Well, we’re almost there. #WSO2016 has taken up most of the last few months and, against all the odds, I think we might just have managed to fulfill our promise of making it bigger, bolder and better than last year.

We have 261 confirmed events as of tonight, and there’s everything from busking choirs to art auctions and back again; music from every genre; poetry and spoken word; comedy; film nights; bake-offs; battle of the bands contests; you name it and we probably go it. Not only that but the number of causes our events are helping is incredible, from food banks and homeless shelters to crisis centres for victims of domestic abuse and beyond. The imagination and willingness of WSO organisers up and down the land is breathtaking.

Then there’s the posters! They just keep getting better and better!

My own personal WSO week is, well, hectic. I’ll be playing the following gigs:

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6TH
BILLINGHAM– St. Aiden’s Church
HARTLEPOOL– Nursery Inn (with TV Smith)

FRIDAY OCTOBER 7TH
HEBDEN BRIDGE– Trades Club

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8TH
SCARBOROUGH– The Filling Station
BARNSLEY– Polish Club
STAINFORTH– Pit Club

SUNDAY OCTOBER 9TH
LIVERPOOL– Brink

Be good to see you out there!

And of course the icing on the cake was not only Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell tweeting about us, but Jeremy Corbyn wearing one of our badges the day he was re-elected Labour leader. Stunning.

Lot of water must pass under the bridge before we can declare #WSO2016 a success, but for now I want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who has pitched in with organising, sharing, retweeting, offers of help, agreeing to play and all-round enthusiasm. You make WSO such a joy  to be involved with and we most definitely could not do it without you.

I think WE SHALL OVERCOME represents the very best of what we are as people- the generosity, the selflessness, the willingness to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in, and the sort of caring and compassion the right wing press would have you believe has disappeared from the modern world.

Don’t believe them. We are the silent majority and our actions speak loudest of all.

Bring it on.

Cracking day singing in support of the Miner’s Pension Scheme campaign for justice and fair play in Derby Square, Liverpool. No PA so I had to resort to just playing acoustically in the street, something I haven’t done in Liverpool since the April of 91, but I always love to return to my old stomping ground and if au naturelle was good enough for Woody Guthrie, then it’s good enough for me.

It was a great day for speeches, especially ASLEF President Tosh McDonald, a real firebrand and as fine a comrade as you’ll ever meet, who has an incredible knack for weaving the threads together and seeing the bigger picture, reminding us that our various campaigns are all a part of the same struggle and we should never lose sight of our power if we stand strong together.

This is just the start of a campaign dedicated to fighting the government’s blatant robbery of the Miner’s Pensions and I was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with my Hatfield comrades and miners from up and down this island as we take the first steps down that road.

Top work by Les Moore, Peter Stefanovic and all involved in making the event happen.

….and thanks to Linday Rutland for the pics.

Solidarity forever.

What an incredible weekend!

Saturday night I performed the ‘NEVER BE DEFEATED‘ album at Glossop Labour Club as part of Matt Hill’s DEFIANCE SESSIONS and loved every second. Joined by Rebekah Findlay on fiddle and vocals, and debuting ‘Archie’s Song’ a brand new track to support the Miner’s Pension Campaign, the night doubled as both a WE SHALL OVERCOME event and a celebration of Jeremy Corbyn’s victory in the Labour leadership election that afternoon. We had a double celebration as Mr Corbyn had sported a WE SHALL OVERCOME badge on his jacket for the afternoon, giving our organisers up and down the land a huge lift. In fact, Matt’s cheeky poster advertising WSO badges under the tagline ‘AS WORN BY JEREMY CORBYN’ worked wonders and the merch raised an extra £60 for our causes! An amazing end to an amazing day.

On Sunday I performed the ‘NO PASARAN!‘ album at a very special event at St. Mary’s Church on Lowgate in Hull supporting the local International Brigades Memorial Group in their quest to fund a brand new outdoor memorial to the memory of the ‘Hull 8’ who travelled to Spain to fight fascism between 1936 and 1938. Four of these men never made it home, including Jack Atkinson whose story inspired the album, and it will be an emotional day indeed when we finally get to unveil it. Their story should be local legend and inspire new generations of anti-fascists to raise their voices against the worst of humanity.

The night was incredible. Support came from Na Mara who were superb, and the pews were packed despite the Autumn temperatures inside the church. Again I loved every second and a MASSIVE thank you must go to Joe Francis, Gary Hammond and the rest of the Hull IBMG for fighting this cause. And it was moving beyond belief to play to relatives of the volunteers, especially Jack’s family and the loved ones of my other fallen comrade, Giles Stevens.

