Tag: Snake Davis Band

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 37, from Gazette & Herald

Georgina Fairbanks and Johnson Willis in Wilko: Love and Death and Rock’n’Roll at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Nick Haeffner

WILKO Johnson’s miraculous renaissance, Alan Ayckbourn’s first courtroom drama, Phil Wang’s wise moustache and The Dunwells’ indie-folk rock spark Charles Hutchinson’s attention in the week ahead.

Punk godfather of the week: Wilko: Love and Death and Rock’n’Roll, York Theatre Royal, tomorrow to Saturday, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinee   

WHEN Dr Feelgood co-founder and iconic guitarist Wilko Johnson faced a terminal cancer diagnosis in 2012, he was given only one year left to live. Declining medical intervention, Wilko chose to dedicate his remaining time to a meaningful farewell tour of the people and places that defined his life…only for an unexpected miracle to change the narrative entirely.

Jonathan Maitland’s Wilko: Love and Death and Rock’n’Roll examines the life of this punk-movement godfather, tracing a career that spanned Dr Feelgood, the Solid Senders, Ian Dury and The Blockheads and a late-career turn to acting in Game Of Thrones. Integrating live music and storytelling with Wilko’s own words, this show serves as a practical masterclass in living life to the fullest. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Richard Stacey’s war hero RSDO 83 and York actress Frances Marshall’s defence counsel Allistra Clay in Alan Ayckbourn’s The Trial of Romeo Oscar. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

Premiere of the week: Alan Ayckbourn’s The Trial Of Romeo Oscar, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, until October 4

ALAN Ayckbourn’s 92nd play is his first courtroom drama, one set in the future, as he explores the question that artists have been asking for centuries: what makes us human?

In 2194, humanity is scattered around the solar system and day-to-day life on Earth looks very different. Preparations are underway for a landmark legal case. Romeo Oscar, a military issue android, is on trial for murder: the first non-human to be tried in a court of law. The evidence is polarising and selecting an impartial jury is proving a challenge. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

Movies In The Moonlight at Picturehouse Outdoor Cinema’s season in York Museum Gardens

Cinema event of the week: Picturehouse Outdoor Cinema, Movies In The Moonlight, York Museum Gardens, Friday to Sunday, 6.30pm

CITY Screen Picturehouse moves outdoors for three evenings of open-air screenings, comprising Grease (PG) on Friday, The Shining (15) and Evolution Of Horror podcast introduction on Saturday and Jurassic Park (12A) on Sunday. Screenings start at dusk or as soon as darkness falls.

Blankets, cushions and small picnic chairs are allowed. A limited number of deck chairs will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis; rain ponchos can be bought at the event, should the need arise. Guests are encouraged to take away waste for recycling where possible. Box office: picturehouses.com/outdoor-cinema/venue/york-museum-gardens.

Uh Oh! Here comes Phil Wang and his moustache that will “bristle with wisdom” at York Barbican

New moustache of the week: Phil Wang: Uh Oh, York Barbican, Friday, 7.30pm

PHILIP Nathaniel Wang Sin Goi is a Malaysian-British stand-up comedian, comedy writer and member of the sketch comedy group Daphne, who co-created the BBC Radio 4 series Daphne Sounds Expensive.

Now comes his new stand-up show, Uh Oh. In the words of Phil, “he’s older than ever before. He’s got a moustache now. It bristles with wisdom. His eyes shine with good humour. His shoulders groan under the weight of being the only cool millennial left. Everyone’s an idiot but him. Nice is out. Right is in. The vibe shift is real. Old Wang’s riding it.” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

The boys Dunwell: Brothers Joseph and David, heading to Milton Rooms, Malton

Ryedale gig of the week: The Dunwells, Milton Rooms, Malton, Friday, 8pm

LEEDS indie-folk pop band The Dunwells have combined strong vocals, powerful melodies and heartfelt lyrics across four studio albums, a live album and a number of standout EPs and singles.

Prolific songwriting  brothers Joseph and David Dunwell, along with friends Adam Taylor and Rob Clayton, have toured extensively in the USA, Europe and the UK, as well as undertaking support slots with  Mumford & Sons, Elbow, Tom Jones, Scouting For Girls and Bryan Adams on British tours. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Sax to the max: Snake Davis heads to Helmsley on his Everlasting Love Tour

Saxophonist of the week: Snake Davis Band, Everlasting Love Tour, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm

SAXOPHONIST Snake Davis is “so happy to be back at Helmsley Arts Centre yet again”, this time showcasing new tunes and a new album on the Everlasting Love Tour with his four-piece band featuring guitar, bass guitar and drums. 

