The Stumble play The Academy in Buckley on Sat 17 April.
Tag Archive for 'buckley'
Cherry Lee Mewis
The Academy Buckley – 26 Mar 2010
Ironworks, Oswestry – 27 Mar 2010
When you think of blues, you don’t tend to think 5 foot nothing brunette women. From Wales. Who are 24 years old. And very attractive. With a powerful, soulful voice and model looks, Cherry Lee Mewis is the perfect candidate to be an X Factor winner, but she has eschewed such gratuitous commerciality in favour of playing and writing the kind of real music that makes her tick. The blues.
And in doing so she has managed to turn roots and blues music into a cool swinging fusion that is both classic and yet contemporary. Her music is a heady mix is a heady mix of foot-stomping barnburners to bluesy slow-cooked rockers with even a spoonful of jazzy shuffle all helping to secure Cherry Lee Mewis place as one of the rising stars on the UK blues and roots music scene.
Whilst packed with great original blues numbers, Cherry’s sets also feature new arrangements of many classic blues numbers that are red hot and smoking, proving not to be just an echo of their original raw originators. The soft and sultry vocal delivery on Travellin’ Light, the rockin’ All You Need and wonderful swing-blues of Shake That Thing all showcase those signature Cherry growls and tender vibratos.
So while Cherry is something new and exciting in the world of Blues, she is also very much focused on what makes blues so fascinating and capturing its rawness and its this dichotomy that makes her such a fascinating artist to see.
Rhythm Zoo
Appearing live at The Academy, Buckley
Saturday January 23rd 2010
Rhythm Zoo hit you on every level. Driving rhythm, blistering guitar, and the captivating vocals of Andi Harrison. This band holds the music close to their hearts. You have to see them to understand.
Rhythm Zoo are rapidly becoming one the premier blues groups in the UK. Never bound by any one style, they can stretch out and do great traditional, Chicago, and Delta blues. Their sets are carefully constructed to give you a great blend of original and standards with boundless enthusiasm. These guys are easy to work with and great people. The Zoo are audience friendly, any audience, and they are building up a very loyal following wherever they play.
They manage to skirt the line between fidelity to the genre and honesty to the listener. They won’t try to pretend that Muddy Waters has laid his golden hand on their heads and that they are somehow the rightful heirs to a ghostly tradition, but they will pay homage to the forebears without making you feel like you’re watching a “Blues as a Themepark” nightclub act. A top notch band with one of the best sounds in the Midlands. If you feel like the word “blues” has gotten a bad name, you’ll be sold on Rhythm Zoo without feeling like you were ever asked to buy.
[Update 22 Jan 2010]
This gig has been postponed until 15th May
One of the finest bands in the country will be playing the beautiful Academy venue in Buckley this Friday night.
The Cadillac Kings are acknowledged as one of the top bands in the country and the current line-up is the best that they have ever had.
- Mike Thomas – lead vocals, guitar & things you can shake
- Gary Potts – big fat harmonica, vocals & packed lunches
- Roy Webber – drums, vocals & Essex tourist information
- Mal Barclay – guitar, vocals & five o’clock shadow
- Henri Herbert – red-hot piano & the occasional cider
- Paul Cuff – double bass & good advice
Instrumentally the band cannot be beaten and in band leader Mike Thomas the band have one of the finest blues songwriters that the UK has ever produced.
With their intoxicating brand of R&B The Cadillac Kings are masters at entertaining audiences, from clubs to theatres, from dance-halls to festivals, the length and breadth of Europe. If you like your harmonica fat-toned & your guitar T- boned, this is the band for you. You’d be crazy to miss it.
Only £8 on the door.
http://www.cadillackings.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/thecadillackings
I am going up to Worthenbury tonight to see Little Toby Walker then tomorrow my own band Down at Antone’s will be playing at The Academy in Buckley.
I am looking forward to seeing some of you at these two events.
Down at Antone’s
Buckley Academy, North Wales
24 October 2009
One of the best loved north west blues bands of the 1990s make a rare outing in North Wales this month. Since reforming earlier this year the band have taken on very occasional reform gigs. You have a chance to see one of those rare appearances in Buckley.
