The Brook, 466 Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton SO17 3SD
Box Office Hours - 1.00pm - 7.00pm Mon - Sat (023) 8055 5366
Or Buy 24 Hours On-line ::

October 2009 @ The Brook

Door £

Kajagoogoo are back with their original 5 piece line up.

Limahl, Nick Beggs, Jez Strode, Stuart Neale & Steve Askew are back together for the first time in 25 years.

Kajagoogoo are currently in rehearsals for several festivals and gigs around the world, as well as planning a new album.

Kajagoogoo are a British pop band best known for their first single, "Too Shy", which reached number one in the UK Singles Chart and number five in the U.S Billboard Hot 100 in 1983. The single was produced by keyboardist Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran and Colin Thurston who was, at the time, Duran Duran's in-house producer.

The band was founded in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, in 1979 as a four piece avant-garde instrumental group called Art Nouveau, with Nick Beggs on bass guitar, Steve Askew on lead guitar, Stuart Croxford Neale ..boards and Jez Strode on drums. Art Nouveau released a track called "The Fear Machine". The single sold a few hundred copies, and was played on the John Peel show, but the band could not get a record deal.

In 1981, they advertised for and auditioned lead singers, and finally chose Christopher Hamill. He made his profile, and therefore that of the band, catchier by using an anagram of his surname for his stage name, becoming Limahl. The name of the band was then changed to Kajagoogoo.

The band attracted the interest of three record labels (and Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes) while performing at the Embassy Club in London. The band was signed to EMI in July of 1982, and Rhodes was signed to produce their first album, White Feathers. In between they supported Birmingham New Romantic band Fashion on tour. The debut single "Too Shy" was released in January of 1983 and went to the top of the charts (before any of Duran Duran's singles had done so, Rhodes noted ruefully). Follow-up releases "Ooh to Be Aah" and "Hang on Now" both reached the UK top twenty as well.

Following the departure of Limahl, Kajagoogoo continued with Bassist, Nick Beggs taking the helm as the bands frontman. The singles that followed, "Big Apple" made the Top Ten in late 1983. and "The Lion's Mouth", made the Top 30,

The band briefly joined forces again on VH1's Bands Reunited (26 January 2004, Season 1, Episode 6) and performed at the Scala club in London, England for the show.

In 2007, Nick Beggs, Steve Askew and Stuart Neale continued to play together as Kajagoogoo and a new album is about to be released.

June 24th, 2007 saw the release of "Rocket Boy" the first Kajagoogoo single in 22 years. The single received airplay on Steve Wright's Radio 2 show in the UK.

In September 2007 Kajagoogoo performed the opening set with other 1980s acts at Retrofest at Culzean Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland.

February 2008, Kajagoogoo, announced their reunion with original members, lead singer Limahl and drummer Jez Strode, bringing the band back together officially for the first time in 25 years.

The band performed at several festivals in Denmark, Slovakia and again at Retrofest 2008.

2009 will see the band writing new material for a new album...and perfoming LIVE throughout Europe....watch this space.

Door £

Marc is Robbing Williams, the alter-ego has landed.

Top Robbie sound-a-like Marc recreates perfectly the pure entertainment that is Robbie Williams. Backed by a live band, expect to be entertained by a high quality, bang up to date show including tracks from the latest album Intensive Care, such as Tripping, Advertising Space & A Place To Crash!!

Formed in the autumn of 1999 by singer Marc Hockley, Robbing Williams quickly became one of the most popular tribute shows in the UK.

They have to date played some 850 shows in the UK alone, as well as live shows in Ireland, The Channel Islands, Germany, Holland, Italy & Switzerland. The touring show covers the full range of venue's, from parties & clubs to theatres & festivals and is available as Solo, Duo or with live band from the regular 4 piece to the epic 12 piece.

Band members are made up of International session musicians with current regulars having played with: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Lionel Ritchie, Gareth Gates, Gabrielle, Mr. Mister, Chicane, Delta Goodrem & Jamie Cullum to name but a few.

Recent client's include Chicago Rock Cafe, Jumpin' Jaks, Butlins, Brannigans, Tennants Bass Group, The Marriott & Hilton Hotel Chains, Signal Radio, Galaxy FM & BFBS Radio One as well as university's and independent hotels, nightclubs & live venues and festivals the country over.

In 2005, the band supported Alanis Morrisette and has even supported Jason Donovan (in February 2002), when asked about it Marc said 'Rob got to work with Kylie; we got to work with Jason... I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles... 'The closest there is to an official tribute, the band even supported Jonathan Wilkes at the launch party for his single 'Just Another Day' held at the King's Hall, Stoke on Trent.

Door £

Door £

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.....

Come have a hoot with Paul Young & his tequila drinkin' party boys

Door £

Los Pacaminos are a band you can absolutely count on for a great night out! & some tasty nosh!!! Tex-Mex music is somewhere between the Mariachi and Norteno styles of Mexico and the country/blues sounds of South-Western America. The band empathises with Ry Cooder, Flaco Jiminez, The Texas Tornadoes, Los Lobos and Sir Douglas Quintet. (Their set includes songs like "Wooly Bully" the national anthem "La Bamba" and sometimes, if enough tequila is flowing, even "Speedy Gonzales"…) The band comprise some of the best known names in the business. From a variety of backgrounds they've covered all kinds of music but are all in accord on one - the sound that's brought them together as Los Pacaminos. (Photo - Keith Curtis)

The line-up is as follows: Drew Barfield: Guitar / Vocals. From A&M signings The Keys and The Big Heat, his song-writing credits include Go West, Joe Jackson, Paul Young and Level 42.

Melvyn Duffy: Pedal steel. Probably the finest young pedal steel guitar player in Britain, his credits include Jimmy Nail, Leo Sayer, and Deana Carter while his most recent tour was with Robbie Williams.

Steve Greetham: Bass / Vocals. Has worked with Joan Armatrading, Paul Young, Julia Fordham and Chris De Burgh.

