Atherstone Folk Club meets
3rd Wednesday every month starting at 7:30pm
at the Atherstone Red Lion Hotel, 99 Long Street, Atherstone CV9 1BB
We aim to have something for everyone; traditional, modern, shanties, comedy, dance and sessions just for musicians, so they don’t feel left out.
Entry is FREE, with a paper money collection for the guests that night, and a free raffle.
Together with our sister clubs in Bedworth and Nuneaton, we aim to provide the best of folk music in the Midlands.
Come along and see what we (they) have to offer.
Odette Michell is an award-winning British folk singer-songwriter, guitarist and bouzouki player with a bold new take on the acoustic tradition and a voice capable of demonstrating the finer points of both folk and traditional song with genuine craftsmanship.
Since releasing her acclaimed debut album ‘The Wildest Rose’ in 2019, Odette has headlined two of her own UK tours, performed alongside Show of Hands and Seth Lakeman, and has opened for the likes of Martin Carthy, Reg Meuross, Phil Beer, Boo Hewerdine, Ninebarrow and BBC R2 Folk Award winner Sam Carter amongst others.
In January 2020, Odette won Female Artist Of The Year at the 2019 FATEA Awards, following in the footsteps of previous winners Kitty Macfarlane and Cara Dillon, respectively; and in May 2020, Odette was nominated for a Rising Star Award at the 2020 Folking Awards. In January 2021 Odette was invited to perform at Celtic Connections as part of the legendary Danny Kyle Open Stage.
Odette plays both guitar and bouzouki, touring both solo and as part of her trio, and is set to release her second album in 2022.
Supported by
Brian Phillips
“Brian Phillips, is one of the rare people that every Folk Club and Festival should book on a regular basis.
When Brian takes to the stage, you know that before the evening is finished you will be taken into a world of laughter and amazement. Laughter from the intros and occasional poem and amazement at the perfect ‘clawhammer’ guitar technique and sincere singing voice.
Brian draws his material from trad folk and blues, with some contemporary songs and instrumentals as well. Brian has performed at many folk clubs and festivals in the Midlands and the South West, both as a performer and also a workshop leader.
He has a book of short stories “Stuff That Rhymes’, published in 2020 and a beautiful CD available, ‘Living Legacy” recorded with his late wife Marie, in 2014.
Brian is not one to miss, life’s too short, give yourself and your audience a treat!”
Kevin Dempsey
Floor Singers booked to perform on the night …
LA
LA are a male and female duo who have been performing together at open mics, pubs, village fairs, small music festivals, etc. since 2018. They play popular covers in a simple acoustic style and their repertoire covers a number of different genres, from Rock and Roll, Country, Indie Rock, Soul – whatever takes their fancy, from the 1950s to the present day.
Malc and Gill
As a duo, Malc & Gill, not surprisingly with their backgrounds, have a wide diversity of material, both traditionally and contemporary based, and ranging from clever harmony work to humour and even a serious ballad or two, performed either a-capella or with Malc’s pleasantly understated guitar accompaniment.
And your hosts, of course, are
Finger In The Jar
Formed especially as the host group for Atherstone Folk Club in June 2013, Finger In The Jar are Anne & Steve Beeson and Phil Benson.
Finger In The Jar perform as a group, as duos and as solo artists, depending on the songs being sung.

The Atherstone Red Lion Hotel has a car park, but the hotel can get very busy, so it would be better if you avoided trying to park there.
Parking in Council Car Parks in Atherstone is FREE after 18:00, so you will not have to pay to park when visiting the Folk Club.
If you arrive before 18:00, just follow the instructions on the payment meter, press the green button, obtain your ticket, and up to 2 hours free parking is yours, depending on the car park being used, in addition to the non-charging period.
Please Note: You MUST display a ticket, even when parking is free or outside the charging period during the day.
The map below shows the closest car parks to the hotel, and their entrances and exits, with the furthest being less than 100 metres walk.
(The Google Maps markers are not 100% accurate, BTW.)
Please note that traffic around the hotel is one-way, for the most part, with traffic along Long Street being east to west.
- From the A5 east, come into the town (do not go along the bypass), past the school on your right, then down a slight slope to a mini island. Turn left, and then right into Woolpack Way car park.
- From the west, come into town, follow the one-way system onto Station Street, past Aldi on your left and the petrol station on your right, and turn right into the second entrance into the Cattle Market car park. (The first access is the exit.) Alternatively, drive another 10 metres, and turn left into the Station Street (Bus Station) car park.
- From the south (Coleshill Road) come into town to the mini island (the hotel is directly in front of you). Turn left to the Cattle Market and Station Street car parks, or right and then left to access the Woolpack Way car park.
- From the north (Twycross) come into town, follow the one-way system onto the Market Place by the church, then turn right onto Market Street, and again turn right onto Long Street (the hotel will be slightly to your left). At the junction at the end, just after the library, turn left onto Station Street and you will come to the Cattle Market and Station Street car parks, as described above.