Upstairs:
Gay Tango Workshop. Tango lessons for all! 7.30 – 9.30pm general level. Free dancing 9.30 – 10.30pm. £10 for lesson.
More info: www.kijutango.co.uk

Evening shows
Downstairs:
Mike Heron & Georgia Seddon. A special St Andrew’s Celtic folk night featuring legendary songwriter Mike Heron (co-founder member of the Incredible String Band, the most influential psychedelic folk group of the 60’s) and his daughter Georgia Seddon (keyboards, percussion, vocals).  Since the demise of ISB, Mike has continued to write in epic quantities, in recent years performing at Celtic Connections, Syd Barrett’s tribute concert in London, an all-star Folk Britannia Event at the Barbican and this year at the Hollywood Bowl in collaboration with the Album Leaf and Devendra Banhart.  Georgia has been described as “the nu-folk answer to Martha Wainwright” in the Scotsman.  Their unique performances are a potent mix of new songs and much-loved ISB favourites. With support from Hanna. Hanna goes further than Norah Jones and Eva Cassidy in putting the mesmerising back into songs - a unique blend of jazz-folk-blues-soul. 7pm. £8.
www.vixenrecords.com/newfoxymusic/mikeheron
www.myspace.com/georgiaseddon
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SPAcsExbHDk

And here’s a review of the gig:

It seems as if the more popular something becomes, the less ‘realness’ and grit there is left to it. Once you scratch below the surface, it becomes quickly apparent that the best and the coolest music is unlikely to be found in the charts or on TV, but rather in hip underground clubs, where stuff is truly played from the heart..played from the soul.
Never a truer phrase could apply to Foy Vance’s gig at the Latest Musicbar in Brighton where Brighton’s famed underground club bore witness to a absolute one man tour de force from one of the greatest musicians you may never have heard of.

Vance is an act difficult to define; his is a truly unique singer/songwriter whose voice can bear witness to the impassioned tones of a Ray Charles or (the male equivalent of a) Aretha Franklin one minute then the hushed narrative styling of the rootsiest folky the next. He is a master of ‘looping’ - a technique that allows an artist to harmonise and/or build up arrangements in ‘real time’ - but unlike other electronic wizards, Vance uses the technique tastefully and sparingly…as a compliment to the song, rather than a trick designed to show off and impress. His appreciation of dynamics, stagecraft, and use of light and shade, together with the broadness of his vocal repertoire and song portfolio allows him to sustain a 90 plus minute set which takes you through a roller coaster of emotions and sound rides.

Indeed he commenced the gig with unfamiliar territory - ‘it’s official’ he observed ‘I’ve started with three new songs and you are still applauding..I officially love you’ - before raising the roof with barnstorming versions of ‘Be With Me’ and ‘Shed A Little Light’ from his to date, sole CD release, ‘Hope’.

‘I’ve got no CD to promote..tonight it’s just about the music’ he observed, with some honestly given it was a one off gig he had personally agreed to do outside of his heavy touring schedule. He was certainly among friends in the sell out crowd. Indeed, apart from the interested locals, audience members had travelled to Brighton from places like London, Portsmouth and even Belfast and Lincoln(!) just to catch the gig. People ‘in the know’ clearly feel very passionately his music and rightly so. When he pulled out intimate songs like ‘Gabriel and the Vagabond’ and ‘Indiscriminate Act of Kindness’ there was barely a dry eye in the house. Vance himself seemed to enjoy the freedom to play whatever and wherever his fancy took him. Old favourites, a whole bunch of new tunes - including a sumptuous soul/blues commissioned for a film project - and even a handful of singalong covers (one or two very tongue in cheek) were wheeled out for all to enjoy.

Whether or not we ever get to see him in the charts or on TV, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Foy Vance is one of greatest and most important musicians working in the industry today. If nothing else - and trust me there is a lot more to this boy than simply this - he has the most authentic and entirely convincing soul voices this side of Aretha Franklin. When he takes it to the church the devil himself couldn’t stop his yells and pleas finding the deepest regions of your being.

Quite amazing and entirely moving. He tours in the new year and a return trip to Brighton is planned for early February. My advice would be crawl over broken glass to catch it.

*Only one free ticket per person*