Events

That was then…

Muskett was lucky to be around in those heady days when record companies paid for studio time, students got grants, gigs were plenty and someone had to sit on the engine.

This is now…

Fast forward (remember that?) 36 years to 2010 and the same, not too rusty, Muskett ‘reloads’ at the Aspinall Arms in Clitheroe. It didn’t make the front pages but the room was full, it was great fun, so why not?

NONUNONU have been making waves playing major gigs around the Northwest including Manchester International Festival, Lancaster Jazz Festival and Manchester Jazz festival. Groove based jazz loaf fresh out the oven, NONUNONU are a newfound Guitar trio featuring three of Manchester’s best-respected young Jazz musicians. Heavily influenced by Black American music, they bring together elements of jazz, hip-hop, prog and funk to create their own distinctive, exciting sound. Expect Blistering drum, steaming bass lines and groovy tunes from the vanguard of the northern modern jazz scene!

Bim Williams // Guitar

Andy Patterson // Bass

Ruben Sheridan // Drums

The Horse Puppets are an indie/folk band from Manchester fronted by Paul and Helen Bytheway.

Under their previous name ‘The Retrosettes’ the band had a simple YouTube clip online that was seen by Italian film director Paolo Sorrentino. They appeared in the opening scene of the film 'Youth', joining Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel in the first shots of the movie. From the popularity of the film in Europe the band toured the continent with Simply Red, then went on to release an album through Universal Germany and Live Nation, which became album of the week on multiple German radio stations.

After building their own studio in Manchester and deciding to do the next album under a new name without any producers, The Horse Puppets recorded their ‘first’ album ‘Sorry For The Inconvenience’ in late 2019. The addition of pedal steel and violin well as analogue synths, double bass and vocal harmonies gave the album an eclectic sound described as Lou Reed meets Pulp. In lockdown 2020, Helen and Paul hosted a live streamed album launch. The single ‘Which Way To Go’ from the album was included in the ‘Fresh on the net’ playlist by Tom Robinson (BBC 6music).

After a full year of streaming with their acoustic duo and ‘lockdown’ style remote recordings with the rest of the band, the music has developed into to a more rootsy acoustic folk. Their newest songs ‘Where I Want To Be’ and ‘Make It Better’ have adopted a sound closer to The Lumineers meets Fleetwood Mac with an acoustic mix of violin, double bass, piano, guitar and large vocal harmonies.

With festival appearances in 2024 already planned, and the recording of a new album underway, the future is looking bright for this unsigned Manchester band.

“Kaleidoscopic blizzard that swerves between tightly through-composed parts and free improv, shifts from dreamy voice and flute lines to knotty post-bop sax motifs.”
John Fordham **** Jazzwise

“Wallpaper Music is a tour-de-force....an exhilarating, swirling, never predictable ride.” Mike Collins London Jazz News

Kevin Figes brings his band to Zefferellis in support of their second album release 'Wallpaper Music II', which features a wide range of influences including jazz, folk, song, rock and contemporary classical. Joining Kevin (Saxophones) are Brigitte Beraha (Vocals), Jim Blomfield (Keyboards), Ashley John Long (Bass) and Mark Whitlam (Drums).

Ben P Williams is a difficult artist to pigeonhole and is all the better for it. Discovering The Beatles LP’s in his parents cupboard aged five, he instantly became obsessed and began a voyage of musical discovery which has lasted his whole life. Moulding the classic song-writing sound of Paul Simon with the laid-back nature of Jack Johnson, Ben draws inspiration from the greats while injecting his own wit and imagination for lyrics which perfectly encapsulate relatable experiences to make you smile.
As a guitarist, Ben has worked with Grammy award winning producers, appeared on BBC 1, ITV and Channel 5, and played concerts as the support act for major artists such as Nile Rodgers and Chic, Will Young, Mick Hucknall and Lisa Stansfield. He has supported artists on European tours and at festivals around the world including South By South West Festival in Texas.
After years of working on other peoples’ projects, Ben woke up one day and randomly wrote a song by and for himself. This first song opened the floodgates and was the catalyst for Ben to pursue his solo endeavours as a singer-songwriter. His debut album, Who Do You Think You Are? was released in 2015 to critical acclaim and received airplay on BBC Radio 2 (Dermot O’Leary Show) and BBC Introducing Manchester.
Ben has since released three further albums, Put It On Ice in 2017, the stripped back Minimum of Fuss in 2019 and Under The Radar in 2023. These albums have seen support from BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Introducing.

“Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face” - R2 Magazine

“So beautiful” - Janice Long, BBC Radio 2

“A nice chilled vibe” - Huey Morgan, BBC Radio 2

“The best song of the year so far” - BBC Radio Manchester

“The arrangement choices are stunning.. this would be lovely in a film” - Fresh on the Net