On Sat 24th October Down at Antone’s play at the beautiful dance hall in the centre of Buckley that is known as The Academy. The room is delightful, featuring a fully sprung wooden dance floor, a spacious stage with excellent viewing, comfortable seating for all, a bar and plentiful parking just outside. Buckley is in North Wales, just a few miles over the border from Chester.
During the gig, you can expect to see a heady blend of rough and tough Texas blues, a spicy New Orleans flavoured gumbo with a dash of smooth jazz to mellow the heat.
The band feature Neil Partington on guitar and vocals. Neil has a huge pedigree in music having been born into the famous musical Brown family – with Joe Brown and Sam Brown as close family. During his long career (he has been playing since his teens) he has shared the stage with musical legends such as Jools Holland, Lee Oscar and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour.
Ken Peace is featured on Harmonica – famous only for a mile wide tone and riffing harmonica chops. The rest of the band are Glen Lewis on classy keys and the dynamite rock solid grooving rhythm section of Nick Lauro and Steve Brown.
Expect an evening of highly charged grooves to keep the beat at the feet.
The Academy, Mold Road, Buckley on Saturday, 24th October – doors open at 7.45 pm, band on stage at 9 pm. Tickets £8 on the door, or by phone (07812 369702).
Picture by Jon Hill.
Here are the dates for the Cadillac Kings in the northwest winter 2009.
|
Telford’s Warehouse | Chester | ||
|
The Academy, Buckley | North Wales |
|
Warrington R&B Club | Warrington |
Featuring six of the UK’s top blues & roots musicians, The Cadillac Kings play music inspired by the sounds & styles of the ‘40s & ‘50s. A mix of mostly original songs with a few well-chosen covers from the likes of T-Bone Walker, Roy Brown & Champion Jack Dupree have made the band firm favourites on both the blues & jump-jive scenes. With their stunning musicianship & exciting stage act, this is a band that knows how to entertain audiences across the board, from arts centres to dance-halls, from intimate clubs to major festivals.
With backgrounds including Otis Grand’s Band, James Hunter’s Jokers, The Poorboys, Big Joe Louis, and Little George Sueref, The Cadillac Kings came together in the year 2000. They became an immediate hit at venues & festivals all over the UK . 2001 saw the release of their debut CD ‘Lou Ann’ which received wide airplay in the UK & abroad, culminating in a nomination for the 2002 USA Swing Awards.Tour dates have included London’s 100 Club, the Great British R&B Festival, the Burnley Blues Festival, London’s Hackney Empire, the Black Horse World Music Festival in Sussex, Crawley Folk Festival, Soho Jazz & Heritage Festival, UK Arts Council tour, the Gloucester Blues Festival, (Norway’s huge) Notodden Blues Festival, the Ørland Blues Fest, the Drobak Festival, Denmark’s annual Blues Cruise, the Duvel Blues Festival in Belgium & the Rotterdam Bluezy Festival in Holland.
Now signed to ‘33’ Records, home of Don Weller, Stan Tracey, Tina May & the cream of UK jazz & world musicians, November 2004 saw the release of the band’s second CD ‘Highway 17’. Not such a strange label signing when you consider the words of 33’s boss Paul Jolly – “this band truly swings!”
In December 2004 the music critics of The London Times agreed and included ‘Highway 17′ in their list of the best 24 CDs of the year and chose it overall best blues CD. Ashwyn Smyth of Blues Matters’ Magazine also chose it as his CD of the year, and Blues in Britain Magazine listed it in the top releases of the year.
More recently, and for the third year in succession, The Cadillac Kings have won the categories for ‘best blues band’ & ‘best harmonica player’ in the 2005 Wychwood Brewery/ Running Horse Awards, as voted for by the audiences at Nottingham’s top live blues venue.
Smokehouse Blues
The Academy, Buckley
26 September 2009
This month sees a welcome return of one of the regions most well respected and well loved bands to North Wales.
Top North West blues band, Smokehouse Blues are to appear at The Academy, Mold Road, Buckley – a traditional style venue, with licensed bar, large dance floor and comfortable seating.
