On Song Festival: Programme

THE BRITISH ACADEMY OF COMPOSERS & SONGWRITERS (BACS): THE ACADEMY PRESENTS A DAY OF SONGWRITING SEMINARS FOLLOWED BY THE WINNERS SHOWCASE FOR THE SONGWRITERS' ACADEMY.
Tuesday 19th September: Carling Academy Islington
11.00am-5.00pm: Academy Seminars (FREE ADMISSION but you need to register beforehand with Fergal Kilroy: fergal@britishacademy.com)
7.30pm – 10.00pm: Academy Showcase (INVITATION ONLY)

The Academy Seminars will be hosted by key industry figures, discussing the roles of those involved in successful song writing to performing. Such representatives will be available to answer any business and artistic queries.

The Academy Showcase will feature winners (from two categories) for The Songwriters' Academy 2006. This is a nationwide competition to unearth new and exciting talent, developed by BACS in partnership with BBC Radio 2, Apple Computer (UK), Youth Music, Arts Council England, Academy Music Group Ltd and University Of Westminster/WestFocus.

THE BAND AGENCY LIVE MUSIC SHOWCASE
Thursday 21st September: Carling Academy Islington & Bar Academy Islington
Doors Open: 7.30pm (£5 adv)

Tilly and the Wall
Newton Faulkner
Paris Motel
Mike Rosenberg
Vincent Vincent and the Villains (solo)
Plus more guests to be announced

FRESHLYGROUND
Friday 22nd September: Shepherds Bush Empire
7.00pm

South Africa's favourite afro-fusion band, incorporate jazz, funk, pop and kwaito into their unique sound. Energetic and original, this seven-piece musical delight, effortlessly fuse a huge mixture of musical styles and influences.

WOMACK & WOMACK
Monday 25th September: Shepherds Bush Empire
7.00pm

One of souls most successful families, Womack & Womack make a welcome return to the stage. Probably best known for the magnificent 'Teardrops', they have continuously created beautiful, soulful music.

WILDPLUM LIVE SHOWCASE
Tuesday 26th September: Bar Academy Islington
7.00pm

Al Douglas presents the very best in new and unsigned song writing artists.

THE STORYS
Friday 29th September: Shepherds Bush Empire
7.00pm

Swansea band The Storys perform a live set that is not to be missed. It’s packed full of quality songs, sumptuous choruses and superb harmonies and they have been making great progress with sell-out gigs, live radio sessions and even dates with Elton John.

RYAN ADAMS & THE CARDINALS
Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October: Shepherds Bush Empire
7.00pm

A highly prolific alt-country/rock singer song writer, Ryan Adams has released no less than eight solo albums throughout his career, three of which were in 2005, '29', 'Cold Roses,' and 'Jacksonville City Nights,' all of which received high praise from the press and marked a return to his song writing best.

BABYBIRD
Wednesday 4th October: Carling Academy Islington
7.00pm

Formed in 1995, and fronted by Stephen Jones, Babybird are best known for one of the biggest selling singles of 1996, "You're Gorgeous," which reached number 3 in the UK charts.

THE PIPETTES
Sunday 1st October: Carling Academy Islington
12pm-3pm (matinee show)

With their trademark polka dot dresses, doo-wop anthems and choreographed hand movements, The Pipettes have fans all over the globe. Becki, Rose and Gwenno formed at a Brighton beach party last year and have wasted no time since in their mission statement to ‘turn back the clock’. With headline tours and high profile support slots, The Pipettes are a refreshing and exceptional trio.

DEAD MEN WALKING
Saturday 7th October: Carling Academy Islington
7.00pm

Dead Men Walking is a collective of some of the most prominent musicians of an era. The current bill of Slim Jim Phantom, Mike Peters, Kirk Brandon and Captain can lay claim to having played a part in creating some of the finest songs of a generation.

KEISHA WHITE
Tuesday 10th October: Carling Academy Islington
7.00pm

Eighteen year old British R&B siren and MOBO nominee, Keisha White, is enjoying remarkable success with her debut album, 'Seventeen.' Most definitely one to watch, Keisha is one of those rare artists that appeals to all ages, genres and tastes.

CORINNE BAILEY RAE
Wednesday 11th October: Carling Academy Brixton
7.00pm

Corrine Bailey Rae is on a meteoric rise to fame. She's been tipped for the top by almost every newspaper, entertainment magazine and radio station, thanks to the massive success of her self-titled debut album and the monster hit, 'Put Your Records On.'

PLAN B
Saturday 14th October: Shepherds Bush Empire
7.00pm

Plan B is more than just a cockney Eminem, or an X-rated Mike Skinner. 23-year-old east Londoner Ben Drew could well be the most exciting MC the Capital has produced. He's as likely to be playing indie venues or folk clubs as he is hip hop jams or raves or R&B gigs. He accompanies himself on an acoustic guitar, playing in a curiously folksy, fingerpicking style. But the killer punch is the lyrics - bleak, cinematic, X-rated urban poetry laced with a mordant wit and a strong dose of pathos.

XAVIER RUDD
Tuesday 17th October: Shepherds Bush Empire
7.00pm

Xavier Rudd’s songs are packed full of heartfelt feelings about his homeland, humanity and spirituality, and running through these songs are all sorts of instruments: guitars, shaker, didgeridoos, Weissenborn slide guitars, Tongue drums, stomp boxes, djembes, harmonica, ankle bells and slide banjo – and they’re all played by this brilliant Canadian-Australian surf/roots artist.