Nope! Not together! Just a selection of the artists in the region tonight.
Angela Brown and the Mighty 45s at The Met, Bury
Wilko Johnson at Pacific Road, Birkenhead
Also playing tonight but not featured
Little Toby Walker - Grand, Blackpool
Tag Archive for 'merseyside'
You have two chances to see Little Toby Walker in the region on his upcoming tour.
Thu 04 Sept - Liverpool Marina (formerly known as the Harbourside Club)
Fri 26 Sept - Goin’ up the Country Club at Worthenbury Village Hall
I will be at at least one of these gigs, work permitting of course. You should be at at least one or maybe both gigs. I have not seen Toby myself yet but I have heard that he is very good indeed.
You can hear cuts from his new CD http://cdbaby.com/cd/tobywalker7
There is a great YouTube featuring stills and a killer audio of “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_NNOGtmEFU
See you there.
INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL OF GREAT BRITAIN PRESENTS…
WILKO JOHNSON + SUPPORT
05 SEPTEMBER 2008
To say Wilko Johnson (Dr. Feelgood/The Blockheads) has the energy of a man half his age would be unfair, as most couldn’t get near his level of manic unstoppabilty!
Johnson’s career began in the 1970s as a staple of the ‘pub rock’ movement as guitarist and founding member of Dr Feelgood. He soon developed his own choppy, percussive guitar style, inspired by Johnny Kidd & the Pirates. The use of his fingers instead of using a pick allows him to play rhythm and lead at the same time, and allows him the freedom of being able to move around on stage in his jerky, almost unhinged style.
After leaving Dr Feelgood, Wilko went on to form the Solid Senders and play with Ian Dury’s Blockheads before forming his own trio - The Wilko Johnson Band - with Blockheads bassist Norman Watt-Roy and drummer Steve Monti (Curve/The Jesus and Mary Chain). Wilko remains one of the most exciting and individual guitarists on the circuit, catch his electrifying show at Pacific Road Arts Centre this September.
WILKO JOHNSON appears at Pacific Road Arts Centre on FRIDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER at 8pm. For tickets contact Box Office 0151 647 0752. Book on-line at www.pacificroad.co.uk
New York City based bluesman Jake Walker will be in the bluesinthenorthwest.com region this autumn. At the moment Jake has three gigs confirmed for our area, I’ll keep you updated when more are added.
Oct 31 2008 - Barrow R&B Club @ The King’s Arms, Barrow in Furness
Nov 1 2008 - Bounty Inn Maryport, Cumbria
Nov 6 2008 - Harbourside Club Liverpool, England
Jake has a studio CD available “Confidence Man”, keep an eye on bluesinthenorthwest.com for a forthcoming review. You can read about, listen to and see videos of Jake at his MySpace site.
http://www.myspace.com/58lespaul
If you cannot wait to grab a copy of the CD at the gigs then email Jake at bluesisallright@earthlink.net.
Little Toby Walker + Tom Doughty
at the Liverpool Marina
Thursday 4th September 2008 (doors open at 7.15pm, show starts at 8pm)
Such is his popularity, this will be Little Toby Walker’s third appearance at Liverpool Marina. Toby was born in New York and now lives in Long Island. A winner of the prestigious Memphis International Blues Challenge Award, he has a widely acclaimed reputation as an exceptionally gifted, finger-picking blues guitarist and singer. Like all great acoustic blues artistes, he is also a skilled storyteller, painting vivid pictures of his travels to the blues heartlands in the USA where he learned his trade at the feet of many old time blues musicians.
Supporting Toby will be Tom Doughty, who was born and raised in Frodsham and is a wonderfully talented lap steel guitarist. He is a highly regarded acoustic musician, with Bob Brosman and Woody Mann among his many admirers. His music is mainly blues based, combining well-loved covers with a generous helping of his own excellent compositions.
This is guaranteed to be a terrific double bill, which will set an admirable standard for the autumn programme.
Liverpool Marina is situated at Coburg Wharf, Sefton Street, Liverpool L3 4BP.
Tickets for the concert (£10 each in advance and £11 on the door) are obtainable from John Welsh on 0151 428 2855 or by email: johnswlesh@hotmail.com.