The Runcorn-based band deliver an explosive mix of West Coast and Chicago blues – led by the dynamite harmonica and vocals of Johnny Hewitt – one of the country’s finest players – and Barney Barnett’s fine guitar work.
The band is completed by the rhythm section of Russ Williams (stand-up bass) and Mark Donaldson (drums) – expect some of their own material, and covers by blues masters such as Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter and William Clarke.
Catch Smokehouse Blue at The Academy, Mold Road, Buckley on Saturday, 26th November – doors open at 8 pm, band on stage approx. 9 pm. Tickets £10 on the door, or by phone (07812 369702).
info@dance-hall.info
Ricky Cool and the Hoola Boola Boys
Buckley Academy
24 Jul 2009
Ricky has long been known as one of the best frontmen in the business, from his days as a displaced American who wound up in Oldhill and teamed up with a bunch of Brummies to form Ricky Cool and The Icebergs. Radio and T.V. appearances made Ricky a household name and records soon followed, particularly with his next line up, Ricky Cool and The Rialtos.
This led to a link up with the legendary Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) in his first Honeydrippers line up and a long lasting collaboration with Andy Silvester (Chicken Shack/Savoy Brown) which culminated in the formation of what became the UK’s top Rhythm and Blues Band, The Big Town Playboys and the unveiling of crazy man Mike Sanchez on an unsuspecting public.
Ricky is known for presenting the best in Rhythm ‘n’ Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll and with The Hoola Boola Boys you get this in spades. The Hoola Boola Boys all started quite oddly. Promoter and musician Martin Pryce was asked to provide the music for a huge 40th birthday party, November 1990. Mike Sanchez was available and Martin put together a formidable line up to back him. The band members were literally introduced to each other on stage. “What are we gonna play?” said Mike. “I’m Ready – Fats Domino,” replied Martin. “It’s in F,” shouts Mike, “1-2-3.” It was fantastic. The band was great. Quite remarkable.
The following year, Mike played about 100 shows with The Hoola Boola Boys including a major charity show, backing Robert Plant, at the famous J B’s club in Dudley. The Hoola Boola Boys have continued to back some of the best names on the R ‘n’ B circuit and now, together with Ricky Cool, they provide the very best in Rock ‘n’ Roll and Rhythm ‘n’ Blues entertainment. So go on! Let the Hoola Boola re-ignite your smile.
Doors 8pm. £10.
Don’t forget that you can see the all new Tommy Allen Band featuring Johny Hewitt at the Academy in Buckley tonight.
See the original post for more information.
Tommy Allen Band – The Academy Buckley
20 June 2009
This month, the beautiful venue in Buckley The Academy features The Tommy Allen Band. This is Tommy’s new venture, more electric than his duo gigs with Johny Hewitt but more bluesy than Trafficker.
I heard on the grapevine that the aforementioned Johny Hewitt is in the band a playing a mean harp. So you can look forward to lotsa guitar, lotsa harp and two great vocalists. Tommy always has a good rhythm section so I am certain that it will be a great night.
A beautiful room with lots of close parking.
0871 288 7287. £10.
Eddie Gartry Blues State UK
The Academy Buckley
22 May 2009
This week sees mid Wales British RnB outfit Eddie Gartry Blue State at the Academy in Buckley.
A SURPRISE FROM THE HEART OF WALES…… Amidst the scenic hills and picturesque landscape along the Welsh/English border, (where the magic mushrooms grow and beer is still £1.80 a pint) a very interesting secret has been harboured. Until now, that is. Recently, this area has been reverberating to the sound of a particular brand of blues music. Coincidentally, this same locality appears to be the home ground, and meeting place for a band of very dedicated musicians. A group it seems, who have one important and mutual obsession in common, a lifetime of devotion to playing blues music; their way. Apparently, these guys have all toured the World, individually backing many famous names along the way, but for them to congregate in this obscure neck of the woods seems peculiar. However, to their local fans, their unique brand of hard blues is extremely welcome. Pretty young boys, brought up in a world of karaoke, they are not. But their reverent approach to blues music, irrespective of fashion, sets them aside from most of today’s ‘programmed’ entertainers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqJ2hV42Cns
http://www.myspace.com/eddygartry
The Academy, located in Buckley, Flintshire, is a venue that caters for dance instruction, fitness and entertainment. One of its strands of entertainment is a regular blues gig, which has been attracting an increasingly large audience. The Stumble was the latest band to grace the Academy, which gives some indication of the high level that organiser, Ellie Jones, is targeting.
