Apr

Wed 30th Apr
Kangaroo Moon
May Day Eve in the very best company: instant festival vibe from one of The Bell's best beloved bands of decades' standing. We shall make merry - it is a religious requirement - dance, and leave with a big smile. And it's good for you too!

May

Sun 4th May
Alamo Leal & Friends
A top Blues guitar attraction in in these parts, then he moved on, and indeed back, to Brazil. But the great respect Alamo is held in is demonstrated by the top local players who turn out for him.

Mon 5th May
Annunaki Fan Club
Voluptuously eclectic virtuosity and imagination, where street, circus, Balkan folk and theatre music meet. Were the actual Annunaki to show up, it would be good to stay in with them, so join the Fan Club now!

Tue 6th May
Sue Harding
Her own voice in both senses, as a singer with an unaffected and honest sound, and as a writer celebrating and exploring topics out of the ordinary in her own way

Wed 7th May
The Bethlehem Casuals
Back at the Nativity, these guys were having a spliff round the back of the stable and a kickabout with some of the shepherds - and missed the whole thing. Spiky Psychy, 50% clever bits, 60% gonzo - no of course it doesn't add up.

Sat 10th May
Free Four
Justin Adams and 3 others he met working for our Mr Plant, the name is an attitude: inspired by the improvising rock bands of the '70s, they accept no preconditions for where they are going to take the tunes.

Sun 11th May
Marama Café Band
The relaxed less raucous or mathematical end of Balkan / Gipsy Folk, with a voracious appetite for other music to compare and contrast: Breton, French Café, classic swing, tango, and indubitably others.

Mon 12th May
Jack Grace Band
The New York end of Americana will of necessity be neither pure-bred nor predictable, and more red flag than red neck - Country is, after all, an Urban form. NY State resident Jack is known for his fine writing.

Wed 14th May
Seas of Mirth
Some of the most complex rock music - Cardiacs, Zappa, Gong - has also been notable for its sense of humour and of the ridiculous. For SoM too, their attitude stops technique from being boring or bludgeoning.

Sun 18th May
Dom Harrison & Friends
Growing up with Bluegrass and folk and respect for a great song, Dom's fine playing and backing skills have made him many friends among our favourite musicians - which means a top quality 'and friends' gig.

Mo 19th May
Pete Josef
Considered a bit of a star by those fortunate enough to have worked with him, and will be considered one of the significant players of his generation in these parts. Soul, folk and a great musical intelligence.

Tue 20th May
Boulder Fields
Rocky, chunky, but certainly also rural and open: old but not forgotten punk wordsman - his band Cateran shared the tour that broke Nirvana to the world - evokes, not over-emotes.

Wed 21st May
Diddy Sweg
Maybe the name means something in an arcane Black Country dialect, or maybe it's just random noises that sound good together: that's true of their music too. Out-there tonality, hiphop rhythms, and a sense of humour a mile wide.

Sun 25th May
Trip For Biscuits
Sophisticated humour and superior musicianship in that satisfying game of playing the standards of one era through the stylistic fliters of another - makes for great entertainment!

Mon 26th May
Temple of Shibboleth
Billie Bottle plays keys and writes for combos inclined to the unexpected even in jazz terms, so no surprise that her own band is triumphantly eclectic in a jazzy-end-of-prog way. Communcation not chin-stroking.

Wed 28th May
Tashkezar
Driven out of Cairo's musical underground for the truth she told in her lyrics, frontwoman Mariam takes us on a wild ride from vintage Egyptian Pop to Turkish Psych.

June

This is a selection only of some forthcoming gigs at The Bell. These shows are not necessarily fully confirmed and subject to change - only the current month's listings are complete and checked.

Sun 1st June
Square Peg

Mon 2nd June
John Hegley

Tue 3rd June
Lunatraktors

Wed 4th June
Breaks

Sun 8th June
Robb Johnson & The Acoustic Irregulars

Wed 11th June
Normal People

Sun 15th June
King Dinosaur

Wed 18th June
Ya Freshness

Mon 23rd June
Soul Fire Collective

Wed 25th June
The Sun Kings

Mon 30th June
David Celia