After Hours Live - Christina Boonstra

Octavia's Cafe
Octavia View, 10a-14 South Brink, Wisbech
7:30pm (doors open 7pm)
Free entry

Christina Boonstra is a singer songwriter born and raised on the move. Her songs are a unique blend of acoustic indie pop, so catchy they'll rattle around in your head for days.

Her debut EP 'Until My Feet Move', received great reviews and was aired on numerous radio stations including BBC Three Counties, Vibe Radio Watford and UCB.

Soothing Sounds at After Hours

After Hours Live was pleased to welcome Salt of the Sound on their Cambridgeshire leg of their UK Tour on Friday. From Sweden, Salt of the Sound are husband and wife duo Anita and Ben Tantlow. Their music is relaxing and meditative, reminiscent of the 90s group Enya. Playing mainly original material, the soothing sounds soon wove their magic through the ears of the audience. Near the end of their second set, a thunderstorm broke outside and rivers of water cascaded down the sides of the glass cube, providing a very fitting background to the music. If you were unable to come, do check them out www.saltofthesound.com 

Bob and Dave at After Hours Live

After Hours on Friday 10th June featured Bob Bell and after the interval Dave Nurney. Both were solo performers with guitar accompaniment.

Bob performed country style songs often with a touch of humour in the lyrics. He began using a chorus which showed his ability to yodel but also had songs where the audience could join in as well as introducing a song with ‘Western Swing’. Bob is known for his anecdotes and funny one-liners and this continued throughout his performance. He concluded with two gospel songs ‘I’ve found a friend in Jesus’ and ‘Icome to the garden alone’.

Dave introduced his set explaining his choice of songs were an invitation to reflect on the various experiences most people have to face, love, loss, hope. He demonstrated his ability in playing and singing in a variety of styles, linking the songs with sometimes humorous or thought provoking comments. His repertoire included ‘If you were me’; ‘The water is wide’; Borderline’ and ended with a song that was personal tohim and his family.

A fine evening of entertainment with a twist of faith enjoyed by many.

Matt McChlery at After Hours Live

Matt McChlery entertained a home audience at After Hours Live at the start of March. Playing an acoustic set of covers by the likes of the Foo Fighters, Adele and Snow Patrol as well as a few original numbers too. Thank you to all who came.

Next month we welcome Bean Baker to the After Hours Live stage. This will be Bean's second time with us and if his first appearance was anything to go by, this is going to be a night to remember, so do come along to Octavia's Cafe on Friday 8 April.

Libby Redman playing After Hours Live in February

After Hours Live is back on Friday 5th February with the immensely talented Soul and Gospel singer Libby Redman. Libby will be travelling down from Liverpool to be with us at After Hours Live in February. Growing up with a love for music and wearing out toy microphones, Libby first performed one of her own gospel songs on stage at the age of 11. Writing music and lyrics is as natural to her as singing.

Described on Premier Gospel as ‘a gospel singing sensation’, her voice is powerful and emotionally stirring as it spills out from her core, powerfully articulating a range of life experiences that express faith, hope and love.

Libby produced her soulful new album, SO GOOD, which was released in November 2015. Recently nominated by Pure M Awards as Best UK Act whilst touring the UK & Europe, Libby continues to develop her distinctive sound.

More about After Hours Live

After Hours Live is a monthly event that takes place on the first Friday of every month in Wisbech, the heart of the Fens. Hosted by The King's Church, it combines first-class entertainment (that ranges from musicians and comedians to poetry reading and magicians) with a twist of faith. Performers come from far and wide across the UK, as well as some great home-grown local talent.

Starting at 7;30pm,Octavia’s cafe swings into action brewing up steaming cups of tea and luscious cappuccinos and lattes. Free entry means that you can come and enjoy the comfortable cafe atmosphere and still be able to afford a cup of your favorite beverage and maybe even treat yourself to an indulgent slice of cake! Some performers may also bring CDs they have recorded or books they have written that will also be available on the night.

2016 Line-Up

Other performers at After Hours Live in 2016 include: Chelsea Alice Scott, Bean Baker, Salt of the Sound, Pete McAllen and many more. Please visit the After Hours Live website www.AfterHoursLive.org.uk or ‘Like’ our Facebook Page to be kept up to date with the latest news and events.