The pride of Preston certainly lived up to their ever-rising reputation with a beautifully balanced programme of blues, much of which can be found on their two excellent albums, The World is Tough and Houngan. They opened their account with the upbeat shuffle, “Small World, Baby” and “You Upset Me, Baby” before delivering their first rumba of the evening, “Saturday Night”. The slow blues, “All Over Again” was, as ever, particularly well-received, featuring the superb vocals of Paul Melville and fine solos from Colin Black on guitar and Simon Anthony on sax. The rest of the first set comprised a splendid mix of mood and tempo, which included a brilliant version of the Wolf’s “Who’s Been Talkin’” and culminated in a superb performance of the aforementioned “Houngan”.
The second set began with “Bus Stop” and a terrific rendition of “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”, complete with another belting guitar solo. “Your Love For Me” introduced a Bo Diddley beat into the proceedings, which was followed by a taste of rock and roll in the shape of “Little Maudie”. Rumbas and shuffles vied for prominence while drummer, Boyd Tonner, assumed lead vocals on Chuck Berry’s “Oh, Carol” drifting seamlessly into “Bee-Bop-A-Lula”. “The World Is Tough” completed the set and the magnificent show was concluded with the rousing “Gimme Back My Wig” by way of an encore.
A standing ovation appropriately hailed the quality of the performance and indicated that the Academy is well on the way to establishing itself as a serious blues venue.
The Stumble Website
Buckley Academy Website
Lionel Ross
The Academy welcomes ‘The Stumble’
Playing Live in Buckley on April 18th, One of the UK’s best Blues bands visits the Buckley Blues Club.
The Buckley Blues Club, at The Academy in Buckley, has recently seen the Jive Aces, The Jalapenos, and Big Boy Bloater grace the stage… now has another treat for us all… THE STUMBLE !!!
SO WHO ARE THE STUMBLE ?…
If you’ve seen them before then you will know that they are all about live rapturous Chicago style rhythm & blues. If you are new to the band, then allow me to explain….
The Stumble are a six piece band based in and around Preston in the North-West and what you get is a classic valve driven back line driven with shuffle and roll. Influences range from B.B. King, Freddy King, Muddy Waters, Maceo Parker, The Allman Brother’s Band,Booker T, King Curtis etc…
Their debut album ‘The World is Tough’ came out in 2006 and received rave reviews throughout the UK blues communities and further afield.
They have been doing a serious schedule of UK appearances since then, with sell out gigs at blues clubs, independent venues and some great festival appearances across the country and in Ireland.
The second album ‘The Houngan’ released Nov 2008 paints a more diverse musical canvas than the previous album. The album is designed to be as diverse, in terms of tones and tempos, as possible. We wanted the listener to understand our influences, yet hopefully appreciate that the sound and style of the numbers are our own. The tracks roll and rumble, but the colour which the soloists add to the melting pot really makes them rich.
If you don’t want to miss out on hearing this fantastic band yourself on 18th April, 7:45pm, then get your tickets for now from The Academy.
—————–
Tickets priced just £10 are limited, and selling fast…
For Tickets, call 07812 369702
www.dance-hall.info for venue info/directions
www.thestumble.com for band info/sound samples
The Jalapenos
The Academy,
Buckley CH7 2JA
Saturday 21st March
The Jalapeños are a blend classic 50’s and 60’s rock‘n’roll and R&B with carefully selected latter-day material and self penned rockin’ tracks.
A Jalapeños show is a spiritual experience for anyone who likes good music –mad, wild fun and above all some great music.
Check out the Jalapeños on their MySpace profile page.
Doors open 7:45pm
Tickets £7.50
The mighty Stumble have just confirmed a date at the lovely new venue The Academy in Buckley.
Sat 18th April.
Check out the website for details.
Latest Comments