Puzzle Hall Inn

Technical Difficulties
2025-08-20 19:00 - 22:30, 2025-09-17 19:00 - 22:30 (Europe/London)
Technical Difficulties is Sowerby Bridge’s original experimental music open mic held on the third Wednesday of Each Month.
FREE ENTRY
Please send us a message if you want a slot!
We have a PA installed, two tables and somebody to plug you in…
Whether you’re into alternative hip hop, dark ambient, free jazz, freak folk, beat poetry or drone rock come on down, plug yourself in and let your freak flag fly!

Theresa Kelly + Small Gauge
2025-08-21 20:00 - 22:00
Theresa Kelly Post-hardcore/math-rock from London a la Slint / Joeyfat / Rodan https://theresakelly.bandcamp.com/album/live-demos
Small GaugePost-punk from York / Leeds like Wipers / Chinese Gangster Element feat members of Broken Arm / Autobodieshttps://smallgauge.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2023

French Fridays
2025-08-22 17:30 - 18:30, 2025-08-29 17:30 - 18:30, 2025-09-05 17:30 - 18:30, 2025-09-12 17:30 - 18:30, 2025-09-19 17:30 - 18:30
An informal group to practice your conversational French – Everyone welcome!

Mookie & The Bab + Square Peg
2025-08-22 20:00 - 22:00
Mookie + The Bab are an Alt-Folk trio from Bradford known for their rich vocal harmonies, acoustic instrumentation, and emotionally charged songwriting. Drawing on influences from Americana, indie folk, and 60s protest music, their live shows blend fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and trumpet in a dynamic, storytelling-driven set. Praised by BBC Introducing and featuredon Amazing Radio, the band deliver a raw, heartfelt performance that’s both intimate and entertaining
“Mookie + The Bab capture the sound of the AmericanSouthwest like few others we’ve heard in a long time… This is music to groove to while sipping whiskey and thinking about the good ol’ days, and is highly recommended.” – ROUND MAGAZINE
“Wonderfully harmonic and truly infectious” – RGM
https://mookieandthebab.bandcamp.com/
https://www.mookieandthebab.com/
Rooted in the heart of Appalachian tradition, Square Peg is a powerhouse trio bringing the raw, soulful sounds of old-time mountain music to life. With fiddle, banjo, and guitar at the core, their music echoes the spirit of the early pioneers, blending ballads, high-energy breakdowns, and harmony singing steeped in the heritage of the American Southeast.

Richard Royle Band
2025-08-23 21:00 - 23:00
Richard Royle is a Halifax based guitarist and vocalist specialising in bottle neck slide guitar. As a multi instrumentalist Richard has performed with various bands and acts locally but now has turned his attention to performing his original material.
A mix of folk, blues, soul and jazz his music centres around intricate guitar work which comprises bass, rhythm and lead parts all wrapped up in one guitar.With inspiration coming from greats such as Ry Cooder, Sam Cooke, Robert Johnson and many more Richard’s music is raw, honest and genuine.
Free entry, donations towards events always welcome…

Garron Frith
2025-08-24 16:00 - 19:00
Details to follow.

Chess Night
2025-08-25 20:00 - 23:00, 2025-09-01 20:00 - 23:00, 2025-09-08 20:00 - 23:00, 2025-09-15 20:00 - 23:00
All welcome for this casual but serious evening of chess.

Poetry & Spoken Word Evening
2025-08-26 20:00 - 22:00
On the fourth Tuesday of the month the music stops and we pay attention to the spoken word. There has been poetry at the Puzzle Hall since the Nineties, with breaks when the pub was closed.

Sometimes we are a small seminar group bringing work we love, and want to discuss, including our own writings. If we get bigger numbers we can get out the microphone and make it an open mic. Everyone is welcome.

There are many kinds of poetry nights: poetry slams, formal invited poets with an audience, open mics, spoken word events. We are often another kind of gathering: talking about poetry, why we write, what we read, themes and differences.

Jazz @The Puzzle with Graham Clark
2025-08-28 20:00 - 23:00
Puzzle House Band with special guest:
violinist Graham Clark.
Clark has enjoyed a wonderfully broad-based musical life playing with, for example, Keith Tippett, Andy Sheppard, Lamb, Elbow, Jah Wobble; and let’s not forget his years with the cult psychedelic jazz-rock band “GONG”, touring extensively in Italy, France and the UK.
As ever, House Band supremo Paul Baxter, has put together a scintillating rhythm section of: Richard Wetherall piano, Paul Baxter double bass & Johnny Hunter drums.
8.15 start, Free admission, collection towards the band taken, please be generous if you can.

