The Brook, 466 Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton SO17 3SD
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November 2009 @ The Brook

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Singer songwriter who can count none other than Guy Chambers as a fan

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I was born in the rural serenity of Winchester and raised by wolves in a meadow among the blue bells. (Well the Winchester bit is true.) I must have been about six when I moved with my family from Winchester to Totnes, South Devon where I spent the rest of my childhood. I was pretty young when I started having piano lessons and singing in a choir. I even started to learn the violin. I had one lesson. It was disastrous. I am left-handed and they made me play right-handed (I could have been a contender!)

The secondary school I went to was very different from most. It was an alternative, progressive school called Sands. I started there when the school had just opened. I think there were about 25 pupils. In the beginning we had lessons at one of the children's parents houses and we used to go to another parents house for lunch where they had a drum kit that I would play with chopsticks at lunch times.

I started playing the drums in jam sessions at school. No one ever wanted to be the singer it was too embarrassing. Being a natural show off and a clown I grabbed the mike and started crooning an Elvis impersonation. From then on I took to the idea of singing in a band.

Another pivotal turning point on my road to rock n' roll was the decision I made to trade my games console for an electric guitar and a fifteen watt guitar amp. For about a year I played a right-handed model upside down. The first song I leant to play was 'I'm the king of the swinger'. It was when I tried to learn the Beatles song 'I've got a feeling' from the 'Let it Be' album and couldn't reach round the neck to play one particular chord that I decided to get a left handed model and learn the other way round.

I was sixteen when I wrote my first song. At about the same time I joined a local covers band, as a singer/guitarist.

The first music that really captured my imagination was The Beatles. At a friend's house I found a copy of Sgt. Peppers on cassette. After I'd stretched that tape playing it constantly I went in search of the rest of The Beatles back catalogue. From there my interest spun off onto Led Zeppelin, then onto singer songwriters like Dylan, Neil young and Tom Waits. My parents bought me a 4 track recorder for my birthday one year and that really turned my interest on to the way that songs and arrangements were constructed, and the way the different instruments interact with eachother. I started experimenting with recording myself, layering vocal harmonies and generally exploring the multi-track recording process.

When I finished college I thought it would be a good idea to get out of Devon. It had become a claustrophobically sleepy place and I wanted to be somewhere where there were other musicians and some kind of scene. I applied for and got a place on a degree course at The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. During my time there I became a stronger and more focused songwriter. In my third year at LIPA one of my demos received a five star review in a magazine called 'Making Music'. From that I got some offers of London Management so the decision to move there after graduation seemed natural.

Since I've been living in London I have played several support gigs for Damien Rice, KT Tunstall and Jose Gonzalez among others. Fans of my music within the industry include Coldplay producer Ken Nelson and Guy Chambers. Recently I have supported Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris at Wembley Arena, Manchester MEN and The Zenith in Paris. Also Mark Knapfler has very kindly offered to play guitar on one of my tracks called Sarah. If I were to try to describe my music or my sound I would say 'Green' (joke) Seriously, I guess I have a soulful, slightly gravely voice and I'm into roots, blues and folk music. - Jon Allen

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MAGNUM - INTO THE VALLEY OF THE MOON KING

It's those magical stories, sensitive melodies and powerful rhythms which wow Magnum's fans and the critics every time. Like few other global rock acts, guitarist/songwriter/producer Tony Clarkin, vocalist Bob Catley and their three band members Mark Stanway (keyboards), Al Barrow (bass), and Harry James (drums) succeed at regular intervals in taking their listeners on an adventurous journey through enchanted territories. That's how it was thirty years ago and thankfully hasn't changed in 2009: 15 June 2009 (Germany: 12 June 2009; US/Canada: 16 June 2009) will see the arrival of their new studio album, Into The Valley Of The Moon King, which fascinates with a dozen melodic and rocking, diverse and catchy new songs. "My hope is to make it interesting for anyone who hears the album, so I put great emphasis on lyrics and musical arrangements," offers Clarkin and can rest assured in view of these impressive tracks that his band's substantial following will love Into The Valley Of The Moon King.

As in the past, all songs were penned by guitarist Tony Clarkin. "I wrote and recorded the songs at home, this time I had around sixty numbers in one form or another, then gradually I chose what I thought were the best, worked on them and finally played them to Bob." The result is diverse and at the same time typical of the band: Magnum shine with lots of sensitive melodies and gritty hooks, and the track, 'Moon King', sees Clarkin get out his blues guitar and proves that Magnum's vocalist cuts a fine figure in every rock genre. Into The Valley Of The Moon King is new and exciting and features small surprises and intricate details, yet the album definitely continues Magnum's typical melodic rock tradition. Clarkin: "I think the common ground in all Magnum releases is that we take great pride in making a record and always do the best we can."

Into The Valley Of The Moon King will be available in three different versions: as a regular jewel case CD, as a top-quality Digipak consisting of CD and bonus DVD, and for collectors in a vinyl format featuring two LPs and a fold-out cover. And it's the vinyl version which best brings out the album's atmospheric cover artwork, again designed by Rodney Matthews. Magnum fans know Matthews from his work on the classics, Chase The Dragon and On A Storyteller´s Night, among others. "The Moon King artwork is my favourite piece he's ever done for us," enthuses Clarkin, "It's got real magic to it."

The band's major tour of Germany, for which Clarkin promises an interesting setlist, is scheduled for September 2009: "We'll be re-visiting some tracks from the Brand New Morning album, quite a few tracks from the Moon King album, and a bunch of old favourites."

HISTORY

Founded in the mid-Seventies, Magnum brought out their debut, Kingdom of Madness, featuring diverse prog rock of the melodic variety, in 1978. Magnum II, out one year later, sounded even more symphonic, and their first live album, Marauder, arrived at the stores twelve months later. Chase The Dragon (1982) and The Eleventh Hour (1983) documented the musicians' unmistakable development, but their big breakthrough took a long time in coming. It arrived, deservedly, in 1985 with On A Storyteller's Night, Vigilante (1986) (produced by Queen drummer Roger Taylor) and Wings Of Heaven, which made no. 2 of the British album charts and spawned three top 30 single hits. Celebrated tours and invitations to most of the major open-air festivals of the Eighties followed, Reading Festival, the Monsters Of Rock in Castle Donington among them, as well as several shows at the Wembley Arena and annual appearances at the legendary Hammersmith Odeon.

In the early Nineties, the musicians flew to Los Angeles, where they recorded their Goodnight L.A. album, composer Clarkin being supported by Russ Ballard and Jim Vallance. The band's record company released The Spirit, featuring rare or previously unreleased tracks from another studio session, towards the end of their mutual contract, followed by Sleepwalking, another new, regular studio album soon afterwards. The first chapter of Magnum's success story ended in 1994 with Rock Art and a major farewell tour, during which the final live album The Last Dance (May 1996) was recorded.

