It’s the end of season party! Another year in the scrapbook… but first… two of our favourite acts from this year, alongside a superb newcomer – and all are first timers to Wood Green’s Kaberet@Karamel. We’re finishing with as strong a line up as you’ve ever seen… three absolute mind bending, ear melting, heartstring-pinging legends, playing in the round. Get booking those tables, it’s gonna be busy!

rsvp@karouselmusic.com

/// PAT DAM SMYTH ///

Make no bones about it, Pat is destined to be making classic records for decades to come. Having released his debut album to a wealth of critical acclaim in the Irish press and opened for Razorlight’s Johnny Burell on his UK tour, Pat is the kind of songwriter that has fellow musicians wondering whether to jack it in… the Irish Times called him a ” rare kind of truthful songwriter…” a performer that sits somewhere between the Black Keys, The Pogues and Lou Reed. There’s the worldliness of George Harrison, and the emotional depth of Queen of Denmark era John Grant… Pat is the kind of artist you could imagine Bukowski listening to if he were in his early thirties today – raw, gutsy, honest and to the point. The Independent said of his current record, “The Great Divide conquers Beautifully…” Pat played the Phoenix show a month or two back and obliterated us. He’s just got it. We’re all disciples here at Karousel. We knew were were going to like him when we saw the album cover had a striking resemblance to Bill Fay’s Time Of The Last Persecution.

‘The Great Divide conquers beautifully” – The Independent
‘He has returned to create something beautiful…’ – The Daily Mirror
‘The Great Divide is amazing. It’s musical storytelling at its finest…’ BBC
‘A rare kind of truthful songwriting’ – The Irish Times
‘Beautiful with an acerbic bite’ – PRS Magazine
‘Intoxixating’ – Rhythm and Booze
‘I love this – Love it!’ – Dermot O’Leary, BBC Radio 2
‘Epic’ – Female First
‘An authentic masterpiece which never ceases to amaze with each listen…’ – Rock Italia

/// RORY BUTLER ///

When Rory got onto the stage at the Old Queen’s Head a few weeks back, you knew in ten seconds he was the real deal. We were so excited we booked him for Soho. Phenomenal. That was so good, we’ve booked him for the end of season! Some artists just have it oozing out of them, and Rory is one of them. John Martyn references seem to get thrown around willy-nilly these days, so if you’re saving it for one guy, this is he. Absolutely masterful on the guitar, and a writer who will no doubt go on to be worthy of the comparisons. Rory was handpicked by Danny Thompson to play at his 70th birthday; he won the Danny Kyle award at Celtic Connections, opened for a sell out performance by Rachel Sermanni and shared the bill with Transatlantic Sessions on Mary Ann Kennedy’s late night Radio 3 sessions. He has since supported Michael Marra, Eliza Carthy, Sam Lee, Bella Hardy and Anais Mitchell in some of Scotland’s major music venues. Once London and the rest of the UK gets a taste of him, he won’t be supporting people long. To whet your whistles, check out this and this – but you need to be in the room to really get it. It’s like watching a young Jackson Browne pouring out his heart and humour in a thick Scottish lilt while John Martyn and Nick Drake scatter woody, earthy chords around Beverley’s feet.

/// JARROD DICKENSON ///

Texas-born, New York City-based songwriter, Jarrod Dickenson’s road worn melodies and lyrics invoke a mid-Western post-war America, when cars ran on leaded gas, television hadn’t yet kidnapped the country’s imagination, and men wore hats every day. His reflective lyrics, almost like hand-written letters, remind us that human stories of lost love, sudden fortune, and abiding mystery transcend the decades…and nothing is better or worse right now than it’s ever been.

“If you can catch him, you should…he reminds of this cat, Gram Parsons” -Huey Morgan, BBC Radio 2

“A voice like a young Tom Waits…Jarrod Dickenson’s songs are simply breathtaking, possessing melodies many of his peers would give their left arm for.” – No Depression

“An incredible talent” -Janice Long, BBC Radio 2

“Dickenson has a superb, expressive voice…” -Country Music People (5 Star Review)

“Brilliant songs” -Cerys Matthews, BBC Radio 6