Matt Irving: Keyboards / Accordion / Vocals. Has played with a whole host of artists including Lords Of The New Church, Paul Young, Squeeze, Chris Rea, Jools Holland, Roger Waters and Manfred Mann.

Jamie Moses: Guitar / Vocals. An accomplished session player, he's worked with The Pretenders, Mike And The Mechanics, Chaka Khan, Gary Barlow, Mica Paris, Tony Hadley, Pete Townsend, Karl Wallinger, Paul Rodgers, Curtis Stiegers and Dave Stewart…to name but a few.

Mark Pinder: Drums. Several renowned cult acts claimed Mark's services including the Vampire Bats From Lewisham and Zaine Griff before he headed off to join Paul Young and Alison Moyet.

Paul Young: Guitar / Vocals / Super-Chef. Needs little introduction… from his days with Q –Tips to his number one solo hits "Wherever I Lay My Hat" and "Come Back And Stay", as well as "Every Time You Go Away", his hit albums and his collaboration with top Italian star Zucchero, Paul has always been loved for his unique vocal style and great personality and making a jolly good sauce!!!

Cunningly combining Fab with the name of pop group ABBA & adding Zoe & Susie to get FABBAGIRLS. Genius!

Door £

THE FABBAGIRLS are quite simply the best Abba tribute band in the business…. which is why they are regulars at The Royal Albert Hall. They are now recognised as the best Abba Tribute band in the busIness. Their saucy sense of humour and fabulous vocals, coupled with stunning costumes and choreography puts them right at the top of their game!

After fronting Abba tribute band Bjorn Again, they decided to form a band of their own. Along with their 'world class' band, this Abba tribute band have performed all over the world; In USA for Microsoft on numerous occasions, Marrakesh for an amazing 40th brithday, Trinidad for the Islanders, on a yacht in Sardinia - for Royalty, on beaches in the Caribbean & South of France and in Sweden, where they dressed up as nuns before ripping off their habits to reveal their saucy white satin costumes! Since its inception, THE FABBAGIRLS - fronted by Susie Webb and Zoe Nicholas, has become the No.1 Abba tribute band.

As two of London's most established vocalists and away from THE FABBAGIRLS .COM, Susie and Zoe have worked together with QUEEN, LIONEL RITCHIE, THE WHO, BILLY IDOL, WILL YOUNG, PHIL COLLINS, PAVAROTTI and many more of the greatest rock/pop bands in the world . They are always in the studio with various artists and their singing and speaking voices can be heard on TV commercials for PEPSI, MACDONALDS, FISHER PRICE, CALGON, WOOLWORTHS and many more……….

Susie and Zoe have performed at PARTY IN THE PARK on numerous occasions to audiences of hundreds of thousands and they were given the honour to sing with 'QUEEN' at Buckingham Palace for the Queen's Golden Jubilee concert, where BRIAN MAY played his legendary guitar on the roof. Here, they sung alongside all artistes including STING, THE BEACH BOYS and WILL YOUNG. The girls were then invited to Modena, Italy with QUEEN, to perform in the home town of the great PAVAROTTI, for a special concert 'PAVAROTTI & FRIENDS' singing with ERIC CLAPTON, BONO, ANDREA BOCELLI, LIONEL RITCHIE and other great performers from around the world.

THE FABBAGIRLS are a great team and have a brilliant sense of humour, which derives from having worked with many of the great British comedians. They are also longstanding members of the SAS BAND (Spike's All Stars) with whom they perform on a regular basis.

'We love what we do'!!

Door £

Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent have appeared at The Brook before with their band, but this time they return as The Zombies. As Rod Argent explains: "Suddenly, and for the first time in all these years, it felt honest and right to include the name 'Zombies' on our last album; a way of acknowledging the heritage. We haven't come together cynically, or to make a buck; everything has fallen in to place almost without realising it. It still feels important to include our own names as well – a way of expressing something about the future as well as acknowledging the past".

We've appreciated the talents of Colin and Rod at The Brook for years - it must be eight years ago since Colin first appeared with his band and became a regular visitor. Since he teamed up with Rod again, audiences have built up and it seems that everybody is talking about The Zombies again. Many current stars have professed admiration of The Zombies - Badly Drawn Boy cited the band in NME's poll of the most influential artists of all time, Tom Petty said: "If a group like The Zombies appeared now, they would own the world," and Bruce Springsteen turned up at a New York Concert a couple of years ago. More recently The Beautiful South recorded Zombies ' song 'This Will Be Our Year' for their current 'Golddiggers' CD - a track that is getting loads of radio play. In their heyday the band enjoyed massive hits such as the Argent-penned 'She's Not There' (a major hit several years later for Santana) and 'Time of the Season'. Indeed, America took them even more to their hearts than Britain; 'Time of the Season' is one of only a handful of UK hits to have been certified as receiving 4 million plays on US radio, while the LA Times named them as one of the all time top ten British bands. 'Vanity Fair' magazine in 2002 chose the bands' second album 'Odessey and Oracle' as being the defining pop album of the sixties! Even Elvis had Zombies singles on his juke box at Gracelands! .

When the group split in 1968, Rod went on to form his eponymous band Argent and scored hits with such rock anthems as 'Hold Your Head Up' and 'God Gave Rock n Roll To You' (covered by Kiss, amongst others), and has since achieved huge success in the fields of record production, television and stage musicals. Along with drummer Peter Van Hooke (Mike & The Mechanics) , Rod produced three albums for Tanita Tikaram including the massive 'Ancient Heart' album which included the world-wide hit singles, 'Twist in My Sobriety' and 'New Tradition'. Colin, meanwhile, remained a familiar chart presence through hits like 'Say You Don't Mind', a cover of the Motown hit 'What Becomes of the Broken Hearted' with Dave Stewart and highly rated solo albums such as 'One Year' and 'Ennismore'. He also achieved huge success as featured vocalist on a string of albums by the Alan Parsons Project – the brainchild of the former Pink Floyd engineer. Since coming together again, two or three years ago Colin and Rod have performed extensively in Japan, Europe and America, always to acclaim. The Chicago Tribune's review during the 2002 US tour was typical, writing of "warmth bordering on hysteria…the aura still remains!" So The Zombies are well and truly alive again! Don't miss them!