All told, two events I was immensely proud to play a part in. Particularly moved by Joe Francis’ words:

“Joe Solo, our own anti -fascist punk folk singer songwriter did us proud. He never fails to move the crowd and did it again tonight. He is the embodiment of our movement and what it stands for. The way he makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end when he sings about the boys from Hull, culminating in the now classic ‘No Pasarán!’ Made fists thrust in the air with a defiant pride in the sacrifice our Hull boys made.”

Next stop Liverpool tomorrow for the Miner’s Pension Campaign Rally.

Then it’s We Shall Overcome……..

I’ll be performing the ‘NO PASARAN!’ album in full at St. Mary’s Church on Lowgate in Hull on Sunday September 25th. The event runs from 5pm to 7.30pm and has been organised by Hull International Brigade Memorial Group to help raise money for a new outdoor memorial to the eight men who left the city bound for Spain to fight fascism.

Currently there is only a bronze plaque bearing their names inside Guildhall, and we are desperate that their stories should be more widely known in the city of their birth. After a number of events this year we are closing in on the total and would love your support to get it over the line.

One of the names on that plaque is Jack Atkinson whose story the album follows, and it would be something indeed if my songs helped get him remembered as the hero he is on the streets he strode down eight decades ago.

Please get there if you can. This will be the last ‘No Pasaran!’ gig of 2016.

Let’s make it count.

My ‘NEVER BE DEFEATED’ album will be performed at two very special gigs over the coming weeks, both as part of We Shall Overcome.

The first is at Glossop Labour Club on Saturday 24th September where I’ll be joined by the fantastic Rebekah Findlay to perform the entire record front to back with support from me old mucker Johnny Campbell.

The second is even more special as we’re taking those songs home. On Saturday October 8th Rebekah and myself will take the album back to Stainforth Pit Club and perform it for the Hatfield Brigade whose stories it tells. Food and cash donations for DN7 Food Bank are the admission fee- just what you can afford, no-one will be left out. The food bank serves the former pit villages of Stainforth, Dunscroft and Thorne reawakening the spirit of The Strike and making sure no-one goes without. I can’t think of a better place to spend WSO Saturday. Mint.

In between I’ll be singing at the Miner’s Pensions Rally at Derby Square in Liverpool from midday on Tuesday September 27th, supporting the campaign to end the theft of billions of pounds of their money by successive governments. Very proud to have been asked and I’ve written two new songs specifically for the event which I’ll debut in Glossop.

Be good to see you out there supporting both the miners and We Shall Overcome.

On Tuesday night I closed out the final date of the #KeepCorbyn tour as it rolled into the Cast theatre in Doncaster. It was a pleasure and a privilege to have been even a small part of, and it was a night I shall never forget as one incredible performance after another unrolled before my eyes as I stood waiting in the wings.

Those of you who know me will be well aware of my politics and the importance I hold in getting Mr Corbyn re-elected as Labour leader and from there into No.10, and I can only thank Crispin Flintoff for the opportunity to add my voice to the choir….and Sheena Moore for speaking up on my behalf.

I got to watch incredible poetry from Matt Abbott and Attila the Stockbroker; fantastic Marxist magic from Ian Saville; superb speeches from Manuel Cortez, John Westmoreland and my friend and comrade Tosh McDonald; and genius comedy from Norman Lovett and Jeremy Hardy…..and have my heart stolen by the utterly beautiful Francesca Martinez who brought tears to my eyes and a skip to my step.

Then I got to sing. Doesn’t get much better than that.

There’s a video montage of the night here….

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJC4PMtour%2Fvideos%2F1152751961429746%2F&show_text=0&width=560

Or here:

Now it’s fingers crossed for Saturday’s result and the campaign #JC4PM begins in earnest.

Getting a LOT of email traffic about one thing or another to do with We Shall Overcome, as I’m sure you can probably imagine. The most asked question is this one:

HOW CAN I HELP?

And the answer is simple. Please do one or more of these three things.

1. SHARE EVERYTHING WSO YOU SEE– be that posters, gig listings, messages of support, artists saying they are playing…..all this makes a MASSIVE difference. Please use the tag #WSO2016 too. The reason why this is so important is that my friends aren’t your friends or many of your friends friends and by sharing you are spreading the word much, MUCH further. This helps us get the word out about the causes, the politics behind them, and from the point of view of the artists- who are giving their time and talents for FREE- it gives them a better chance of an audience and therefore a great gig. A full venue is more help for those in need of it too…SO SHARE SHARE SHARE!!!