Clarkin went on to work as a producer and songwriter for other artists, released two albums with Bob Catley, recorded by their intermezzo project Hard Rain in 1997 and 1999 (Hard Rain & When The Good Times Come), and generally recharged his musical batteries. Then, almost precisely eight years after Rock Art, glorious times returned for Magnum. Their 2001 album Breath Of Life oozed present and past all at once and was followed by a number of celebrated shows. "It was very inspiring for me to write and produce material for Magnum again," Clarkin explains. "Compared to the Hard Rain tracks, Magnum compositions have become more powerful, deeper and more passionate."

With their 2004 album, Brand New Morning, and a major European tour in late summer of that year, Magnum went even further, documenting that this band, like a good wine, gets better with every year. Looking at it this way, Princess Alice & The Broken Arrow (2006) came as no surprise but was the logical result of a mature and well thought-through creational process. Magnum demonstrated their superb live qualities again one year later on Wings Of Heaven - Live and have now added another chapter to the great book of their studio tales in Into The Valley Of The Moon King.

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Andrew Roachford has been on the UK music scene for over a two decade and taking his accolade from the 80’s and 90’s of becoming Columbia's biggest selling UK act for ten years with a seven album recording deal.

Andrew continues to grow, as a songwriter and has also released his own critically acclaimed solo albums Heart of the Matter, in 2003 and his second solo album Word of Mouth. (Released in March 2006.) Andrew continues to takes his “got to be seen” live show on tour worldwide. His sound has changed from the soul/rock fusion of debut hits 'Cuddly Toy' and 'Family Man' to more contemporary and unique soulful style.

Bring things up to date 2007 Andrew had a Number 1 single in the dance charts with ride the storm reworked by Carl Kenny and CR2, which became a dance floor anthem in Miami, Ibiza and UK. It was also a sought after record for many compilation like Pasha, Ministry of Sound.

He is currently writing songs for Joe Cocker’s forthcoming album, which is due out 2010. Also he has collaborated with hot young produces and artist “Crazy Cousins” who have produced a mix of a new forthcoming track off the new album called “Good for me” Which is due out late summer.

Andrew is busy writing his brand new album, which will contain tracks that are very different for him and is working with some great new songwriters.

In these upcoming live shows Andrew will be playing all his hits, plus a preview of his new materiel

Having grown up with bands rehearsing in her home, guitars, keyboards and pieces of music kit in every corner, its not surprising that Anna picked up her first guitar at 12, and started writing songs. She now plays piano and keyboards and has assisted in producing her own music in her home studio. Oh and mustn't forget to mention she is also a classically trained flautist!

With the most beautiful, pure and unique voice, it wasn’t long before she was being asked to play venues all over the country. Anna set up her own website and Myspace site and uploaded the songs she had recorded onto the two promotional platforms. Those early songs, recorded on basic equipment at home, became the songs that started to garner more and more interest from key people in the music industry and soon after got Anna invited to play Britain’s premier new music showcase –Manchester’s ‘In The City’ Music Conference. Anna played a storming 30 minute set to a packed out crowd at the Warchild Acoustic Showcase and following that was chosen as a ‘Best of ITC’ in Music Week who described her as ‘Filling a similar space to early Alanis and Joni Mitchell’.

With soulful and honest lyrics that come straight from the heart, Anna is truly one of the most gifted young songwriters in Britain today. She is now developing her own unique sound and working with an impressive list of producers and songwriters including Steve Robson, Peter Vetesse, Chris Braide, on yet more material. Having recently become a European Ambassador for Quicksilver, now 18, Anna has started a new chapter in her music career, performing across Europe for most of summer 2008 and writing and producing new material. In September 2008 keen to also continue her academic study of music she has started a Music Degree at the London College of Music.

Life for Anna continues to get busier and busier and she's loving every minute of it!

This indie pop outfit were borne from sibling rivalry

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Ben's Brother is London-born Jamie Hartman.

Rewind // 2007: His debut album Beta Male Fairytales was an out of the box success, with the whole country embracing Jamie's heartfelt vocal and lyrical delivery. In the UK, the album went Gold, with the respective singles earning top 10 airplay positions and a prestigious Ivor Novello nomination (only losing out to Amy Winehouse).

With his trademark look and engaging personality, Jamie led his band through sell out tours at home, and major festival stages around Europe, picking up fans in the US on the back of a major TV ad, and top 10 hits in countries across Europe and South America.

Fast Forward // 2009: All change: markets crashing, house prices plummeting, jobs lost and for some, record labels came and went. 'Battling Giants', Jamie's new album, released via his own imprint, Flat Cap Records, is a personal snapshot of these changing times.  After the massive changes at the beleaguered record company EMI, Jamie is an integral part of the album release this time around.  "I suppose the theme of this album is about that sense of adversity… being the little guy again, squaring up to the monster."

Jamie (real-life brother to the titular Ben) is keen to point out that the new album is "a lot more optimistic this time around too, and I think you can hear that when you listen to Battling Giants. To be honest, I'm just in a better mood this year!' The lyrical focus and depth prevalent on Beta Male Fairytales is combined with a "sense of optimism that pervades 'Battling Giants'. This upbeat mood is enhanced by the appearance of special guests Jason Mraz and Joss Stone.

Jamie on Jason // Battling Giants  "He loved the title track from the album, Battling Giants, so recorded some parts for me. His vocal harmonies were perfect, and really helped lift the song to a higher level."

Jamie on Joss // Stalemate "...I nearly fell off my chair when she said she loved the song and wanted to sing it...with that wonderfully individual voice of hers. I'm immensely proud of how it turned out."

Jamie's lyrical prowess attracted further collaborations. The first single 'Apologise' was written with Natalie Imbruglia. "The lyric is pretty self explanatory from my point of view – just say sorry for once so that I can forgive you. I think it meant something else to Natalie, but that's the beauty of songwriting, the best ideas come from what's going on in your world at that given moment."

That notion of writing about life experience resonates throughout the album, from the nagging self doubt of 'What if I,' through the resignation of 'Bitter End' to the joyful release of 'She Is Love.' 

"I didn't know it when I wrote it, but 'Battling Giants' became the most relevant song on the new record. It now reflects where I am, making my own record the way I always wanted to – with amazing people I admire – and putting it out on my own label. I'm going my own way. Like a lot of people in the world, I'm facing a 2009 which poses as many questions as answers – with so much change in the music business and the world in general. But I'm also strangely happy and excited about it – and what's more I just know I'm doing the right thing." He muses, "We're all battling giants now, and I can't wait to take the world on!"

'Battling Giants' will be released on Flat Cap Records on 11th May.