Preview by Peter Ashton

Door £

Acoustic Rooster

A three piece outfit, comprising of two guitars and three part harmonies giving an acoustic take on well known covers from '69 -'09. '

The Mid-life Crisis

The Midlife Crisis are a 4 - piece guitar cover band of gifted musicians that not only put on kick-ass covers evening, but are so charming you could take them home to your grandmother!

Hattie Jacques' Playlist:

An eight piece band "Hattie Jacques' Playlist", play music from the Soul / Mod / Indie era, playing songs in their own unique style with a full horn section. Hattie Jacques Playlist are their best playing live and have a big signature sound.

Door £

Mick Slacker & Co's tounge in cheek tribute act just gets better and better.

The BOG ROLLING STONES have earned a reputation as one of the most authentic sounding tribute acts around. Satisfaction's always guaranteed when these long haired boys come home to the Brook!

Their tongue in cheek humour, wigs, stripy trousers and boundless energy make them an act not to be missed. The question is.....would you let your daughter go???

Never mind your Wigan Casino, Rufus Stone at the Brook is where it's at.

Door £

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.

Door £

Miles Jupp

Miles Jupp was nominated for the Perrier Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Fringe 2003, for his show 'Gentlemen Prefer Brogues'. He has been described as "A clever, dead pan, dead funny upper-class bloke, physically reminiscent of Martin Clunes but funnier… his musings are classic" [The Scotsman]. Other awards include winner of Channel 4's - SO YOU THINK YOU'RE FUNNY 2001 and winner of the Leicester Festival Comedian of The Year Award 2001.
On television Miles recently appeared as a regular on the (BAFTA nominated) LIVE FLOOR SHOW (BBC Scotland - 2 series) and guested on DOES DOUG KNOW (CH4). Other TV includes the hit children's series BALAMORY (BBC 126 episodes), T in THE PARK (BBC Scotland), CALEDONIAN MACBRAINS (BBC Scotland), YOU MUST BE JOKING (Channel 4), REVOLVER (BBC Choice), WEIRDSVILLE - MILES JUPP INVESTIGATES (BBC Choice Scotland) and BBC NEW COMEDY AWARDS (BBC Choice).
On radio Miles's credits include ROBIN & WENDY'S WET WEEKEND (BBC Radio 4), FRINGE CUT'S (BBC Radio 4), THE MOTION SHOW (BBC Radio 4), SPANKING NEW (BBC Radio 7), FAMOUS FOR FIVE MINUTES (BBC Scotland), VELVET CABARET (BBC Radio Scotland) and HENS (BBC Radio 4). He also regularly appears in his own slot JUPP'S EYE on the FRED MACAULEY SHOW (BBC Radio Scotland).
He was recently seen on the network series of THE LIVE FLOOR SHOW (BBC 2) and WIFE FOR WILLIAM for Channel 4.
Miles has recently completed a successful run with The Lost and Lonely Rebels and he's soon to start writing a commissioned comedy series for BBC Radio 4.

"Miles Jupp's gloriously offensive posh-boy persona makes for an hour's great entertainment." The Independent 2003
"Landed Gentry to the comedy cognoscenti" Evening News
"Laugh? I nearly dropped my Debretts" Evening Standard 2003

Rob Deering

Rob Deering exploded on to the comedy scene in 2000, reaching the Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award semi-finals, the finals of the BBC New Comedy Award and the final of the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year Competition, as well as winning the prestigious Amused Moose New Talent Award. 2001 brought further success with Rob hosting the legendary Comedy Zone at the Edinburgh Festival; this led to a personal request from Emo Phillips to support him for his festival run.
With his easy charm, cheesy singing voice, razor-sharp wit and clownish physicality Rob has quickly established himself as a firm favourite on the london circuit and has played at all the major comedy clubs nationwide. He slayed audiences as a headliner on The Comedy Network and has been commissioned by channel 4 to write and host the comedy series Lesser-Spotted Britain.
Rob returns to the Edinburgh Festival in 2003, having performed in The World Comedy Tour TV show (Paramount/Granada) in Australia in which he starred alongside the very best international stand-up comedians from around the world. Over the past year Rob has written and performed in Movie Mistakes Uncovered Uncut (Five), was team captain in 20 episodes of the new comedy panel show Totally Top Trumps (Challenge TV), presented a new live TV show entitled Flipside, which critiques TV shows live as they go out on air, and toured the UK with John Oliver, Andy Zaltzman and The Reverend Obadiah Steppenwolf III on the Paramount Presents the Edinburgh and Beyond Comedy Tour.
Rob’s previous Edinburgh Festival shows have included: Superkings (2003), The Facts (2002) and The Comedy Zone (2001). He has also starred in 99 Things To Do Before You Die (Five), appeared on RI:SE (C4), performed in 4 at the Store (BBC Radio 4) and written and presented Lesser-Spotted Britain (C4).
"Sterling stand-up from one of the circuit's rising stars. A safe place to bet your comedy dollar" - The Sunday Times
“Bruisingly Hilarious.” Time Out
“Truly wonderful stand-up.” The Sunday Times
“Comedy’s man of the moment.” Metro
“Self-deprecating and immensely likable…hugely enjoyable.” **** Sunday Herald
“He captures the audience’s imagination and creates a show where audience participation actually works.” **** The Herald
“Sterling stand-up from one of the circuit's rising stars. A safe place to bet your comedy dollar.” Sunday Times
“The award-winning comic performs his engaging brand of stand-up humour.” The Guardian
“Highly enjoyable…A rising star who combines an easy-going cheeky chappie demeanour with a quickfire wit.” Evening Standard
“Amiable charm and softly spoken sarcasm.” **** The Metro
“He has such confidence, control and ease with an audience.” The Stage
“An utter delight from start to finish.” ***** Three Weeks

If classical music moves to the beat of the conductor's baton, then Manfred Mann is the orchestrator of much memorable music in the fields of pop and rock. He's been building bands, picking great songs and mixing styles ever since the early 1960s – and even if statistics told the whole story, a hit-list of 22 UK chart singles, six EPs and 12 albums would be impressive enough.

