THE folk club Singers’ Night has always been a vital and popular element of the UK acoustic music scene. It gives local singers and musicians a chance to perform in front of a live audience from a platform more usually occupied by established and full-time players, thus offering them a chance to hone their style and technique, and have a good time in the process. It’s also a great audience experience, with a more relaxed atmosphere than more formal gatherings.

Looking around the region’s club scene this week, I see that many of those venues who haven’t closed for a summer break are featuring Singers’ Nights, so it’s a great opportunity for performers and audience to experience something unique in terms of home-grown entertainment, while maybe also catching glimpses of the some of the stars of tomorrow. There are also a few venues with special guests this week, such as tonight at The Black Bull in Blaydon, where Irish singers Kevin and Ellen Mitchell will be appearing. On Sunday, South Shields Customs House has popular local trio Dearman, Gammon and Harrison, with their lively repertoire of music hall, folk songs and dance tunes, and then on Monday, Stockton’s Sun Inn has one of the region’s most popular and long-established performers, Marie Little with her muchenvied repertoire of folk and country-tinged songs. Meanwhile, I’m in Canada for the next month or so, and I’ll be reporting back from festivals at Cambridge and Owen Sound in Ontario, Edmonton in Alberta, one of the biggest folk festivals in the world.

While I’m away, our own Saltburn Festival will be happening, as well as the week-long get-togethers at Billingham International Festival of Dance, and Whitby Folk Week, so there’s plenty to keep everyone active in my absence.