The Brook, 466 Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton SO17 3SD
Box Office Hours - 1.00pm - 7.00pm Mon - Sat (023) 8055 5366
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Fine tribute to Brian Wilson and the gang

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Passionate, soulful, blues

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Connie Lush is now widely recognised as one of the finest blues and soul singers that the UK has ever produced. Voted Best UK Female Vocalist by the readers of Blues In Britain for five separate years, she and her band Bluesshouter have become a huge draw on the live music circuit and particular favourites at The Brook. Liverpudlian Connie is a born performer, beginning her singing career in church choirs at the age of five. Her musical influences in her formative years are wide-ranging from Ray Charles to John Lee Hooker and Maria Callas. Blessed with a voice which can go from a soulful whisper to booming blues-hollering in a flash, Connie also has a humorous, winning way with crowds, as Brook regulars will testify. Connie is also a highly accomplished songwriter, and a successful composer of television theme music. Her love of jazz has seen her featured as a DJ on Jazz FM radio, but it is as a singer that Connie is best known. She began singing with Blues Shouter in 1993, joining her husband, Terry Harris, who plays bass in the band, and guitarist John Lewis; current drummer, Carl Woodward, joined the band in 1997. Building on early success in their native Liverpool, Connie and the band soon spread their wings further afield across Europe. A particular highlight of their career was when Connie and Bluesshouter supported BB King on a tour of the UK in 1998, which culminated in a stunning performance at the Royal Albert Hall. There can be no greater compliment to a blues singer than hearing BB King himself say: "That woman makes my heart sing." The USA has also fallen under Connie's spell. In Memphis, she recorded with The Memphis Horns and The Hodges Brothers (Al Green's backing group) and gigged at BB King's Club and elsewhere on Beale Street. She has also performed in Greenwich Village, New York City, appeared on television in Hollywood, and was recorded live on Hollywood Boulevard. She was even offered a contract to sing in Memphis, which she rejected in favour of singing for her fans back home and on the continent.
On top of all the touring and live appearances, Connie and the band have also found time to record four albums: "Connie Lush," "Blues Shouter'," "Live At The Royal Albert Hall" and "Unfaithfully Yours." Connie is now writing songs for a new album and plans to record an album of jazz classics in the not too distant future. Preview by Peter Ashton

You can tell by the way they use their walk they are the disco kings

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The Voice of Dr Hook is back at the Brook - this time with a full band line up!

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DENNIS LOCORRIERE  has a voice which is recognised the world over but his own story is now so much more than Dr Hook.

His contemporary achievements now feature a brand new CD entitled POST COOL released in the UK on PROPER RECORDS to add to the release of two critically acclaimed solo albums, two Live Concert DVD recordings and a three disc box set all augmented by major appearances at both Glastonbury & Cropredy Festivals and several major international tours in his own right

Dr Hook really was only the early part of Dennis Locorriere’s story. He appeared in a major movie with Dustin Hoffman. He starred at New York City’s Lincoln Centre in a universally acclaimed one man play  "The Devil And Billy Markham" written by Shel Silverstein especially for him.  He has written songs that have been recorded by a wide variety of other artists including Bob Dylan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Southside Johnny, Crystal Gayle, BJ Thomas, Olivia Newton-John and Helen Reddy.
Dennis starred as part of the all star line up for the Dear Mr Fantasy Concert at The Roundhouse in London in 2007 alongside Steve Winwood, Paul Weller, Pete Townshend, Yusuf Islam, Joe Walsh, Gary Moore, Bill Wyman, Jon Lord and a host of other stars celebrating the life and career of Traffic founding member Jim Capaldi and was also special guest with Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings for their UK tour in 2008 and at Joe Brown’s 50th anniversary concert at The Royal Albert Hall the same year.

Dennis returned to tour the UK this year with a wonderful band drawn from some of the best musicians here including Paul Beavis – Drums, Pete Brown - Guitar, Mandolin, Whistle & Vocal,  Richard Milner – Organ & Piano, Mike Nichols – Bass, Double Bass & Vocals and Amy Smith - Vocals & Piano.  They performed the best of his solo work and the catalogue of classic songs from his former band and the tour was so successful that an additional run was put in for September.

Catch them while you can

THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW...

• Dennis’ first band broke up on the way home from a Who concert in New Jersey because they figured they could never ever get to be that good.           