Tribute to Iron Maiden

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In late October 2001, the band started the Convention Tour which would see them playing nine gigs in eight different countries. As an added bonus to the tour, NICKO MCBRAIN went along to each show and did a drum clinic. Of course, it's difficult to keep Nicko off the kit. So when HI-ON MAIDEN asked him if he would perform a few songs with them, he willingly obliged, every night of the tour!!!!!

At the Convention in Holland, ADRIAN SMITH was there to do a signing. The band asked if he would guest on a couple of songs and he agreed. Because he had to leave early to catch a flight, he couldn't stay around till show time. So they all agreed to do an inpromptu performance in the afternoon for the fans. Adrian (Smith), Nicko and HI-ON MAIDEN powered their way through THE WICKER MAN and 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT. To top it all off, there was a real treat instore at the last show in Portugal……STEVE HARRIS was there!!! He stayed to watch the whole show and even got up in the encore to perform FOUR songs. He allowed Speed to use his checker board bass, and Steve Harris used Speed's. The crowd went mad as STEVE HARRIS, NICKO MCBRAIN and the whole of HI-ON MAIDEN rocked them with THE WICKER MAN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME, WRATHCHILD and 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT.

Paved the way for them that followed including Motley Crue and Metallica, back after a storming show last year.

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Before Motley Crüe, before RATT, even before there was a Metallica, when Y&T formed in the early 1970s, they set the standard for hard rock bands that trailed. Many of the most popular heavy rock bands of the '80s, at the birth of their careers, opened shows for headliners Y&T; and they all cut their teeth on Y&T, as evidenced by the Y&T mentions in the tell-all books by acts such as Metallica and Motley Crüe. Hailing from the East Bay, Y&T is one of the San Francisco Bay Area's own innovators of the hard rock sound. World-renowned headliners on their own, for years Y&T remained the most requested supporting act on the hard rock road, touring with rock icons including Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Motley Crüe. Y&T was always sure-fired to whip the crowd into a frenzy with their high energy set, performing to overflow houses of fifteen- to sixty- thousand across the U.S. at home, as well as in Japan, Europe, and the UK. Even today, thirty-plus years after the band first formed, the call of Y&T's fans has never silenced.

Dave Meniketti (lead guitar/lead vocals), Phil Kennemore (bass), Leonard Haze (drums), and Joey Alves (rhythm guitar) charged through the '70s and into the '80s with their San Francisco Bay Area brand of hard rock music. After two '70s albums on London Records, a new record deal in 1980 with A&M Records prompted the band to shorten their moniker, and encores with fans chanting "Y&T, Y&T, Y&T" sealed the condensed name. The '80s brought several changes, including Jimmy DeGrasso (Alice Cooper, Suicidal Tendencies, Megadeth) on drums and Stef Burns (Alice Cooper, Berlin, Huey Lewis) on guitar. And today, three decades later, Y&T's legions of fans are still as captivated by the band's melodic heavy rock 'n' roll as they were yesterday, proving Y&T's music timeless.

Y&T's 1985 hit Summertime Girls received tremendous airplay worldwide, played frequently in the BAYWATCH television series and several feature films, remained at length in heavy rotation on MTV as well as MTV's top video playlists, and the hit song plays on today in regular airplay on classic rock radio stations throughout the country alongside other Y&T hits. Y&T songs grace the soundtracks of numerous movies and television shows, and their popular videos, such as Lipstick & Leather, Don't Stop Runnin', Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, and Summertime Girls, are still featured videos on VH1 today.

With career accolades that include performing on American Bandstand, two Bammie Awards, five top 100 albums, songs that tipped into the 40s on Billboard charts, multiple national and international television appearances, and a worldwide fan base, Y&T has sold over four million albums and recorded 16 LPs and three greatest hits collections since their 1974 inception. These rock 'n' roll pioneers survived disco fever, rode the crest of the '80s hard rock insurgence, and remained faithful to melodic power ballads throughout the age of grunge. At any concert you can hear fans calling out their requests from albums including, "Rescue Me" from Earthshaker, "Forever" from Black Tiger, and "Mean Streak" from Mean Streak.

For years, Y&T fans on the very active web discussion forum at www.YandTRocks.com asked the band about previously recorded Y&T songs that had been shelved. Y&T answered their fans' pleas by recently assembling two volumes of previously unreleased material—songs recorded for albums over the past three decades, yet never released. "There's a lot of great stuff that never made it to record," says lead singer/lead guitarist Dave Meniketti. "We always wrote way more material than we ever needed for each record and then those songs just ended up in storage. It was fun to revisit those tunes and give the fans a peek into the archives."

In late 2006, in conjunction with Universal Music Group, Y&T re-mastered and re-issued two of their popular albums from the 1980s: the coveted Earthshaker and In Rock We Trust. These re-releases landed on the heels of two previous re-masters completed by the band in late 2005, considered part of the revered Y&T trilogy: Black Tiger and Mean Streak.

Today, original members Dave Meniketti on searing lead guitar/lead vocals and Phil Kennemore on bass, still take stages around the world by storm, with the addition of John Nymann (Eric Martin, Greg Kihn) on guitar and Mike Vanderhule on drums.

5 Top 100 Albums
HITS: 1983 Mean Streak
1985 Summertime Girls
1990 Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

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Many festival headliners were played, including Colne, Burnley, Stanley Blues, Dublin Templebar, Cork, Farnham, North Wales Blues Festival to name but a few.

Belgium, Ireland, Holland and France played host to Producers tours, and a month long tour of New Zealand was also undertaken, the band playing at the Tauranga Blues + Jazz Festival to great acclaim.

At the Cognac Blues Festival in France they were joined onstage by headliner Ray Charles' brass section, and memorably, his 'Raelets' shimmying and dancing in front of them!

They were featured in session on the Paul Jones Blues Show’ on BBC Radio 2 and have been praised by both Johnnie Walker and Bob Harris. Playing at the Alexis Korner Memorial Concert at Buxton Opera House they were spotted by Peter Green’s management during Peters first major gig, and asked to support the Fleetwood Mac guitar legend on his first national tour for 25 years. The Producers also featured on the BBC documentary of the Buxton concert.

The Producers gave their last concert on New Years Eve 2001/2002 after undertaking a 6-month farewell tour of the UK; needless to say it was a complete sell out with a date at The Brook being included in that tour.

And now in 2009 they are back!

Harry and Dave still front the band, ably assisted by Ray Drury on Organ and Piano and ‘Biff’ Smith on the sticks and percussion.

New songs have been written and loyal fans will recognise some reworked stage favourites as they move on from, but definitely do not forget, the past musical history of the band.

Our very own fab four return to their very own 'Cavern Club'.

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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

If you like Floyd and haven't seen them yet then sort it out you crazy diamond!

