Sofa Salon for Berlin Music Week and 2012 lineups

July saw two amazing Salons in one long week with great punk attitude and soulful songs from the amazing Emperor X and Remarkable Shipwrecks, plus a very sticky, summery night of music from Big Strong Brute and exuberant Italian trio Lapingra.

Thank you to the artists, the audiences, my housemates and hosts and to Elena at Paper & Iron Booking for bringing Chad/Emperor X to Sofa Salon.

The second half of the year sees some astonishing songwriters grace the Sofa Salon, including two Salons for Berlin Music Week and the new Sofa Salon dinner series near Zoo Station.

I'm really excited to bring you these performers. Email berlinsofasalon@googlemail.com for reservations.

AUG 3

Saudia Young (DE) Our guest for the next show is Berlin-based NYC songwriter and cabaret performer Saudia Young who turns her soft and low alto voice onto swinging jazz styles.You don't need to have dinner to see the show, but come and watch some great live music near Zoo station. DE: Präsentiert von Sofa Salon und Kartoffelkiste: Berlins neueste Liedermacher-Serie. Echtes Berliner Essen und Original Live Musik in der gemütlichen, charmanten Atmosphäre der Kartoffelkiste auf dem EuropaCenter. Jeden zwei Wochen. Frei Eintritt. Einlass: 20:00. EN: Sofa Salon and the Kartoffelkiste present Berlin's newest singer-songwriter series featuring real Berliner food and local music in the cozy, charming atmosphere of the Kartoffelkiste at the Europa Center, Zoo. Every fortnight. Free entry. Doors 20:00. Facebook event     Venue

AUG 17

Die Wanderdüne (DE) Our guest for this show is Berlin folk musician Die Wanderdüne who roams widely through gorgeous improvisations and different instruments. DE: Präsentiert von Sofa Salon und Kartoffelkiste: Berlins neueste Liedermacher-Serie. Echtes Berliner Essen und Original Live Musik in der gemütlichen, charmanten Atmosphäre der Kartoffelkiste auf dem EuropaCenter. Jeden zwei Wochen. Frei Eintritt. Einlass: 20:00. EN: Sofa Salon and the Kartoffelkiste present Berlin's newest singer-songwriter series featuring real Berliner food and local music in the cozy, charming atmosphere of the Kartoffelkiste at the Europa Center, Zoo. Every fortnight. Free entry. Doors 20:00.

AUG 18

Ned Collette (AU), Ben Salter (AU) + Mark Geary (IE) Three great songwriters grace us with music from their critically-acclaimed new albums. Ben Salter is from Brisbane bands Giants Of Science and alt.country collective The Gin Club and co-produced his intelligent, complex debut solo album The Cat with members of The Drones. Ned Collette is a past host and performer at Sofa Salon. He brings us literate musings from his sixth album, 2. Mark Geary is an Irish singer-songwriter whose time in NYC saw him share stages with acts like Jeff Buckley and Glen Hansard (The Swell Season, The Frames) as well as releasing four albums including the haunting melancholia of this year's songs about love, songs about leaving. Hear some great music and enjoy drinks at the Peter Falk Memorial Bar. Email reservation requests to berlinsofasalon [aet] googlemail.com

