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Dear Readers, Crewe Branch of the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship are hosting a couple of informal summer afternoon concerts at Wistaston Methodist Church in Brooklands Avenue Wistaston Crewe.   Tarporley songwriter Vin Barrett plays acoustic guitar and sings on July 6th at 2pm. It's only £1 entry on the door.   Vins' musical comparisons have ranged from Katie Melua, Joni Mitchell and Carole King, all the way to Nick Cave and Tom Waits, but Vin sounds most of all like herself.   There is a unique and timeless quality about her songs. They feel familiar, yet fresh and different. She has a beautiful, warm, distinctive voice and is a fine lyricist. Her songs evenly distribute pure poetry, raw sensuality and kitchen sink irony.   All are welcome to join CSRF members for a relaxing afternoon of song and guitar.   If you can't make this one, don't worry. On Tuesday August 3rd Musician Jonathon Baddiley brings 'Nostalgia Time' with the music of Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby and more.   Contact secretary Lynne Barnes 077 900 82523 or lynne@amandalynnemusic.com     Biddulph Up in Arms Concerts (formally Biddulph Folk Club) has an extended programme during July as part of The Biddulph Festival, which is a a series of community events in and around the Biddulph Area in for the whole of July). Saturday 10 July : Folk in the Park: Biddulph Grange Country Park: The Barflys, Bandabacana, Cajuns Denbo, Biggles Wartime Band. Start: 5.30p.m. To 11.00p.m. The Barflys: A highly revered R&B band that have been performing live to enthusiastic audiences for over 19 years. Over that time, they have achieved almost legendary status in their home city of Stoke-on-Trent.   Bandabacana: A band rapidly building a reputation for their live gigs. Featuring Nigerian-born vocalist Loulou Edwards they play groove-based music from a variety of cultures with the emphasis firmly on dancing and having fun.      Cajuns Denbo: A six-piece band based in Bangor, North Wales who have established themselves as Wales' leading purveyors of Cajun and Zydeco rhythms more usually associated with South West Louisiana.   Biggles Wartime Band: Biggles Wartime band have been around a long time are undoubtedly the leading exponents of jug band music in the UK. Comedy is the order of the day with lots of corny gags, musical and otherwise.   Now in its seventeenth year, this annual open-air concert has become one of the biggest picnics in the area as people bring along their own tables, chairs, food and drink and enjoy over five and a half hours of top-class music in a wonderful setting. Admission: £11.00 (from 1 to 9 July); £12 (on the day),  £2.00 off the ticket price OAPs & Students. Children (under 14) are free if accompanied by a responsible adult. Bakers Coaches will be providing a Free Bus Shuttle to and from the concert: Buses depart Biddulph Wharf Road at 15 and 45 mins past the hour from 1645hours to 1945 hours. Buses depart Biddulph Moor Village News on the hour and half past the hour from 17 00hours to 20 hours and Returns are every fifteen minutes to either/both areas from 21 30 hours to 23 45hours (last bus). Wednesday 14 July : Chumbamba (Biddulph Town Hall) : A wonderful  five piece band playing a mixture of material ranging, from acapella to pop to folk to jazz. Some fabulous singing and  thought providing songs.  Admission : £15 Wednesday 21 July: Richard Digance (with support from His Worship & the Pig):  Biddulph Town Hall: One of the most clever and humorous singer/songwriters in the country, featured  regularly on ITV's Count-down dictionary corner.  Support by Jeff Parton and Dave Boulton (HW&TP) who have been delighting everyone, both locally and nationally with their witty self-penned songs. Admission: £15 Tuesday 27 July: Loud-Mouth Women & Artisan : Biddulph Town Hall: Another fabulous double bill as local chorus and response group, Loud Mouth Woman share the evening with Artisan, a leading 3-part harmony group from Yorkshire, who are on a reunion tour.  Admission: £12 Thursday 29 July : Harvey Andrews and The Tindall Family: Biddulph Town Hall: Another double bill which sees the legendary singer/songwriter, Harvey Andrews with Paula and Stewart Tindall and their talented daughters, who are playing at Cropedy Festival this year. Paula and Stewart were residents at Sandbach Folk Club for a number of years before moving down to the Oxford area  Admission: £10 All events at Biddulph Town Hal have a 7.30p.m. For 8.00p.m. Start and it's a "bring your own Drink" Tickets may be obtained from Eric Cox (01782 514896) or Biddulph Council Connect during office hours     Quirky USA songwriter Dean Friedman plays Nantwich Civic Hall on Friday July 16th. Tickets are £17.50 from Nantwich Tourist Information Centre or www.ticketweb.co.uk   In the summer of 1977, Dean Friedman marked his entry into pop consciousness with the enormous success of his infectious hit single Ariel, a quirkily irresistible and uncategorizable pop song about a free spirited, music loving, vegetarian Jewish girl in a peasant blouse who lived, as the lyric goes, "...way on the other side of the Hudson." A year later, Friedman struck again, this time with a magical duet, performed with singer Denise Marsa, entitled Lucky Stars. Lucky Stars zoomed to the top of the UK singles charts going instantly gold.   The now classic single Lucky Stars paved the way for a slew of hits off of Friedman's humorously titled album "Well, Well" Said the Rocking Chair", including familiar tracks such as Lydia and Rocking Chair as well as singles from his first album, Woman of Mine and Ariel.   "An amazing Talent" - The Sun, "Outstanding" - Record Business, "Songsmith extraordinaire! A great performer!" - Music Week. "Immaculate writing and magnetic personality" - Cumberland News, were just of few of the superlatives used to describe Friedman's powerfully unique and original talent.   