• Dennis  appeared naked on The Old Grey Whistle Test whilst a member of Dr Hook           

• Dr Hook's big selling ‘A Little Bit More’ album began life as the first Dennis Locorriere solo album but was released as a Hook project in an effort to raise  the band's status after their 1976 bankruptcy  -   it worked.

• Songs written by or performed by Dennis (solo or as a member of Dr Hook )  have now sold over 50 million copies.

• Dennis co-wrote a song ('A Couple More Years') that was sung by Bob Dylan in the movie 'Hearts Of Fire'.

• Dennis once ran home from gradeschool (age about eight) as fast as he could, thinking if he ran fast enough he would be a 'blur'

• Songs Dennis has written have been recorded by Willie Nelson, Crystal Gayle, Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings, Southside Johnny, Olivia Newton-John, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Helen Reddy & B.J.Thomas

• Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny both come from Asbury Park, which they always describe as rough and working class - Dennis’ family used to go there for their summer holidays.

• Dennis has sung back up vocals on John Hiatt, Kenny Rogers, Brenda Lee, Randy Travis and the Fabulous Thunderbirds’ albums

•  Dennis once sent a tape of himself, singing a 'doo-wop' acapella version of one of Elvis Costello's songs to Elvis and, as a result, was invited to sing that song ('lovable') with Elvis in concert in Nashville

• Dennis has sung on 3 Travis Tritt albums and with him, 'live' in concert, twice,  and has yet to meet him.

• Dennis read the talking book version of  Shel Silverstein's, 'Runny Rabbit'  classic

• Dennis performed a one man play, ‘The Devil and Billy Markham',  written by Shel Silverstein in 1989 at the prestigious Lincoln Center, NY - it consisted of a 56 page poem

• One of Dennis' lifelong ambitions is to be the voice of an animated character.

• Dennis is a huge Beatles’ fan and was told that he would have the opportunity to meet George Harrison at a friend's wedding...and, agonizing at the prospect,  he seriously considered not going for fear that he might be disappointed at meeting one of his true heroes. He went and he wasn't.

• The house and whole neighbourhood Dennis grew up in burned down in 1988

• Dennis's surname is Italian not French and means 'the courier' or 'messenger'

• Dennis doesn't drive a car and never has!

New York Reggae - responsible for "Dub Side Of The Moon"

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The Easy Star All-Stars—named the 13th best selling reggae act of 2003 by Billboard—are a collective family of some of the finest reggae musicians in the New York area. The band features a rotating cast drawn from a talented pool of players, meaning that every show has its own nuances and its own life. The masterminds behind the All-Stars are Easy Star musical director Michael Goldwasser (a.k.a. Michael G), his production partner Victor Axelrod (a.k.a. Ticklah), and his two Easy Star label partners Eric Smith and Lem Oppenheimer. These four were the team behind the album Dub Side of the Moon (2003), which was a complete reggae revisioning of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. That record has sold over 70,000 copies to date, making it one of the most successful reggae albums of the 21st century. It continues to sell, having just completed its 94th week on Billboard's Top Reggae Chart.

The Easy Star All-Stars began as a studio ensemble when Michael G and Ticklah were producing and recording the music for Easy Star Records' debut CD, Easy Star Volume One. With each successive recording, the two principal All-Stars worked with an ever widening group of musicians to help flesh out their visions. After the release of Dub Side of the Moon, there was intense demand to have the group tour, thanks to the record's instant success. Ticklah was already committed to touring with one of his other projects (the critically acclaimed Afrobeat revivalists Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra), so Michael G called on many of the musicians they had been working with to make up the touring version of the Easy Star All-Stars. For the first outings, this included saxophonist/flautist Jenny Hill, vocalist Kirsty Rock, drummer Ivan Katz, keyboardist Jeremy Mage, bassist/vocalist Ras Iray, and trombonist Buford O'Sullivan. Completing the group was dub engineer Dave Hahn (also the leader of up-and-coming reggae act Dub Is A Weapon). This line-up debuted in July 2003 and earned rave reviews during a three-week tour of the East Coast that Fall.