SEP 5-7

Berlin Music Week Showcases Sofa Salon and A Headful of Bees host three official showcases for Berlin Music Week. Mittwoch 5. September - Sofa Salon presents Phia (AU) + Town of Saints (NL) Australian songwriter Phia has made kalimba (African thumb piano) and loops the centre of her indie pop sound, constructing energetic, layered songs with soaring vocals reminiscent of Björk's Vespertine album. She will play songs from her new album recorded in Poland. She is supported by Dutch/Finnish acoustic folk-punk act Town of Saints who are renowned for their joyous live shows and will be playing songs from their new EP The Silent Sea. Facebook event     Berlin Music Week page  Donnerstag 6. September - A Headful of Bees Music presents Eric Eckhart (US), Ken Burke (IE), Wasp Summer (AU), Miss Kenichi (DE) and Nina Hynes (IE) at Lovelite, F'hainMy label-collective A Headful of Bees showcases new music from five of Berlin's finest folk/roots singer-songwriters at Friedrichshain venue Lovelite for Berlin Music Week: the classic guitar pop of Eric Eckhart, Ken Burke's Irish acoustic-pop storytelling, Wasp Summer's soulful alt.country folk, the delicate East German Americana of Miss Kenichi and the experimental pop of well-known Irish indie chanteuse Nina Hynes. Facebook event     Berlin Music Week page  Freitag 7. September - Sofa Salon presents Mute Swimmer (UK) + Il Tempo Gigante (DK) Over solid and ingenious melodies, Mute Swimmer commits darkly funny and metaphysical sabotage on the art of performance. Il Tempo Gigante is Danish musician Rolf Hansen whose distinctive guitar-style and layered folk-pop recalls a one-man Beirut or Radiohead. Facebook event     Berlin Music Week page  Email reservation requests to berlinsofasalon [aet] googlemail.com. I will be taking email reservations like normal but you will need to reserve your spots early as I need to save space for people who buy Berlin Music Week Club Tickets. If you want to experience three days of incredible showcases all within the Friedrichshain/Kreuzberg nexus, pre-order your Club tickets for these events here.

OCT 6

Roller One (AU) + Justin Cusack (AU) Both acts are previous Sofa Salon performers. I'm happy to welcome back Melburnians Roller One and Justin Cusack with their distinctive takes on dusty, spacious Australian Folk. Email reservation requests to berlinsofasalon [aet] googlemail.com

NOV 16

Matt Walker (AU) + Lucie Thorne (AU) Matt Walker is a well-loved figure on the Australian roots music scene, known for his astonishing white-boy blues voice and mastery of dobro, lap steel and guitar. His tourmate, Lucie Thorne is an itinerant troubadour armed with a deadly red Guild electric guitar and a seductive, womanly voice. Email reservation requests to berlinsofasalon [aet] googlemail.com

JAN 26

Susie Asado (DE) + guest Sofa Salon is delighted to work again with Paper & Iron Booking to present alternative Folk doyenne Susie Asado and her wonderful portmanteau of languages, cities and well-travelled songs. Email reservation requests to berlinsofasalon [aet] googlemail.com

Sofa Salon July and Berlin Music Week

Dearhearts, Sofa Salon is back after the Sommerpause and I have some amazing lineups, collaborations and festival news for you for the rest of 2012. Feast your eyes and ears.

Dearhearts, Danach die Sommerpause, 'Sofa Salon' kommt wieder mit großartig Künstler and Festival Nachricht! Fest Ihre Augen und Ohren!

JULI 1

Sofa Salon 2nd Birthday Celebration! Emperor X (US) + Remarkable Shipwrecks (AU) In collaboration with Berlin Booking Agency Paper and Iron, I'm proud to present an intimate concert from US underground electro-acoustic noise wunderkind Emperor X (Bar/None Records). Chad Matheny's gleeful shows in tunnels, festivals, houses and bus stations are part fierce acoustic indie-rock and part sampled/looped noise heaven.  Making his Berlin debut at Sofa Salon, Remarkable Shipwrecks is Melburnian Simon Morrison's new project, all low-fi folk rock stripped and resonating with raw intensity.

JULI 6

Lapingra (IT) + Big Strong Brute (AU) Italian toycore band Lapingra is a collaboration between two quirky musicians with shared passion for Barbie, bake-a-cakes, Björk, Disney soundtracks and Bauhaus. Their album uses toy instruments to bake oven-fresh and original songs. Big Strong Brute is the vehicle for Brisbane songwriter Paul Donoughue's intelligent and sensitive folk-pop. He plays songs from new album, Avalanche Of Truth.

AUG 18

Ned Collette (AU), Ben Salter (AU) + Mark Geary (IE) Three great songwriters grace us with music from their critically-acclaimed new albums. Ben Salter is from Brisbane bands Giants Of Science and alt.country collective The Gin Club and co-produced his intelligent, complex debut solo album The Cat with members of The Drones. Ned Collette is a past host and performer at Sofa Salon. He brings us literate musings from his sixth album, 2. Mark Geary is an Irish singer-songwriter whose time in NYC saw him share stages with acts like Jeff Buckley and Glen Hansard (The Swell Season, The Frames) as well as releasing four albums including the haunting melancholia of this year's songs about love, songs about leaving.

