bluesinthenorthwest.com

Here is the poster for the tour in this region soon.

Club 35, Carlisle

27 June 2009

John is a master harmonica player from Ireland who surrounds himself with a cracking band of consummate Blues professionals - Roger Inniss (Bass), Jools Grudgings (Keyboards), Wayne Procter (Drums) and David Day on Guitar.

You will remember Wayne from the Hoax, Jon Amor and Ian Parker, Jools plays with Bluesmove and Sherman Robertson, Roger has worked with musicians all over the four corners of the globe including the USA, Japan and Europe and David Day takes over the guitar slot from Jules Fothergill so he’ll have his work cut out meeting that standard..

Anyway John started out in the sixties with the famous Savoy Brown Blues band and has continued to win awards and play numerous gigs and festivals ever since. His gigs are ussually characterised by selling out and the audience dancing - so lets hope it continues in Carlisle!

Listen to the website, feel the quality and come down to see them oh and bring your friends!:  www.johnolearyb.com

Tickets will be available later this week, £8 in advance £10 on the door from Club 35 or you can send a cheque to Chris Denton, 20 Whiteclosegate, Carlisle CA3 0JD.

Future gigs are…

July 11th - Chantel McGregor - listen to her Hendrix covers.. phew

September 19th - Innes Sibun - remember the Taildragger album - this is him live….He hasnt toured up here for some time and this’ll blow the post summer holiday blues away.

October 10th - Geoff Achison (with Sam Kelly, Paul Jopson and Spy!!) - Geoff is an australian who is equally adept on acoustic or electric. He is here for a short tour so its great to get him. Its big blues festival quality at a local venue.

Hi energy blues rockers tantrum roar into Carlisle Club 35 on Saturday May 16th.

Tantrum are one of the most exciting young bands to have exploded onto the British blues scene in years. With an average age of just 20 they play with an energy, ability and maturity that creates a cracking live set which sets them apart from their musical contemporaries.

Jamie - guitar, Luke - drums and Torsten - bass have recently worked with rock bands Focus and Wishbone Ash and are soon playing with Blues legend John Mayall.  Tantrum have fused their influences to create what many consider to be the sound that will finally take the blues into the mainstream.

Two years ago they opened the first Carlisle Blues Fest appearing on television and played the Colne and Maryport festivals. They are currently working on their debut album which will follow their well received EP ‘Headcase’. Give them a listen on www.tantrumrockinblues.co.uk

The night starts at 8.00 with tickets priced at £7 in advance (from Club Thirty Five or ring me Chris on 077930 19958) and £9 on the door.

New look and renamed Funkydory groove into Carlisle on Saturday 25th April to play their first gig at Club Thirty Five.

Now called Northsyde they have continued to excite audiences with their cool blues-funk, supporting the classy and powerful vocals of Lorna Fothergill, following the release of their well received debut album in 2005.

Guitarist Jules, who also plays with well known John O’leary band, has a well established reputation as a classy soloist who continually delivers fresh energetic grooves painted on a broad rhythmic background.

Hayden Doyle on drums and Ian Mauricio on bass complete the new four piece Northsyde.

They are playing Club Thirty Five (formerly the Liberal Club) on Lowther Street with doors open 8.00. Tickets are £8 in advance from the Club or Chris Denton 077 930 19958 and £10 on the door.

Here’s what the press have said about them:

“Wow! What a brilliant evening with the fabulous funkydory! I reckon that they were probably the best band we have had this year” Digital Blues

“Lorna’s voice is extremely powerful. Her style of delivery is energetic. Both these attributes give a great presence to the band and ensure that the listener’s attention is on the band and nowhere else.” Hertfordshire Live Review

MITCH LADDIE TRIO
plus support
CLUB THIRTY FIVE
Lowther Street, Carlisle
Saturday March 28th
8.30 - onwards
Tickets: £5 in Advance from the club or email cjdentoncumbrian@aol.com, £7 on the door.