Jon Kendall plays at After Hours

Musician, Jon Kendall travelled up from Milton Keynes to play at After Hours Live on Friday. His charismatic enthusiasm blended wonderfully with his acoustic musical talents. He sung a mixture of cover songs as well as some originals, including a new song he had written about the work of the charity 'Compassion'.

After Hours Live now takes a Christmas break and will be back in early February 2016. Please watch the After Hours Live website www.afterhourslive.org.uk for more information and the latest updates.

Have a blessed Christmas!

Ragtag Misfits at After Hours Live

Helly and Andy, otherwise known as the Ragtag Misfits delighted the After Hours Live audience in the picturesque Octavia's Cafe in Wisbech last night. Expertly weaving their life-story of homelessness and poverty that ended up leading to discovery of faith throughout their set, held the audience entranced. They sang some stunning original songs mixed in with a few covers that all blended seamlessly together in their acoustic / folk style. Having travelled all the way from Liverpool to perform they had to include a Beatles number. With the addition of an harmonica to the drum and guitar their version of 'Love Me Do' was breathtaking.

Having recently completed a tour of every county in the country to raise money and awareness about Foodbanks, After Hours Live did not miss the opportunity to take a collection of food items for our own local Wisbech Foodbank. People were very generous and two crates of food have been donated. Thank you.

After Hours Live takes a break over the summer holidays but we will be back in September with an extremely talented young, local musician, Joel Fitzsimmons - don't miss it!

Jacob Serenades After Hours

Accomplished violinist, Jacob Keet and friends played to an absolutely packed audience at After Hours Live in June. Jacob is an excellent violin player and is a member of the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra. He played several pieces, but he was not along. Indeed the night featured an array of talented singers and musicians from in and around the Wisbech area of all ages. These included: Thomas Clarkson Academy Srtings; The Wisbech Community Choir, The Wisbech Buskers, and Loc Mai and Gabriel Fitzsimmons on keyboard.

The evening too the audience on a musical journey from the Middle Ages up tot he present day, guiding the audience on a musical journey across Europe.

This was the first time After Hours Live had hosted an evening of classical music and based on its success, will definitely be having another one.

July sees 'The Ragtag Misfits' take to the After Hours Live stage at Octavia's Cafe in Wisbech. It is set to be a fun filled night so do please come and join us. Find out more on the After Hours Live website.

Were you at Jacob Keet's After Hours Live event? If so, what did you think? Please leave your comments in the section below.

Speak Brother at After Hours Live

Speak Brother were the special guests at After Hours Live on Friday 8 May. They brought some top-quality  music for us all to enjoy which had a distinctive modern folk sound (think Mumford and Sons) - so much so, we were happy to have had them along before they get famous! Remember - you heard them here first!

They played a lovely mixture of songs that talked about the joy and pain of life as well as sharing a little about their faith journey with Jesus. The majority of the songs were originals, however they ended with a great, uplifting number made famous by the Ice Age movie called 'Come My Way'.
Find our more about Speak Brother on their website.

June sees a completely new venture for After Hours Live, as we will be hosting an evening of classical music. Jacob Keet, a very accomplished violinist and member of the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra is our special guest. However he is bringing numerous musical friends with him including accordion players and a couple of choirs too! So get there early to get a good seat!

Matt McChlery to play After Hours Live in January

Friday 9th January 2015 sees our very own Matt McChlery take to the After Hours Live stage at Octavia's Cafe in Wisbech where he will be playing a blend of contemporary songs you may have heard on the radio as well as some of his own original material.

Matt's song "Fingerprints" has recently been awarded a 'Finalist' position in the prestigeous 2014 UK Songwriting Contest. Matt will be singing "Fingerprints" at the event as well as having his latest CD for sale which also includes the song. This will be the fourth time Matt has played at After Hours Live and it is set to be another fantastic event.

Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 7:30pm. Entry is free, but do bring some money so you can enjoy the delicious cakes and teas / coffees.

Daughters of Davis at After Hours Live

Daughters of Davis playing at After Hours Live

 The brilliant and super-talented Daughers of Davis fought the Friday night traffic to be with us at After Hours Live in Octavia's Cafe, Wisbech on Friday. Despite the sub-zero temperatures outside the largest audience After Hours Live has had to date helped make the cafe feel snug and warm. The girls put on an amazing performance with their unique blend of acoustic instruments and haunting harmonies singing a mix of covers such as Michael Jackson's 'Billy Jean' and 'Have a Holly Jolly Christmas' as well as some original material.

