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Live Performance at Fanaki's Coffeehouse, 62 Friargate, Preston (2025)

03/04/2020

KEEPING yourself occupied as a musician in isolation who normally who likes to party, play and rock out is not going to be an easy task but it will be worth it. Standing in front of YouTube playing…

19/11/2019

This will be our last performance for 2019 as Mike Kneafsey (SA's singer and songwriter) is off on a cruise performing out at sea from San Fran to Mexico. So this is a special gig for us and we really hope you can come along to listen but also give Mike a good send off. Hope to see you there. Anna (Sweeney drums).

12/09/2019

Just to confirm times and gigs.

Sweeney Astray are playing as a full band - drums, double bass, guitars - at the Hurst Green Wine Beer & Music Festival on Fri 13th (tomorrow) at approx 9pm. Tickets £10.

Mike Kneafsey & Shug Millidge will be playing at the Hurst Green Wine Beer & Music Festival on Saturday Sept 14th at 8.30pm - tickets £12.

I'll also be playing a short set around 5.30pm on the Saturday afternoon and helping to run the stage along with Daniel Hester, Alan & Janet and Ivana Douglas.

On top of that, I'm also playing at the student registration day at UCLAN Burnley on Tuesday 17th September.

For those of you interested - the cruise auditions at Blueprint Studios on Monday went well - they seemed pleased with me. If they offer me any contracts and when, I'll let you know.

02/08/2019

Sweeney Astray are playing this weekend at FoxyFest in Clitheroe.

We're on the acoustic stage this Sunday August 4th at 2pm (Mike, Katie, Anna) and then again at 4.30pm at the Jungle Cafe when we'll be joined by Ray on double bass. Our musician friends, fiddle players, James and Mark, over from Toronto, will also be joining us on our sets.

31/07/2019

New night in Manchester starting tomorrow Thursday August the 1st from 9pm. Open mic - jazz, blues, originals, Manchester's favourite songs. All musicians welcome. Cathedral Street below the Alston Bar & Beef. 1837 Speakeasy bar. PA provided.

Starting a new music night in Manchester tomorrow, Thursday August the 1st, from 9pm at Bar 1837 downstairs at the Alston Bar & Beef on Cathedral Street just off Exchange Square. The managers want to make this into a thriving venue with booked acts so it deserves our support. It's going to be every Thursday.

20/07/2019

If anyone is planning to go up to watch the music at Waddow Hall tomorrow (Sunday 21st), I'm playing with bassist Shug Millidge on the main stage at 3.20pm. I'd be glad to see you there.

I'll be playing a new set of songs including tracks by Lou Reed, Cherry Ghost and Ryan Adams as well as my own originals. Songs that I love to play.

We're playing at the Middle Earth Beer & Music Festival 2019 - check in at The Ale House for details or on the website.

28/06/2019

A Boat Beneath the Stars

Recorded live at Eaves Hall, West Bradford in May 2019. Film by Sam Fittock of Gypsy Carrot Productions. Sound by Elliott Dryden. Written and performed live by Mike Kneafsey.

I wrote this song about the magic of travelling in the UK and Europe. That feeling of being off the islands and getting with something of the beauty of the world out there, in nature. The many times that I’ve set off on adventures on ferries to foreign shores, across oceans, looking for love, stories to live out and new experiences and places.

It’s got a small piece of all sorts in the song. Picking fruit on a farm in West Sussex with a group of friends, busking round Cornwall with a girlfriend for a couple of months, drinking with musicians in Athens, camping in France year after year. Travelling out on a boat from Brindisi in Italy to Corfu with friends from Brighton, on the top deck with pizza and wine beneath the summer heat of starlit night sky while everybody around you parties and chatters. Wondering what awaits you on the other side.
Fantastic times.

A Boat Beneath The Stars
Picking from the orchard and the apples were free
Working through the summer, you were good company
Music in my head and the light between the trees

We got the money to trip off to France
In railways through Europe and I lead the dance
Budapest reminds me of the evening in the warm breeze

CHROUS:
We were chasing the holy myths
Through the cafes and bars
Took a boat out from Brindisi…
…a boat beneath the stars

We hit the coastlines of the seas we could reach
Waking in the morning with you rolling by me
What it is to be alive with all that fine fizzing energy

13/06/2019

For those of you with SoundCloud I put up a solo acoustic taster track of Summertime. I'll be bringing out my new song and single, plus a live video on YouTube this month - A Boat Beneath The Stars - before then I'll be singing my songs with Sweeney Astray at Cloudspotting Festival 2019 and solo at the Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival 2019, this Saturday.