A Quote from interview with Walter Trout
“There’s a kid in England who’s name is Mitch Laddie who is sixteen and he plays with the authority, passion and feeling of a guy who has been at it for fifty years. He’s spectacular. I sing his praises every time I’m over there and I get him up to sit in with my band.

I actually had him come up to Holland with me last year and I featured him at The Paradiso in Amsterdam and he stopped the show, they would not let the kid off the stage. He’s just coming out now and I actually intervened on his behalf and got him a record deal with Provogue Records in Holland .He’s going to make his first album and I may produce it if I have the time.

Give him about another four years and he’s probably going to rule the world”.

Note; Mitch is now still only 18.

“He was excellent at Colne so come and see him while you can”- Chris Denton

Marcus Malone is on in the Liberal (Club Thirty Five) on Saturday 28th Feb.

Tickets are £8 in advance, £10 on the door. They are going fast!!

Send a cheque payable to C J Denton to

20 Whiteclosegate
Carlisle
Cumbria
CA3 0JD

The Stumble

Lakes Court Hotel, Carlisle

Sat 07 Feb 2009

SO WHO ARE THE STUMBLE ?…
If you’ve seen us before then you will know that we 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.Basically, if music has that screwed down ambient live feel expressed by some of these guys, then it’ll get on our turntable.

Our debut album ‘The World is Tough’ came out in 2006 via cdbaby and received rave reviews throughout the UK blues communities and further afield.We 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’ is brand new Nov 2008 and paints a more diverse musical canvas than the previous album. This was recorded and mixed at Restrike Studios in Manchester during July 08 predominantly live on to 2” tape to capture the warmth and ambience of the band’s live performance. ‘The Houngan’ is an attempt at a more polished studio album, but one in which the band’s live edge and the warmth and ambience of a valve back line was assured. 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 this album rich. You won’t have to turn up your bass booster on your stereo to get a thump out of some of these songs, just turn up the volume and it will be like the band are right there in the room with you.

Hard on the heels of a triumphant nationwide tour, one of the country’s hottest blues performers is back on stage with an exciting new project - and he’s brought some of the UK’s finest players with him.

Alan Nimmo’s newly unleashed band King King are already creating a stir on the circuit and beyond, receiving rave reviews as they bring their electrifying brand of smoking hot blues to sell-out shows.

Perhaps best known for his work with the Nimmo Brothers (winners of a coveted British Blues Connection award for Best Blues/Rock Band) Alan’s impassioned vocals and dazzling guitar work are celebrated across Europe. Now they have a new chance to shine, performing straight ahead, kickass blues backed by some of the most accomplished players on the scene today.

Joining Alan in this blistering new project are:

Lindsay Coulson – A powerhouse of punchy, fat bass who has performed throughout Europe, Lindsay’s influences include Calvin Jones, Willie Dixon and Keith Ferguson. A cohesive player with almost 20 years under his belt, Lindsay’s warm, solid style has formerly seen him take to the stage with highly acclaimed blues acts including Ainsley Lister, as well as being a regular in the Nimmo Brothers line up.

Dale Storr - piano & Hammond organ: Inspired to play by early rock’n’roll greats, Dale took to the piano at the age of six - and he hasn’t looked back since. Now in demand across the country for his passion and skill for New Orleans-style playing, he has appeared alongside names including US R&B giant Eugene ’Hideaway’ Bridges, 60s icon Dave Berry and soul star Earl Thomas.

Dave Raeburn – drums: Dave was an original member of celebrated British blues act The Hoax, and played on their eminent debut album ’Sounds Like This’, which earned a 4 star review in Q magazine. His powerful, animated style takes influences from John Bonham, Billy Cobham and Buddy Rich, and has since seen him playing alongside the likes of Larry Miller whilst remaining a familiar face to fans of the Nimmo Brothers.

With this kind of pedigree, King King could only take their inspiration from the best in the business, ranging from legendary greats such as BB King, Albert Collins and Freddie King to the shining lights of contemporary blues like the Red Devils and Joe Bonamassa.

King King’s cracking line up and fresh new angle on the full-blooded blues sound is already in demand across the UK and beyond, and with a scorching new E.P. on release entitled Broken Heal they are ready to take the scene by storm.

