The CAT Club presents a long playing vinyl record . . .

THE KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY

with special guest

CHRIS WADE

Many regard 'The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society' as Ray Davies’ magnum opus. We were delighted to welcome Chris Wade along to explore the ins & outs of that 1968 album and the work of one of the greatest bands of all time.

Chris is a prolific writer, musician, filmmaker and artist. He is also known for his renowned music project Dodson & Fogg. He has written music books about Bob Dylan, Madonna, Zappa, Lady Gaga, Hawkwind, Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney, Donovan, The Beatles, Neil Young, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Lou Reed, Captain Beefheart, The Velvet Underground, The Stranglers & Lindisfarne amongst many others. His critically acclaimed book, 'The Kinks Are The Village Green' was published in 2017.

Chris has also had works of fiction and poetry published and he’s also written about/or worked with James Woods, Dennis Hopper, Donald Sutherland, Oliver Stone, Jeff Bridges, Stacy Keach, Catherine Deneuve, Sharon Stone, Roger McGough, Ian Anderson, Paul Auster, Michael Palin, Nigel Planer, Toyah, Scarlet Rivera, Celia Humphris and Henry Jaglom.

In the interviewer’s chair was JASON BARNARD from The Strange Brew Podcasts..

This event took place on 17th July 2025 in the Pigeon Loft at The Robin Hood, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

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

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

Happy Trails.

The CAT Club presents

An Audience with

PAUL JONES

Nine top 10 singles (including two number ones) as a member of one of the iconic bands of the sixties and also as a solo singer and so much more . . .

Paul Jones was the original frontman of Manfred Mann from 1962 to 1966 and co-wrote the signature tune for Ready, Steady, Go! Paul, who is also one of the great harmonica players, was at the forefront of the sixties pop revolution, with million-selling and number one records alongside the likes of The Kinks, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and The Animals.

After leaving Manfred Mann, Paul scored solo hits and embarked on a successful acting career. He formed the highly regarded Blues Band in 1979 and toured and recorded with them for over forty years. Paul presented The Blues Show on BBC Radio 2 from 1986 to 2018. With the Manfreds, he still is touring alongside various members of Manfred Mann.

In the interviewer’s chair was JASON BARNARD from The Strange Brew Podcasts..

This event took place on 19th June, 2025 in the Pigeon Loft at The Robin Hood, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

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

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

Happy Trails.

The CAT Club presents a classic vinyl album:

THE WEDDING PRESENT – GEORGE BEST

with special guest

DAVID GEDGE

We were absolutely delighted to welcome Wedding Present songwriter and singer, David Gedge to talk about one of the great debut albums, 'George Best.'

“George Best triumphantly confirms that unique standing, being both a surprise and a thing of beauty” (NME 1987).

“The boy Gedge has written some of the best love songs of the rock ‘n’ roll era. You may dispute this, but I’m right and you’re wrong!” – John Peel

In the interviewer’s chair was AMANDA COOK.

“I had a really enjoyable time at the CAT Club. Everyone was very friendly and the event was meticulously planned. The amount of research and preparation that had been put into my appearance by Amanda, Rev and the CAT Club team was staggering!” David Gedge.

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

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

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

Happy Trails.

The CAT Club presents a classic vinyl album:

MAGAZINE – REAL LIFE

with special guest

HELEN CHASE

Magazine’s strength lay in their ability to marry together punk roots, a vision of the future and a keen literary mind. This can be a fine line to walk without falling off to one side or the other, but Magazine walked it superbly with ‘Real Life.’

Helen Chase’s revised and updated edition of ‘Magazine: The Biography' tells the story of the iconic band formed by Howard Devoto after he left Buzzcocks. It’s a riveting insight into a greatly respected and hugely influential band whose music remains fresh and relevant today.

In the interviewer’s chair was JASON BARNARD.

This event took place on 29th May in the Pigeon Loft at The Robin Hood, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

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

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

Happy Trails.

A CAT Club presentation

AN AUDIENCE WITH JOHN ALTMAN

John Altman has four Lifetime Achievement Awards and four Grammy Participation Certificates. He has composed music for over fifty movies – winning, and being nominated for BAFTAS, Golden Globes, Golden Reels and Emmy Awards long the way for Titanic, Monty Python’s Life Of Brian, Goldeneye, Hear My Song, Sheltering Sky, Léon: The Professional, RKO281, The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone, Little Voice and No Time To Die.

A gifted arranger, John has worked on 19 platinum albums, including George Michael's 1989 album Faith, which won several Grammys (he was also nominated for The Rutles film, All You Need Is Cash).

Some of the artists he has written for include Simple Minds, Barry White, Tina Turner, Björk, Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Pretenders, Rod Stewart and Michael Jackson.

As an in-demand woodwind player, he has played with artists as diverse as Prince, Nick Drake, Muddy Waters, Peter Green, Kevin Ayers, Amy Winehouse (whom he mentored) and he was also musical director for Hot Chocolate and Van Morrison. As a jazz musician and band leader John has played with Chet Baker, Slim Gaillard, Quincy Jones, Bud Freeman, Les McCann and many others.

A renowned raconteur, Altman’s acclaimed autobiography, Hidden Man was published in 2022 by Equinox.

This terrific CAT Club gathering saw JASON BARNARD in the interviewer’s chair doing a splendid job opposite the truly wonderful JOHN ALTMAN.

Please note: John was also our guest for George Michael’s Faith album. Podcast also available and well worth a listen!

Happy Trails

This event took place on 24th April 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.

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.