Door £

Yet this is the man who prefaced a 1995 book on his career by American author Greg Russo with the self-deprecating note: "I never thought anyone would remember or even care about what we did over the years." Even now, he states "the past is of no interest to me at all". Fortunately, there are others that disagree and have long sought a compilation that showed off all his musical facets. 'The Evolution Of Manfred Mann' is the impressive result.

For the very first time, his output from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s has been combined in the same package. Two discs of music (34 tracks) are complemented by a third DVD of interview, video and performance footage to create a definitive profile of a master musician who's led his field every step of the way.

Manfred arrived in Britain at the start of the 1960s with music on his mind. "I knew it was what I wanted to do, but being a musician in South Africa meant playing at weddings, Barmitzvahs and bars." But with top-notch players like Oscar Peterson, Errol Garner, Bill Evans and, Miles Davis his role models, he initially lacked confidence in his own ability.

The vehicle to a career in music would prove to be pop, and the 1960s output of Manfred Mann's eponymous group, from '5-4-3-2-1' to 'Ragamuffin Man' and featuring three UK chart-toppers in 'Do Wah Diddy Diddy' (also a US Number 1), 'Pretty Flamingo' and 'Mighty Quinn' has entered legend. They even survived a change of singer from Paul Jones to Mike d'Abo with popularity intact.

Musicians of the calibre of Tom McGuinness, Mike Vickers and even for a short while Jack Bruce turned out some of the classiest pop this side of the Beatles – but, as Manfred remarks, technique was no guarantee of greatness. "The problem with good musicians is they often don't play good music. Jack Bruce was pretty great but the rest of us weren't the best…we were better than some and worse than others." Let's put it down to a combination of songs and savvy, then.

But the three-minute single blueprint proved too restrictive and, in 1969, Manfred moved from his pop straitjacket to one of his own devising in the short-lived Chapter Three. Formed with ever-present drummer Mike Hugg, it was "a conscious decision to turn our back on what we'd been doing, but we had too many anti-pop rules: no guitar, we had to only write our own songs." Two jazzy and determinedly uncommercial albums resulted, plus an unreleased effort shortly to be represented on a box set.

Chapter Three's frustrations during their brief life led to a new project – the Earthband – where the only rule was that there were no rules. "Chapter Three was very specific, so we said let's just play and see what happens." The first long-player from Manfred, Mick Rogers, Chris Slade and Colin Pattenden arrived in 1972, the first of three Top 10 hit singles, 'Joybringer', a year later, and the story continues successfully today, albeit with a new line-up. "It's a constantly evolving thing, a series of different people in different situations. I just want it to be right." Current lead vocalist Noel McCalla follows in the celebrated footsteps of Chris Thompson and Mick Rogers, the latter having returned to the ever-changing ranks.

The Earthband's commercial peak came in 1976 when 'Blinded By The Light' topped the US chart. Perversely, perhaps, Manfred took the decision to withdraw from that most lucrative of music markets. "We went round America for six weeks, with me not seeing my children, and came back with $1500 dollars in my pocket - on a Number 1 record! We didn't break the market, just had one big hit. So we were never really famous in America."

He rejects the suggestion he turned his back on success. "I haven't had so much success in my life that I can run from it! With the Earthband, that is – certainly in the 1960s I wanted to run sometimes! But that was fame. That was being recognised in the street, that was different from success."

And if we're talking purely musically, Manfred undoubtedly has the Midas touch. As with Bruce Springsteen's 'Blinded By The Light', he's successfully brought his interpretative powers to bear on material by Bob Marley, Sting, Paul Weller, Del Amitri's Justin Currie and others. "Jazz musicians do other people's songs all the time, so for me it was quite natural." He's open enough, too, to participate in a Funkstar Deluxe re-recording of 'Blinded' which became a European hit late in 2002, following in the successful footsteps of Bob Marley's 'The Sun Is Shining'. (The video is the final track on the 'Evolution Of Mann' DVD.) Far from enshrining his history in stone, Manfred Mann is happy to take risks in the cause of progress.

1991 brought a masterpiece in 'Plains Music' reflecting the music and culture of the North American Indian. He rates it "the only thing I can listen to that's reasonably natural, not trying to be anything. The other stuff I keep hearing how I should have done it differently!" Ever the perfectionist, he can most often be found in his Workhouse studio on London's Old Kent Road planning his latest musical enterprise.

In an era when classic rock and its practitioners is finally being given its due, Manfred has no plans to hang up his keyboard. "Count Basie rocked till he dropped, Beethoven rocked till he dropped, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald…it doesn't seem that odd that people should play music for their lives, if that's what they do. Pop, rock and jazz is the music of the 20th century, certainly the last half, and the best music will last. I started off being a musician and I'm carrying on being a musician. As long as people will pay to see us do gigs, I'll perform."

From that, we can safely conclude that Mann-made music is set to reverberate for some while yet. The evolution is far from complete – and fans will be more than happy about that.

Their first UK Tour since the passing of The Man In Black

Door £

The Tennessee Three

Johnny Cash's award winning Tennessee Three bring their legendary country and rockabilly back to the UK

Johnny Cash's award winning band 'THE TENNESSEE THREE' have announced they will be returning to the UK this October for their first full UK tour since the passing of 'The Man in Black'. The tour comes in support of the announcement that the band will be releasing the charity single 'Ring Of Fire' in aid of Children in Need this November.

The multi-platinum selling band will kick off the exclusive tour on 21st October, with an intimate date at the Jool's Holland Jam House, Birmingham, where the band will be performing a two set show celebrating the works of the legendary Johnny Cash, and will climax with a headline set at the Yorkshire Rock'n'Blues Festival in Wakefield.

Bob Wootton, also known as Johnny's right hand man, will lead the group, along side his wife Vicky Wootton (ex-The Carter Family). "It's an honour to have this opportunity to perform back in the UK, Johnny and June would be proud. In the words of my dear friend, the sound must go on..."