Catch them while you can. Tickets are £8 in advance £10 on the door.

Tickets for the King King Gig on Saturday January 31st are available from Club Thirty Five or by sending a cheque payable to

Mr C J Denton

to
20 Whiteclosegate
Carlisle
CA3 0JD

Please ensure your address is clear or preferably enclose a SAE.

Othe upcoming gigs are..

February 28th - Marcus Malone
March 28th - Mitch Ladie Trio
April 25th - Funkdory (Provisional)
June 27th - John O’Leary

Ticket prices will be confirmed 3/4 weeks before the event.

Club Thirty Five has been recently refurbished, it has real ale and is a well priced central location in the city. It is supporting live music so let’s all support them.  Membership of the club is not required to attend the gigs, but you could join.

In case you have not seen the Stumble recently then here’s a treat of the band playing live last year.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AKbhHIH-C0Y

The band have some gigs in the region in 2009.

07-Feb      -   Lakes Court Hotel, Carlisle
11-Feb     -    Bluefunk, Poynton
20-Feb     -    Haigh House, Liverpool
07-Mar     -    Boogaloo Weekend - Alvaston Hall, Nantwich
17-Apr     -    Tower Blues at Grand Theatre Studio, Blackpool

http://www.thestumble.com/

A truly excellent set of Carlisle Blues Festival 2008 pictures are available on Paul Webster’s Flickr site.

Enjoy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigoax-blues/

Two high class Blues events are scheduled for the early 2009 in the Liberal Club, Lowther Street, Carlisle.

31st January - King King featuring Alan Nimmo £8 in advance £10 on the door

28th February - Marcus Malone - £8 in advance £10 on the door

The venue is a new one for Blues Gigs right in the centre of the Border city and are run by local promoter Chris Denton. For tickets call 07793019958

This was the second Carlisle Blues Festival, following the spectacular success of the first festival twelve months ago. The venue was the Swallow Hilltop Hotel, which was fully booked for the event and substantially supplemented by a large number of non-resident punters.

The festival was opened on Friday evening by the Sean Webster Band with a mix of rousing blues rock and angst-filled ballads. Sean led the charge on vocals and guitar, ably backed by the ubiquitous Dave Raeburn on drums and Tom Latham on bass guitar. The trio took no prisoners and ended their powerful set with an excellent vocal rendition of “I’d Rather Go Blind” and the slow blues, “Have You Ever Loved A Woman?”.

The Kyla Brox Band provided a complete contrast with a sophisticated, jazz-tinged set, which included “She Knows”, the title track of their latest album, featuring a superb sax solo by Tony Marshall. “Too Long” delivered an excellent guitar solo from Marshall Gill, while the pace was increased with “Guilty” and “What’s Left On The Table”, which afforded all the band members the opportunity to strut their stuff, not least Danny Blomeley on bass guitar and Phil Considine on drums. The set underlined Kyla Brox’s impressive vocal quality and her considerable songwriting skills.

Nine Below Zero presented another aspect of the blues spectrum with a storming set of rock and roll right from their opening number, Canned Heat’s “On The Road Again”, with some excellent harp playing from Mark Feltham. They dragged a couple of well-received selections from their 30-year old album, Live At The Marquee before a fine version of the Four Tops’ favourite “I Can’t Help Myself”. Dennis Greaves was in fine form on guitar and Mark Feltham took the vocals on “Bring It On Home”, the band’s new DVD. A rocking set was completed with a bouncing delivery of Woolly Bully”.

It is never easy for a headlining act to provide the icing on the cake of a lengthy programme but Rab McCulloch and his band pulled it off with ease with the festival’s first real helping of blues. His rasping vocals were brilliantly complemented by his superb guitar playing, not least on the slow blues, “Too Many Dirty Dishes”. The upbeat rocking blues, “Louisiana Bayou”, was contrasted with the slow shuffle, “Travelling Blues” and a fabulous performance of a vibrant boogie. The man from Ulster completed a marvellous set with “Voodoo Chile” and a tasty helping of jump jive. Credit must also be given to Rab’s splendid band, which comprised Rab Braniff on harp, Seamus O’Neil on drums and Sumi Kal on bass guitar. All in all, it was a great start to the weekend.

