OH MERCY – BOB DYLAN with special guest Michael Gray

In 1989 Bob Dylan appeared to be a busted flush, the God bothering had faded and the glory decades were long gone but with Daniel Lanois at the helm ‘Oh Mercy’ smashed any preconceptions of creative malaise and delivered his most vital work for years. For many ‘Oh Mercy' was a gateway drug to both Dylan and the genre of Americana. It is a genuine classic album that stands up to repeated listens.” (Rolling Stone).

MICHAEL GRAY was the man who in 1972 wrote the first critical study of Bob Dylan’s work – the first to take him seriously as an artist and to discuss his work alongside that of the literary majors – all this more than 40 years before Dylan received the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Michael has remained at the forefront of Dylan Studies and his books are widely used in colleges and libraries on both sides of the Atlantic.

We were delighted to welcome the author of ‘Song & Dance Man,’ ‘The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia’ and ‘Outtakes On Bob Dylan’ for what proved to be a memorable evening – Dr. Michael Gray.

This event took place on 26th September 2024 in the Pigeon Loft at The Robin Hood, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

To find out more about the CAT Club please visit: www.thecatclub.co.uk

Happy Trails.

The CAT Club presents a classic vinyl album:

COMBAT ROCK – THE CLASH

Released in 1982, ‘Combat Rock’ covers old ground with almost gleeful energy, stakes out new territory with confidence, and delivers more than enough timeless classics to make it stand proudly next to any of their earlier work.

With special guest CHRIS SALEWICZ

The author of Redemption Song: 'The Definitive Biography Of Joe Strummer,' Chris Salewicz was an intimate friend with Joe Strummer for over 25 years. An NME golden era veteran, he has written seventeen books, including acclaimed biographies of Paul McCartney, Bob Marley and Jimmy Page. The first group that Chris saw was the Beatles.

CHRIS MADDEN was in the interviewer’s chair.

This event took place on 16th January 2025 in the Pigeon Loft at The Robin Hood, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

To find out more about the CAT Club please visit: www.thecatclub.co.uk

This podcast has been edited for content and for copyright reasons.

Happy Trails.

The CAT Club presents a classic vinyl album:

THE CURE – THE HEAD ON THE DOOR

with special guest

DAVID M ALLEN

Released in 1985, 'The Head On The Door' was The Cure’s first real international success. At the helm during the recording of this terrific classic album was producer David M Allen.

David is also an engineer and mixer. He has worked with The Sisters Of Mercy, The Chameleons, Depeche Mode, The Mission, The Associates, The Human League, Wire, Clan Of Xymox, Gianna Nannini, Shelleyan Orphan, Neneh Cherry, The Psychedelic Furs, Richard Strange and The Damned.

AMANDA COOK was in the interviewer’s chair opposite the delightful David M Allen and a splendid time was had by all.

This event took place on 27th March 2025 in the Pigeon Loft at The Robin Hood, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

To find out more about the CAT Club please visit: www.thecatclub.co.uk

This podcast has been edited for content and for copyright reasons.

Happy Trails.

The CAT Club presents a classic vinyl album:

GRACE JONES – SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM

with special guest

BRUCE WOOLLEY

Bruce Woolley co-wrote all the songs on Grace Jones’ classic album from 1985, 'Slave To The Rhythm' and he plays guitar, bass and keyboards on the album, as well as singing background vocals.

His band, Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club, recorded 'Video Killed The Radio Star' first, a song Woolley co-wrote with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes.

Woolley’s songs have been recorded by Cher, Erasure, Tori Amos, John Farnham, Donna Summer, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Dusty Springfield.

He is also the co-founder of The Radio Science Orchestra that composes for major films, television and radio. Bruce Woolley has worked with Brian Eno, Sly & Robbie, Nile Rodgers, Thomas Dolby and many others.

With JASON BARNARD was in the interviewer’s chair opposite the delightful Mr Bruce Woolley and a splendid time was had by all.

This event took place on 27th February 2025 in the Pigeon Loft at The Robin Hood, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

To find out more about the CAT Club please visit: www.thecatclub.co.uk

This podcast has been edited for content and for copyright reasons.

Happy Trails.

The CAT Club presents a classic vinyl album:

LIVE AT THE WITCH TRIALS – THE FALL

with special guests

MARK HOYLE & PAUL HANLEY

An incendiary debut album, Live At The Witch Trials introduces The Fall as 'northern white crap that talks back'. And so it was for the next four decades: abrasive, non-conformist, literate, witty, rhythmic.

It was a sound and attitude obsessed over by two teenage Mancunians, Paul Hanley and Mark Hoyle. Mark took great inspiration from the album when fronting his own band, Dub Sex, and Paul would later join The Fall himself on drums. Both will talk about the music scene in Manchester around the time, and the impact this record and The Fall had on it.

This event took place on 30th January 2025 in the Pigeon Loft at The Robin Hood, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

Special thanks to our good friends at Route publishing for all their help with making this gathering a special one for so many people.

To find out more about the CAT Club please visit: www.thecatclub.co.uk

This podcast has been edited for content and for copyright reasons.

Happy Trails.

A CAT Club presentation in association with Strange Brew podcasts:

AN AUDIENCE WITH KEN SCOTT

“The venue, the team and the audience were all wonderful and made my presentation at the CAT Club totally enjoyable. Thank you everyone!” Ken Scott.

