About

Nick Jackman is a multi-instrumentalist and one-man-band based in Christchurch, with
influences ranging from traditional Celtic folk to country, blues, punk rock and psychedelia.

With a career spanning five decades, he has played many hundreds of shows at bars, festivals, cafes, clubs, weddings, parties and street corners.

For the last twenty years, Jackman has mostly performed as a one-man-band, singing and playing harmonica, guitar and percussion all at the same time - the old-school way, without using a looper pedal, backing tracks or other fancy tricks. Watching him perform is a lesson in extreme multi-
tasking.

Harmonica is Nick Jackman’s weapon of choice, and with it he busts out anything from Celtic jigs and reels to bluegrass breakdowns and soulful blues while laying down a solid rhythm of strings and percussion with his hands and feet.

His one-man band was inspired by Memphis bluesmen Joe Hill Louis and Dr. Ross, folk artist Jesse Fuller, and the primitive country-punk style of Hasil Adkins. “I love the one-man-band artform”, says Jackman. “Everybody who performs this way is unique. There’s a certain simplicity to this way of making music that I appreciate. At the same time, it’s not easy trying to make it look easy, but when you pull it off, it’s an amazing feeling. There’s a lot of power in being a one-man band.”

Jackman is also a songwriter and recording artist. His early releases were in the 1990s on UK indie labels Theme Park and Bacchanalian Revel. Under his moniker Stomping Nick, he released Punk Blues One Man Band (2010), a collection of live in the studio recordings, and the follow-up album Shake For Your Cake (2016). These albums explore his love of blues music combined with a primitive punk aesthetic. In The Time of Burning (2020) by the Blues Grenade continued this theme but with contributions from other musicians, allowing Jackman to explore more varied sonic and rhythmic pathways than he could otherwise with his one-man-band.

In recent years, he has returned to his love of Celtic music in a big way, and has added mandolin and bouzouki to his one-man-band. These instruments have helped him add melodic depth to his live arrangements.

Jackman is currently recording traditional and original acoustic folk music. He also teaches folk, blues and country harmonica to students around the world, and he releases video tutorials on his Youtube channel, Harmonica For The Soul.

Support Act - Adrian Hughes

Adrian Hughes is a fingerstyle guitarist originally from South Wales, now based in Christchurch. He has been playing guitar since the age of eight, his earliest musical influences came from his guitar teacher, who introduced him to a wide range of styles, from early blues through to jazz, alongside Celtic music and traditional guitar genres from around the world. That foundation sparked a lifelong love of the instrument and a deep curiosity for diverse musical traditions.

Over the years, Adrian has performed across the UK and in Christchurch, sharing music that blends intricate fingerstyle technique with expressive, soulful playing. In 2024, Adrian completed his LLCM diploma in acoustic guitar, which reignited a passion for live performance. Adrian is also a dedicated guitar tutor and the New Zealand representative for the London College of Music, where he supports and guides the next generation of musicians.

Date

Location

Get directions

Christchurch Folk Music Club
29 Domain Terrace, Spreydon, Christchurch 8024

VENUE: Irish Society Hall, 29 Domain Terrace, Spreydon The hall is situated up the long driveway, directly next to Domain Park, and there is plenty of well-lit off-street parking.

Doors open 7pm. Performance starts at 7.30pm - online bookings will close 2 hours prior to the event start time.  After this time only door sales will be available on the night and will be dependant on the number of seats available in line with the Hall capacity.

LIMITED DOOR SALES AVAILABLE IF ONLINE SALES ARE NOT SOLD OUT. 

Please note that Door Sales are CASH ONLY: Tea, coffee, biscuits and cake available during the break, also bar facilities for cold refreshments throughout the night, Eftpos available at the bar for purchases only, no cash-out facility.

Folk Club and Irish Society members please remember to bring your membership card for licensing purposes. Non-members sign in at the bar if making purchases. 

Contact Event Organiser