The Borderlines

The Borderlines are, Jimmy Hammond on Piano, Guitar and any other instruments he can get his hand on. Paul "Choppy" Lambourne on Upright Bass And Backing vox Tony on Drums and Percussion and "Roady" (only the light stuff) Jimmy has played with Route 66, Jakie Lynton, The Swampthings, Lynette Morgen and her Blackwatter Valley Boys, The Wanderers, Come on Everybody Show, The Jooks, The Rabbits, The Hullabaloos, Big Boy Bloater (Only once but what a gig) Huyleyn Duvall, Barbra Pitman, Supported Scotty Moore and still plays with Blu2 and "Katy Jane" and The Duo Jets. Mr Chops. Is sponcered by Ashdown Amplification, Rotosound Strings and King Double Bass. Played with, Robert Gorden, Leivi Dexter, Screaming Lord Sutch, Guana Batz, Dermented R Go, The Pharoahs and still plays for The Caravans, Ex Crue Men Mad "DOG" Cole, Nigel Lewis and The Zorch Men. The list does go on!! Tony. ex Slim, Slip and the Sliders, The Sundowners, and is curently in Jessie and The Orbits I Jimmy started The Borderlines with Mark "Moo Cow" Richards and Paul "Choppy" Lambourne back in June 2006. We were Buskin' strait away with pub gigs and weddings comming out of our ears. A few Rockin' clubs came along with Car shows, biker doo's following in suit so we recorded our first album " Too Many Late Nights" to bring in more money. We then got a mini record deal at Foot Tapping Records which they (Daryl) produced Big Money our second album. Another year went past and Rock n Roll Hits ( All the songs ya mam and dad listened to) our third album came out. Along the way me and Chop decied to start a duo to do all the small gigs that the Borderlines were too much for and yes you guessed it. Another album was brought out entitled " JEZEBEL" W'd a name. It had a mixture of Rockabilly, Blues and Boogie on it and was prouved to be a good seller. Mark left in the second year due to us not picking him up any more and was replaced by the Fabulous Mr Richy Talor. What a guy, i havent had so much fun with a capital 'f' in a long time. Great Drummer with bags of personality, all you need for a great band. Rich moved on to join The Sundowners after a good few months and was swiftly replaced by the worst "Stand in" drummers that could ever walk the planet, err. a bit harsh but they were pretty bad Lol. Bloater was called for a list of good drummers (He always gets the good ones grrr) and Bommer was booked then Tony from Slim. Slip and the Sliders who is and we,re proud to say the new Borderlines drummer. I think we're up to date now? yes. Lance is there is their to help out when Tony is doing his Postman Pat thing Lol. There is a new "LIVE" and a new "JEZEBEL" album comming out in the next few months so watch this space. All our gigs are liststed on this page. We are avalable for all bookings anytime, anywhere, but book early. We always dress smart ,bring All our own gear unless spesified and turn up on time. What more could you want?

Door £

AC/DC is a band whose appeal is huge, widespread through the generations and totally indifferent to musical fashions. Their unique formula of tight riffs and fat rhythm combines dance ability with hard-rocking anthems that flow through the blood of all who have been smitten by their cheeky-but-colossal offerings. If you want to see AC/DC, but your options are limited, then check out DIRTY DC. You will not be disappointed. All the energy and electricity of an AC/DC show along with completely faithful renditions will leave you trembling, with a smile on your face.

DIRTY DC have been playing throughout Britain and parts of Europe since 1998, and have developed the line-up and dynamic stage show that has made their current reputation seriously strong amongst AC/DC fans, whether die-hard fanatics, or just people who want a good night out. Every visual detail has been fine-tuned; from drum kit model to footwear, but most importantly, the musical delivery and stage show has an impact that does not fail to impress. DIRTY DC gives real value for money where others seem to fail. Every superlative in the book has been repeatedly used in describing the DIRTY DC show. From "I was totally amazed by your performance", "The best tribute band we have seen for ages, and we've seen a few"," The whole band are amazing, you guys are so good that you look and sound just like the real thing" and from Chris Slade himself (AC/DC drummer from 1989-94) "You have it spot on, excellent, I really enjoyed the gig." The extraordinary passion that AC/DC arouse, and which has ensured they remain one of the biggest, if not the biggest band in rock flows through the DIRTY DC performance and through their audiences. If you really want to rock and can get to a DIRTY DC gig, do not miss the chance.

Door £

Achtung Baby were one of the first tribute bands to be formed in the early 90’s along with Abba tribute Bjorn Again and the Bootleg Beatles.

In 1995 Andy (vocalist) appeared on "Stars in their eyes" as Bono singing "With or Without You". Andy won his heat and appeared in the live final and again later that year on the Christmas special.

In 1996 the band supported Irish band "Aslan" at the Point Depot in Dublin. To date this is the biggest audience Achtung Baby has ever played to…8000 Irish folk.

In 1997 the band appeared in numerous magazines including NME, Now and Heat and is firmly established as one of the worlds leading tribute acts.

1998 was a big year for the band as they embarked on a huge tour of the Middle East. After several sell out shows in Bahrain, the band returned to Europe and played in Belgium, Portugal and finally Holland with a sell-out show at the UZ in Rotterdam. Achtung Baby then returned to the UK and supported "Echo and the Bunnymen" for their comeback show in London to an audience including celebrities such as Eddie Izzard and Denise Van Outen. To round off this amazing year the band supported "The Lightening Seeds" at Wimbledon University and "Shed 7" at Cheltenham University.

The band toured Ireland in 1999 with shows in Galway, Cork and the Olympia Theatre in Dublin. In Belfast, Achtung Baby played a sell out show to 2000 fans with "Samantha Mumba" on the bill. To promote this show the band also made an appearance on The John Daly Show on Irish TV where they performed "Pride".