Here’s a lovely write up from our good friend Elliot Smaje (he of Wall of Sound Records fame) about the final CAT Club gathering of 2024. Following on from the great Phill Brown just a few weeks prior to this event we saw another producer/engineer – the legend that is KEN SCOTT on the CAT Club stage in The Robin Hood's Pigeon Loft in Pontefract before another sold out audience . . .

"Tonight's CAT Club ends a magnificent year of events with yet another triumph. Entertaining and engaging from start to finish, Ken Scott, along with the insightful interviewing skills of Jason Barnard presented us with 13 tracks that served as an overview of his extensive career in the world of music. Whilst looking at the list, one might conclude that it's a case of being in the right place at the right time, but it is clear from Ken's modest recount of his history that he has achieved what he has firstly by knowledge and also by passion. Maybe he was fortuitous to have found an industry that was still in it's infancy in discovering new sounds and techniques and technology and was still very open to being a place where the enthusiast was welcome to come in and have space to prove themselves, but he still had to prove his merit in being able to do that. The fact that he was in the mix on Beatles recordings very quickly and progressed up the ranks of responsibilities is a testimony to that ability. And as he also said, there's a percentage of being able to get on with people in there too and it was abundantly clear that Ken charmed the room within minutes with his insider stories of the making of these great records. Also of note is the diversity along the length of his career, starting at EMI Abbey Road and working with the likes of The Beatles and then to Trident Studios and collaborations with Bowie and Lou Reed. Then on to the likes of Elton John and Supertramp before exploring the world of jazz fusion and latterly Americana. But ultimately Ken was a great listen and I sure that we could have happily heard hours more of the same because ultimately as fans, hearing about things first hand is always that nth degree better.

Thanks to Jason Barnard for great interviewing, Rev Reynolds for keeping us all in order, Drey for sound and making the ladies luurve, Lee and Stacey for hosting, Amanda Cooke for new found raffle technique and Liz Wheeldon for being book mistress for the night. The CAT Club has been like Crufts this year. It's attracted the best, the cream ( and the sons of!) the best of breed, the pedigree and the pedigree have loved being here. The CAT Club has become pedigree chums. Here's to 2025." Elliot Smaje.

Very special thanks to JASON BARNARD of Strange Brew podcasts for his stint in the interviewer's chair and for all the time and effort he put into this one.

This event took place on 12th December 2024 in the Pigeon Loft at The Robin Hood, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

To find out more about the CAT Club please visit: www.thecatclub.co.uk

This podcast has been edited for content and for copyright reasons.

Happy Trails.

The CAT Club, in association with Strange Brew podcasts, presents a classic vinyl album::
OGDENS’ NUT GONE FLAKE – THE SMALL FACES

There was no shortage of outstanding psychedelic albums in the late 1960s, but the Small Faces classic Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake, proved to be one of the greatest.

With special guest PHILL BROWN

A sixteen year old called Phill Brown was the tape operator on Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake. Not only did he talk to a captivated CAT Club audience about that album but he regaled us with many a fine tale from his subsequent career as a renowned engineer and producer.

Stories about working with the Stones, Hendrix, Bob Marley, Nilsson, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Talk Talk, Dido and many others including fellow legendary producer, Glyn Johns (and not working with Morrissey and the Smiths) had our jaws dropping and smiles beaming on our faces.

We also learned that editing tape after being given a rather larger spliff from Aston "Family Man" Barrett of the Wailers isn’t a good idea.

Only the proverbial tip of the iceberg was covered which is a good reason to have Phill Brown back at The CAT Club sometime in the future.

Meanwhile, we recommend Phill’s fine memoir ‘Are We Still Rolling? Studios, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll – One Man's Journey Recording Classic Albums.’

JASON BARNARD of Strange Brew podcasts was in the interviewer’s chair.

This event took place on 28th November 2024 in the Pigeon Loft at The Robin Hood, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

To find out more about the CAT Club please visit: www.thecatclub.co.uk

This podcast has been edited for content and for copyright reasons.

Happy Trails.

AN AUDIENCE WITH IAN RANKIN

A Life in Music . .

The superb Inspector Rebus novels are littered with musical references throughout, so we were delighted when legendary award winning author, Sir Ian Rankin agreed to come along to talk about his own life with our favourite art form.

Originally, Ian’s friend (and also a best selling Scottish author), John Niven was to be the interviewer, but an important business trip to New Orleans came along and alternative arrangements had to be made. The CAT Club’s very own AMANDA COOK stepped into the breach and made us all so proud of her.

After a brief chat about Ian’s latest blockbuster release, ‘Midnight and Blue,’ the musical tastes of John Rebus did indeed feature in a fascinating evening with a true giant of the wonderful world of literature. Ian took us on a personal journey through his life explaining how music played such an important role along the way.

As well as being a great novelist, Ian is also a great raconteur with a terrific sense of humour and he captivated the sold audience for over two memorable hours.

Special thanks to Amanda Cook for a terrific stint in the interviewer's chair.

This event took place on 21st November 2024 in the Pigeon Loft at The Robin Hood, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

To find out more about the CAT Club please visit: www.thecatclub.co.uk

Happy Trails.