SEP 5-7

Berlin Music Week Showcases Sofa Salon and A Headful of Bees host three official showcases for Berlin Music Week. Mi 5. Sep - Sofa Salon presents Phia (AU) + Town of Saints (NL) Australian songwriter Phia has made kalimba (African thumb piano) and loops the centre of her indie pop sound, constructing energetic, layered songs with soaring vocals reminiscent of Björk's Vespertine album. She will play songs from her new album recorded in Poland. She is supported by Dutch/Finnish acoustic folk-punk act Town of Saints who are renowned for their joyous live shows and will be playing songs from their new EP The Silent Sea. Do 6. Sep - A Headful of Bees Music presents Eric Eckhart (US), Ken Burke (IE), Wasp Summer (AU), Miss Kenichi (DE) and Nina Hynes (IE) at Lovelite, F'hainMy label-collective A Headful of Bees showcases new music from five of Berlin's finest folk/roots singer-songwriters at Friedrichshain venue Lovelite for Berlin Music Week: the classic guitar pop of Eric Eckhart, Ken Burke's Irish acoustic-pop storytelling, Wasp Summer's soulful alt.country folk, the delicate East German Americana of Miss Kenichi and the experimental pop of well-known Irish indie chanteuse Nina Hynes. Fr 7. Sep - Sofa Salon presents Mute Swimmer (UK) + Il Tempo Gigante (DK) Over solid and ingenious melodies, Mute Swimmer commits darkly funny and metaphysical sabotage on the art of performance. Il Tempo Gigante is Danish musician Rolf Hansen whose distinctive guitar-style and layered folk-pop recalls a one-man Beirut or Radiohead.

OCT 6

Roller One (AU) + Justin Cusack (AU) Both acts are previous Sofa Salon performers. I'm happy to welcome back Melburnians Roller One and Justin Cusack with their distinctive takes on dusty, spacious Australian Folk.

NOV 16

Matt Walker (AU) + Lucie Thorne (AU) Matt Walker is a well-loved figure on the Australian roots music scene, known for his astonishing white-boy blues voice and mastery of dobro, lap steel and guitar. His tourmate, Lucie Thorne is an itinerant troubadour armed with a deadly red Guild electric guitar and a seductive, womanly voice.

Sofa Salon's first birthday!

Na ja, It's Sofa Salon's first birthday and I'm celebrating with a... Sofa Salon. Exactly one year ago, I put on three afternoon living room concerts for the Moabiter Kulturtage.

The shows were filled with wonderful musicians, poets and an attentive audience. Something really special happened in that space and everyone there loved seeing performers so close. I put on a few more and then a few more. I made an afternoon festival with SAND Journal and migrated to other living rooms. It's been a surprise and a joy.

Thank you very much to Cosima, Lena, Cameron, Kristian, Kari and Max and Eric for your support. Thank you very much to all the poets, musicians and guests who make Sofa Salon a very warm, intimate Berlin experience.

Highlights for me have included Emilie Zoey Baker, The Alma Church Choir, mr Ocean, Mark Steiner, Roland Satterwhite and Sandra Serala, The Sweetness and Ben Porter Lewis, Biddy Connor, Roller One, Miranda Gjerstad and Lotta Fahlen, Water Music and Daniel Hoth, but you're all amazing.

ENG:

Samstag 16. Juli - Wohnzimmer Konzert: Schneider & Son, Ned Collette (Aus) + poet Sally Browne (Aus)

...Sofa Salon presents an early evening of wonderful music and poetry. Doublebass player Claudia Schneider fronts Diving Bell, one of Melbourne's more intriguing bands. They create European stories with Melbourne sounds and have been described as Indie Oompah. Frau Claudia's plays a set with son Liam, from Melbourne band Ships Piano. Respected Australian songwriter and previous Sofa Salon guest Ned Collette also plays his dark and literate folk. Our poet for the evening is Brisbane-based music journalist and poet Sally Browne in her first Berlin reading. Our Sofa Salon is in Schöneberg near S-Schöneberg station. To reserve your places, the Sofa Salon email is : berlinsofasalon@googlemail.com. 6€. 17:00.

