Check out the updated “Listen” page to hear some of our repetoire!
For further info or to discuss a possible gig, please contact Dave at calvertdavec@gmail.com.
September 2022
HEBRIC – a long established West Yorkshire based folk band
In 2018, after a 43 year break, the original line-up of Hebric re-emerged and have played clubs, radio work, sessions and private functions ever since.
As a band we love involving the audience and our sets include rousing chorus songs with powerful three part harmonies, lively instrumentals but also more thoughtful stuff. At every practice (and yes, we do practice!) new songs and tunes appear, keeping our music and performances as fresh as ever.
The CD we made pre Covid – the appropriately titled “Now That I’m Older” – has been very well received. It would be great if you could visit our updated website hebric.co.uk and listen to some tracks on there, read about our history and view pictures of the band through the ages!
Now that the negative effects of covid are fading and live music is returning, the band is looking to play many more festivals and clubs. Our fees are very affordable, can we interest you in booking us? We have a full PA but are very happy to play acoustically as we frequently do.
Looking forward to hearing from you, please contact Dave Calvert at calvertdavec@gmail.com or give him a ring on 07533 338675 if you want to offer us a gig or need any more information. Hope you enjoy the stuff on our website!
May 2022
So, two of us caught covid but we’re all now back in fine form. We’ve done gigs, private functions and various sessions and are now looking at local festivals for 2023.
The first Sunday of the month acoustic sessions are now at The Puzzle Hall in Sowerby Bridge HX6 2RF, and run from 1pm to 4pm. The beer is excellent and the room is more suitable for singing and playing. All are welcome.
There’s normally four of us but, occasionally, we go out as 3Bric or even 2Bric when the others aren’t available. This has proved to be good fun and even get asked back!
Update November 2021
Covid has affected all parts of everyone’s lives. Luckily all the “lads” in the band have so far survived unscathed. We’ve been going out again as Hebric playing at some private functions. We’ve also played separately or in our other bands at smaller, covid-safe sessions.
We remain a folk band and have resisted the temptation to move more towards pop or other genres. We are doing a lot more of the “commercial” end of folk music at private functions because, understandably, that is what people want. Folk club gigs and sessions will continue to showcase our own favourite folk stuff though, with plenty of opportunities for audience participation.
Many folk clubs haven’t reopened fully, or at all, but we’re in touch with those who have booked us in the past.
For now, the Hogshead sessions in Sowerby Bridge are on hold as the landlord is, sensibly, wanting to provide a covid safe environment with not too many closely packed events.
Realistically, we won’t be out and about so much as we were pre-covid but if anyone wants to offer us a booking, to buy our CD or just to get in touch the details are in the site’s contact section.
Pre Covid Comments
The fully acoustic singaround sessions at The Hogshead in Sowerby Bridge are held on the first Sunday of each month. They run from 1:30 until 5ish & continue in a successful vein. Whilst Dave runs the sessions, they give Hebric or 3Bric a chance to try out new and old stuff. There are always a huge range of instruments and loads of other players/singers. Come on down to have a look, a listen a sing or even a play. All are welcome to this informal gathering.
In addition to work with Hebric, all the band members keep themselves very busy. They individually continue their own musical interests playing at festivals, sessions, ceilidhs, folk clubs, open mics and private parties. John’s shanty band even went as far as Australia in May! In case you were wondering, when one of us is too busy, the others go out as 3Bric.
Don’t forget, our well reviewed CD – Now That I’m Older, is available at £10 from any of the band or via this site – see the Contact Section for details.
A few people have commented that we’re not keeping this site fully up to date. They’re right. We’re better at playing than IT. We’ll try to do better but don’t hold your breath!
Jimi, Malcolm & Dave enjoyed doing a 3Bric set at Oxjam in the Hogshead on Saturday 12th October. We’ve also fixed our date for the (now) annual Hebric folk evening at The Old Brodleians Rugby Club HX3 8JU on 8th November. This year the theme is “The Four Corners of Hebric”. As well as 2 sets from the full band, there will be individual and smaller group performances from John, Jimi, Malcolm & Dave. Expect some surprises! Above all come along – it’s only £6 in and there will be good beer, good company, great craic – and who knows, there may even be some good music! 7:30 start.