The set spans “floaty to danceable, soul & Northern Soul to pop, jazz to world”, embracing original material and classic sax pieces such as Baker Street and Night Train as Snake swaps performing arena and stadium gigs with stellar acts for playing intimate venues with his favourite musicians.  Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

James Felice & William Lawrence: Dreamy and quiet evening of Americana music and storytelling at Pocklington Arts Centre

Americana gig of the week: James Felice & William Lawrence, Pocklington Arts Centre, Saturday, 8pm

JAMES Felice and  drummer William Lawrence, two members of New York State’s  Felice Brothers, are taking to the road to perform songs from their respective solo works in a dreamy and quiet evening of Americana music and storytelling. James and William last appeared at Pocklington Arts Centre alongside Ian Felice and Jesske Hume in the Felice Brothers gig in June 2021. Box office: 01759 301547or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Alfie Moore: Offering the antidote to the breakdown of law and order, fake news and the price of baked beans in Acopalypse Now

Comedy gig of the week: Alfie Moore, Acopalypse Now, Milton Rooms, Malton, Sunday, 7.30pm

THE Four Horsemen of Rising Crime, Global Warming, AI and Culture Wars are galloping towards us. Are we on the road to hell? Can we avoid the potholes? In this new tour show, ‘Fair Cop’ Alfie has the antidote to the breakdown of law and order, fake news and the price of baked beans.

Moore has encountered more than his fair share of egotistical dictators in his policing career and learnt when pragmatism, and more than a dash of humour, can defuse even the most menacing showdown. Join him as he saddles up to see off those bullies on their pesky ponies. Doomsday is no laughing matter, but this show will be. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Chance to perform of the week: HAC Studio Bar Open Mic – Under 18s, Helmsley Arts Centre, Sunday, 2pm to 4pm

IN a special edition of Helmsley Arts Centre’s regular social event in the studio bar, young musicians and artists have the opportunity to perform. There is no need to book to take part or listen; just turn up. All under-18s must be accompanied by an adult. 

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More Things To Do in York & beyond from Aug 29 as Making Waves waves goodbye. Hutch’s List No. 35, from The York Press

Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, from Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print at York Art Gallery, on loan from Maidstone Museum

FROM Making Waves’ finale to 50 years of Aardman, a comic convention to a slapstick Three Musketeers, Charles Hutchinson highlights a diverse week ahead.

Last chance to see: Making Waves: A Closing Celebration, York Art Gallery, Exhibition Square, York, today and tomorrow, 10am to 5pm

YORK Art Gallery marks the closing of the Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print with a two-day festival of music, workshops, creative activities and food and drink for all the family in the gallery and York Museum Gardens. Making Waves talks take place at 11am and 2pm each day; The Art of Kokedama in the Studio today has sold out  but limited tickets are available for 11am tomorrow.

Highlights in the gardens include the Ippuku Tea Stand today, 10am to 5pm (free); Japanese Gardening Society today and tomorrow, 10am to 5pm (free); face painting, today and tomorrow, 10am to 4.30pm; Paddle in the Surf: Mokuhanga printmkaing, today and tomorrow, 10.30am to 4.30pm; sun ring making, 10.30am to 4.30pm (free); Jiu Jitsu performance, today and tomorrow, 2pm (free); Taiko drumming performance, Sunday, 11am and 3pm, with interactive session at 1.30pm (all free), and Micklegate Choir performance of Sound Waves, tomorrow, 12 noon (free). Koto Japanese harp music performances will be at 10am, 11.20am, 12.40pm, 2pm and 3.15pm in the Foyer tomorrow (free). Exhibition admission tickets: yorkartgallery.co.uk.

York singer-songwriter Beth McCarthy: Opening August 29’s bill on The Grid Stage at Leeds Festival at Bramham Park. Picture: Leeds Festival

Festival of the week: Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, near Wetherby, continuing August 29 and 30

TODAY serves up York singer-songwriter Beth McCarthy (12.30pm to 1pm), James Marriott, Declan McKenna, Skepta, Charlie XCX and bill-topping Fontaines D.C. on The Grid. Catch Geese in The Gallery too. Sunday’s Grid finale features Absolutely, Slayyyter, Maisie Peters, Sombr, Raye and the festival-closing Dave. Box office for day tickets: leedsfestival.com/tickets.