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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!

But don't take our word for it - 'Wabble wousing comedy' - Jonathan Woss  

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Mike Wilmot

Current Time Out comedy award winner Canadian MIKE WILMOT started life as stand-up comedian in 1995. Since then he’s become very popular in the UK, performing on the comedy circuit over here since 1998, and at the Edinburgh Festival – to great critical acclaim.

Mike’s effortlessly funny style is a fast-paced, hard-hitting comedic look at everyday life. His comedy targets vary widely, from diets, kids and sex - to American-Canadian backbiting and his fondness for beer. On stage he times himself by how many pints he’s had, rather than having to look at his watch. A proud cynic, Mike is politically and anatomically incorrect, but with a passing resemblance to Oliver Reed he is completely engaging.

Television credits include:

How To Survive (BBC Choice)
The Stand Up Show - series three & five (BBC One)
The Comedy Store – series one & three (Channel Five)
Clarkson (BBC Two)
Up Late With Sean Hughes (BBC Choice)
Shoot The Messenger – Team Captain (Paramount Comedy Channel)

He has also appeared numerous times at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. Mike has been in several feature films, some of which will be shown in UK cinemas later this year.

Mike has performed at every major UK venue, as well as in Ireland, Scandinavia, Paris, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Bangkok and South Africa.

Press Quotes:

‘The highlight was Mike Wilmot, a fast talking stand-up whose close-to-the-bone repertoire leaves the audience in a state of hilarity that most comedians can only dream of’ (The Sunday Times)

‘The bear-like, gravel voiced Mile Wilmot fires keen reports from the front line of the sex wars. He sweats; he shambles; he swears. You’ll cough, choke and chortle’ (The Glasgow Herald)

‘At times raucous, offensive and downright crude, he was nonetheless very, very funny producing belly cackles of genuine mirth throughout….this was a most entertaining experience’ (The Scotsman)

‘Bearing an uncanny resemblance to both Oliver Reed and Rodney Dangerfield, the 38 year-old Canadian is a natural raconteur, dispensing with a watch, preferring to use beer as a clock’ (The Independent)

‘Respite is at hand in the shape of Mike Wilmot, Canada’s answer to Bill Hicks’ (Metro)

‘Like any fine comedian, he exudes intelligence and sweat in equal measures, Wilmot can give any other stand-up alive lessons in the power of laughter to free us from the shackles of embarrassment’ (Time Out)

Noel Britten

Noel Britten's award winning comedy (Winner: Hackney Empire New Act of the Year 1996 and Ha Bloody Ha New Act of the Year 1996), has earned him a solid reputation for comedy excellence on the circuit and beyond.

From the outset Noel was described as "the country's finest emerging stand-up talent" (Comedy Review Magazine) and throughout his career in which he has notched up 7 years of solid experience he is considered "something of a hot property" (Venue Magazine) within the comedy world.

As well as performing in the famous Comedy Store and Jongleurs his clients also extend to numerous corporate events including IBM, HP, Pentel, Pictet Swiss Bank Corporation and Hamptons where his quick witted observational comedy has entertained executives all around the world. He is regularly invited to perform in the USA, Australia, Hong Kong, Dubai and Canada at a variety of events including The Sydney International Festival in Australia, The Nova Scotia Comedy Festival in Canada, The Oerol Festival in Holland and of course The Edinburgh Festival in Scotland. Noels work has also been featured on Channel 4 and BBC.

In the West Country, he is well known for his Bizarre Bath comedy tours of his home City of Bath that have run nightly throughout the summer for the last 10 years. It has been recommended by all the major tourist books ("a great idea, superbly executed, and should be on every visitor's itinerary" Choice Travel Guide), TV Travel shows ("brilliantly unforgettable" BBC's Holiday Show), and has now reached the status of a "must do" for many visitors to Bath.

Kevin Bridges

TV appearances include 8/10 Cats. Michael McIntyres Comedy Roadshow

Complete Edinburgh sell out 2009

Kevin started stand up shortly after his 17th birthday and has shot through the ranks of the Scottish comedy scene. He regularly works all over Scotland, most notably at the Stand comedy clubs where he is a regular headliner, support and resident compere of his own monthly show.

Kevin has achieved a great deal in his short career and 2005 has seen Kevin perform over 150 gigs and begin to venture outwith Scotland, performing in London at many of the top clubs including Saturday nights at the Kings Head and the Comedy Store.

Kevin also had a highly successful Edinburgh festival debut where he featured in the yearly sell-out “Best of Scottish” shows at the Stand.

Other career landmarks include, supporting Scottish TV comedy star Karen Dunbar in front of a sold out audience at the famous Ayr town theatre and featuring as the special guest on BBC Radio Scotland's ''off the ball''
"The most exciting talent in Scottish stand-up" The Herald
''The guy was brilliant, an exceptional young comedian. A superstar in the making'' One4review.com
''Young Scottish sensation with precocious talent, see him before he's the next Billy Connolly'' I.C Newcastle
''Already looks to be a born stand up'' The Herald

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The Fall

Everybody knows that John Peel's favourite song was The Undertones' 'Teenage Kicks', and everyone can sing along to that song.  Not many people know that The Fall were actually John Peel's favourite band, and few could actually name one of their songs.  However, this doesn't mean their reputation and influence is of no importance.  Out of all the late 70s punk and post-punk bands; none are longer-lived or more prolific than Bury's The Fall.  Throughout their career, the band has undergone a myriad of line-up changes, but at the centre of it all was the constant force of sage Mark E. Smith. With his snarling, nearly incomprehensible vocals, and consuming bitter cynicism, Smith became a cult legend in indie and alternative rock. 

Over the course of their career, The Fall went through a number of shifts in musical style, yet the foundation of their sound was a near-cacophonic, a-melodic jagged jumble of guitars, sing-speak vocals, and keyboards.  In 1984, Smith's American wife Brix joined the band as a guitarist, bringing a stronger sense of pop melody to the group.  By the mid 80s, the band's British following was large enough to result in two UK Top 40 hits, but in essence, the group has always been a cult band; their music was always too abrasive and dense for the mainstream. Last year The Sanctuary label reissued two classic albums, 'Live at the Witch Trials' and 'Dragnet', with much better sound than ever before and some bonus tracks were added to 'Dragnet'.  A tour of America was planned but on a visit to Newcastle Smith slipped on some ice, breaking his leg.  A bystander came to help him up but Smith fell again, this time cracking his hip.  Despite a metal rod running from his knee to hip, the Fall went ahead with the American tour with Smith delivering his vocals while seated at a table.  Later Beggars Banquet released the first true career spanning compilation of the band, '50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong.'  The leftovers, live, and outtakes compilation 'Interim' were released November 2004.