2. CHECK OUT THE GIG GUIDE AND SUPPORT ONE NEAR YOU– Speaks for itself I know, but plenty of people will scan that list and miss one on their doorstep. Please get out there and support the gigs, or even volunteer to help with fliers or collections on the day. All-dayer gigs are absolutely knackering to organise and run, so any help given on the day will be massively appreciated.

3. BUY THE T-SHIRT– Our comrades at Philosophy Football are ready to dispatch them asap, but we are running out of time so GET YOUR ORDERS IN AND WEAR WITH PRIDE. All profits go to anti-austerity causes. Those shirts really do change lives.

Here’s your gig guide as things stand….but it is growing all the time.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH
IPSWICH- Giles Statue (Vigil for Refugees)

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 20TH
DONCASTER- Cast Theatre (#KeepCorbyn Tour/ We Shall Overcome collection)

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23RD
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
BEESTON- White Lion

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
GLOSSOP- Labour Club
LANCASTER- Yorkshire House

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
STALYBRIDGE- Stalybridge Tavern

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
GLOSSOP- Labour Club (The People’s Kitchen)

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 28TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
FILEY- The Station (Acoustic Plus Open Mic)

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
BARNSLEY- Cabaret Doonican

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
SPITTAL- The Blenheim
WARRINGTON- Brewhouse (Jam Night)

SATURDAY OCTOBER 1ST
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
COTTINGHAM- King Billy
DUNDEE- City Square (Dundee Together)
GLASGOW- Ivory Blacks
GLASTONBURY- The King Arthur
HARROW- Trinity
HULL- Jaz Bar (Afternoon)
HULL- The Boathouse (Off The Road Open Mic)
KETTERING- Sofa Sessions
LEEDS- The Grove
LONDON- Leytonstone Ex-Servicemens Club (What’s Cookin’)
LONG PRESTON- Boars Head
MIDDLESBROUGH- Fahrenheit Books
NOTTINGHAM- Sumac Centre
PENMACHNO- Shiloh Cwm
THORNABY-ON-TEES- Aerodrome Music Club
WARRINGTON- Brewhouse
WIRRAL- The Spider Project (Acoustic)

SUNDAY OCTOBER 2ND
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
BAGTHORPE- Dixies Arms
DERBY- Maypole Cafe, Bar & Theatre
LIVERPOOL- Jupiters Bar
ULVERSTON- Hope & Anchor
WARRINGTON- Brewhouse (Acoustic pm)
WELLINGTON- Rule 7
YORK- Dusk (Open Mic)

MONDAY OCTOBER 3RD
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
BARNSLEY- Barnsley Folk Club
CONWY- Conwy Folk Club
LIVERPOOL- Cavern Pub
STAFFORD- The Met Studio, Gatehouse Theatre

TUESDAY OCTOBER 4TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
DARLINGTON- Quakerhouse (Quiz)
LIVERPOOL- Constellations (Comedy Night)
LIVERPOOL- Philharmonic Music Rooms
LIVERPOOL- Jupiters Bar
LLANRWST- Meadowsweet Hotel
NOTTINGHAM- The Maze
ULVERSTON- Hope & Anchor (Folk at The Hope)

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5TH
ABERGELE- The Castle
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- Market (Busk for the Homeless)
BARNSLEY- White Bear
BIRKENHEAD- Sixth Form College (Battle of the Bands)
BRIDPORT- WI Hall (A History of Protest Music Lecture)
DUKINFIELD- Tame Valley Hotel
KENDAL- Ruskins
LIVERPOOL- The Liverpool Sale Room (Art Auction)
LIVERPOOL- The Baltic Social
NEWPORT- Le Pub (Comedians Against Austerity)
SCARBOROUGH- The Nelson (Open Mic)
ULVERSTON- Hope & Anchor (Quiz Night)

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
BARNSLEY- White Bear
BILLINGHAM- St. Aidan’s Church
BRADFORD- Glyde House (Topic Folk Club Singers and Musicians Night)
COTTINGHAM- Hallgate Tavern (Off The Road Open Mic)
FORMBY- Woodwards Wine Bar
HARTLEPOOL- Nursery Inn
HULL- Union Mash Up
KIMBERLEY- Nelson & Railway
LEEDS- Temple of Boom
LIVERPOOL- View Two Gallery
NOTTINGHAM- Sumac Centre
RHYL- The North
SHEFFIELD- The Moor (Verse Matters- Spoken Word)
ULVERSTON- Hope & Anchor (Jazz at The Hope)