Also in 1999, Achtung Baby made their Sky TV debut with an exclusive interview on the 11th Hour Show. They performed two songs, "Desire" and "Angel of Harlem". The band was then approached by an Irish film company to record "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", for a short film called "Buskers". U2 themselves listened to the recording and gave the film company permission to use it. The Film won best short film award at the Aberdeen film festival and has been broadcast on CH4 and Sky Moviemax.

In early 2000 the band received the greatest compliment possible. In an exclusive interview to MTV, Bono is asked how he feels about the U2 tribute Achtung Baby; he replied "I'm quite flattered by what they do".

Later that year Achtung Baby were chosen from 200 tributes to appear with 5 other acts in the search for the UK's finest on BBC1's "Battle of the Tribute Bands", a one hour TV Special hosted by Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson. The band won the much coveted award for "Best sound-alike tribute band in the UK".

In 2001, Andy (vocalist) appeared on the "Pulp" single, "Bad Cover Version" as Bono. The single is a send up of the 1985 band aid song, Do They Know It's Christmas and along with the DVD Video is still available at HMV stores and online on iTunes.

Following this hectic period and having established themselves as the very best at what they do, the subsequent years have seen Achtung Baby perform the whole U2 catalogue from "Out of Control" to "Vertigo" on a regular basis throughout the UK and Europe, with frequent performances in the Channel Islands, Germany and Romania as well as appearing in front of thousands of people at Tribfest in North Yorkshire in 2007 and 2008.

The band would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone - family, friends, agents, venue owners and mostly you, The Fans, for what has been the most amazing adventure. Long may it continue.

Door £

"The only band on the planet to have successfully fused rock based music with the power, dynamics and scale of symphonic classical music. They are the absolute masters of their art and their achievements over more than twenty years of creative work set them apart from everything else which calls itself progressive"
The Guardian

"The Orb Meets Pink Floyd Meets The Berlin Philharmonic"
Time Out
"One of the greatest composers this country has ever had."
Tommy Vance

UK LIVE DATES

In 1988 after nearly ten years of continuous touring, Robert John Godfrey called an official halt to The Enid with two back to back sold-out shows at The Dominion Theatre, London and the band dissolved.

Except for a few one-off adventures during the nineties, the band lay dormant whilst Godfrey fought his demons.

In 2002, Robert John Godfrey met by chance a young guitarist, Jason Ducker. For the following years Jason and Robert have been working on The Enid’s music. Now he is ready to step into the unique role left vacant by Steve Stewart.

The original drummer, Dave Storey together with Jason Ducker and Max Read (member since 1995), join Robert John Godfrey, founding member and driving force within the band for a succession of live shows in support of their new album entitled Journey’s End.

Said Godfrey in a recent letter to his fans; “I haven’t been entirely idle over these years of inactivity. I have developed both as a composer and a person. I think you will all love these new interpretations of some of our most famous tracks.”

In Jason, I have found the guitarist I so missed after Steve Stewart left in 1988. Dave is in magnificent form and Max is, as ever, a stalwart in all things.”

***

NEW RECORDINGS

“Arise & Shine”
Now completed is a special recording featuring the new line up performing all the music which was performed at The Bush Hall, London on May 29th.

This special CD is not intended for general release and will only be available at gigs, festivals and mail order through the band’s fan club, The Enidi.

“Journeys End”
The end of this year will see the completion of what may be Godfrey’s last major work, aptly called, Journey’s End.

In a recent radio interview Godfrey said, “I believe that if I am finally able to get this task done, I will have surpassed myself; and if that turns out to be true, then my struggles will be over and I will have nothing left to do.”

***

THE ENID – BRIEF HISTORY
The Enid emerged in the latter half of the seventies as a radical answer to all those young people who couldn’t identify with punk but were nevertheless as tired and fed with the current music scene as nearly everyone else.

By 1983, Tommy Vance on Radio One had dubbed them "The biggest cult band in Europe". Not because they were, but because the main radio station in the UK assumed they must be!

Record companies feared them; Glastonbury banned them. The band was even investigated by MI5. By the mid eighties, just about everybody in the UK had heard of The Enid; and the amount of misinformation, which surrounded them, was staggering.

They've been called "fascists" (by people who had been told of, but obviously had never actually experienced at first hand, their sacrilegious on-stage renditions of "Land of Hope and Glory"), "leftists" (because of RJG's vociferous insistence that "all people are interdependent whether they know it or not and that individuality has no fundamental meaning"), and "anarchists" (some truth in that).

Many people assumed that they were some sort of insane punk band. That particular assumption could scarcely have been further from the mark. In fact they were probably the most enigmatic and intellectually challenging of any band to have emerged in the UK.

Door £

Stiff Little Fingers are a punk band, originally based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, formed in 1977.

Prior to becoming Stiff Little Fingers, Jake Burns, Vocals and Guitar, Henry Cluney, Guitar, Gordon Blair, Bass, and Brian Faloon, Drums, were playing in a cover band, Highway Star, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Upon the departure of Gordon Blair (who went on to play with another Belfast group, Rudi), Ali McMordie took over the duties on Bass. Henry had by this time discovered punk, and introduced the rest of the band to it. They decided that Highway Star wasn't a punky enough name, and after a brief flirtation with the name The Fast, decided to call themselves Stiff Little Fingers, Jake taking the name from the Vibrators track.

In November of '77, Gordon Ogilvie, a local journalist, caught their live show and was impressed. He encouraged them to write their own songs about what they knew best--life in Belfast. Jake came back twelve days later with "Suspect Device" and "Wasted Life". These were the first of what became SLF's signature style: lyrics that meld the personal and political, music that combines the energy of punk with infectious hooks, and delivery that rings of honesty and commitment.

With Ogilvie's help, they released those two songs on their own Rigid Digits label, with an initial pressing of only 350. Ogilvie sent a copy to BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, who started playing it every night. The interest generated resulted in a distribution deal through Rough Trade in England.

A local fanzine named Alternative Ulster asked the band to write a song specially for a giveaway flexi-disc. Although the plans for the flexi fell through, "Alternative Ulster" became the first single released by Rough Trade in October of '78. Jake once introduced it as "a song about having nothing to do." It became a punk rock classic.