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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.

Soul and gospel singer best known for hit 'My One Temptation'.

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Anyone who has seen this tribute to L.A. based supergroup GUNS N' ROSES will readily agree with their reputation as one of the most exciting tribute bands on the circuit today. The band's ability to combine their heavy metal technique with punk attitude has seen them receiving ecstatic reviews all over Britain, and their raw energy and frighteningly good stage show has led to GUNZ N' ROZES being labelled "THE MOST DANGEROUS TRIBUTE BAND IN THE WORLD"

Gunz N' Rozes are: Frontman GARRY CROWLEY's appearance on T.V.'s "Stars In Their Eyes", won so much acclaim that he was asked back to appear on the show's Christmas Special. He also performed vocals on N-Trance's recording of the Guns N' Roses classic "Paradise City". N.G.P. (Rhythm). NGP's energetic impersonation of IZZY STRADLIN's stage performance and guitar work, makes his physical resemblance a bonus. He also does much of the backing vocals, always spot on. SNAKE (Bass). Snake's hard edged bass style cuts through with punk attitude allowing his impression of DUFF McKAGAN to be uncannily accurate. STEVE HARCOURT (Drums). Recreates MATT SORUM's drumming with unswerving confidence. He is a drummer experienced in many techniques whose love lies in heavier styles. JOE HARCOURT (Lead Guitar). His performance as lead guitarist SLASH is simply superb, all of his classic riffs and solos are recreated note for note, and Joe's physical appearance is remarkably similar to Slash.

All the classic tracks including "Paradise City", "You Could Be Mine", "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Welcome to the Jungle", etc, etc, are performed by the band along with many other songs from the albums, "Appetite for Destruction", "G N' R Lies", and "Use Your Illusion I and II".

 

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New GUN Single available NOW!
GUN's brand new single 'Let Your Hair Down' is released today exclusively as a free download through Rock Radio....

For full details please visit www.rockradio.co.uk

The track is taken from the band's forthcoming mini-album 'Popkiller' which will be released on November 16th.

The full track listing is:
Let Your Hair Down / Popkiller / Seraphina / Ripping Up The Letters / The Only

Pre-order your copy now by clicking here:

The Thin Rocking With Rock Radio One...

EARLY CAREER

Originally called Blind Allez, then for a short time, 'Phobia', GUN were formed in 1987 by Giuliano Gizzi (guitar), Cami Morlotti (bass), Mark Rankin (vocals), Al Thornton (drums) and David Aitken (guitar).
Signed in 1989 by A&M Records, they worked on new material until the departure of Al, Cami and David.
The band then recruited Giuliano's brother Dante (bass), Scott Shields (drums) and Baby Stafford (guitar) and worked towards recording their first album, 'Taking On The World'.

Mark Rankin's cousin Sharleen Spiteri, of fellow Scottish band Texas, along with former member Al Thornton, contributed backing vocals to several songs on the album.

The band's debut single 'Better Days' shot straight into the Top 40 securing an appearance on 'Top Of The Pops' & attracted supporters/champions from many genres of music/backgrounds.

Further hit singles followed, 'Money, 'Everybody Loves Her', 'Inside Out', 'Shame On You' & 'Taking On The World', this instant crossover appeal saw GUN attracting a tremendously strong, loyal fanbase & comfortably supporting both The Rolling Stones & Simple Minds on their European Tours of 1990.

MAINSTREAM SUCCESS

Album Number 2, 'Gallus', quickly followed & provided another huge radio record in 'Steal Your Fire' & a return to the Top Of The Pops studio.

Alex Dickson had replaced Baby Stafford just before the release of 'Gallus' and further hit singles 'Welcome To The Real World' & 'Higher Ground' alongside two years of constant European touring established the band as leaders of the by now popular Brit-Rock movement alongside Therapy, The Wildhearts, The Almighty, Thunder, Little Angels & Terrorvision.

Album Number 3, 'Swagger' saw GUN's biggest commercial success propelled by their version of Cameo's classic hit, 'Word Up!', the single reached Number 4 in the UK and charted well in many other territories as well as earning the band an MTV award for the year's most popular cover version.

By now Giuliano had taken over all guitar duties following Alex's departure to join Bruce Dickinson's band with Scott leaving also to work with Baby Stafford.

Mark Kerr (brother of Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr) replaced Scott on drums during this period.

The band took a break and returned three years later with yet another new drummer, Stuart Kerr (formerly of Texas), a keyboard player, Irvin Duguid, a new name (G.U.N.), and a new album, '0141 632 6326' produced by INXS keyboard player Andrew Farriss, which was characterised by further popular radio hits 'Crazy You' & 'My Sweet Jane'.

The band split in 1997 but returned briefly for a few one-off reunion gigs in 1998 and 1999.

Two new GUN CDs were released (The Collection and The River Sessions - a double live CD) during their hiatus, and all the previous individual members went on to other projects within the music industry.

REFORMATION AND FUTURE

In January 2008, Giuliano and Dante Gizzi played a set of GUN songs, with Toby Jepson of Little Angels guesting on vocals, alongside original drummer Al Thornton at the 'Garage' in Glasgow, Scotland.

The gig was organised by 96.3 Rock Radio FM in aid of the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy charity. GUN had just recently received an award from Nordoff-Robbins for outstanding contribution to Music.

Following this GUN announced on Tom Russell's Rock Radio show (April 2008) their permanent reformation with Jepson on vocals replacing Mark Rankin, who had given his blessing to the reformation and new line-up.

Going forward, new recorded material was the agenda & the year saw GUN as headline artist to Manchester's Rock Radio festival launch during the summer alongside an appearance on the Main Stage of T In The Park with Rage Against The Machine.

Completed by new drummer Glasgow's Gordon McNeil, further club shows in Glasgow, Scarborough & Cannock served as great preparation to the celebration of their 'Taking On The World' 20th Anniversary 'One Night Only' shows in London & Glasgow in December 2008 .

www.gunofficial.co.uk was quickly launched to champion GUN's new & exciting phase of their career & will be the nucleus of all their new recordings & activities.

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"For the fourth time this year we bring together our stable as "Sound of the C" to celebrate some wonderful news for the South Coast . . . Dlugokecki are celebrating their first USA publishing & licensing deal! Melodramas and their triumphant return as the first ever unsigned UK act to play a major festival on 3 continents in just 1 month! 10pShort having beaten thousands of bands worldwide to secure an invitation to the prestigious SXSW 2010 in Austin Texas and our newest recruits securing their first major showcase gigs at the famous London tastemaker venue Water Rats January 2010 . . . who ever said there wasn’t a scene on the south coast clearly hadn't heard the "Sound of the C" . . . a rising tide gathers all ships . . . be a part of the movement, and we'll C you at the Brook”

Dlugokecki

Dlugokecki is a musical project fronted by Ben Dlugokecki (pronounced- Der-loo-go-ken-ski) - An extraordinarily talented 27 year old prolific singer/songwriter based in Southampton, England. He is joined by Andy Wild (Keys, vocals), Marie Kitchen (Cello, vocals), Boyd (Drums), Tim Jackson (Guitars), Roxanne Johns (Backing Vocals) & Aidan Hampson (Bass). Their music has been compared to the likes of David Gray, Paul Simon, Elbow and Damian Rice.