Although Friedman's next single, McDonald's Girl was officially banned by the BBC for mentioning the name of the well known fast food restaurant in its chorus, the irrepressible pop song has been covered by a number of acclaimed new bands including the ground breaking Canadian group Barenaked Ladies (WEA). (BNL member, Steve Page, sings background vocals on Dean's latest album.) And, just this summer, a new group named, The Blenders (Universal), recorded another cover of McDonald's Girl, which soared to #1 on the national airplay charts in Norway. During the '80's, Friedman turned his hand to composing and producing music soundtracks for TV and film. Unbeknowns to many of his fans, he has composed, performed and produced all of the music to Central TV's hit series BOON. And it's Friedman, himself, who sings the country & western songs played over the end credits of every show, familiar to millions of viewers, such as The Texas Rangers, He's My Friend, He's My Buddy and Handsome Stranger. Other TV credits include the popular TV series Nick Arcade / Nickelodeon and Eerie Indiana / NBC. Friedman also composed, performed and produced the soundtrack to the underground cult horror film classic I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle (Hobo Films/U.K.) in which he performs the unforgettable track She Runs on Blood, Not Gasoline.   While recording remains his main love, Friedman has always had a strong interest in state-of-the-art technologies (he has authored several best-selling MIDI synthesizer books for Music Sales Publishing). Much of his apparent reclusiveness is due in part to his having achieved considerable success in the hi-tech areas of virtual reality software and video game design, with his company InVideo Systems. Since creating TV's first VR game EAT-A-BUG for Nickelodeon TV, InVideo has established itself as one of the world's leading developers of VR entertainment systems with award winning installations in leading children's museums, science museums and family entertainment centers, including venues such as Disney and Blockbuster Golf and Games in Sunrise, FL.   Friedman has also managed to merge his musical and hi-tech interests by inventing an unusual and popular line of musical instruments called the Music Atrium "a musical playground for kids" originally featured at the Eureka! Children's Museum in the U.K. And now being reproduced by his company, Cool Stuff For Kids, for major theme parks, family entertainment centers and museums around the world, including Walt Disney World, Busch Gardens, FL, Barney's Playland / Universal Studios and Dynalecx, Japan. These strange and playful instruments have names such as the Booble, the Honkblatt and the Jingle-Lingle-Lily and have proven to be a huge hit with millions of kids.   Despite Friedman's apparent absence from the popular music scene, evidence that his name and music have made a lasting impact can be found in repeated appearances in popular media: The British band Half Man Half Biscuit released a best selling EP which contains a track incredibly titled The Bastard Son of Dean Friedman. (Dean emphatically denies this claim.) Underground poet, Nicholas Awde, published a well received collection of poems entitled, I Saw Satan on the Northern Line (Desert Hearts), which includes a romantic poem featuring three ardent Dean Friedman fans. In interviews, the popular American band, Ben Folds Five (Sony/550), acknowledges Dean as an important musical influence and their song Kate, off their latest album, Whatever and Ever Amen, pays direct homage to Dean's first single Ariel.   And so, it came as no surprise to Friedman's UK fans when British TV personality Gaby Roslin, host of the top rated The Big Breakfast show, recently confessed on air to being a massive Dean Friedman fan, herself. Viewer response was "overwhelming" according to the show's producer. Sacks full of mail, faxes and phone calls immediately began pouring in from viewers expressing their love of Friedman's music and support for the idea of a Dean Friedman revival. Friedman has recently been featured on the BBC TV series 'I Love the '70's', confirming him as a pop culture icon of the decade. Friedman has also just taped a guest star appearance on comedian, David Baddiel's new TV series 'The Baddiel Syndrome' (SKY TV) in which Dean delivers a tour-de-force comedic acting performance playing 'himself' in an hilarious episode written about him.   Friedman, 50, makes his home in Peekskill, New York where he lives with his wife and two children, plus assorted live stock - including a monkey named Amelia.       Town hall Coming to Town Hall this autumn Two unmissable shows Norma Waterson & Eliza Carthy Tuesday 2 November, 8pm Norma and Eliza come to Town Hall to perform highlights of the much anticipated record The Gift, their first ever duo release. Two of the country's finest exponents of traditional song, mother and daughter have effortlessly engaged audiences across two generations with their rich, distinctive and authentic voices.  £18.50* Book online for Norma Waterson & Eliza Carthy or call the Box Office on 0121 780 3333. Also on sale Ralph McTell Monday 1 November, 8pm Described by Billy Connolly as 'Britain's best singer-songwriter', Ralph McTell has won The Ivor Novello Award and a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award for his songwriting. Don't miss the chance to see him in person. £18.50* Book online for Ralph McTell or call the Box Office on 0121 780 3333. *A £2 fee applies to all bookings except purchases made in person at Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box Office.   Tip of the day : Cut price printing, marketing, signage http://www.vistaprint.co.uk/frfuk?frf=245319496113   Warm regards,   Lynne Barnes AmandaLynne Music Agency www.amandalynnemusic.com 01270 628041  mobile 077 900 82523 68 The Beeches, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5YP