After Hours Live is in the process of booking performers and special guests for its 2015 line-up so keep up to date by checking out the After Hours Live website for all the latest news. See you in 2015!

 

Bean Baker at After Hours Live

Bean Baker and his bass guitarist Dave fought the Friday evening traffic all the way from Gloucester to be with us at After Hours Live on Friday evening. We are centrainly glad they did as they produced an amazing top-quality performance singing covers such as Ed Sheeran's 'Lego House' and Emily Sande's 'Next To Me'. To prove their musicianship they also covered a jazz number 'Hit The Road Jack' and then played a medley where they combined the popular song 'Everything Is Awesome' from the Lego Movie with One Direction's 'You're Beautiful'. They also played some original compositions including 'Set Me On Fire' as well as 'The Troll And Ogre Hunter' - their CDs sold almost as quickly as the chocolate cake in the interval!

There were also some people who were at After Hours Live for the first time and it was lovely to meet them. We are hoping they will be back next month to see the fantastic Daughters of Davis who will be getting us into the festive spirit.

After Hours Open Mic

On Friday 5th September, the monthly After Hours Live was back. Hosting the ever popular 'Open Mic' event, various performers all contributed to help make the night a success. Some of the highlights were: an original song by Joel Fitzsimmons as well as a beautiful rendition of the Les Miserables song 'I Dreamed A Dream' sung by Serena.

Thanks to all who contributed as well as everyone who came along to watch / listen.

Next month Bob Bell returns to the After Hours Live stage with his country and western classics, along with some witty banter! Don't miss it.

Photos of the event can be seen on the After Hours Live FAcebook page.

Keith Hammond at After Hours Live

Keith Hammond performs at After Hours Live

Yesterday another successful After Hours Live happened in Octavia's Cafe in Wisbech. Guitarist and songwriter Keith Hammond was our special guest artist this month. He played a fantastic mixture of his own songs and others from the charts. A balance of entertainment with a twist of faith gave a lovely insight into Keith's life and the two songs he played from the latest album recording from Kingsgate Church, Peterborough gave a glimpse into a future of musicality and song writing that is very exciting indeed.

After Hours Live will be back on Friday 4th October where we will be hosting an 'Open Mic' night. Musicians and entertainers from all walks of life are welcome to participate. Simply email info@afterhourslive.org.uk to book your 10min slot. Slots will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, so get in quick as they do tend to go fast!

Paul Kerensa at After Hours Live

Comedian Paul Kerensa entertains at After Hours Live

Professional stand-up comedian, Paul Kerensa, visited Wisbech on his book tour. He has won comedy awards on ITV as well as helped to write hit sitcoms such as 'Dead Ringers' and  BBC's 'Miranda'. It was fantastic having someone of Paul's calibre visiting our lovely town.

Paul had the audience in stitches in no time! A great night of fun and hilarity was had by all. Octavia's Café in the grand Octavia View building that is managed and run by the Ferry Project, again played host to After Hours Live, with help from The King's Church, Wisbech who funded and co-hosted the event.

This event formed a part of The King's Church, Wisbech's involvement in the annual Wisbech Rose Fair festival. Other churches in the town have fabulous floral displays in their buildings, but The King's Church has stand-up comedy and a rally car instead (see next blog for more about the rally car!)

After Hours usually happens on the first Friday evening of every month, however with the long summer holiday happening over August and many people going away during that time, After Hours takes a well deserved rest as well! We will be back in September, so please do keep checking our website for more information nearer the time as we would love to see you there!

www.afterhourslive.org.uk

Joel Fitzsimmons at After Hours Live

 

Local teenager, Joel Fitzsimmons, took to the After Hours Live stage on Friday 10th May 2013 for his debut full-length solo gig. His set contained a varied selection of songs including The Beatles ‘Hey Jude’, U2’s ‘With or Without You’ and Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’. Joel is a very talented musician and as such he had expertly reinterpreted other well-known songs in his own style. Outcast’s ‘Hey Ya’ was performed on an acoustic guitar and ukulele and Taylor Swift’s hit ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ was performed as a rap! The sound resembled a Radio 1 ‘Live Lounge’ session.