Aardman In Concert: Celebrating 50 years of clay, comedy and creativity with a live orchestra at York Barbican

Film celebration of the week: Aardman In Concert, York Barbican, August 29, 1pm and 3.30pm

FIFTY years of Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time, Morph and Creature Comforts are marked in a heart-warming big-screen celebration, clay, comedy and creativity.

Presented in partnership with Aardman, Carrot Productions’ new show takes a joyful journey through five decades of stop-motion clay animation from the Bristol studio with its blend of treasured characters, oh-so British humour and music, climaxing with a screening of Wrong Trousers accompanied by a live orchestra. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

York Unleashed Comic-Con: Comics galore on the Knavesmire

Convention of the week: York Unleashed Comic-Con, York Racecourse, Knavesmire, York, August 30, 10am to 4pm

YORK Unleashed Comic-Con promises a cosplay-friendly atmosphere, Yorkshire artists and comic creators, traders, collectables and geeky merchandise, gaming and interactive zones, a comic book chill-out zone, family-friendly activities and accessible, inclusive spaces. Media guests include Alex Jordan, Harry McEntire, Alan Fletcher, Richard Price and Jamie Kenna. Tickets: unleashedtickets.co.uk.

The Rocket Man: Playing Elton John’s greatest hits on his Yellow Brick Road Tour at Grand Opera House, York

Tribute gig of the week: The Rocket Man – A Tribute to Sir Elton John, Yellow Brick Road Tour, Grand Opera House, York, August 30, 7.30pm

THE Rocket Man and his band travel down the Yellow Brick Road to perform two hours of Elton John hits, from Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting), Crocodile Rock, Daniel and Your Song to Philadelphia Freedom, I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues and I’m Still Standing. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

The Dead South: Progressive bluegrass and alternative Americana at York Barbican

Recommended but sold out already: The Dead South, Europe 2026 The Return, York Barbican, August 31, doors 7pm

WHATEVER you call The Dead South’s music – progressive bluegrass, alternative Americana, country, folk or Western – people from different backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, languages and ages love it, clubbing together as the cosplaying “Good Company” at gigs. 

Formed in 2012 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, the line-up comprises Nate Hilts, Scott Pringle, Danny Kenyon and Colton Crawford, always attired in bolo ties and custom brims. Carter Family meets Addams Family in songs that address themes of murder, disloyalty and ghosts while going from weepy to weird, wistful to wicked. Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra support. Box office for returns only: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Snake Davis: Celebrating the art of the sax solo at Pocklington Arts Centre

Saxophonist of the week: Snake Davis Band, Classic Sax Solos, Pocklington Arts Centre, September 3, 8pm

AN instrumental solo can break hearts, lift spirits, even change lives. Saxophone is the favourite instrument of many folk, and for good reason; so emotional, so passionate; it sings, screams, whispers. Step forward saxophonist to the stars Snake Davis, leading his five-piece band through more than  20 classics, from Baker Street, Careless Whisper, Respect and Yakety Yak  to his own solos from Take That’s Million Love Songs, M People’s Moving On Up and Lisa Stansfield’s Change.

Davis reveals their background and history as well as playing them in context. What is their individual magic ingredient; what makes these solos classic? How did they emerge; how did the players produce that magic? Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

The poster for Pete the Temp’s Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries

Spoken-word gig of the week: Say Owt presents Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries by Pete the Temp, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

POET, author and comic Pete the Temp’s Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries is a spoken-word show about rebellion, resistance and wild imagination. The 1800s’ Romantic movement began as a rebellion: against empire, industry and the mechanisation of the soul. Yorkshire became the epicentre of its rebellion. ​

Tomorrow’s storytelling stage show fuses scholarship with music, comedy and poetry in a spellbinding history of riot, repression and psychedelic experimentation. As we face this age of despair, find out what we can learn from past dreams of freedom and renewal. Bangladeshi-Geordie spoken-word poet and creative practitioner Tahmina Ali supports with her explorations of identity, belonging, motherhood, mental health and cultural inheritance, viewed through a distinctly northern lens. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Our Star Theatre Company: Turning up the slapstick quotient in The Three Musketeers

Slapstick silliness of the week: Our Star Theatre Company in The Three Musketeers, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, September 4, 7.30pm  

OUR Star Theatre Company’s re-telling of The Three Musketeers is packed with humour, audience participation and energetically silly performances as a small troupe of performers gears up for its debut performance of Alexandre Dumas’s story.