FRIDAY OCTOBER 7TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
BANGOR- The Skerries
BARNSLEY- Old No.7
BELPER- Unitarian Chapel
BIRKENHEAD- Sixth Form College (Unplugged)
BLACKBURN- Sir Charles Napier
CONWY- Comrades Club (Punk Takeover)
CREWKERNE- Royal Oak
DARLINGTON- Quakerhouse (D.I.S.C.O)
DUNDEE- Conroy’s Basement (Tins For Tunes)
GINESTAS, FRANCE- L’oncle Jules
HARTLEPOOL- Fishermans Arms
HEBDEN BRIDGE- Trades Club
HORSFORTH- St Margaret’s Church
HUDDERSFIELD- Ukrainian Club (Acoustic Night)
LEEDS- Chemic
LONDON- T.Chances, N17
MIDDLESBROUGH- Westgarth Social Club
NEWPORT- Le Pub
NOTTINGHAM- Sumac Centre
ROCHDALE- Labour HQ
SCARBOROUGH- Corporation Club
SHEFFIELD- Heeley Institute
THORPE THEWLES- Vane Arms
ULVERSTON- Hope & Anchor
ULVERSTON- Ulverston Sports Club
WAKEFIELD- Red Shed (Wakefield Labour Club)
WIDNES- Ring O’Bells
WIRRAL- Thornton Hough Village Club
WORSBROUGH- The Darley

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8TH
ALLENDALE- High Forest Centre
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
BARNSLEY- Polish Club
BEESTON- Hope Centre (Family Fun Day)
BELFAST- Sunflower Pub
BELPER- Queens Head
BIRKENHEAD- Hotel California
BLACKBURN- Sir Charles Napier
BRIDPORT- Ropemakers
BRADFORD- Glyde House
BRADFORD- 1 in 12
CAMBRIDGE- The Golden Hind
CARDIFF- The Moon Club
DARLINGTON- Quakerhouse
DEWSBURY- Old Turk
DONCASTER- The Hallcross
DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN- Noa Bakehouse
DUBLIN- Hangar
DUNFIRMLINE- Ha Ha Club
EUGENE, OREGON- The Annex
GRIMSBY- Grimsby Minster
HARTLEPOOL- The Studio
HUDDERSFIELD- Ukrainian Club
LIVERPOOL- Casa
LIVERPOOL- Kellys Smithdown
LIVERPOOL- Liverpool Acoustic (pm)
LIVERPOOL- Zanzibar Club
LUTON- Celtic Supporters Club
MANCHESTER- WSO ON THE STREETS (History Walk 12-2pm)
MANCHESTER- People’s History Museum (Songwriter’s Circle 4.30-7pm)
MIDDLESBROUGH- Theatre Club, Toft House
MOSSLEY- The Blazing Rag
NESTON- Brewers Arms
NEWPORT- Le Pub
OTLEY- Labour Rooms
OXTED- Crown Inn
PWHELLI- Y Castel (Rock Night)
SALTBURN-BY-THE-SEA- The Marine
SCARBOROUGH- The Filling Station (pm)
SCARBOROUGH- Scarborough Brewery
SHEFFIELD- University Arms
STAINFORTH- Pit Club
ST.HELENS- Rendezvous Bar
STOKE-ON-TRENT- The Rigger
STOURBRIDGE- Katie Fitzgerald’s
ULVERSTON- Hope & Anchor
WIDNES- The Studio

SUNDAY OCTOBER 9TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station
BARNSLEY- Polish Club
CARDIFF- The Moon Club
CROXTON KERRIAL- Geese & Fountain Acoustic Club
DARWEN- The Crown
DUBLIN- Workmans Club
EDINBURGH- The Banshee Labyrinth
FILEY- The Station
GLOSSOP- Labour Club
HARTLEPOOL- Chillicake Cafe
HEBDEN BRIDGE- Trades Club
HULL- The Boathouse (Off The Road Open Mic)
HULL- Furley & Co. (Afternoon)
HULL- O’Rileys (Evening)
KEIGHLEY- Exchange Arts Centre
LIVERPOOL- The Brink
LIVERPOOL- St. Michael’s Irish Centre
NEWPORT- Le Pub
NOTTINGHAM- The Maze (Alternative Sunday Service- daytime)
NOTTINGHAM- The Maze (Music-Evening)
RHYL- The North
SHEFFIELD- Shakespeares
SOUTHSEA- The Golden Eagle
STOCKTON-ON-TEES- The Golden Smog
STOURBRIDGE- Scary Canary
ULVERSTON- Hope & Anchor
WARSOP- Black Market
WHITBY- Rugby Club
WIGAN- The Old Courts
YORK- Dusk (Open Mic)
YORK- Red Lion (Open Mic)