In addition to work with Hebric, all the band members keep themselves very busy. They individually continue their own
musical interests playing at festivals, sessions, ceilidhs, folk clubs,
open mics and private parties. John’s shanty band even went as
far as Australia in May! In case you were wondering, when one of
us is too busy, the others go out as 3Bric.
Don’t forget our well reviewed CD – Now That I’m Older, is available at £10 from any of the band or via this site – see the Contact Section for details.
A few people have commented that we’re not keeping this site fully up to date. They’re right. We’re better at playing than IT. We’ll try to do better but don’t hold your breath !
Jimi, Malcolm & Dave enjoyed doing a 3Bric set at Oxjam in the Hogshead on Saturday 12th October.
We’ve also fixed our date for the (now) annual Hebric folk evening at The Old Brodleians Rugby Club HX3 8JU on 8th November. This year the theme is “The Four Corners of Hebric”. As well as 2 sets from the full band, there will be individual and smaller group performances from John, Jimi, Malcolm & Dave.
Expect some surprises! Above all come along – it’s only £6 in and
there will be good beer, good company, great craic – and who
knows, there may even be some good music! 7:30 start.
As John was not able to be with us on 22nd June 3Bric (Hebric minus John) ventured down to the Epworth Music day. It was great. See the gigs section for a report.
Otley Folk Club is now at a new venue and we were delighted to be invited back on 12th June. Otta’s Leah café is a welcoming place with lovely beer. It was sparsely attended but those who were there enjoyed themselves and bought our CD. Remember the motto – use it or lose it. If you are in the area do go down to support Otley Folk Club. There will be a festival as usual in September this year. See their website for details.
All four of us piled into one car again for our feature spot at Mansfield Folk Club on 3rd June. The room was packed and we renewed acquaintances with quite a few friends. For more details see the Gig/Recording section.
Our gig at the Keighley Bacca Pipes Folk club on 22nd February was enjoyable & truly memorable in quite a few ways. We had a blast. See more details in the gig/recording page.
All of Hebric managed to get to The Hogshead Sunday afternoon session in Sowerby Bridge. Once again a good time was had by all.
Having used the Hogshead session as a warm up for the gig in Leeds, we travelled in one car to The Grove Folk Club on 11th January. What a stonking night we had. A fuller report appears on the gig/recording page.
The monthly Hogshead Sunday afternoon session goes from strength to strength. The 6th January event was great. Have a look at the gig/recording page
Hebric and The Tragics played to an enthusiastic audience on 7th December at Hollins Mill in Sowerby Bridge. £275 was raised so that The Puzzle Hall Inn can have even better music gear when it reopens in the spring.
On 2nd December we had a brilliant time at the acoustic session Dave runs at The Hogshead in Sowerby Bridge. All 4 of us + a plethora of players & singers arrived. This monthly event is getting rather popular!
The renowned Puzzle Inn pub in Sowerby Bridge is now owned by the community and other shareholders. It has a long history of music and Dave is on it’s Events Committee. There’s a complete refurb underway but there are fundraisers until it’s ready. The next one features Hebric and The Tragics on 7th December at Hollins Mill in Sowerby Bridge. It’s only £5 in.
DO come along to enjoy the music and support a good cause.
On 2nd December 3Bric (Malcolm, Jimi and Dave – and maybe Hebric if John can make it) will be at The Hogshead in Sowerby Bridge HX6 2AH from 1:30 until we finish. There’ll be a number of excellent local singers and
players who come along to add to this laid back acoustic session. Come along to listen, sing or play. You’ll be very welcome.
On 15th November 3Bric enjoyed their feature spot at The Topic folk club. One of the oldest folk bands in the world. Details in the Gigs/Recording section.