However, what starts as a simple theatrical endeavour soon unravels into a whirlwind of confusion, mayhem and comical mishaps. From forgotten lines to chaotic set changes, the actors become entangled in a series of blunders. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Louisa Ashdown in rehearsal for her role as The Actor in Hephaestus Theatre’s Richard iii Redux

Introducing: Hephaestus Theatre in Richard iii Redux, The Basement, City Screen Playhouse, York,  September 10, 7.30pm

UNIVERSITY of York theatre graduates Eleanor Doig (producer) and Louisa Ashdown (director and performer) introduce new York company Hephaestus Theatre in Kaite O’Reilly and Phillip Zarrilli’s dark comedy Richard iii Redux.

The company’s mission is to tell disabled stories and put disabled and neurodiverse actors on stage and behind the scenes, this time with Ashdown playing The Actor opposite Georgina Way’s Presenter (on film) in a journey to find who the real Richard iii was while exploring the challenges of being a disabled actor. Box office: eventbrite.co.uk.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond. Hutch’s List No 34, from The York Press

Mary Anning Rocks at Yorkshire Museum, York. Picture: Antony Chappel Ross

DINOSAUR adventures and the CBeebies house party, Sparks’ York return after 52 years and Leeds Festival’s summer serenade offer contrasts aplenty in Charles Hutchinson’s choices for the days ahead.

Last-chance holiday activities: Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, York, open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm

AS the school summer holidays enter their final fortnight, the Yorkshire Museum invites visitors to “make the most of the interactive activities, craft sessions and amazing exhibits before term starts again”.

Grab a dinosaur backpack to explore the Mary Anning and Jurassic galleries in dino-themed entertainment for younger ones, while spotting fossils and dino bones on their adventures on August 24 or 28. The final Melsonby Hoard treasure trove crafting session will be held on August 26, although Viking beaded jewellery and bug brooch making are available every day through the summer break. Pay once to receive all these free activities and unlimited return visits for a year. Tickets: yorkshiremuseum.org.uk.

Nile Rodgers: Celebrating Good Times with CHIC at Scarborough Open Air Theatre

Coastal gig of the week: Nile Rodgers & CHIC, TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, August 22, gates open at 6pm

IN the final Scarborough Open Air Theatre concert of the summer, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Grammy Lifetime Achievement winner and composer, producer, arranger and guitarist Nile Rodgers returns to the Yorkshire coast for the third time with CHIC, the New York City R&B and soul band he co-founded with Bernard Edwards.

Expect such disco dance-floor fillers as Le Freak, Good Times, We Are Family and I’m Coming Out. Acid jazz combo Brand New Heavies support. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Sparks’ Ron and Russell Mael: Returning to York after 52-year hiatus

York gig of the week: Sparks, York Barbican, August 25, doors open at 7pm  

NEXT Tuesday, cult Californian pop-rock pioneers Sparks play York for the first time since their November 2 1974 gig at the University of York.

Coinciding with their release of latest album Sparks Live On The Moon, the Mael brothers, Ron (keyboards), 81, and Russell (vocals), 77, are lining up a euphoric, career-spanning set, picking from such hits as This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us, Amateur Hour, Something For The Girl With Everything, The Number One Song In Heaven and Beat The Clock. Mr. B  The Gentleman Rhymer supports. Box office for returns only: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Justin Fletcher: Directing CBeebies House Party Live! at York Barbican, featuring special guest Mr Tumble

Children’s show of the week: CBeebies House Party Live!, York Barbican, August 26, 11am and 2pm

DIRECTED by CBeebies superstar Justin Fletcher, CBeebies House Party Live! is a fun-packed family stage show full of sensational songs, stupendous surprises and mega moments.