MONDAY OCTOBER 10TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station

FRIDAY OCTOBER 14TH
BRISTOL- Red Lion
HAWORTH- Black Bull (Octoberfest)
LEICESTER- Duffy’s Bar

SATURDAY OCTOBER 15TH
HAWORTH- Black Bull (Octoberfest)
HEREFORD- Booth Hall

SUNDAY OCTOBER 16TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station (Last Resort MCC Rock Night)
HAWORTH- Black Bull (Octoberfest)
STROUD- Crown & Sceptre

THURSDAY OCTOBER 20TH
MANCHESTER- The Goose

FRIDAY OCTOBER 21ST
SCUNTHORPE- Cafe INDIEpendent

SATURDAY OCTOBER 22ND
LANCASTER- Lancaster District Homeless Action

SUNDAY OCTOBER 23RD
LEICESTER- The Musician

FRIDAY OCTOBER 28TH
HIGH WYCOMBE- Phoenix Bar

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2ND
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- Market (Busk for the Homeless)

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12TH
MIDDLESBROUGH- Little Theatre Club

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station (Christmas Tickle Triple Bander)

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 26TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station (Run Out The Guns Folk Punk Party)

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station (Punk’s Picnic For The Homeless)

MONDAY NOVEMBER 28TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station (Spoken Passions- Protest Poetry Special)

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station (WSO Buskers Jam)

THURSDAY DECEMBER 1ST
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station (Headjam Christmas WSO)

FRIDAY DECEMBER 2ND
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station (Linecheck For The Homeless)

SATURDAY DECEMBER 3RD
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station (Make Scouse Not War)
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station (WSO Sponsored Rough Sleep)

SUNDAY DECEMBER 4TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- The Station (Pennine Mencap Christmas Party)

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 7TH
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE- Market (Busk for the Homeless)

CHESTERFIELD- Labour Club (WSO XMAS PARTY)

They say you should never meet your heroes.

Whoever said that must have had crap heroes.

Today I met Billy Bragg for the first time and he was brilliant, a lovely bloke. It’s 32 years since I first heard him crackling out of an old Dansette singing ‘The Milkman Of Human Kindness’, and during that time, like many people from my generation, I’ve been moved and inspired by his songs and his politics in equal measure.

It’s hard to underestimate the impact he had in the 1980’s. To us second generation Punks, who picked up the records in 1983/4, it was hard without a band. Acoustic guitars were for hippies and 1960’s throwbacks, yet without a band an electric guitar sounded, well, just lonely and wrong.

Then along came Billy.

That heavily-reverbed electric guitar coupled with a keen eye and an ear for lyrical one-liners made him our Dylan. His speaking out on issues of the day made us sit up and listen and THINK, much underestimated attributes in a songwriter.

To say he inspired is almost to belittle his impact. In fact it took me five years to work out you could sing a song on your own without it being in a Barking accent! But then I wasn’t alone in that. I still hear people covering his songs wrestling with the vowels because they can’t detach him fully from them. The mark of a great song-smith.

Anyway. Fast forward thirty years and we share a bill at the Hope Not Hate event in Manchester, celebrating the life and work of Jo Cox MP. He borrows my guitar to play his set, has time for everyone, sings amazing songs, talks passionately about music and politics and our role in the struggle right now. Every bit the bloke you’d want him to be.

As we meet, under black skies and pounding rain in a rapidly flooding field, I say:

“Not the most salubrious of surroundings to meet you in Billy, but hello.”

He replies:

“No, this is perfect. We’re out here singing for the cause. Woody Guthrie never played a plush venue in his life. Every gig he did was in a field, or on a picket line or somewhere. It’s fitting that we meet here, two people carrying on his work.”

You should never meet your heroes?

Rubbish.

Tomorrow….Saturday 3rd September….I’ll be adding my voice to a cross-community celebration of our diversity and inclusivity as people gather on Platt Fields Park in Manchester to remember the life and work of Jo Cox MP, so tragically murdered in the days running up to the EU Referendum.

The other musical entertainment is from someone called Billy Bragg.

……nah, me neither 😉

Q: How excited am I?

A: Very.

Some fantastic posters landing for this year’s We Shall Overcome which runs from 1st to 9th October. As of today we have 184 events but that number is rising daily and we’re aiming for 200 plus. Please check our gig guide at:

Gig Listings 2016

and our event map at:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1go83smuFe59PVIpWX5sMfng6tVA

and support a gig near you.

The scale and imagination involved always amazes me. Inspirational.

The next few weeks will be frantic as we put the finishing touches on events up and down the land and thousands of artists lend their support to those suffering under austerity in our communities.

If you can add an event in YOUR town, then please get in touch with me at:

joesolomusic@hotmail.co.uk