The Saturday afternoon session began with a terrific set from Californian Guy Tortora, backed by three excellent musicians: Janos Bajtala on keys, Brendan Canty on bass guitar and Adam Roman on drums. Their nicely varied programme included “Living On Credit” (the title track of Guy’s most recent album), a lively jug band number and “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”, which featured a marvellous piano solo. There was a heartfelt tribute to the exploited plantation and mill workers in the form of “When Cotton Was King” and a fine version of Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready”. The set was concluded with the Eric Bibb/Dave Bronze composition, “Too Much Stuff”.

Yet more variety was provided by Two Timers - singer/percussionist Sarah James and guitarist Gordon Russell. Their combination is an archetypical blend of opposites with the seated Gordon playing the undemonstrative foil to the flamboyant Sarah, who switched effortlessly between drums, tambourine and harmonica. The talented duo delivered a range of musical styles covering down home blues, pacey rockers, “The Devil And The Deep Blue” (a poignant lament) and, to end the set, “Good Glasses” with its driving rockabilly beat.

Headlining the afternoon proceedings were Nicky Moore and The Blues Corporation, comprising Timmy Moore on guitar, Daniel J Kyle on acoustic guitar, Ed Collins on drums and Peter Shaw on bass guitar. They performed a mix of well-loved favourites (“Resting In he Blues”, “Statesboro Blues” and “Sea Of Blues”) with some newer compositions. The latter selection included “Northern Girl”, a love song for his wife, who hails from Workington, “Hog On The Log”, the title track of the band’s latest album, and “Picture” – another love song! Does this mean that Nicky is becoming sentimental as his dotage approaches? The answer, perhaps, is in the title of his closing number – “Hear Me Howling”. Back to normal then.

When Jon Amor was introduced as the opening act for Saturday evening, it was reported that he and his band had just returned from a three-week tour of Canada – an announcement that evoked an “ooh” from the well-impressed crowd. Jon was backed by an excellent young band that combined brothers Dave and Chris Docherty on guitar and bass guitar respectively and drummer Si Small. They began with a heavy rocking instrumental contrasted with a couple of slow and moody numbers. “Can’t Keep Living Like This”, from John’s debut album, made way for a boogie, which afforded Dave Docherty the opportunity to deliver a tasty solo. The heavy rocker, “If I Were You”, provided a sample of Jon’s Unknown Soldier album, while “Feeding Time” moistened many an eye as it elicited very fond memories of The Hoax. A brilliant set was concluded with “24 Hours” and “Changed”, both embellished with trademark solos from the maestro.

Next up were local heroes, the Olly Alcock Band. Olly is not a native Cumbrian, being originally from Yorkshire, but he is held in great esteem and affection in his adopted region. The band set their stall out with “He Always Wants Something For Nothing” as a bouncing opener and went on to deliver an enjoyable mix of shuffles and upbeat funky blues. They also performed an excellent version of Paul Butterfield’s slow blues, “Driftin’ Blues”. Backed by bass player Eddie Chicken and newly recruited drummer Harry Harrison, Olly and Roz Sluman alternated to great effect with guitar and sax solos respectively. The set was also enhanced by Olly’s laid-back patter between numbers.

Ian Siegal returned to the stage on Sunday afternoon, this time in solo, acoustic format. To no-one’s surprise, he delivered a magical set, opening with “The Silver Spurs”, followed by a Delta blues number and a terrific version of “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”. The wonderfully varied mix also included songs by Kris Kristofferson, Steve Earle and Tom Waits. But the number that raised the roof more than any other was a dramatic saga of a Mexican fighting cock. Ian Siegal is a captivating performer, who possesses one of the very best blues voices of the present era – deep, rich and with a gritty edge, it is as near as you can get to the legendary Howlin’ Wolf.