Throwing an epic party just for you will be Mr Tumble, Mister Maker, York Theatre Royal pantomime alumni Andy Day and Evie Pickerill, Duggee, Nigel Clarke and George Webster, who promise dancing, singing, streamers, giant jellies, bubbles galore and a CBeebies bedtime story. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

This Is The Kit: Through the round window at The Crescent, York

Recommended but sold out already: Please Please You & Brudenell Presents: This Is The Kit & Seamus Fogarty, The Crescent, August 27, 7.30pm

IN today’s fast-paced mid-apocalyptic world, it can feel like a waste of time to discuss time, but with This Is The Kit, alias songwriter/banjo strummer/pinhole camera lover/Winchester-born Paris dweller Kate Stables, time deserves a modicum of consideration. Why? Because Stables keeps making albums of cataclysmic honesty and welcoming tonal embraces.

Placing companionship at a premium, This Is The Kit welcomes you into its space, on record and in concert halls with Stables’supporting cast of Rozi Plain (bass), Jamie Whitby-Coles (drums) and Neil Smith (guitar). Irish-born, London-based alt-folk alchemist Seamus Fogarty supports. Box office for returns only: thecrescentyork.com.

Dave: Headlining The Grid stage at Leeds Festival on August 30. Picture: Leeds Festival

Festival of the week: Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, near Wetherby, August 27 to 30

KASABIAN headline day one of Leeds Festival on The Grid stage, where The Lathums and Arkayla play too that day. Next Friday’s line-up on The Grid includes Blossoms, Role Model, Florence +The Machine and headliners Chase & Status Live, while headline-grabbing Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap play The Gallery that night. Look out too for Westside Cowboy and Paris Paloma in The Ballroom.

Next Saturday serves up York singer-songwriter Beth McCarthy (12.30pm to 1pm), James Marriott, Declan McKenna, Skepta, Charlie XCX and bill-topping Fontaines D.C. on The Grid. Catch Geese in The Gallery too. Next Sunday’s Grid finale features Absolutely, Slayyyter, Maisie Peters, Sombr, Raye and the festival-closing Dave. Box office: leedsfestival.com/tickets.

Carolyn Coles: Hosting seascape painting workshop for beginners at South Bank Studios, Bishopthorpe Road, York

Workshop of the week: A Day At The Seaside with Carolyn Coles, South Bank Studios, Southlands Methodist Church, York, August 28, 10am to 5pm

SOUTH Bank Studios seascape painter Carolyn Coles hosts A Day At The Seaside, a workshop for beginners, in the Garden Room at South Bank Studios. “Start the day with the ‘Loosen Up and Feel The Flow’ workshop,” says Carolyn. “Then, in the afternoon, paint a panel and frame it.” Everything is included for £75. For more information and to book a place, email [email protected].

Looking ahead, Carolyn will take part in Staithes Festival of Arts & Heritage 2026 from September 11 to 13, when 113 artists will exhibit at 67 pop-up venues, alongside live music, heritage talks and outdoor screenings. General entry and the Artist Trail are free.

Lee Gemmell’s Egyptology student Edward Bellingham in Baron Productions’ The Mummy Lot No. 249

Thriller of the week: Baron Productions presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Mummy Lot No. 249, St Mary’s Church, Bishophill Junior, York, August 28 & 29, 7.30pm

FOUNDED by Daniel Wilmot in 2015, York company Baron Productions presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1892 one-act play The Mummy Lot No. 249 as its 2026 summer show, in which Oxford student Abercrombie Smith discovers his neighbour, Egyptology student Edward Bellingham, has used ancient magic to reanimate a malevolent mummy to terrorise and attack his rivals.

Wilmot’s cast features Jack McAdam as Smith, Lee Gemmell as Bellingham, M. Alder as Peterson, Lauren Hegarty as Hastie and Ellie Guffick as Monkhouse Lee. Box office: https://www.ticketsource.com/baron-productions.

The Snake Davis Band: Heading to Helmsley Arts Centre

Return upcoming: The Snake Davis Band, Everlasting Love Tour, Helmsley Arts Centre, September 12, 7.30pm

SAXOPHONIST Snake Davis is “so happy to be back at Helmsley Arts Centre yet again”, this time showcasing new tunes and his new album on the Everlasting Love Tour with his four-piece band featuring guitar, bass guitar and drums. 

The set list spans “floaty to danceable, soul and Northern Soul to pop, jazz to world”, embracing original material and classic sax pieces such as Baker Street and Night Train, as Snake swaps performing arena and stadium gigs with stellar acts for playing intimate venues with his own music choices and favourite musicians. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

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