Staying on the theme of variety, our next event on Friday 7th June sees the popular New York Times best-selling author, G P Taylor coming to Octavia’s Café to talk about his writing and novels. His works include Shadowmancer, Wormwood, Tersias, The Curse of Salamander Street and The Tizzle Sisters. There will be a variety of his books on sale as well as a question and answer session.

Bob Bell at After Hours Live - April 2013

On Friday 5th April, Bob Bell was back at After Hours Live delighting the audience with his tongue-in-cheek humour as well as his country music. Singing country classics as well as some old gospel standards, Bob Bell had the audience singing along and laughing out loud! One of his songs was by singer Tiny Tim and Bob came equipped with a long black haired wig and a ukelele to give a convincing performance! Bob was also joined on stage by a few friends, namely Alan Vibes and Robin Johnstone who helped sing and play a couple of the songs.

Octavia's Cafe once again played host to the enjoyable evening, giving a fantastic blend of ambiance, coffee and cake! It was good to see some old faces of people who regularly support After Hours Live, but it was equally good to see a whole host of new faces too - we hope to see you again next month?

Our next After Hours Live will not be on the first Friday of the month due to the bank holiday weekend. We will be back on the second Friday of May instead, Friday 10th May 2013. Our special guest is the young but very talented Joel Fitzsimmons who will be playing and singing a variety of songs, new and old. It promises to be an excellent event. We hope to see you there?

For more information, visit our website www.afterhourslive.org.uk

LoziB & Thomas Clarkson Academy pupils at After Hours Live

Lozi B performing at After Hours Live in Octavia's Cafe, Wisbech

After Hours had yet another successful event last night at Octavia's Cafe in Wisbech. Our March event was the first time that we had a few warm-up acts before our headline performer took to the stage.

Starting at the earlier time of 6:30pm, pupils from the Thomas Clarkson Academy bravely took to the stage to give some top-quality performances. Emily Lyall kicked things off by singing a fantastic version of 'Bullet-proof'. Joshua Betts added to the variety of the evening by playing some amazing pieces on his saxaphone. The stand-out piece for me was his version of the popular TV series Poirot's theme tune. Jone Lipnickaite finished off the warm-up acts by singing and playing her guitar as well as singing one song accompanied by piano. Her distinctive vocal quality served to add to the outstanding quality of these young performers. We look forward to working with them and other performers from Thomas Clarkson Academy in the future.

After a relaxing break for a cup of tea and a slice of cake from the fabulous Octavia's Cafe, LoziB took to the stage. She sang a variety of covers including 'Stand By Me' and 'You've Got A Friend' as well as some original compositions. Near the end of her performance LoziB bravely invited members of the audience to suggest various words that she then used to make up a song on-the-spot. This resulted in a truly unique experience and a song about Wendy the blue-and-red tiger! Her chilled and laid-back style added to the relaxed ambiance of Octavia's Cafe and the audience enjoyed the evening.

Next month, Bob Bell is back at After Hours by popular demand. His often amusing style and delivery of country music songs are guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Why not come along and join us on the first Friday evening of May at Octavia's Cafe for the next After Hours Live?

Info about After Hours Live

Earlier this week, Matt McChlery was interviewed about After Hours Live by local community TV Channel 'Popcorn TV'. Watch this video to find out a little bit about what After Hours Live is and who is performing in 2013!

Better still share the video link with your friends on Facebook, YouTube or anywhere else on the internet and encourage them to come along for a great night of entertainment with a twist of faith.

Good Vibe-rations at After Hours Live

 

Alan Vibes had the audience up and dancing the night away at After Hours Live on the 1^st February 2013. Singing a variety of toe-tapping covers including UB40, Blues Brothers and Tom Jones numbers, it was a night to remember! The audieance were up an dancing during the first half of the evening after having drunk the fabulous beverages supplied by Octavia's Cafe. The second half of the evening saw Alan in 'entertainer' mode and treated the crowd to a superb impersonation of Tom Jones, complete with wig! People will be singing 'My, my, my Delailah . . .' for many days to come.

If you didn't make it to Alan Vibes' spot at After Hours Live this year, we are sure he will be back in 2014 - so make a date!

Friday 1^st March sees our special guest Lozi B who hales from Berkshire. Her music and voice has a haunting, melodic tone and will probably give you goosebumps. She loves to make up songs on the spot, so who knows, if you come to this gig you may hear a unique song or 2 that haven't been heard before!

Alan Vibes - Tom Jones impersonation (complete with wig!)