In 2004, the All-Stars—in any combination of members—were a resounding success. The band played at major festivals such as Northern California's Reggae On The River, Providence's New England Reggae Fest, and the U.K.'s Big Chill. They headlined their own shows in California (netting a cover story in the Metro Santa Cruz along the way), sold out shows in England, and played special one-off appearances in Miami, DC, Baltimore, Charlottesville (VA), and the Hamptons.

In 2005, The Beat Magazine said about the All-Stars performance at the Long Beach Ragga Muffins Festival: "Performed live, the music not only held up well but absolutely soared, thanks to the All-Stars' supremely skilled and tight lineup of singers and players. Hearing such familiar songs as "Breathe," "Money." "Us and Them" and "Brain Damage" played onstage inna true reggae style brought a kind of hypnotically giddy feeling. Subdued but clearly awestruck, the crowd hung on every note, every word.The Easy Star crew was a very tough act to follow.....

The brook becomes The Cavern for another night of early Beatles

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"...Cover bands are big business these days, but this quartet are clearly a cut above most with suits, mop-tops and jerking stage manoeuvres all in place as they blast out 'From Me To You', 'Roll Over Beethoven' and 'Please, Please Me' with note-perfect aplomb."

The Daily Telegraph.

There seems to be two different methods employed by tribute bands in copying their heroes. One is to immerse themselves totally in character, become the band. The other is to still do this, but do it with tongue very much in cheek. So how to interpret the greatest pop group of all time? The Silver Beatles go for option B, not taking themselves too seriously and this approach definitely works for them. They indulge in banter among themselves and with the crowd, making the most out of the fact that every Beatle is instantly recognisable. The first half of the gig is the young Beatles, suits and mop tops, covering all the early hits; 'Saw her standing there, Can't buy me love' among others before finishing on 'Twist and Shout'. Then it's a quick break and costume change where they miraculously transform into the older, hippie era Beatles; the period where they wrote some of their finest songs. Just point non-believers to songs like 'In my life' and 'Let it be' which show, more so than the early years, why the Beatles are still held in such esteem. Not that anyone here needed convincing. The 500 plus crowd, arms held aloft, nah-nah-nah-ing during the encore of 'Hey Jude'. Nope, no non-believers were present.

Review by Thomas Christie

Thunderous rock from loud Led Zeppelin replicants. The first set will consist of a range of zepppelin classics and buy popular demand the second half of this special show will see Whole Lotta Led performing the whole of Led Zeppelin IV in the same order as the original album.

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Keeping the spirit and songs of the legendary Zep alive with their unique energy and stage presence , Whole Lotta led play to over 40,000 enthusiastic fans every year.They don't try and reproduce what the Classic Led Zeppelin line up looked like because for these guys it's all about the music, And what music.

With recent 3 page review in the Sunday Express and live footage on the BBC 6 o'clock News this band go from strength to strength. Whether a fan of the original Led Zeppelin or new to the sound come and be astounded by the music of Led Zeppelin .

Given the thumbs-up by no less a guitar god than Jimmy Page himself , Whole Lotta led are THE Led Zeppelin tribute band

Hailing from England Whole Lotta Led are now considered by many to be one of the greatest tributes to Led Zeppelin around. Generally playing two and a half hour sets and over 100 concerts a year their enthusiasm on stage is unequalled, with a stage presence full of magnetism that all audiences feel and share.

They are all exceptional musicians in their own field and without realising it create much the same energy, flair and magic that still holds Led Zeppelin as one of thee largest and most influential bands the world has ever seen. New generations are getting involved in the Zeppelin experience, audiences at Whole Lotta Led gigs span four generations from six to sixty and for most it is the first opportunity of seeing Zeppelin's music performed live. It has been many years now since Zeppelin split up, tributes keep the music alive but when Whole Lotta Led recreate a Zeppelin concert they keep the music fresh. Uniquely for a tribute band they don't have the pretence of trying to look like former members of Zeppelin, their integrity and musicianship comes through in the passion for the music they play. Jimmy Page met them and gave his blessing to what they are achieving. The band also raises funds for The ABC Trust, a charity founded by Jimmy Page's wife to help under privileged children in Brazil. She keeps in touch with the band and informs Jimmy of there progress.

