Thu 29th September, 2016
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
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Bookings are closed for this event.
Right now KAZ HAWKINS is home again after touring UK venues & festivals with her new album ‘Feelin’ Good’ featuring 8 original songs & a new take on two vintage favourites. Paul Jones is a fan, chatting about her tour and clearly enjoying her new songs ‘It Ain’t You’ & ‘Don’t Wait For Me’ on BBC Radio 2 (Paul Jones said “…terrific vocal performance from her and also lovely guitar playing from Nick McConkey”). The new CD is getting stupendous early reviews: “The darling from Belfast mashes up the styles blending 1950’s swing dress with Dr Martens…. with the granite edge of rock with thick veins of blues, soul and a twist of gospel running through, she moves you with her music….. and the band fits around her attitude like a glove augmented with classy licks and bass that drives the tension through the album. Her band is a rhythm powerhouse” and “Multi-award winning and unique with ‘knock your socks off’ vocals from an equally delicious firework of a character”
The following footage is Kaz & the band playing on the balcony of the Northern Irish Parliament buildings as part of National BBC Music Day – a great honour.
Kaz Hawkins from Belfast is feisty, funny & fabulous, warm, passionate and hugely talented, Kaz connects with her audience and will blow you away onstage. “The new Bette Middler”… She has a fascinating back story and has overcome huge personal challenges which give her extraordinary songs a powerful truth. Of her new album, “This Is Me…. has Kaz at the piano, her voice deep with soul and emotion and then the words, they are spell-binding. Stop what you are doing and listen, this is a soulful philosophy for life This is Me and all I wanted to be.” (Bluesdoodles)
Festivals have said “the audience wouldn’t let her go and the headliners kindly agreed to start late!” … “Kaz Hawkins absolutely fantastic, cannot believe her voice!” … “She lives up to the hype about her forceful presence, leading from the front with her extraordinary voice – not just because of its power, or her occasional incredible falsetto, but more importantly because of its soulfulness”
Invited by BBC Radio Ulster to take part in a special Van Morrison 70th Birthday broadcast in Northern Ireland August 2015, Best Studio Album 2015 (Blues Matters), Best Emerging Artist (British Blues Awards 2015) and Winner of Female Vocalist Pure M Awards (Northern Ireland Industry Award), and is nominated for the UK Blues Challenge 2016.
“One of the best, genuine and emotionally raw voices of her generation & their experiences. Brilliance personified” (Danny Morrison, Writer)
“Kaz Hawkins is one of the biggest performers to come out of Northern Ireland, a vocal force on stage, the fighting spirit of a true powerhouse singer. Kaz is loved for her down to earth attitude; she brings fun to every performance & is adored not only by her fans but anyone who meets her. She has lived and sings “The Blues” but has much more to offer across different genres in her song writing with power ballads, rock roots, soul and gospel.”
“Absolutely Extraordinary” (Brian Kennedy, Singer)
“When she opens up her throat, you know that what is coming out has been wrenched from deep inside her, and is delivered with the commitment of a truly passionate artist” (Mark Ashby UBER ROCK)
“A gospel blues rafter-raiser in the great tradition of Aretha Franklin and Mavis Staples with Belfast gypsy woman Kaz Hawkins promising those Better Days in that trademark voice of hers. (Classic Rock Blues Magazine)
“She blew the audience away with her soulful, intense, expressive singing of repertoire almost entirely composing of original compositions” (Trevor Hodgett, Blues Matters Magazine)
“The strength of Kaz Hawkins as a singer and songwriter have the whole range of emotions between force and resignation, between resistance and melancholy can bring to the blades. She is a fascinating singer , no question!” (Blues Priest, Raimund Nitzsche chief editor Wasser-Prawda” Magazine, Germany)
“What a wonderful attitude to life she has, a great artist”
“What a Voice” (Gerry Kelly, BBC Radio Ulster)
“One of our True Blues Stars, one powerful woman” (Ralph McLean, BBC Radio Ulster)
“Close your eyes, listen to Kaz and be transported back to a golden age of great female vocalists. Aretha, Dusty, Gladys, Etta – you’ll hear shades of them all.” (Mark Halsall, Musicians Together Magazine)
“Kaz may be from Belfast but her soul and inspiration lies elsewhere in a soulful, less convention strangled era” (Claire S Kane, Music Reviewer, Ireland)
How often does an artist blow you away on first listen? Kaz has a powerhouse voice on par with the late Etta James with an astonishing vocal range and passionate approach to her performance, Kaz grabs your attention and does not let go. (Kevin Carney, Music Review Unsigned Magazine)
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