The pandemic has hit the live performance industry very badly.

All live performers have of course been affected, but at the Tree House Bookshop in Kenilworth, right by the clock tower, we have been particularly concerned for musicians.

We have had live music by professional musicians on tour almost since we opened eight years ago, and by the time the pandemic hit two years ago had built up a reputation among musicians and audiences alike for great gigs in a lovely, intimate atmosphere.

Overnight in March 2020 gigs were cancelled and musicians lost their livelihoods, and of course that included all the fabulous gigs we had lined up.

We tried to help. We organised a fundraiser to pay something to all the musicians whose gigs we had to cancel, and a few others too, and raised £2,000 – not much in the great scheme but a gesture of support.

Last year things began to improve, but musicians are still facing cancellations as Covid continues to make its presence felt. But things are moving in the right direction, and more and more live music is happening.

So the Tree House – maybe Kenilworth's only venue for regular live music by professional musicians – has finally thrown its doors open again!

We had a beautiful sold-out gig in November, with Scottish folk singer Jenny Sturgeon and her show of music and film based around the book The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd, about her life in the Cairngorms.

And here we are starting 2022 with a rescheduling of the first gig we had to cancel in 2020: the wonderful singer and guitarist Jon Wilks.

Jon arranges Birmingham and Black Country folk and music hall songs.

He has made two records of them – Midlife in 2019 and last year's Up the Cut.

He is coming to Kenilworth on 18 February, and it is almost sold out, but there are a handful of tickets remaining. These are available via this online ticket link.

And there is more live music being booked through the year, so keep an eye on what we're up to!

For more local events, follow this link to our What's On page!