In the fall of '78, SLF toured the UK supporting the Tom Robinson band and gathered a solid following. That plus airplay by John Peel resulted in their first album, the now legendary Inflammable Material LP, debuting in the UK charts at #14. The album chronicles the band's anger and frustration at "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland, and calls on youth to create their own reality.

In '79 the band moved to London and Brian Faloon decided not to go, which inspired the lyrics to "Wait and See". He was replaced by Jim Reilly who made his debut on the "Gotta Gettaway" single. In the spring they played on the Rock Against Racism tour. By the summer of 1979, SLF signed a deal with Chrysalis Records which included unusually broad artistic control by the band. They released the LP Nobody's Heroes in 1980. It combined the DIY ethic of the first album with more universal themes of alienation, anti-militarism, and anti-racism.

Their live shows continued to be special events of energy and power. The Go For It LP in '81 revealed more sophisticated songwriting and musicianship, and another step in the shift from punk to power pop. Soon after the Go For It tour, Jim Reilly left the band and was replaced by Dolphin Taylor, formerly drummer for the Tom Robinson band.

The Now Then album of '82 alienated many of SLF's punk followers with its pop sound, and despite some glowing critical reviews, never got the recognition it deserved.

The band split in early '83. At the time, Jake said, "Our last LP Now Then was to my mind the best album we have made. But it is also unfortunately the best I think we will ever make. So I have decided to call it a day." He later revealed, "The first split was a bit acrimonious. Instead of talking through our difficulties we wound up having fist fights."

During the five years they spent apart, each member pursued musical projects, as detailed in the Discography. But none were as satisfying, or as successful, as SLF. Said Ali, "It wasn't until we got back together again did we realize this was the only thing we were ever completely happy with."

In '87, Jake "...got a phone call from Ali, asking if I fancied going to see a reunion gig by the Tom Robinson band. At this period everybody seemed to be getting back together again." Jake couldn't go to the gig, but they soon got together for drinks, which led to more nights of drinking, which eventually led to the idea that they play a few reunion shows, partly as an inexpensive way of returning to Belfast to see their parents at Christmastime.

The audience response to the reunion shows was overwhelming, with sell-out crowds larger than any that SLF had played in their original incarnation. The two shows at the Brixton Academy in '88 pulled in over 10,000 people over two nights. Fans from the U.S., Japan, Switzerland and elsewhere flew in to see them. Recordings from those shows were released as the See You Up There album and video, considered by many to be the best SLF live recordings ever. The response to the shows across the world surprised and delighted the band, and their following continued to grow, with younger "new" fans alongside the old diehards.

By '90 their thoughts had turned to reforming the band permanently and recording new material. But Ali decided his commitments wouldkeep him from recording an album or touring. He officially left about a week before they were scheduled to tour Japan. Jake phoned Bruce Foxton (formerly of The Jam), who jumped in at the last minute, and has been a member ever since.

The Flags and Emblems LP released in '91, featured the single "Beirut Moon," which was immediately banned in Britain. The song criticized the British government for not acting to free hostage John McCarthy in Lebanon. Although overall the LP's material was not as strong as earlier albums, it still served to satisfy fans starved for new SLF songs, and the subsequent tour continued the tradition of powerful shows where the crowd reacts "to most of SLF's numbers in much the same way as kernels react to a plugged-in popcorn maker," as noted in the Los Angeles Times in '92.

In 1993 Jake made what he describes in the book Stiff Little Fingers-Song by Song as being one of the hardest decisions of his life, and asked Henry Cluney to leave the band, and the trio of Jake Burns, Bruce Foxton and Dolphin Taylor continued, for the next four years, joined on tour by guitarists Dave Sharp or Ian McCallum. In '94 they released the Get a Life LP in the UK, later released in the US in '95. The album helped renew interest in SLF just as newer bands that sited them as a major influence, such as Bad Religion, Sugar, Rancid, and Therapy, were coming to prominence.

At the end of '96 Dolphin Taylor left the band, due to family and business obligations. The new drummer was Steve Grantley, who some will remember as the drummer for Jake Burns and the Big Wheel. Ian McCallum joined permanently on guitar, balancing SLF tours with solo recordings and performances. SLF released the studio album, Tinderbox,in '97 and toured extensively throughout that year to promote it.

Stiff Little Fingers released the studio album Hope Street,in two different formats in 1999. The UK release on EMI is packaged with a special The Best Of AllCD, containing remastered classic cuts from the band's entire back catalogue. The North American release on King Biscuit/Oxygen includes a second live CD, from the Newcastle Riverside concert from September '98. Said Jake Burns, "'Last Train From The Wasteland' (on Hope Street) is the first optimistic song I have ever written about Belfast, while Hope Street the album is generally more optimistic than people have given us credit for in the past."

In 1999 also SLF released a live CD of all new live material, titled Handheld and Rigidly Digital, available exclusively on this Web site and at SLF gigs. Much of the material was recorded at a special Hope Street Premier Party held in London, at which the band played over two hours of new songs, rarities, plus all the favorites.

In August 2003, Stiff Little Fingers released their ninth studio album, Guitar and Drum, which includes a moving tribute to Joe Strummer, entitled "Strummerville".

In 2006, Bruce Foxton left Stiff Little Fingers amicably, and original bassist Ali McMordie returned after 15 years. Response from the fans has been tremendous.

Though focused on their new material, they always play the old favorites at gigs. Jake said, "You have to strike a balance. The difficulty with a band like ourselves is to try not make it sound like a cabaret band. Obviously, it'd be very easy to go, 'Hey, here's another old one you may remember.' A lot of the old songs the audience greet like old friends....I suppose it's the same as any band that's been around for any length of time....And yes, there are nights that we don't particularly want to play "Alternative Ulster" or "Suspect Device" because we've heard them 'til they're coming out our ears. But there's always the possibility that somebody out there has never seen the band before, never heard them."

Walter Trout always looks in on The Brook when he tours the UK

Door £

In a BBC radio poll, Trout was ranked #6 out of the top 20 all-time greatest guitarists (where a few more votes would've landed him snugly in the Top 5 amongst Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page!). Trout has his sites set on similar stateside notoriety.