The honour of topping the bill on Saturday evening was granted to Louisiana-born and Texas-raised bluesman Sherman Robertson, who was magnificently supported by Jules Grudgings on keys, Gary Rackham on bass guitar and Jamie Little on drums. He began with a hard-driving rocker before delivering a superb rendition of “Tin Pan Alley”. A funky ballad led to “Dust My Broom”, another high-paced rocker and the driving, funky-edged “She Rocks My World”, which featured some lovely slap bass and tremendous solos from Sherman and Jules Grudgings. The rest of the vibrant set mingled rocking and slow blues, incorporated a couple of walkabouts and ended with a rip-roaring boogie. It was a fabulous show that admirably showcased Sherman Robertson’s excellent vocals and dazzling, seemingly effortless guitar playing. An indication of the crowd’s wish to delay the end of the set (and of the day) was the call for no less than three encores.

Aynsley Lister provided another change of mood with a predominantly fast-paced set of home-spun blues rock. The slow blues, “Always Tomorrow” was balanced by “Upside Down”, a heavy-driving rocker with pounding drums and bass, and “Balls Of Steel”. “Running Out On Me” was a medium-paced shuffle with a tasty guitar solo while the excellent ballad, “Rain” was embellished with top class vocal harmonies from drummer Richard Spooner and bass guitarist Midus (pronounced Midoosh), who formed yet another brilliant rhythm section. It was a polished, well-delivered performance that was warmly received by the appreciative audience.

What a weekend! From start to finish the quality of the music never wavered and the organization was unfailingly slick. Nick Westgarth and his tireless team of helpers deserve enormous credit. Thanks and congratulations are also due to MC, Mark Singleton, who fronted the festival with commendable warmth and good humour. Surely the incredible standard cannot be continued for another year – but isn’t that what we said last year? Over to you, Nick.

Lionel Ross

[Note from Editor: The excellent pictures were provided by Paul Webster - thanks Paul.  He will be publishing his full set to his Flickr account as soon as he has a couple of hours free.]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigoax-blues/

CARLISLE BLUES FEST DEFIES CREDIT CRUNCH!

With less than three weeks to go until Carlisle’s biggest ever Blues celebration at the Swallow Hilltop, the hotel has sold out of rooms. But there are still tickets available for the weekend and a limited number of day tickets have just been released.

The event takes place over the weekend of 21st, 22nd and 23rd November and features more than 20 hours of top quality music from over 50 great musicians. It’s attracting visitors from all over the UK and such is the success of the event, organisers are now booking visitors who require accommodation in to the Lakes Court Hotel in the city centre.

Jim Murray, the General Manager of the Swallow Hilltop says “the response from the first advertisement was amazing and we have now sold all rooms for the Friday and Saturday, and are offering a very special deal, for anyone wanting to add the Sunday night onto their stay.  We are constantly getting phone calls and people visiting the hotel to buy tickets and it’s great to be involved in something local and so successful, especially during the current economic climate.  We are looking forward to hosting the Blues Festival this year, and with the response there has been, it will hopefully continue next year.”

Music promoter and organiser Nick Westgarth says “it’s my mission to convince anyone who enjoys any form of music that they will enjoy the excitement and quality of a live blues gig. People often say to me that they didn’t realise it was blues!”

Headlined by the world renowned Sherman Robertson on Saturday 22nd November - a Texan tornado with energy, great guitar chops and a wonderful soulful voice. Other headliners include one of Britain’s most respected R&B bands Nine Below Zero (Friday 21st) and Sunday (23rd) night sees Matt Schofield take top billing.

There are a lot of other acts performing during the weekend including Ian Siegal, Aynsley Lister, the Olly Alcock Band featuring Roz Sluman, Rab McCullough, Jon Amor, Nicky Moore’s Blues Corporation, Kyla Brox, The Two Timers, Guy Tortora and Sean Webster.