Albie Donnelly’s Supercharge make a rare home town appearance in Liverpool at Fogherty’s on 21 August.
Fogherty’s is at 1, Blenheim Rd, Liverpool, L18 1EH.
As The Rocky Athas Band had already delivered two stunning shows at Liverpool Marina, it was no surprise that the venue was packed to hear Rocky revert to a previous incarnation with drummer/vocalist, Walter Watson. They had taken Texas by storm in the 1980s with their band, Lightning, and this tour of the UK was a celebration of their music from that era. The trio was completed by Rocky Athas Junior on bass guitar.
The individual and collective quality of the Rocky Athas Band is particularly high. It is very much to his credit, therefore, that Rocky Junior did his father proud by forming a superbly tight foundation with Walter Watson to underpin Rocky Senior’s fabulous guitar work. A large part of the programme was taken from the relatively recent Lightning Strikes Twice album, most of which was written by Rocky Senior and Walter.
The show opened with the rocking shuffle, ‘River Flow’ and a couple of driving rockers – ‘Sanity’, which featured a blistering guitar solo, and ‘Ain’t It A Shame’. The slow blues, ‘I Will Love Again’ was embellished by another helping of virtuosity from Rocky Senior and the high-energy set reached a climax with ‘Shake your Money Maker’ and the fast-moving shuffle, ‘Stop, Drop And Roll’.
The second set was somewhat more varied in tempo than the first. It began with ‘Up To The Sky’, the lively opening number of the Lightning Strikes Twice album, before delivering an excellent version of ‘Little Wing’. The heavy rocking ‘Lightning Strikes Again’ led into Freddy King’s ‘Going Down’ and, if he was looking from above, the blessed Freddy would undoubtedly have been smiling broadly and nodding in approval. ‘Home Again’, co-written by Rocky senior and Larry Sandford, was unadulterated blues rock and was followed by Hendrix’s ‘Stone Free’, which featured a marvellous wah-wah-drenched guitar solo. The show ended with a taste of Dylan and a ‘Money Maker’ reprise as an encore.
The Lightning songbook is substantially more rock-oriented than that of the Rocky Athas Band. It is not for the faint-hearted and very possibly not entirely in keeping with the preferences of true blues enthusiasts. The emanation of the vocals from the back row of the ensemble rather than the more traditional front might also require adjustment. Nevertheless, the trio provided an evening of vibrant entertainment that was very enthusiastically received. Furthermore, the performance reinforced the fact that Rocky Athas is a fabulous guitarist, who can hold his own with the best.
Lionel Ross
The Thirteenth Annual Rory Gallagher Tribute Concert
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 27th 2008 from 8pm to 2am
at The Cavern Club, Liverpool
Tickets £15 from www.ticketmaster.com or from The Cavern Pub Tel: 0151 236 4041
I went to see Johnny Dickinson at the Rodewald Suite at the Phil last year and it really is a great venue. Good sound, good views and good atmosphere. So it was great to see these intimate shows continuing, please read the press release to see that there is some blues in there as well …..
After Eight, the Phil’s very popular series of jazz, roots and unplugged gigs in the intimate setting of the Rodewald Suite, is back with a new season…
£10 tickets for all the events became available on our box office this week, so book early to avoid disappointment. Click any event below for more information.
General Sale: NOW
Preston Reed
Friday, 26 September 2008, 8.00pm
Reed has single handedly reinvented acoustic guitar playing. First-time listeners find it impossible to believe that they’re hearing just the one musician, in real time.
Stefan Grossman
Friday, 3 October 2008, 8.00pm
A student of the legendary Rev. Gary Davis, Grossman studied with other country blues guitarists including Mississippi John Hurt, Son House, Skip James and Fred McDowell. Live performances like this are rare.
Joe Stilgoe
Saturday, 4 October 2008, 8.00pm
Young and highly original, Stilgoe’s style, although unique, is reminiscent of the great pianist and singers like Buddy Greco, Nat King Cole and Harry Connick Jr
Neil Cowley Trio
Friday, 10 October 2008, 8.00pm
Winner of the Best Album at the 2007 BBC Jazz Awards, Cowley’s small but potent jazz trio play jazz with attitude and without a cliché or grey beard in sight!