Rrrapid-Kool + The Container Drivers
2025-08-29 20:00 - 22:00
Sheffield’s Rrrapid-Kool are an indie rock band mixing up garage rock frills and lo-fi thrills for your delectation. Featuring previous members of Beachbuggy, The Wedding Present, Cha Cha Cohen and Coney Island Cyclone they certainly have skin in the game so expect to be rocked in a satisfying manner.
https://rrrapidkool.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@rrrapid-kool
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090993840252
The Container Drivers are an indie rock 3 piece making a fast paced racket sounding like The Fall, Pixies, Wire mixed up in a blender for you to glug down (much tastier than kale smoothies too!). John Peel once described them as ‘really rather good’ and he knew what he was talking about.
http://www.containerdrivers.co.uk/

Jon Taylor's Blues Spectrum
2025-08-30 21:00 - 23:00

Les Gillon's Agents Of Karma
2025-08-31 16:00 - 19:00
Les Gillon & The Agents of Karma has a 5 piece acoustic line-up that features acoustic guitar, cello, piano, violin and hand percussion. Les Gillon is a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose long career has embraced jazz, folk and alternative rock. This line-up takes his music into a whole new context, by bringing together a group of great musicians from the worlds of jazz, classical and folk music. The result is a unique sound, sometimes intimate, sometimes cinematic, that defies categorisation and underpins the lyrical intensity of the songs. Their debut album The Underground Session is available on all platforms.
Featuring
Julia Farrants: cello
Jen Trott: violin and vocals
Dave Nelson: piano and vocals
Andrew Duncan: percussion

Folk Night with Jennifer Reid
2025-09-04 20:00 - 23:00
LORE is our Folk and Roots music Night hosted by Gareth Scott with special guests on the First Thursday of each month.
The Puzzle welcomes back Jennifer Reid.
With one foot in the mill and the other in modernity, Jennifer performs broadside ballads so audiences can reconnect with their heritage. Think rousing songs and passionate oratory. Her work has taken her to Venice, Croatia, New York and lately Bangladesh, where she tested the idea that the Industrial Revolution never stopped, it just moved to Dhaka. Jennifer spoke at the first ethnomusicography conference on the Indian sub-continent about her research into Bangladeshi and Mancunian weaving songs. Jennifer researches ballads and applies them to modern life.
https://www.jenniferballads.com/
Free entry, donations toward events and artists always welcome.

The All Night Chemist + RJ McCarty(USA)
2025-09-05 20:00 - 23:00
THE ALL NIGHT CHEMIST are the newest wannabe dad-rock folk band on the Sheffield music scene. Just a bit too earnest to be truly tongue and cheek, their songs celebrate and mock the mundane while stirring the soul. Anything from cheesy pop bangers about mobile phones, to moody trad folk exploring the modern-day fur industry, their music has storytelling at its heart.Taking inspiration from the likes of Neil Young, Flaming Lips and They Might Be Giants, expect a 70s inspired alt-country romp.
https://theallnightchemist.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theallnightchemist/
https://www.instagram.com/the.all.night.chemist/
‘Daft and Irresistible’ – Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music
“fascinating and impressive, often surreal, humourous and empathetic, The All Night Chemist are great fun” – Americana UK

Hailing from Northampton, Massachusetts R J MCCARTY creates intricate folk/americana-inspired songwriting.A diverse variety of instrumentation lays ground for gritty, authentic vocals to paint over; which brings to life a surreal-yet-familiar world that exists within us all.
https://www.facebook.com/rjmccartymusician
https://www.youtube.com/@rjmccarty
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/rjmccartymusician
BANDCAMP: https://rjmccarty.bandcamp.com/album/tear-back-the-sheets
“With powerful vocals and from-the-heart lyrics, RJ McCarty has quickly lit an intense fuse within the music scene. One of New England’s best talents!” – Wrong Side of the Tracks Radio

Acoustic Singaround Session
2025-09-07 13:00 - 16:00
Join us at the Puzzle Hall Inn, the 1st Sunday of each month for an acoustic afternoon informal singaround. All persons of all ages and skill levels welcome.
Hosting, will be the incredible Dave CalvertIn his own words: “Everyone is welcome to come along and sing, play, join in or just listen, the beer is great, as is the atmosphere. Its a lovingly restored, community owned pub which is continuing it’s long history of music events.”
Entry is free, hope to see you there.