Five of their biggest shows to date were supporting million-selling artists 'David Gray', 'Snow Patrol', 'Corinne-Bailey Rae', 'The Proclaimers' and 'Lu Lu' on their world tours, playing to thousands of people. In 2009 they played the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas also playing 2 shows in New York to great acclaim.

They have also played alongside 'Starsailor', 'British Sea Power', 'Mouldy Peaches', Brit-award nominees 'Beth Rowley' and 'Nerina Pallot', 'The Webb Sisters', 'Ben's Brother' twice, 'Longview', 'Sandi Thom' 3 times, 'Paddy Casey', 'The Bluetones', 'Chris Difford (Squeeze)', 'Goodbooks', 'The Drifters', 'John Power (CAST/The La's)' and 'Nizlopi' 3 times.

Some other highlights over the last 4 years include reaching the final 8 of the 'Sennheiser Best Unsigned Artist 2004' out of 2000 entries, playing the 2005 ASCAP showcase at the London Barfly, having their music in the i-tunes music store, being named artist of the month on the 'Musician's Channel' on Sky and his debut music video played daily. They recently won 3 regional awards for live performance at 'The Mag Awards'.

Their music has been used on the soundtrack of Channel 4 hit show Ny-Lon, they have recorded in Metropolis Studio, London and have had a twelve-day session in Ibiza and recently had five tracks heavily featured in episodes of Channel 4's "Hollyoaks".

In 2006, Dlugokecki released a collection of Studio Recordings called 'Before The Storm'. In 2007, The recent 'How Do You Do?' tour was a massive success - with Dlugokecki performances at the top of the Spinnaker Tower, Old Trafford, Stonehenge, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, The Ferry across the Mersey and at 3,200ft at the top of Mount Snowdon in Wales. The tour resulted in a mass media exposure - including segments on BBC Radio and BBC One News. In 2008 the band finished their mini-album 'Let this be Right' which sold 1000 copies in it's first week!

This year Dlugokecki will complete and release their debut album, through independent record label 'And Records'. With over 30 superb songs to choose from it's going to be an enjoyable task and a great year for the band.

Melodramas

IN-CONT-IN-ENT . . . ? ! !
It’s more like which continent in this instance….
It would be fair to say these boys were somewhat apprehensive at the thought of playing 3 continents in one month, having never gigged outside of their native Hampshire before!

As the worlds already met them… we thought it only right that we introduce to you:
Colossal in Kuwait …. Auspicious in Australia .… Superlative in Southsea. Everything about this band is as dramatic & stylish as their name suggests.

In the last month alone ,this band of young English gentlemen, who just happen to span the Southampton / Portsmouth divide with some gusto.. (two from each City) have, by invitation, played Festivals in Europe, Asia & Oceania . . . . Having formed less than 18 months ago & never having played outside a Hampshire venue, let alone a festival, they took on their incredible worldwide debut with a class that has left industry and fans alike Agog and aghast. Intrigued? Don’t miss your first chance to catch them back on home ground

10pShort

10p Short met in 2008 in a London suburb, wearing their influences on their sleeve, they blend anthemic rock with quirky pop, that leaves audiences wanting more.

The lyrics of Thom George deal with everything from love and loss to contemporary politics aimed to connect with all who listen.
With a “have a nice day” attitude, 10p Short will capture your heart and put the smile, that you love so much, back where it belongs.

Having recently been accepted to play One Movement in Perth,Australia and already having supported the likes of The Parlotones and Post War Years, 10p Short look forward to exciting times ahead.

The Queue

Mod upstarts The Queue got the evening off to a raucous start with an adrenaline fuelled set of life affirming rock n roll with added youthful swagger. 'Top Of The World' could have easily been written by a young Noel Gallagher whilst 'Feelin'' makes the fact that the vast majority of the band are only 18 years old downright laughable. Seeing The Queue playing live genuinely re-ignites those excitable feelings of seeing Oasis when they brewed up such a storm back in 1994 (a time when these boys were in nappies!!). They proudly wear their Beatles, Jam, Stone Roses and Verve influences on their sleeves without being plagiaristic and are a very tight and talented unit without ever being over indulgent, The Queue live experience is refreshing to say the very least. "The-Mag.me.co.uk"

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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

When faced with the challenge of performing not only the classic Eagles tracks, but now the fabulous 'Long Road Out of Eden' songs, the Illegal Eagles have brought together six fabulous musicians to delight our Eagles fans! Exquisite musicianship and breathtaking harmonies......

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In August 1996, just after breakfast on a Tuesday, Phil Aldridge, who always believed it is better to play great music written by others, rather than to subject the public to the second rate, dreary “original” songs of so many also-ran losers, resolved to form a band presenting the altogether cracking output of The Eagles!z

The Eagles, as luck would have it, had recently reformed following a fourteen-year holiday and were performing a three-night stint at the old Wembley Stadium.

Phil duly trundled off and, on the third of these nights, managed to procure a ticket in the eleventh row, directly in front of Lord Henley’s drum kit.

Now, you could be forgiven for thinking that he went home full of inspiration and immediately formed the band. But, you’d be wrong.

During the course of the three-hour set it became increasingly apparent that Phil was witnessing a performance that was touching flawless on the gigometer, ergo impossible to recreate with the lesser mortals residing in his phone book.

The idea was summarily scrapped.

Three months passed and Phil found himself performing a set with some also-ran losers in a pub in Essex. During its course, a punter extolled “’Ere! Can I ave a bash at Lyin’ Eyes?”

Phil was fully aware that he didn’t have to do this sort of thing, being potentially a very fine plumber and was dismayed when the band consented.

The Billy’s rendition was desperate.

The audience went wild.

Epiphany!

Phil, all at once, cottoned on to the fact that the Eagles’ songs were of such an inordinate popularity that an audience would readily forgive any shortcomings in delivery.

Bingo!

Phil, with renewed confidence, recalled the contents of his phone book also held the numbers of Jeff Green, Ray Brown, Keith Atack and Chris Childs – musicians armed with flair and skill a-plenty.

Within five minutes, The Illegal Eagles was born!