Awesome guitar - lively performer

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Larry Miller

As the youngest son of a highly artistic and musical family from Guildford, Larry picked up his first guitar at the age of 7. After studying violin at The County School of Music, Surrey for 7 years, he chose to concentrate solely on his guitar. Larry then spent some time with some seasoned pro's where he gained invaluable experience playing regularly all around the South of England, concentrating on Freddie King and Peter Green numbers. Before long he formed his own band, playing his own songs, his way. A plethora of nation-wide live work followed to great acclaim, including a 'barn storming' set at the Reading Festival. Playing alongside the likes of Thunder, Ian Gillan, Climax Blues Band, Peter Green and Walter Trout and meeting up with Eric Clapton, Gary Moore , Rory Gallagher and Alvin Lee along the way, Larry Miller is fast becoming the U.K.`s top new Blues Guitarist. Larry's hard working band features ace drummer Andy `machine gun` Aust and Mel Waters on bass guitar.

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`FANTASTIC, WORLD CLASS GUITARIST` Bluesrockers USA `HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE - A TOTAL VICTORY` Kerrang UK `NATURAL SUCCESSOR TO RORY GALLAGHER AND ALVIN LEE` International Encyclopaedia of Rock `HIS GUITAR PLAYING IS SIMPLY MESMERISING` Bluesmatters UK `THE BEST IN-YER-FACE ROCK BAND AROUND` The Guardian UK `A BLUES ROCK POWER HOUSE` The Guardian UK `THIS IS ENTERTAINMENT WITH A CAPITAL `E`` Blues in Britain UK

Get ya hair on and watch some classic 70's Funk

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Phat Funk is a rare combination of some of the finest musical talent to have emerged from the Southampton scene. This is a tribute act with a difference, the focus here is on an era of music rather than a band, who's primary function is to pack the dance floor with people grooving to those Disco classics of the seventies.

If you have fond memories of those heady nights at the Top Rank, The Royal Pier, Fridays, The Birds Nest to name but a few, and the burger van "after hours club"! you will love Phat Funk. If you danced round your handbag, wore flares that are bigger than your waist size, or reached for the stars on a set of platforms then this is the band for you. The musical excellence of this band cannot be disputed and there are no pre-Madonna's here, just hard working boys that want to 'play that funky music' and see the dance floor filled with grooving sweating bodies.

So if you want to "Bump", do the "Chicken in a basket", Strut your funky stuff or just look cool in your Oxford Bags then go and listen to the sounds of Kool and the Gang, Barry White, KC and the Sunshine band, James Brown to name but a few…let's bring back the good times and educate the next generation on what was hip! So if you wanna "Keep on Truckin" be there or be square. Groovy Tip: You know what fun fancy dress parties are, why not dig out your old seventies gear and dress up with the band.

Government Health Warning: This 2 Hr groove requires a high level of Physical Fitness to keep up. Weeds should not attempt to strut without medical assistance.

Pink Floyd Tribute

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Most of you are aware of the psychedelic phenomenon that was born in the late 60's, the inspirational chaos that was to become the typically British and well documented sensation Pink Floyd. They have sold over 210 million albums worldwide with titles such as The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall.

Today with the passing of Rick Wright in 2008 there will sadly never be the reunion that we all hoped for, but the music is timeless and will live on for many more years to come. How many 60's bands today are still attracting new and often young fans 40 years on?

Today, there are many bands trying to emulate this music, the most outstanding by far being Perfect Alibi - the definitive Pink Floyd tribute.

Around 1990, Dave Blake (lead guitar) and Rick Gauntlett (guitar & vocals) formed Perfect Alibi. Back then they were playing covers of classic rock songs by Pink Floyd, Marillion, Eagles, Neil Young and more. Being huge fans themselves and from the reaction of the audiences, more and more Floyd songs crept their way in to the set until it got difficult to mix other material in. Realising this a concert was staged in a theatre as a tester and Perfect Alibi emerged as a totally dedicated Pink Floyd tribute.

With the incredible guitar sounds of Dave Blake, the stunning vocals of Rick Gauntlett, and the excellent musicianship of all members of the band, Perfect Alibi are now widely respected and appreciated in their field, giving the audience a truly authentic reproduction of the music of Pink Floyd. With the emphasis on capturing the live Pink Floyd sound and with well over 40 songs in their repertoire, spectacular lighting/lasers/projections, this is a show not to be missed!

But don't take our word for it... judge for yourselves. You won't be disapppointed!