Tashi Delay (USA) + Jimmy Andrex
2025-09-12 20:00 - 23:00
TASHI DELAY is British-born, New Orleans-based artist Emily Seabroke. Inspired by everything from Bjork and PJ Harvey to Joy Division and classic Motown her music is a melting pot of post-punk electronica. Live she creates a multimedia experience in which each song boasts a full-length video blending real life with animation. Her debut single, Meltdown became an underground hit and her debut album was chosen to represent the New Orleans Library as one of the year’s best albums.
https://tashidelaymusic.com/
https://www.instagram.com/TASHI_DELAY
Facebook/Twitter https://www.facebook.com/seabroke
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrQCYI3IygLht__AOL0u3DQ
“Tashi Delay balances infectious production and stylistic intrigue with poignant reflections on our place in a digital world.” – Obscure Sound.
“From staccato electronica to brooding trip hop and pulsating psych rock Tashi Delay is a rulebreaker who sets herself apart from her comtemporaries” York Calling

Wakefield based JIMMY ANDREX has been described as creating poetry you can dance to. Part of the Northern Beats Poetry Collective he has regularly featured on BBC 6 Music, Resonance FM and BBC Introducing’s regional programmes and been championed by the likes of Ian McMillan and Tom Robinson.
https://soundcloud.com/jimmy-andrex
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0LphJa8_-w
https://northernbeatpoetsassociation.bandcamp.com/…/9-d…
“Laurie Anderson meets Sylvia Plath, Phillip Larkin joins Kraftwerk.” – Joyzine

Northlight
2025-09-13 21:00 - 23:00
Northlight are a new 5 piece band playing a mix of original and cover songs. With grooves carefully chosen from the last 50 years of music from Americana to Jazz via Blues and RnB.
Fronted by Ruth Gardziel (ex Fevertrees, ZEFR) on vocals, the rest of the band are players from bands as diverse as the Owter Zeds, Red Hippo and the 844s.

Cactusville
2025-09-14 16:00 - 19:00
Cactusville are a gypsy jazz band from the heart of industrial West Yorkshire formed of renowned seasoned players. With their welcoming mix of Parisian Swing and the kind of classic melodic gypsy jazz Django Rhienhardt would be proud of they’ll get you tapping a toe and maybe even shaking a leg in appreciation.
https://www.facebook.com/cactusvillejazz/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvYYf1juxZ4

Jazz Extra with Led Bib
2025-09-15 20:00 - 23:00
Led Bib
Mark Holub, drums
Liron Donin, bass
Chris Williams, sax / effects
Pete Grogan, sax

We’re really, really chuffed to announce that we’ve landed the magnificent Led Bib during their UK tour, managing to snare one of only two gigs in the north. Oh, yes, be aware that the gig is on a Monday,
not our usual Thursday. (I can’t wait, Geoff)
Led Bib are one of the UK’s most daring and acclaimed bands, smashing through genre boundaries with a sound that fuses jazz, rock and stabs of improve here and there, into something entirely their own.
Formed in 2003 by drummer and composer Mark Holub, the group have released 11 albums, toured internationally, and picked up many major accolades – including a Mercury Prize nomination for their break-out record:
“Sensible Shoes.” Led Bib have consistently earned critical acclaim for their restless creativity and explosive live shows. Over 22 years in, Led Bib are still making music that’s impossible to pin down – and impossible to ignore.
“Led Bib are back as a lean and mean four-piece for their first new album in several years. It’s a riotously melodic set, with saxophonists Chris Williams and Pete Grogan going toe-to-toe with maverick drummer/bandleader Mark Holub and wildly creative bassist Liran Donan. While they “continue to make the world safe for dangerous music,” the sound of the group has matured and become deeper and more melodic, incorporating influences from other cultures and weaving them into their Motorik, prog and punky DNA.” – JazzWise (UK)
8.15 Free admission, collection towards the band taken, please be generous if you can.