Previously, at the beginning of these five aforementioned minutes, Phil had taken the wise precaution of booking the first show, to be performed six weeks hence, thereby ensuring the enthusiasm of his newfound colleagues who would rather have their gonads removed than miss a paid gig!

Forty-two acoustic vocal rehearsals followed, then two full electric ones and the band went on stage.

To thirty-eight apprehensive people.

Seventy-five minutes passed and thirty-eight ecstatic people (who witnessed no sign of any shortcomings in delivery!) left the Esplanade Pub on Southend seafront to spread the word!

Within a year, the pubs had become theatres and the pub band had become a rock show.

Hal Carter was enlisted as manager, Flying Music as promotion company and off they went, gallivanting from town to town and continent to continent.

Their popularity grew apace and in 2003 our heroes found themselves playing at no less than the Royal Albert Hall! Several thousand people attended the show which was critically acclaimed.

In the same year, The Illegal Eagles enthusiasm for great Eagles songs was augmented to encompass great Illegal Eagles songs. “The Path Home” a collection of ten original songs (which are neither dreary, nor second rate!) was released (actually, it escaped..). It features two songs written and produced by each member of the band.

There's only one Bowie but if there were two Jean Genie would definitely be the other one.

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Jean Genie were formed in 1993 in Birmingham by John Mainwaring the lead vocalist of the band. They play all over the world and pay tribute to Bowie's music of the 70s 80s and 90s. John has had many recording contracts with major companies under different guises and has toured with David Bowie's original band of the early 70s - The Spiders From Mars - being their vocalist. John has been produced by Bowie's producer Tony Visconti in the early 80s and worked with Jarvis Cocker of Pulp and Joe Elliott of Def Leppard. He has also had a number one hit in The Lebanon in 1990. Jean Genie play all of Bowies hits in an amazing show of complete detail. John Mainwearing is without doubt the only other David Bowie on the planet, his voice is exactly the same but you don't need to close your eyes because he looks just like him too.

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One of music’s most uncompromising and complex individuals, Steve Hackett has earned the reputation of being one of Britain’s finest composers and guitarists. Originally a key member of the ‘classic’ Genesis his complex and distinctive playing contributed heavily to their early success, developing an elegance and sophistication which have since become his trademark. He has since achieved consistent solo success internationally in both the rock and classical arenas.

Born in London in 1950, Steve was already playing harmonica as a four-year-old and by 12 was experimenting with his father’s guitar. During his teens he played with various bands in his spare time and had already started to place advertisements in Melody Maker in search of like-minded musicians. One of those ads was answered by Peter Gabriel and Steve gave up his day job to join him in Genesis for £15 a week.

Within a couple of years sell-out tours ensued across Europe and America and they were on their way to becoming one of the best loved bands of that decade and beyond. For most Genesis fans the Hackett years and the albums they recorded together represent the definitive Genesis. Some would even go further, saying that when Steve left, the true spirit of the band went with him, reappearing only on his solo albums, now totalling twenty one and covering a vast range from screaming blues to the most refined classical.

In 1975 Steve's first solo album, Voyage Of The Acolyte, featured band colleagues Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford and was greeted with rave reviews.

By 1977 Steve had decided it was time to diversify his music further and move on from the band. Since then they’ve enjoyed a couple of reunions, one at Milton Keynes to support Peter Gabriel's WOMAD project and another at a charity concert for Tadworth Children's Hospital.

Please Don’t Touch (1978) was Steve’s next solo project and included guests such as Richie Havens, Steve Walsh of KANSAS and Randy Crawford - who Steve had discovered singing in a downtown Chicago nightclub. "I wanted to get the most diverse and eclectic tracks that I could together on one album; a style mix between a European, structured approach to rock and a spartan Black American sound".

With his own regular team of musicians gathered, Steve started touring and released two further albums, Spectral Mornings (1979) and Defector (1980), both Top 10 albums in the UK and Europe. The strong lyrical instrumentals combined with the cutting edge of his guitar style not only received critical acclaim but were consistently used for many films and TV programmes.

On his next album, Cured (1981), Steve abandoned the group feel for a high-tech sound, though still working with regular collaborator Nick Magnus. Ian Mosely joined on drums for 1983’s Highly Strung, another very successful album which produced the hit single Cell 151.

During his time with Genesis Steve had become known for his intricate solo passages on classical guitar - "I have always believed that one half of me was born to be an acoustic guitar player, the other half to play rock guitar and to do both with equal passion". Thus Bay Of Kings (1983) with Steve on acoustic guitar accompanied by his brother John on flute was a natural progression. Although not strictly speaking a classical musician, Steve endeavours to enlarge the existing classical repertoire by writing timeless pieces for acoustic guitar. One of these was given the seal of approval by Yehudi Menuhin when he used it as the theme to his television documentary “From Kew To The Findhorn Foundation”.

Steve and his brother enjoyed a hugely successful acoustic tour during which the Financial Times reported that the only two concerts which had sold out the Barbican that year were The London Symphony Orchestra and Steve Hackett!

He followed this up in 1984 with another rock album, Till We Have Faces - the first album to be recorded using surround-sound ‘ambisonic’ techniques. The record was heavily influenced by time spent in Brazil and was recorded there with local musicians, presaging the subsequent trend towards 'World Music'.

In 1986 Steve formed GTR with Steve Howe. The venture produced a Top 10 US single - When The Heart Rules The Mind - and a platinum album as well as attracting immense media coverage from MTV and nationwide press and radio. It was noted by TIME magazine and BILLBOARD that during one two week period that August all of the current and past members of Genesis had albums in the Billboard Top 20! A total of five albums between them.

During this period with GTR Steve also found time to guest on the A Box Of Frogs album with such greats as Jimmy Page, Ian Dury and Rory Gallagher.

In the Spring of 1988 Steve released a second acoustic collection, Momentum, again recorded with his brother John on flute. They toured extensively throughout Britain and Europe that year and in the Soviet Union Steve entertained a record-breaking crowd of over 90,000 with just one nylon strung guitar. It is precisely this ability to successfully bridge the two ends of the musical spectrum that has earned him the admiration both of rock contemporaries and leading classical players and in 1992 he realised a long held ambition by collaborating with the London Chamber Orchestra on a performance of Vivaldi’s Guitar Concerto at London’s prestigious South Bank. Later that year he assembled a brand new band and toured the United States in support of his live collection Time Lapse.

1993 saw Hackett take yet another new direction with Guitar Noir, which, as the title suggests, explores the deeper shadows of composition and of the instrument. This inspired combination of layered textures of sounds showed off some of Steve’s most adventurous soundscapes this far.

In 1994 he produced Blues With A Feeling, his own interpretation of some of the music which had originally inspired him. It’s little known that Steve’s first musical adventures were as a jobbing harmonica player and the ‘poor man’s trumpet’ is beautifully showcased on this record alongside the soaring virtuoso guitar for which he is best known.

