swim, Cook-in Sauce and, not least, the Gecko as a metaphor for contemporary society.
On stage Chris has the air of a craftsman who no longer needs to be precious about his art. Without any apparent effort he reaches deep into an enviable repertoire of songs before revealing another gem.
"... at art school they said I had a remarkable eye for trivia, like it was a bad thing."
Praise for ‘So Much to Defend’:
fROOTS MAGAZINE
“Chris Wood might be the Ken Loach of songwriting. Very political, but at the same time full of compassion, and he grows sharper and more acute with each passing album. He’s good, quite probably the very best we have today, and we need him more than ever.”
ACOUSTIC MAGAZINE
“Steeped in tradition, yet always striving for a new day, this is a glorious album proving that Chris Wood is a bit of a national treasure.
Other press quotes:
The Herald ***** 5 Stars
“As close as it gets to a perfect union of voice and guitar, lyrics and melody, compassion, irony, realism, wit, and humanity.”
THE IRISH TIMES ***** 5 Stars
“Nobody comes even close to equaling his bird’s-eye-view.”
“Chris takes a traditional song and has you absolutely gripped…. He makes it really obvious why it is of contemporary relevance. On the flip side, he has managed this magical thing, writing songs on contemporary themes, or putting music to Hugh Lupton’s words, that absolutely fit hand in glove with traditional songs, but are totally modern.” — Ian Anderson (fRoots Magazine)
Nominated Best Original Song ‘None the Wiser’ BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2014
Songwriter of the Year – Spiral Earth Awards 2014
Folk Singer of the Year & Best Original Song ‘Hollow Point’ BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2011
www.chriswoodmusic.co.uk
Godmersham and Crundale Village Hall is a gorgeous space for acoustic music and easily accessible from both sides of the region being set on a main round between Canterbury and Ashford.
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