It’s for all of us of a certain age who remember the 1970s and enjoyed the recent BBC time-travel police programme (“cop show” in modern US English) “Life on Mars”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyLjxDlNawU
This is TV genius. Enjoy!
Monthly Archive for January, 2007
Thanks to Dave Sawyer for a list of new February gigs that have been added to the calendar today. There are new gigs from Backwater Blues Band, Dr Feelgood, The Stumble, The Bluesblasters and Steven Seagal!
Here’s the whole list for Feb
01-Feb - Rob Tognini – Fletcher Christian, Cockermouth
01-Feb – Slingshot – BJ’s, Chorley
03-Feb – Stumble-Tantrum – Citadel, St Helens
03-Feb – Willie Logan – Hensingham Rugby Club
04-Feb – Tantrum – Maryport Rugby Club, Maryport
04-Feb – Willie Logan – Fletcher Christian Cockermouth
08-Feb – Mark Townson – BJ’s, Chorley
08-Feb – Tommy Allen – Number 35, Oswestry
09-Feb – Backwater Blues – Glass Barrel, Atherton
09-Feb – Backwater Blues – Lane Ends, Kirkham
09-Feb – Bluesblasters – Griffin, Earlstown
09-Feb – Lister and Parker – Pacific Rd, Birkenhead
10-Feb – Backwater Blues – Gardners, Oldham
10-Feb – Blues +ve – Hensingham Rugby Club
10-Feb – Lister and Parker – Southport Arts Centre
10-Feb – Steven Seagal – Philharmonic, Liverpool
11-Feb – Backwater Blues – Market Tavern, Altrincham
11-Feb – Bullfrog Blues – Maryport Rugby Club
11-Feb – Paul Rose – Fletcher Christian, Cockermouth
14-Feb – Kent DuChaine – The Weaver Hotel, Runcorn
15-Feb – Carvin Jones – Fletcher Christian Cockermouth
15-Feb – Kent DuChaine – Full Moon, Newcastle u Lyme
16-Feb – Backwater Blues – Bell Barrel, St Helens
17-Feb – Tantrum – Hensingham Rugby Club
18-Feb – Backwater Blues – Town Hall, Eccles
18-Feb – Kent Duchaine – Fletcher Christ. Cockermouth
21-Feb – John O Leary – Harbourside Club, Liverpool
22-Feb – John O Leary – Fletcher Christian Cockermouth
23-Feb – The Stumble – Warrington Blues Club
24-Feb – Backwater Blues – Bakers Vaults, Stockport
24-Feb – Dr Feelgood – Citadel, St Helens
24-Feb – King Bz – Hensingham Rugby Club
24-Feb – Rag Mama Rag – Worthenbury
24-Feb – Swamp Dogs – Victoria Inn, Glasson Dock
Garry Potts from The Cadillac Kings is always telling me how good West Weston is. Until today I’ve not had the chance to see for myself as West does not seem to drag his blues shoes north very often. I don’t recall that he’s ever played in the north west.
Anyway, enough of my wittering, on to the video. Here’s West Weston and the Bluesonics LIVE from 2006 with the classic Caldonia as a New Year blues bonus, here’s Lindy Lou.
I was going to say that you can read more about West Weston at his official site, but I can’t find one for him.
I know that there are some Tony Joe White fans who read bluesinthenorthwest.com. Ths good news is that the latest Woodsongs Radio Hour features Tony Joe playing live available as LoFi MP3, HiFi MP3 or High Bandwidth WMV video.
All available from the page for Show 422.
Here’s a treat for all the Aynsley Lister and Ian Parker fans here in the north west.
Southport Arts Centre feature Lister and Parker on Saturday 10th February at 8PM.
Aynsley Lister and Ian Parker represent all that is great about the new wave of British Blues-Rock, and without question they are the spearhead of a new army of young musicians.