Trio Valore
Tuesday, 14 October 2008, 8.00pm
Trio Valore is the new super hip and ultra cool jazz dance project from Steve White, Damon Michella and Seamus Beaghen.
An Evening with Billie Holiday
Thursday 30 & Friday 31 October 2008, 8.00pm
This one woman show set in a small jazz club takes the audience on an intimate and personal journey, through Billie’s life.
Erik Mongrain
Friday, 14 November 2008, 8.00pm
With the guitar on his lap, he tapped the chords as if it were a piano. The effect was spectacular and he has become a sensation.
Jon Thorne’s Oedipus Complex
Friday, 21 November 2008, 8.00pm
The trio featuring Thorne on Double Bass, Luke Flowers on Drums and Steve Brown on guitar play a unique brand of gentle, moody jazziness.
Eduardo Niebla
Friday, 5 December 2008, 8.00pm
Niebla the dazzling Spanish guitar player and composer and Carl Herring with accompaniment.
John O’Connell Trio
Friday, 12 December 2008, 8.00pm
O’Connell’s musical influences are rooted in acoustic, folk and classical guitar.
The Rodewald Suite, a delightfully intimate space, has its own entrance in Sugnall Street. Its cabaret seating, in-house bar, rooftop terrace, and the opportunity to meet the artists afterwards make it an ideal venue for a great night out with friends.
To purchase tickets, please call the box office on 0151 709 3789 or order online at www.liverpoolphil.com. Remember you can sign up to the Phil’s priority booking scheme to make sure you never miss out on sold out shows.
THE ROBERT CRAY BAND
The Empire Theatre, Liverpool: 13/07/08
Billed as a ‘fringe’ event for this year’s Summer Pops, unbelievably, after some thirty years on the road, this was the first ever Liverpool gig for guitarist Robert Cray, and his band - which attracted a healthy Sunday night crowd to the grand surroundings of the Empire Theatre.
Since hitting a sales peak with his soul-laden blues in the mid-to-late eighties, Cray and his blazing Fender Stratocaster have toured relentlessly and issued a string of fine albums, without reaching the heights of the likes of “Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark” and “Strong Persuader” - the 1986 release which really established him.
Robert Cray is simply one of the finest guitarists around today, and the man from Columbus, Georgia is blessed with a truly great soulful voice, that coupled with his fine band, makes for a memorable evening’s entertainment. His band - now consisting of Jim Pugh (keyboards), Karl Sevareid (bass) and Kevin Hayes (drums) are all top players - and embellish Cray’s stunning guitar work.
He and the band were down to business on a cracking “Phone Booth”, a tune that the late, great bluesman Albert King saw fit to cover; and then one of the standout cuts from the last studio album, “Twenty” - the sorrowful “Poor Johnny”. We were taken right back to 1983 for the title cut from the “Bad Influence” album - another quite beautiful vocal performance and of course, lashings of his trademark guitar.
The aforementioned “Strong Persuader” record was the one that became a huge-seller and we were treated to two of its best songs - “Right Next Door (Because Of Me)” and the favourite, “Smoking Gun” - a hit single which cross him over from a pure blues crowd to a more general audience.
The title track of “Twenty” was stunningly delivered and was one of the sets highlights - an Iraqi war song that hits home. The “Time Will Tell” album was dipped into for the menacing “Back Door Slam” with Cray’s fluid Stratocaster licks just tailor-made for the theatre’s acoustics.
A string of richly-merited encores rounded off a most enjoyable evening - the blues classic “Sitting On Top Of The World” being the only cover of the evening - mind you, when your own material is so strong, who needs other peoples’ tunes!
Apart from the stellar rhythm section, long-time keyboard man, Jim Pugh, was on sparkling form - whether on Hammond organ or piano - especially prominent on several songs when the band stretch out, often into a funky groove, and he is the perfect foil for Cray’s sometimes lengthy guitar solos.
Opening up the show was a new name to me, London-based acoustic guitarist Marcus Bonfanti, whose folky blues half-hour set was warmly received, and led to healthy cd sales for him afterwards - a name to look out for. He has a nice gravelly voice and fingerpicking guitar style, very impressive indeed!
