About the Nova

We are the oldest folk club in Bristol and have been running for around 50 years. Originally a truly traditional club, where even most instruments were frowned upon, we have developed over time into a more contemporary home for a wide range of performers and musical genres. For sure, folk music remains central to our interest but just like the national folk scene we welcome musicians who perform traditional folk, new wave material, self-penned songs, Americana, Country, Appalachian music, blues, world music, humorous songs, jazz and of course new acoustic interpretations of popular music favourites. Over the years we have also had a small number of poets trying out their material on our receptive audiences. Although, as in any folk club, the guitar remains central to many of the performances we have enjoyed, we have supported musicians who have been adept players of many other types of instruments. For instance, the harmonica, the ukulele, the autoharp, the mandolin, the mandola, the banjo, the banjolele, the concertina, the accordian, the double bass, the fiddle, the flute, the Chinese gourd flute and the Japanese Shakuhachi flute. And last but not least, the finest instrument of all, the human voice.

Three club members currently run it, Humph Bennett, John Blake and Andy Danford (see the contact tab above for details). Every Monday they share MC responsibilities and do their utmost to ensure that every performer gets a fair crack of the whip. On most nights performers are guaranteed two songs and provided there is time they may be invited to perform a third later in the evening. Of course, this depends on total numbers attending. Approximately every six weeks we hold guest nights. The guests are often club regulars who are invited to perform a longer set of their material. On these nights, which we advertise in advance, we still provide plenty of time for floor spots from the other performers attending.

The musical performances commence at 8.00pm and end at 11.00pm. We leave time for a 15 minute break midway through the evening. Entry fee for the normal floor singer nights is incredibly cheap, just £1! For the special guest nights we charge £3. The club is located on the first floor of the pub, up two short flights of stairs. The pub sells a good range of real ales, cider, wines and other drinks and also offers a range of  hot meals.

There is plenty of parking space available in the vicinity of the pub. Visitors need to be aware of the City Council's clean air zone which the pub is located in. Those driving cars with petrol engines older than 2006, or diesel engines older than 2015, may be affected. There is a vehicle checker on the City Council's website: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/bristols-caz/charges-and-vehicle-checker

If you are affected it is still possible to park nearby in Clifton Wood, where a short 10 minute walk will get you to the pub.

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