The show features each artist accompanied by his own band playing material from his latest recording, as well as acoustic and electric material featuring Lister and Parker on stage together. It promises to be a treat for guitar lovers, but equally for those who enjoy great song writing.
Pete Evans writes….
Just let you know I am now also promoting blues, predominantly acoustic but also electric as time goes on, at a great new venue in Oswestry which technically might just be outside the North West but is only 15 miles from Wrexham. It’s at “Number 35″, a very nice restaurant bar but with a separate room dedicated to the setting up of the music venue. It;s going to be called “Blues At Number 35″. You can eat from the very reasonably priced bistro style menu and enjoy some good real ale before moving into the room which also has it’s own bar. There will be a stage, backdrop and lighting plus a good sound engineer, Chris who used to do Alexander’s sound. The gigs are monthly and are :-
- Feb 8th Tommy Allen plus a possible guest.
- March 1st Phil Bates
- March 29th Sonny Black and George Pearson
- April 13th Claude Bourbon
- May 18th Ray Stubbs
Full address is 35 Willow Street, Oswestry @ www.number35.net
Anyone requiring info, please call me on 01948 770215.
This was the first blues gig at the Allerton Manor Club, which is set in the grounds of the Allerton Golf Centre in Liverpool. The gig was arranged in conjunction with Brian Roberts by John and Lorraine Welsh, who organise the marvellous blues nights at The Harbourside Club. Many of those present are regulars at the Harbourside, but it was also good to see new faces among the tightly packed throng.
The booking of Kent DuChaine was an inspired choice. He is the epitome of the latter day blues troubadour from the United States, spending a major part of each year touring a wide variety of venues to keep the blues tradition alive. With his tales of meeting and playing alongside some of the all-time greats of the American blues heritage, his proud ownership of Leadbessie, his 73 year old steel guitar, and his superb guitar playing skills, he is a beguiling performer.
The first set contained tributes to two of Kent’s major influences, Muddy Waters and Bukka White, including a terrific version of the latter’s “Aberdeen Mississippi Blues”, complete with White’s mesmerising ‘pattin’ the baby’ rhythm. The set also featured a travelogue to and around the DuChaine homestead on the Georgia/Alabama border, where the moonshine is kept in the freezer ‘to stop it exploding’. Other highlights were “16 Gauge Steel”, in fond memory of Johnny Shines, a lovely slow version of Little Willie John’s “Fever” and “Rock Island Line”, a firm favourite of Kent’s young son, Miles.
The tributes delivered in the second set recalled ex-wives, paradoxically including “I’ve Been True To You”, an excellent love song. It also featured two classics that never fail to raise goosebumps when performed by DuChaine: “St James Infirmary Blues” and Bertha ‘Chippie’ Hill’s wonderful “Trouble In Mind”. A tremendous evening was brought to a close with some enthusiastic audience participation on “Yeah, Yeah”, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and the encore, “When The Saints Go Marching In”. Such was the success of the occasion that it seems almost superfluous to make two predictions: this will not be the last blues night at the Allerton Manor Club and Kent DuChaine will once again attract a full house when he is next in town.
Lionel Ross
I have a bit of a sore head this morning, but we certainly had a fun time last night. Neil brought his blues and soul band “Band of Thieves” down from Liverpool and I have to say that he hasn’t lost any of his talent in the years since I last saw him. Great show guys!
Grahame stayed very well behaved and made a sweet speech and we all had a great evening. I got the chance to blow the dust from the JT30 and guested on a few tunes.
I have uploaded some of the pictures to Flickr and you can find them here.
Alan Hewitt sends in the following press release…..
Wow!
Fresh from a mention, and a track being played on the Paul Jones show ( and a plug for the FC ) we welcome Rob Tognoni to Cockermouth.
The band played their tour opener and warm up last night and wow.
If you had something else planned for Thursday 1st Feb get it re arranged NOW.
You all know I am not prone to exaggeration, much, but miss this power trio at your peril, these guys have to be seen to be believed.