GRAHAME RHODES
THE MICK FLEETWOOD BLUES BAND
FEATURING RICK VITO
Tuesday 28 October, 7.30pm
£25, £30
The iconic co-founder of Fleetwood Mac celebrates his blues heritage with his new band, The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band. Performing classic original songs like Oh Well, Rattlesnake Shake, Albatross, Black Magic Woman and many more Rick Vito, Lenny Castellanos and Mark Johnstone join Mick Fleetwood for what promises to be a musical experience that combines 40 years of excellence in blues and rock.
To purchase tickets, please call the box office on 0151 709 3789 or order online at www.liverpoolphil.com.
Tickets on sale 7 July
Blues on the Rock at Fort Perch Rock
featuring Blue C
13 July 1pm to 4pm
Merseyside bues duo Blue C are hosting a series of 2nd-Sunday-in-the-month blues sessions at an unusual but superb venue - Fort Perch Rock at New Brighton.
Raphael Callaghan, singer, slide guitarist and harmonica player of Blue C, got the idea from attending the long-running and hugely successful Merseybeat Story events at the historic fort, when veteran members of Merseybeat groups of the 60s would perform in the intimate setting of the venue’s tiny basement room.
Callaghan, whose harmonica work has graced sessions by Alexis Korner, Eric Bibb and Bonnie Raitt, said: “We hardly ever play in Liverpool these days and it is hard to find a suitable venue for our kind of music”.
“But the basement room at Fort Perch Rock just oozes with atmosphere even before a note is played. What with Tony Davis’s jazz sessions there as well, I hope the fort will become the place to be for quality roots music on Merseyside.”
Blue C’s special guest at the first Sunday bues afternoon on July 13th is Al Willard Peterson, whose pedigree goes back to the Cavern days and stints with Almost Blues, Supercharge, 29th And Dearborn and his own long-running R & B band, The Lawnmower.
Music is from 1pm-4pm. There will also be a blues disco, a display of blues memorabilia and CDs to be won. The fort has a cafe and bottle bar, and admission is only £3.
Further Sunday blues afternoons with Blue C and guests are scheduled for August 10th and September 14th. Enquiries: 0151 709 5484.
Mon 07 Jul: Carling Academy Liverpool
Joe Bonamassa
£16adv
Doors 7pm
plus Special Guests
Guitar Legends Show
The Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
27 July 2008
Gary Murphy presents a night of the legends in Liverpool on 27 July 2008. The concept of the show is to show how the guitar has developed over the years, going from the early 1920s right through all the genres of guitar, including jazz, blues, country, country rock, pop up to the present day.
There will be 22 guitarists songs performed live using each of the signature songs of the legend. BBC Radio Merseyside’s Billy Butler will be narrating the lives and story of each guitarist.
www.myspace.com/garymurphyband
For a larger version of the poster, please click here.
Rocky Athas
at the Liverpool Marina
Thursday 17th July 2008 (doors at 8pm, show starts at 8.45pm)
Texan guitar-slinger Rocky Athas returns for his third visit to the Liverpool Marina. On this occasion, his masterful guitar playing will be complemented by his original band, Lightning, which in the late ’70s and early ’80s was one of the biggest draws in Texas nightclub history. Their music encompasses a broad range of blues music, including powerful blues rock.
Rocky grew up playing guitar with his pal Stevie Ray Vaughan. By the age of 23, he was honoured as one of the ten best guitarists in Texas by Buddy Magazine’s Texas Tornadoes. SRV received his induction two years later. They hold this honour with such noted guitarists as ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Johnny Winter and Jimmie Vaughan. In recent years, Rocky has recorded a number of highly acclaimed albums on the British-based Armadillo Music label, the latest being Lightning Strikes Twice with Lightning.
Liverpool Marina is situated at Coburg Wharf, Sefton Street, Liverpool L3 4BP.
Tickets for the concert (£10 each in advance and £11 on the door) are obtainable from John Welsh on 0151 428 2855 or by email: johnswlesh@hotmail.com.
Matt Taylor has two shows in the bluesinthenorthwest.com region as an acoustic duo with Jonny Dyke. Both dates are in The Living Room bars of the cities.
Tues 8th July - The Living Room, Manchester
Weds 9th July - The Living Room, Liverpool
For a full size poster click here.
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