TICKET INFORMATION
Price -     Full weekend tickets £75
Friday £25 only
Saturday £35 only for both sessions over the full day
Sunday £20 only
Weekend including 2 nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast £165 at the Lakes Court Hotel

Booking forms for tickets are available from:
www.carlislebluesfestival.com (download)
and from the following:
carlislebluesfest@btinternet.com  - on request
nick.westgarth@btinternet.com  - on request

Swallow Hilltop Hotel - T -  01228 529255

Further information:
www.carlislebluesfestival.com
Telephone contact:
Nick Westgarth (organiser): T - 01228 409795   M - 07725 801582

CARLISLE BLUES FESTIVAL 2008

21-22-23 NOVEMBER 2008

(download the flyer here)

A limited amount of tickets are still available for what will be Carlisle’s biggest ever Blues celebration bringing together a collection of over 50 of the finest musicians in their class.

Headlined by the world renowned Sherman Robertson on Saturday 22 November - a Texan tornado with energy, great guitar chops and a wonderful soulful voice. Since “breaking” over here circa 1993, Sherman Robertson has been heralded as the latest guitarist on the block - being featured in the History of The Fender Stratocaster book and film - as an up and coming star on the World Music scene, in his role as Paul Simon’s guitarist, and seen as the new Robert Cray, courtesy of a brace of albums recorded in the UK with Mike Vernon.

Other headliners include one of Britain’s most respected R&B bands Nine Below Zero (Friday 21). “NBZ are brilliant live, they work so hard, the audience often go home as exhausted as the band” so says Andrew Zweck of top promoters Harvey Goldsmith Ents. “They have carved out a very credible niche, a place they will be for a very long time to come, because, who else is this good…this often?”

Sunday (23) night sees Matt Schofield take top billing. - Guitar and Bass magazine named Matt Schofield in their TOP 10 BRITISH BLUES GUITARISTS OF ALL TIME. They said “…some of the most intense, smoking solos since Howlin’ Wolf’s Hubert Sumlin first walked into Chess studios…add a switchblade-sharp approach to playing slow blues that very few achieve, and you realise why the guy’s just so damn hot.”

And Ian Siegal, performing with his band on Saturday and solo on Sunday. It has been said that had Siegal been around in the sixties he would today be accorded the same reverence as artists such as Van Morrison, Joe Cocker and Eric Clapton.

Other acts performing during the weekend include Aynsley Lister, Olly Alcock Band featuring Roz Sluman, Rab McCullough, Jon Amor, Nicky Moore’s Blues Corporation, Kyla Brox, The Two Timers, Guy Tortora and Sean Webster.

After the resounding success of the inaugural event last year, the festival has now moved to a bigger venue, The Swallow Hilltop Hotel, just one mile from the city centre. The new venue will enable an increase in numbers whilst retaining the intimacy, which played a large part in making the event so special last year.

TICKET INFORMATION

Price - Full weekend tickets £75
Friday - £25 (limited number available)

Single day tickets will be available on the door *
* (PLEASE NOTE - single day tickets will be available ONLY if the full allocation of weekend tickets is not sold in advance)

Booking forms for tickets are available from:
www.carlislebluesfestival.com (download)
and from the following:
carlislebluesfest@btinternet.com - on request
nick.westgarth@btinternet.com - on request
Hilltop Hotel - tel. 01228 529255

Further information:
www.carlislebluesfestival.com
Telephone contact:
Nick Westgarth (organiser): T - 01228 409795   M - 07725 801582

Carlisle Blues Festival - 21 to 23 Nov

http://www.carlislebluesfestival.com/

Fri 21 Nov 2008 - Sean Webster, Kyla Brox, Rab McCullough, Nine Below Zero
Sat 22 Nov 2008 - Guy Tortora, Two Timers, Nicky Moore’s Blues Corperation, Jon Amour, Olly Alcock Band, Ian Siegal, Sherman Robertson
Sun 23 Nov - Ian Siegal (Solo), Aynsley Lister, Matt Schofield

Swallow Hilltop Hotel - Carlisle

Tickets

Full weekend incl accomodation - £165 (incl Dinner (Fri & Sat), bed & breakfast)
Full Weekend Pass                        - £75
Friday                                                 - £25 (limited number)
Saturday                                            - £35 (limited number)
Friday                                                 - £20 (limited number)