DE:

Der Sofa Salon präsentiert einen zeitigen Abend mit Musik und Poesie. Contrabass-spielerin Claudia Schneider führt die faszinierende Melbourner Band Diving Bell an. Sie formen europäische Kurzgeschichten mit Melbourne Sounds. Liam Schneider, der Sohn von Frau Schneider, und die Melbourner Band Ships Piano werden ein pulsierendes Indie Rock Set spielen. Zudem beehrt uns der angesehene australische Musiker Ned Collette mit seinen dunklen und literarischen Songs. Der Sofa Salon wird dieses mal unweit des S-Bahnhofs Schöneberg stattfinden. 6€. 17:00. Für Reservierungen, E-Mail: berlinsofasalon@googlemail.com

Sofa Salon #14: Australian Festival

So, last Saturday 26, we had a marvellous night at Kristian's apartment on Oranienstraße. We ran out of beer - twice. There were more of you lovely folk than I expected.

We witnessed wonderful, soulful performances from The Sweetness (Chloe Charles, Aly Tadros, a delirious Douglas and Sam) and poet Ben Porter Lewis.

The beat poetry improv jam with Ben, Sam and Douglas that opened the second half was exactly what I imagined could come from a Sofa Salon event. Thank you to Kristian, the artists and to everyone that came (especially the Slovakian and Wien folk) and made it amazing. You make Sofa Salon.

Onto the Australian onslaught. It's the time of year for Australian musicians to throw down their hard-earned and hop a plane to Europe. I am blessed with several lineups of amazing Australian talent in the next few months. The first is this Thursday at Joe's Bar. Behold:

Donnerstag 31 März - Joe's Bar Showcase: Biddy Connor (AUS) with Ned Collette (AUS) & Emaline Delapaix (AUS) plus a special poetry performance from lina paul (DE) and mr oCean (AUS).

Biddy Connor is an amazing film composer, viola player and songwriter. Sofa Salon is lucky to have her for a one-off performance featuring respected songwriter Ned Collette (AUS) and also me on backing vocals. Emaline Delapaix (AUS) is giving us her spun sugar ambient folk-pop. Our poetry performance is a new collaboration between previous Sofa Salon performers German singer-songwriter Lina Paul and Australian poet mr oCean.

Doors at 21:00. Eintritt 4€. Joe's Bar, Schönhauser Allee 157, Prenzlauer Berg.

Australische Film-Komponist, Violaspielerin und Songwriter Biddy Connor kommt nach Berlin bei Joe's Bar, P'berg, für eine einmalige Aufführung ihrer atmosphärischen Musik zusammen mit Musiker Ned Collette (Aus) und Gastspielern. Folk-Pop Sängerin Emaline Delapaix (Aus) spielt auch. Poesie kommt von lina paul und mr oCean. Anfang 21:00. Eintritt 4€. Joe's Bar, Schönhauser Allee 157, Prenzlauer Berg, 10435 Berlin Tel: 0178 5527533

Coming Up:
Samstag 23. April - Wohnzimmer Konzert: Christina Maria (CH/CAN) and Jimmy Tait (AUS) plus poet to be announced

Donnerstag 28. April - Joe's Bar Showcase: Mijo Biscan (AUS) & Ian Fisher (USA) plus poet to be announced

Samstag 14. Mai - Sofa Salon & SAND Journal Wohnzimmer Festival: Monty Sparrow & Jimmy Tait & Waywardbreed & Andrew McCubbin & Roller One & Sunny the Magosopher (All AUS) & poets TBC.

Donnerstag 26. Mai - Joe's Bar Showcase: Water Music (AUS) & Wasp Summer (Aus/Berlin) Europatour launch plus guests to be announced.