Our 12th October concert “The Real Ale Years” was great. Hebric, The Bromleys and Revd Blind Melon Calvert were on the bill as were new songs and tunes. Jimi’s new found role as a main singer was also in evidence. The venue – Old Brodeians Rugby Club, did us proud. Have a look at the Gigs/Recording reports section for our write up.
Talking of write ups, our new CD – Now That I’m Older, had a very favourable review in Tykes News. John and Dave were also interviewed by Tykes News on 9th October. This will be published in the winter edition of Tykes. Let’s hope it’s similarly positive.
We all had a brilliant summer pursuing our separate music interests and then met up at Whitby folk week for even more fun. September was spent learning and practising new material ready for our 12th October concert.
After a very positive Hebric feature on the 1st July Radio Leeds folk show, we had an excellent weekend at Cleckfest – 6/8 July.
Dave became a year older but the band continues to feel younger despite 5 gigs in 3 days. Please see the gig reports page for details of each gig. We were buoyed by so many positive comments. All of the following are genuine believe or not…
“The mighty Hebric”
“real manly harmonies, must get you on at my club”
“The Hebric wall of sound”
“They sure know how to pick a good song”
“lovely harmonies”
“doing the sound for them is easy – they know how to play and sing”
“Crikey – all of them are still alive”.
Well, the last one was unspoken. All our preparations were worthwhile.
We had a busy and enjoyable night on 5th June at Morley folk club with many CD’s sold. Our 1st half was fully acoustic as their PA was doing Dalek impersonations!
The 2nd June Private Barbecue in Clifton had 4 bands, 300 sausages, 300 burgers and 6 barrels of real ale. What a varied night including a superb Beatles tribute band and there was a ukelele band too. Ah well …………, never mind !?!
Feature spot on 10th April at Kiveton Park Folk Club. After a break of over 40 years we thought it might be safe to revisit this club. We were right. The welcome couldn’t have been warmer, We’ve a full gig there in December 2019!
After a trawl round local venues Jimi and Dave settled on The Old Brodleians Rugby Club for our next concert. It is spacious but has a cosy atmosphere, real ale and easy parking.
Been offered 3 local festivals and we can’t do any of them – bummer! Too many commitments but hey ho there’s always 2019.
We played a special pub gig along with Wakefield Morris Men at The Dunkirk in Denby Dale on the 18th December. Without a PA it was hard work but we had a great time and our newly released CD sold well.
Our “Bah Humbug” concert on 29th December at Bailiff Bridge Community Centre, featured local singer Stuart Douglas . It was a busy night with all of us glad to do something not related to Christmas.
While you’re here, why not have a look round the site? The gallery has some photos to make your toes curl, not to mention ours. Under the “songs” menu there are 15 complete songs to listen to and soon a mashup of various others as well. Most of these were recorded live in the past few months with four of them in video form. In the gig reports you’ll see we’ve been quite busy. Hope to see you at one of our live gigs
Hebric is back on the music scene after quite a break ! The friendships were rekindled when we met up again in 2016 first at John’s 60th then at Dave’s 65th birthday parties. Instruments came out of their cases, songs were sung, tunes were played and much fun was had. As a result we decided to start playing again as a band. We still love chorus songs and lively tunes but also do more thoughtful stuff, including current topics.
There’s always been some confusion about the band’s name and its “ethnicity”. Let’s clear that up. Way back in 1973 John suggested the name Tha e Breagh which means “it is fine” referring to the weather, apparently. John had found the phrase in a book and liked it. This was shortly after he’d learnt to read and he thought that was how Queen’s English was written. It wasn’t long though, before club organisers, friends and family corrupted it to “tea break”, “half brick” or worse and eventually we succumbed to pressure and changed it to Hebric. It’s as simple as that although it didn’t stop Radio Leeds announcing us as Harpic!
To find out more info about the band, especially if you want to book us for your event, you’re welcome to email Dave at calvertdavec@gmail.com or contact him on 07533 338675.
Hebric 