During the same year Steve once again took to the road accompanied by keyboardist Julian Colbeck and presented a series of ‘unplugged’ concerts in locations such as Belgium, Austria, Germany, Holland, Romania, Estonia, Venezuela and Italy where a live acoustic album, There Are Many Sides To The Night, was recorded. The shows featured pieces from Steve’s acoustic albums together with new arrangements of some old favourites and a few forays into uncharted territory, all of which combined to bring the acoustic guitar firmly into the `90’s and beyond.

Rearrangement was also on the menu the following year with Genesis Revisited, Steve’s affectionate reimagining of the band of which he had been such a key part. Featuring a host of special guests including The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Steve took the cream of Genesis’ classic repertoire and, as he eloquently put it, presented it “as you've never seen or heard it, but perhaps occasionally dreamt it ....”. Encouraged by the album’s positive reception, Steve took to the stage in Japan accompanied by John Wetton, Ian McDonald & Chester Thompson to perform a selection of material from their collective back catalogues. A double album and video of these unique performances was captured and released as The Tokyo Tapes, much to the delight of fans around the world.

Meanwhile A Midsummer Night’s Dream had been recorded for EMI Classics, again with The Royal Philharmonic. Released in 1997, it was Steve’s largest classical work to date and his debut as an orchestral composer. A beguiling tone-poem for Classical Guitar and symphony orchestra, it was quite an audacious undertaking for an ex-blues harmonica player and self-taught guitarist. The album spent several weeks in the Top 10 of the UK classical charts and was described by Classic FM’s Nick Bailey as “the best new classical album I’ve heard all year”. The cognoscenti of the classical world had realised what many already knew …..

If there were any doubts that the cinematic dreamscapes of Genesis Revisited and A Midsummer Night’s Dream had made a lasting impact, 1999’s Darktown would have swiftly dispelled them. In his first all-new studio album since Guitar Noir Steve picked up where the earlier album left off but proceeded to take it several thrilling and chilling steps further into dusky phantasmagoria. Memorably described at the time as “a thrilling musical journey through scenes, stories and psycho-dramas … a theme-park ride through one man's consciousness” it somehow manages to reconcile hi-velocity rock with classical orchestra and lilting ballads with electronic soundscapes. A compelling statement from start to finish, Darktown is one of those rare albums that demands not only to be heard, but to be listened to.

Equally engaging, but in every other way a complete contrast, was Steve’s next release, 2001’s Sketches Of Satie. Arranged solely for flute and classical guitar throughout, Sketches is a connoisseur's selection from the catalogue of French composer Erik Satie. Featuring some of his most famous and beautiful works including the Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes and widely praised in the Classical press, Sketches Of Satie illuminates some of the 20th century's most beautiful and accessible music, and was described, in a typically Satie-esque paradox, as "the timeless folk music of a culture yet to exist".

Feedback 86 was released later the same year but came from a different direction altogether. It was a vintage album in every sense of the word. Though first recorded in 1986 it languished in the vaults for some 15 years until complex contractual problems were resolved. Still, the `80s loss proved the `00s gain as Steve and a storming line-up including Queen guitarist Brian May, Bonnie Tyler and Ian Mosley and Pete Trewavas of Marillion gives us a tantalising glimpse of what the second GTR album might have been like.

As 21st century advances in recording technology became ever more amazing, so it became possible to bring archive recordings from different decades up to the necessary standard for CD release. To the chagrin of bootleggers everywhere, the box set Live Archive 70/80/90s leapt from the vaults in 2001, replete with the excitement of three of Steve's favourite shows from across the decades. With the recordings legally available for the very first time, this definitive 4 album compendium features great performances of a hefty chunk of Steve’s 'greatest hits' and allows fascinating comparisons between different versions across the years.

The early rays of the new millennium also found Steve contributing the music for a documentary film entitled Outwitting Hitler. “Chris Ward, the director, already knew my work and called up to pitch us a film, which was work in progress at that point.” The finished score included some material intended for a future guitar and orchestra project, as Steve explained: “We plundered some of the future and we plundered some of the past…they needed the soundtrack pretty fast".

Steve continued to tour throughout 2000, 2001 and 2002, managing to visit 3 different continents with both electric and acoustic shows. The acoustic trio – comprising Steve, John Hackett on flute and Roger King on keyboards – have travelled to Japan, Italy, Hungary and Malta, where they became the first 'amplified' act ever to play Valetta's beautiful and historic Manoel Theatre. However, it was Eastern Europe that provided the setting for the the DVD/2CD set Hungarian Horizons - Live In Budapest, which, along with Somewhere In South America - Live In Buenos Aires, serves as a fine distillation of the Steve Hackett live experience.

2002 also saw a remarkable series of appearances with classical percussionist Evelyn Glennie, culminating in the premiere performance of The City In The Sea, a semi-structured composition especially written by Steve for the event and performed "without a safety net" and full of improvisation, in front of a mesmerised crowd at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall.

“The style of music that I have been working on with my band, particularly some of the ‘live’ work, I’ve been calling ‘Collision’…as when worlds collide …”. A quote from Steve Hackett referring to his 2003 line-up, but one which could also easily be applied to Guitar Wars. This unique event, a celebration of Hard Rock Café’s 20th anniversary in Japan, brought together “super guitarists” from different genres and backgrounds. So it was that Steve shared the spotlight for three nights with Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big and Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt. A fabulous time, was, apparently, had by all.

In 2003 Steve's latest album of new 'rock' material was released, To Watch The Storms. Largely recorded with his band it saw the reappearance of many of the Hackett compositional trademarks which graced earlier classics such as Voyage of the Acolyte and Spectral Mornings. The album covered a diverse range and has proved to be in the tradition of Steve's most enduring work - a satisfying and subtle album which rewards repeated listening with new levels of detail and insight.

‘Metamorpheus’, the latest project, is the natural successor to 1997’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and is Hackett's fifth classical project, combining nylon guitar with 'The Underworld Orchestra', seamlessly linking small and large musical forces. Metamorpheus is a remarkable piece of work, the product of a man who loves all musical instruments equally and possesses the tenacity to forge them into one.

“Whenever I heard the Underworld Orchestra I kept thinking of Blake, and those ‘Bows of Burning Gold’ every time their efforts made the music sing! A once in a lifetime experience to work with such a skilled and dedicated team,” remarked Hackett.

As he enters his fourth decade as a professional musician Steve Hackett remains true to his muse, someone who cannot be easily packaged but forges restlessly onward in pursuit of his myriad artistic goals. Often imitated but never equalled, his reputation rests on sheer talent and a never failing ability to challenge and intrigue his audience. He is an inspiration to successive generations of musicians who applaud him the world over.