Songwriters Circle kicks off Northern Tip Rocks

A group of musicians will be gathering at the Haven Inn in St. Anthony this Friday to take part in a Songwriters Circle.

The event opens the Northern Tip Rocks weekend, which features a concert by Hey Rosetta! of St. John's and Nasty Weather of Croque on Saturday night at the Olympia.

Northern Tip Rocks is aimed at developing, promoting and embracing music on the Northern Peninsula. According to concert promoter Caroline Hillier, a songwriters circle is an event in which performers showcase their original songs.

"All performers will be on stage together," she says. "Artists will share their songs and stories and will reveal creative songwriting styles to give the audience a first-hand narrative of inspirations behind their lyrics."

Performers include the following:

° Paul Brake, Rocky Harbour

Paul has been writing music since the age of 11. He is the singer and lead guitarist for up and coming pop punk band, RocketRocketShip. Paul is a graduate from the Music Industry and Performance diploma program at the College Of The North Atlantic.

He describes his sound as catchy and upbeat and promises to make the audience sing, scream and laugh with him during his performance. You can hear songs from RocketRocketShip along with Paul's acoustic songs at www.myspace.com/rocketrocketship.

° Elizabeth and Katherine Hillier, Griquet

Elizabeth and Katherine have been surrounded by music their whole lives, and started turning poems into songs some four years ago. Elizabeth was featured in Northern Tip Rocks 2007 and learned a lot from that experience. Although the sister duo are still in high school, they play every chance they get. Go to www.myspace.com/elizabethhillier to hear their original songs accompanied by piano and guitar.

° Mitchell Hunt, Croque

Mitchell is the lead singer and rhythm guitar player for Nasty Weather. He started playing with Nasty Weather in 2003 and has been rocking the stage ever since. His band has competed in numerous Battle of the Bands competitions, including the International Bodog Battle of the Bands, where they made the cut for the top four and travelled to Montreal to compete with other Canadian bands. Go to www.myspace.com/nastyweather04 for more information and music.

Although live music is the main feature of Northern Tip Rocks' opening night, a comedic touch will also be present. Stand-up comedian Jeff Patey of St. Anthony will do a set of his comedic material which he has gathered over the last year and a half. He is a founding member of his comedy troupe, 'The Dry-Spells', and has performed various shows in the St. John's area.

After the event, an information table will be set up with information on the music industry of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Seating for the 8 p.m. Songwriters Circle is limited and people are encouraged to come early. The show is open to all ages but the bar will be available to 19+. Admission is $5.

The Northern Tip Rocks concert is presented by the St. Anthony Recreation Department. Tickets for this event can be purchased at the St. Anthony Olympia, the St. Anthony Town Office, Western Petroleum in Roddickton, Hedderson's Store in Griquet and the Pit Stop Gas Bar in Forteau.