His 1998 self-titled release (and his American debut) was locked on Blues Revue's Top 40 sales chart for a year where it peaked at number 18. Consistently packing crowds into 1,000+ seat venues and sought out for all the key Blues Festivals nationwide, Walter Trout & The Radicals will continue to ride coast to coast playing their hearts out and lighting up their audiences. Both on record and on stage, Trout keeps the art of blues thriving and vivacious. Blues Revue comments "Trout gets into the groove where the magic happens. But each night offers a particular set of circumstances that keep the music fresh." From introspection to full blown rockin' blues, Trout's music is always marked by his adept song writing, sturdy vocals, searing guitar work and ability to enhance the boundaries of one of music's oldest forms. But as Trout is quick to point out, "the blues shouldn't be a museum. The music ought to constantly expand and be alive."

Door £

Smerins Anti-Social Club

Well renowned for their sell-out triumphant gigs across the UK, Smerins Anti-Social Club are creating choas on the festival fields and dancefloors of England. Huge horns, heavy beats, room shaking bass and tunes set to make your granny tremble with excitement - the buzz created around them is electric. This 10 piece lineup fuse the delights of ska, funk, dub, drum'n'bass and swing to maximum effect in their epic, brass instrumental marathons. Regular guest vocalists, including sassy Aussie songstress Nuala Honan, are now bringing a new dimension to their incredible live shows. These guys are poised for great things, catch them while you can!

Yes it's the comic genius behind Bottom & The Young Ones. Expect punk and the unexpected! Last year was bonkers & this is the last night of the tour!

Door £

THE BAD SHEPHERDS ARE:
ADRIAN EDMONDSON (Vocals, ‘thrash mandolin’)
Ade is best known as a comedian in The Young Ones, Bottom, and The Comic Strip Presents. Though he’s no stranger to the music world having played the Monsters of Rock and Reading Festivals with Bad News, the Hootenanny with Jools Holland, Hyde Park with The Who, and he’s toured with The Bonzo Dog Doo-dah Band. He’s also had a No 1 single with Cliff Richard! And as a director he made lots of music videos in the 80’s for the likes of The Pogues, Squeeze, Elvis Costello and 10,000 Maniacs.

MAARTIN ALLCOCK (Twelve string guitar, bass, vocals)
Maartin is a multi-instrumentalist originally from Manchester, and is best known for playing guitar with Fairport Convention from ’85 to ’96, and for playing keyboards in Jethro Tull for four years. Maart has played on over 200 albums for people as diverse as Robert Plant, Cat Stevens, Beverley Craven, Judith Durham, Ralph McTell and Plaid Cymru president Dafydd Iwan! Besides the Bad Shepherds, Maart also currently plays for Swarb’s Lazarus and Beth Nielsen Chapman.

TROY DONOCKLEY (Uillean pipes, cittern, whistles, vocals)
Troy has built up a formidable reputation as both a Composer/Arranger/ Musician/Performer and as a leading virtuoso of the Uilleann Pipes. He’s released three critically acclaimed solo albums, is a member of Iona, and also finds time to record and tour with the likes of Maddy Prior (he has co-produced four albums), Barbara Dickson (produced two albums) Maire Brennan (Clannad), Midge Ure, Nightwish, Lesley Garrett , Roy Harper, Status Quo, Alan Stivell, Del Amitri and many more…

ANDY DINAN (Fiddle)
Andy won the All-Ireland Fiddle Championship… twice. He’s best known for playing with Toss the Feathers and Mike McGoldrick, but he’s also supported Dervish, Lunasa, Capercaillie and solo artists Martin Hayes and Liz Carroll. He recently performed at the Armagh Pipers club Festival with Mike and Ian Fletcher with a new project involving Portugese, Brazilian and Irish music.

HOW THE BAD SHEPHERDS CAME TO BE…
Adrian Edmondson was a teenager when punk arrived. The songs of The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Jam and The Stranglers were the soundtrack to his life through the late 70’s and early 80’s, and like a lot of people of his generation he was fond of playing these songs to himself at home on his acoustic guitar.

Cut forward to 2007: after a boozy pre-Christmas lunch in Soho, Ade stumbled along to Denmark Street, home of many alluring musical instrument shops, and whilst inebriated, ‘accidentally’ bought a mandolin. Surprised to see it sitting there in his kitchen the following morning he nevertheless picked it up, worked out a few chords, and started playing the same songs with a mandolin accompaniment – it sounded really interesting.

He was touring with the Bonzos at the time and he brought his mandolin along, and with Neil Innes on acoustic guitar, they had a go at London Calling in the dressing room. It sounded good, but Neil said ‘What you need are some brilliant folk musicians.’
Ade got in touch with Troy and Maart and they were both immediately up for it. As soon as he explained the idea to Troy: ‘Punk songs with a Celtic feel.’ Troy replied ‘Why not The Model by Krafwerk as well? I’ve always wanted to play that on the pipes.’
They met for a couple of days to mess about with the idea. If it didn’t work they could all just walk away. But within the first hour they knew they were onto something. In the two days they drank numerous beers, ate 2 curries and arranged 8 songs - and the band was born.

Rehearsals followed, and then, bizarrely, a trip to St Lucia to test it out (off season, cheap flights, cheap hotels, anonymity). They threw themselves in at the deep end and did 6 gigs in 6 days. Just little bars. But it got them up and running.

After completing the line up with Andy Dinan on fiddle, (and getting drunk in Mango Thai Bar with the Brook Staff), they rehearsed hard and towards the end of 2008 they toured England to packed houses and very appreciative audiences.

They've recently recorded an album, 'Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera!', which is out now - it was recorded 'as live' at the Blue Moon studios in Banbury. 'Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera' means 'One, Two, Three, Four' in an ancient Cumbrian dialect used almost exclusively by shepherds. Had the Ramones been Cumbrian shepherds, it's what they would have shouted as the intro to every song...

2009 sees a packed touring schedule and the chance to have some real fun.