With Garry Rackham on bass and Mike Hellier on drums holding the whole thing down Mr Tognoni blew the crowd away and had 4 encores at the end of the show!
It’s John Reid’s first gig as the new landlord at the Fletcher Christian and I don’t know how we will follow this, but we will give it a go.
I have had phones calls from lots of people, including some from Liverpool, asking the timing, its a 900pm start, not as advertised on Robs site.
The timings are correct on the venue site and ours too.
Take a look at www.robtognoni.com and a listen to the You Tube site below and see you there on Thursday!!
Best wishes
Alan
www.fletcherchristiantavern.co.uk
www.ahmusicpromotions.co.uk
YouTube – Rob Tognoni – guitarist “Crossword Blues”
Yes indeedy, blues lover, family man, Chester City supporter, top bloke, and bluesinthenorthwest.com contributor Grahame Rhodes is celebrating a significant milestone on this very day.
Born in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear on 28 Jan xxxx
Politeness prevents me from mentioning his actual age (think C/2) however please let me wish Grahame all the very best from bluesinthenorthwest.com for this year and all the years to come. There’s a picture of Grahame below for anyone who doesn’t know him.
As you read this we are probably both suffering from a significant hangover – so wish him well and give us both some sympathy.
H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y G R A H A M E
Now here’s a strange one for you. Today’s YouTube clip features the first known video of bluesman Guitar Shorty knocking them dead on the vintage US TV show The Gong Show.
I used to think that The Gong Show was a tripped out gig featuring gliss guitar and pot head pixies, I was completely confused, gliss guitar and pot head pixies make up *A* Gong show not *THE* Gong Show.
Anyway enjoy the clip and be sure to check out Shorty’s official site http://www.guitarshorty.org/
Check out the user contributed reviews on the Amazon UK site for the Peter Andre and Jordan CD. I might buy that CD, it looks very good indeed.
! ! C A N C E L L E D ! !
March gives us the opportunity to see one of the true stars of the UK Blues, RnB and Boogie Woogie scene. Mike Sanchez has been one of our leading attractions probably since the 1980s. I remember seeing him leading The Big Town Playboys many times in those days and his solo performance on the main stage at Colne (in 2003 I think) showed me just what a captivating and natural entertainer Sanchez is. I also thought that the songs that Sanchez led were by far the clear highlights of the Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings DVD. His bio sums it up really well….
British singer, pianist and guitarist Mike Sanchez is one of the most exciting and charismatic performers of Rhythm & Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll in the world today. His indelible image as a frenetic front man, pumping powerful boogie-woogie from the piano in a soaking red suit, has won him fans from all over the world and attracted a following from many famous rock and blues legends who have lined up to work with him.
Ray and Barbara have Mike Sanchez lined up for the Blues in the Big Room at Alford Hall, Warrington on 10 Mar – it’s one not to be missed.
Check out the Warrington Blues Club website for more information. http://www.wrbcblues.co.uk/
JJ Cale: To Tulsa and Back
German director Jorg Bundschuh follows JJ Cale back to his roots as the troubador discusses his life, his band, his songs and his background in America’s west.
BBC Four, Fri 26 Jan, 21:00-22:00 60mins Stereo Widescreen
Repeated – Sat 27 Jan, 00:20-01:25 and Sat 27 Jan, 02:55-03:55
Remember that Ray and Barbara have set up a great line of Blues for 2007 in two locations in Warrington.
23-Feb – The Stumble
02-Mar – Ian Siegal
10-Mar – Mike Sanchez at Alford Hall
30-Mar – Marcus Malone
13-Apr – Johnny Mastro & Mama’s boys
The three March gigs are specifically to celebrate 10 years of Warrington Blues Club.
**Please note that the date for Marcus Malone has changed**
A really sweet slow blues by SRV, Angela Strehli, Jimmie Vaughan and Kim Wilson. Recorded in Austin TX in 1983. Great performances by all concerned and a great song too.
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