Solo taster of a famous Gershwin showtune. This month June 2019 I will be bringing out a new song - A Boat Beneath The Stars - with a live video on YouTube and on the Mike Kneafsey Guitar page on Face

08/06/2019

🎵🎤 Live Music Tonight 🎤🎵

🕘🕘 Join us from 9pm 🕘🕘

🔥🔥 Mike Kneafsey 🔥🔥

Mike Kneafsey Guitar

04/06/2019

To coincide with the release of a new song and video this June - A Boat Beneath the Stars - I'm playing an intimate gig at the Green Jersey Cafe in Clitheroe on Saturday evening the 29th June (this will be the weekend after Sweeney Astray's appearance at Cloudspotting Festival 2019).

It's free entry but you might want to book a table ahead because there is a full menu available but there's also a bar with drinks including the specialist gin brewed by Bowland Distillery on the premises as well as tea and coffee.

The Green Jersey describes itself as a "social enterprise at the heart of the Ribble Valley's Cycling Scene" - a bike shop, a cafe and a distillery all one one premises and a very active cycling club and network.

The owners are also music fans and have started running evening events featuring musicians live in the cafe. I'll be playing my new song as well as playing some well known favourite hits.

Old Shawbridge Sawmill, Taylor Street, Clitheroe BB7 1LY
Check out the Gren Jersey CC page for a map and further details of the site.

31/05/2019

Sweeney Astray “Delightful mix of poetic balladry, catchy melody and meaningful lyrics” (BBC Radio Lancashire) Melodic sunny indie folk act hailing from Manchester and Lancashire - Sweeney Astray have appeared at Ribchester Music Fest, Lytham Music Fest, Cloudspotting, Middle Earth Festival, Pre...

05/02/2019

More gig news...Sweeney Astray are playing in Preston tonight Friday 8th Feb at the Ferret with Crossbill and Diana Wolfpack. Doors open at 8pm. (photo by Matt Collinge).

31/01/2019

Sweeney Astray are playing live at the Grand tomorrow night in Clitheroe at 7.45pm. We're well looking forward to it. We're opening for Rozi Plain (of This is the Kit) and Haiku Salut. It'll be a great night. If you want tickets visit the Grand website or ask us personally.

We'll be playing our latest song Hannover Road as part of the set, so listen out for it!

18/01/2019

finally got round to writing about this song and video...

I'm playing in Preston on Friday 25th opening for Crossbill at the Ferret.

11/01/2019

09/01/2019

04/01/2019

Check out our new Sweeney Astray tracks recorded live at the Grand Studios for Ribble FM (click on the link below).
Sun On The Water; 4 Hours Sleep & Sunshine and Cafe Rendezvous.

(from left to right - Katie, Anna and Mike - plus Shug on bass)

3 track album

04/01/2019

05/12/2018

Visit Mike Kneafsey The Songwriter Chronicles on Bandcamp for free streaming or e mail [email protected] to buy your CD or download from Bandcamp.

To hear more songs and for videos and gigs visit mikekneafseyguitar.com
https://mikekneafseysongwriter.bandcamp.com/releases
https://sweeneyastray.bandcamp.com/album/in-a-natural-light

28/11/2018

To order your physical copy simply e mail [email protected] or visit Bandcamp for a free listen.

05/11/2018

Musik Magazine, run by a Preston journalist, has reviewed our track Silver Rain (available on bandcamp and on our live videos on YouTube). Click on the link below to read it.

Three piece Mike, Katie and Anna form Sweeney Astray who produce and play indie folk infused melodies with a clear passion for working as well as performing within the arts. Their track ‘Silver Rai…

23/09/2018

Do you like the new Sweeney Astray poster? We're being joined by the talented and entertaining FirstnameFrank on the night - plus another reminder that we will have our EP Flow on sale with its inner lyric sleeve and plastic wrap all ready in boxes for Friday October 5th.

04/05/2018

Sweeney Astray playing live Crown & Kettle Manchester on Friday May the 11th at 9pm free entry. Indie folk pop originals.

24/04/2018

Me Anna and Katie are playing at the Crown & Kettle - a bar in the northern quarter of Manchester on Friday May 11th.

01/03/2018

Back in October Sweeney Astray played at six venues over 3 days at the Lancaster Music Festival 2017. Everywhere from a packed folk pub on a Sunday afternoon to the reverberating and stunning interior of Ashton Memorial at sun set. This video was made in an upstairs function suite of the Royal King Arms Hotel on a Saturday afternoon by Boris Seagal. Boris wanted an interview about the music and songwriting to a backdrop of the song - There's Always Tomorrow. We think he did a good job - thanks Boris.
Sweeney Astray - Mike Kneafsey (vocals/guitar); Anna Ashworth (drums); Morgan Pugh (bass). Katie Ritson, who also sings and plays guitar - was with us on the Friday and Sunday but not the Saturday.