Classic Rock - Have a Listen? ::

Note Doors 8.00 - On Stage @ 8.15 - 3 hour Set!

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He was born Francesco Antonio Marino on November 20, 1954 in Montreal, Canada. Half Italian and half Arabic, Frank is one of five children and only has a 7th grade education that even included a short stint in military school. "Those years were the late sixties and everyone was into the hippie peace movement and we were so busy getting stoned that we certainly didn't want to attend school. All we did besides getting stoned was listen to Hendrix, The Doors, The Beatles and a few others as well as getting involved in movements such as peace, love, anti-war etc. Those were definitely the days, not like now where many young people seem to be into negativism and hate". It was during those days that his experimentation with LSD would lead him to what was later to become the definition of his life. As a young person doing far too much acid, he couldn't really understand when it finally caught up with him and gave him such an incredibly vivid experience that was so overwhelming, that it landed him in the hospital. "This experience became the basis of everything that I was to do in music, including the name Mahogany Rush, which was a description I would use to describe a certain sensation that I was having on the trip. The artwork on the albums, Child of the Novelty and Strange Universe are an artist's rendition of my trip as told by me to the artist, Ivan Schwartz, who has since passed away". Since this early drug experience later became known to the press that covered his career, and since he played much in the style of Jimi Hendrix who had recently died, these sensationalists created stories that to this very day Frank has tried immensely and unsuccessfully to dismiss. "The most often heard story is that I took an overdose and woke up from a coma in the hospital and somehow became the spirit of Hendrix, or that I met this spirit and it entered me, endowing me with this amazing ability to play a guitar and magically know everything about it. Later on the story changed into a version that said I was in a car accident, died and came back as Jimi Hendrix in my body. They never ask me the truth and when I told them, they wouldn't listen. The short truth about it is that I learned how to play guitar while recuperating from my trip. The guitar became a soothing help for me because of my great fear of letting my mind wander back into the trip if I wasn't occupied and besides it was the only thing in the hospital relaxation room. I never even thought about the guitar before since I played the drums quite well anyway. I had this trip while Hendrix was still alive and began to play his music because it matched perfectly to what I was going through at the time". It was only a few short years later after many different band members, that Frank Marino recorded his first album. "In the early years I played in a church and even on a float in a parade. I did mostly cover songs by The Doors, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Cream, Johnny Winter, The Beatles and even The Grateful Dead as well as a few originals that I had written". Frank Marino's music never reached the mainsream of popularity but has had a devoted fan base that has grown over the years. Being sober now for over 33 years, he still plays with the enthusiasm that he's always had. Frank is into his music and doesn't really care for the business side of it and has always produced his own albums as well as writing and arranging all of the music. If you ever get a chance to see him play live, don't pass it up. I have been a devoted fan for 29 years and welcome any newcomers with open arms.

Explosive blues-rock, Hendrix & ZZ Top with one of the best live acts on the circuit

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Performing 3,500 concerts in 18 years, with a mailing list exceeding 20,000 and a website which receives 1,000 visitors a day, the guitar, bass and drums trio The Hamsters have long been established as our premier blues-rock attraction. Although normally primarily playing their own brand of material, tonight they'll be delivering one of their rare JIMI HENDRIX and ZZ TOP shows, for which they are widely regarded as being the UK's leading interpreters. "They're fabulous: one of Britain's very best live bands" - Bob Harris, Radio 2 "Nobody does the music of Jimi Hendrix and ZZ Top better (apart from the real ZZ Top)"– The Times

Classic 8 Piece Soul Band

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Time to dance the night away with the band who make every gig a party night! Those that have followed the band will know that the Rufus Stone Soul Band, based in their home town of Southampton, has been around in many guises since their start in late 1984. After all this time you would expect that some of the sparkle would have gone, not a bit. They still have the same distinctive sound, which ensures that they get the maximum involvement from their audience.

Over the years they have built a loyal following and it is this support that has kept the band not only on the road but still as soulful as when they started. The music is authentic soul with selections from The Blues Brothers and The Commitments, but the bulk of the set comes from the soul greats such as Otis Redding, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Joe Tex and many others.

During their time together there have been a number of highlights that include support to some of the top soul artists like Jimmy Ruffin, Edwin Starr, Curtis Mayfield, Geno Washington, Ben E King, and Gloria Gaynor.