Sarram (Sardinia) + A-Sun Amissa
2025-09-19 20:00 - 23:00
S A R R A M is the instrumental avant-garde solo project of the Sardinian based Valerio Marras. He creates crushing yet graceful compositions where electro-doom,heavy ambient, drone-jazz and minimal post-rock blend to invite the listener on an intense sound journey.
www.facebook.com/sarramproject
https://sarram.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwWomUqOyPA&t=1107s
“A sonic adventure filled with highs and lows that will challenge your very subconscious.” – The Sleeping Shaman
“Sarram is not just engaging, but intense, emotionally vulnerable, and beautiful, such that it pulls the listener back, to pay attention” – Angry Metal Guy
A-SUN AMISSA are a group in a permanent state of metamorphosis, existing on the fringes of some kind of avant-rock, relentlessly pushing forward, shapeshifting and presenting their unique noise in new ways and on their own terms. A sound underpinned and overlaid with drones, moving in and around a diverse chasm of post-rock, melancholic drone, noise, doom and ambient sounds.

Led by Richard Knox since 2011 and now existing as a trio with Luke Bhatia and Claire Knox, A-Sun Amissa have a fiercely DIY approach to music that takes in recording, tour booking, artwork and putting out their own records such as the widely lauded “Ruins Era”
https://slowsecret.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.slowsecret.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVwwdae_a2E&t=3s
“One of the most intriguing, creative musical projects in the underground, crossing genres as if they didn’t exist” The Sound Not the Word
“This is Drone Jazz of the highest level, one that can rival Zorn and Sunn O))), Earth and Nadja!” – Veil of Sound
“A cry into the void, a distillation of modern anxiety and a warning of things to come.” – A Closer Listen

Fishing4Compliments
2025-09-20 21:00 - 23:00
Huddersfield’s indie-folksters Fishing 4 Compliments make their return to the Puzzle Hall Inn as part of their local mini tour celebration to mark the release of ‘Lost In Good Intentions,’ their second album of songs recording their journey together.
The band evolved organically around lead singer-songwriters Eileen’s songs close to 14 years ago, which have been described as quirky, intriguing, impassioned and emotive. Drawing on a eclectic mix of influences including The Beatles, XTC, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, The Cure, The Smiths, The Sundays and The Cranberries they have developed their unique harmony-rich sound and a reputation for crafting catchy, uplifting folk-pop songs.
“Beautiful folk music, with sounds of Fleetwood Mac, The Cranberries and The Cardigans. Dreamy Melodies and harmonies, weaved together with great musicianship and songs that take you away from everyday life. Great band who love playing live and the audience can’t do anything but enjoy it and want to hear more” (Mark Richardson-Owner of Loafers Vinyl & Coffee, The Piece Hall)
To find out more about Fishing 4 Compliments and for a pre gig listen to their music you can head over to:
https://www.fishing4compliments.co.uk/

Andrew Metheven + Ben McElroy
2025-09-21 16:00 - 19:00
Andrew Metheven is a lofi/alt-folk songwriter. He released his first EP, A Quiet Life, in March 2022, and his first album – Sister Winter – in June 2024, and has since performed at grassroots venues and festivals across Yorkshire.Still living in his native Bradford, his songs are about births, hills, loss, birds, daydreams. His live performances – characterised by his melodic guitar finger-picking – are unapologetically raw and unfiltered.
https://andrewmetheven.co.uk/
https://andrewmetheven.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AndrewMetheven/
“His melodic voice and raw, unpolished recordings evoke a vivid, bittersweet story and capture a nostalgic longing” – Wigan Today

Ben McElroy is an ambient/folk musician originally from The Wirral but now residing in Nottingham. He combines acoustic instruments with computer processing to create folk inspired soundscapes. Ben has been writing music since his teens, with just a basic grasp of guitar and even more basic recording equipment. Over the years he’s picked up more instruments and slightly better recording gear and has been venturing out to perform live since 2022.
https://www.benmcelroy.co.uk/
https://benmcelroy.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/benjaminmcelroy
“McElroy serves up an evocative, folksy psychedelia with strong earthy vibes – an enticing, intoxicating listen.” – Songlines
“Reengaging with the old, he has created something truly unique.” – Folk Radio UK
“Experimental lo-fi folk music at its very best.” – LeftLion Magazine
