A PURRFECT gig in Keighley next month will attract musicians from Haworth, Bingley, Birmingham, Accrington... and Swediry

The No Pussyfooting concert at the Exchange Arts Centre on February 16 will raise money for Keighley Cat Care.

Playing from 3pm will be a line-up that includes singers Jennie Ståbis, Henry Parker, Maelor Hughes, Black Horse Fairy, Under A Banner and Bleeding Hearts.

Jennie Ståbis is a Swedish singer, fingerstyle guitarist, and songwriter based in North Yorkshire, whose dreamlike yet distinct folk baroque has a singularly personal tone.

Jennie’s songs often deal with the difficulty of communicating and connecting with the world around, and the longing to feel at home, in oneself and one’s surroundings.

The poignant lyrics sung with brutal honesty, along with skilled fingerpicking on acoustic guitar, create a raw, intimate, and melancholy atmosphere.

Released in 2008, her debut album Paper Owls features collaborations with leading folk artists Rowan Rheingans, Glenn Goring and long-time musical partner Lisa Isaksson.

Since then, Jennie has toured in Sweden, the UK, France, Spain, and Belgium, both as a solo artist and as part of Swedish bands Promise and the Monster and Lisa O Piu.

Jennie’s latest album, Beneath the Moss, was released in 2016.

Black Horse Fairy, one of the most popular bands on the Keighley and Worth Valley circuit, perform songs of loss and love and the universe.

One reviewer said: “Their music, sweetly alluring, at times heavy and strange, moves and turns and cajoles you into a world of ghosts and memories and magic. The poetic lyrics will haunt you.”

Singer Yvonne Gilson and her bandmates have adopted the personas of time-travelling vagabonds, hobos and outlaws.

Headlining the concert, Black Country band Bleeding Hearts have been on the road for nigh-on 25 years and are still very much young at heart.

They are said to combine punk-rock attitude and emotion with folk harmonies and rhythms.

In their long history Bleeding Hearts have played with The Levellers, New Model Army, The Damned, The Oysterband and The Darkness.

A spokesman said: “Formed and fighting the system since 1995, delivering and keeping it true to the mission statement of ‘alternative music for alternative people’, they underpin a folkypunky sound as an unsigned D.I.Y. collective.

“The spirit of ‘76 lives on in this age of the digital revolution, proving that some bands still like to get out there and do it for real - write a song, gig it, record it, upload it, download it, do it all again.

“They combine ear-wormin’, riffin’ guitar with rousing mandolin melodies, powerful rhythms, and strong multi-harmony vocals shouted and sung with raw passion.

“Bleeding Hearts have an originality all of their own which has seen them play to crowds in excess of 5,000, and take a phenomenal live show to festivals and venues across the UK, Europe and North America.”.

Slap Mag called last year’s album The Rules of Division an “infectious thought-provoking slab of super-charged punchy folk punk.”

Bleeding Hearts were delighted to be invited to perform at No Pussyfooting.

A spokesman said: “Olly, the famous festival feline, supervises the band support vehicle.

“He has made multiple festival appearances as the band ‘mascat’ and he enjoys nothing better than a spot of cat cuddles. Some even say he has more fans than the band themselves!”

Bingley singer-songwriter Henry Parker is influenced by the sounds of 1960s folk guitar, progressive rock and modal jazz, creating a modern sound that lyrically entwines landscapes, people and politics.

The spokesman said: “Traditional folk music contributes strongly to his sound, whilst a distinctive finger-picked guitar style calls to mind players as diverse as Bert Jansch and Bill Frisell.”

Fatea said: “Henry Parker has a beautifully clear and precise finger-picking acoustic guitar style... this isn’t background folk club music, or filler, it’s quite simply gorgeous.”

Maelor Hughes is a singer-songwriter from Accrington who delivers an energetic twist on traditional folk blending melodic riffs with upbeat songs.

Birmingham-based Under A Banner are a highly-energetic hard rock band who boast intelligent composition, memorable tunes and catchy anthems.

Tickets cost £13 in advance, £15 on the door. Tickets are available from the venue, on Russell Street, Keighley, by emailing hannahwoodland@hotmail.com, or by visiting the event’s Facebook page.