The Brook, 466 Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton SO17 3SD
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February 2012 @ The Brook

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Fronted by Johnny Warman

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ALL RIGHT NOW are simply the best UK Free and Bad Company Tribute without question.

Johnny Warman was signed to Ringo's record label, fronted Humble Pie and has done numerous excellent musical things working and singing with Ringo Starr, Peter Gabriel, Harry Nilsson, Asia, Dave Gilmour, Stevie Van Zant and the E Street Band, Love Affair and not forgetting still lead vocalist in The Mods....a brilliant song writer, when he sings this material he sings like his life depends on it...I like this...this is what music should be about...not tempering yourself and becoming lax thru a beer and then doing "just another gig"... giving your utmost...living for the moment....every gig was an important occasion to FREE and this approach we uphold.

Roy plays the guitar, like Koss....not interested in total exact copies, for that is the death of true music, for music to live it has to respond to true live emotion...the plan here is to capture the feelings from the air, from the universe, that were captured and expressed by Koss himself back in the day...living music, not pointless facsimile......this takes more than just knowing the material...it takes empathy with the original........Here him scream.... and cry.....dynamic?...you could say so....Roy always has exceptionally great tone too!...just like Koss..

Jeff Rich plays the drums...no introduction needed....Jeff was drummer with Status Quo for 16 years, and has worked with Def Leopard, Judy Tzuke, Stretch, Jackie Lomax and the Climax Blues Band - Jeff's drumming style fits ALL RIGHT NOW perfectly..........He is the ultimate professional and one of the nicest guys you could ever meet in the music business.

Ant Wellman, his rock solid personality is expressed in his playing....Ant had the pleasure of working with Beki Bondage and Vice Squad ...Ant is an experienced pro who adds just the right low end funkiness to ALL RIGHT NOW...driving when we need to be driven, melodious when we need melody, funky when we need the funk....just like Andy was...

ALL RIGHT NOW rocks...not just a musicians' band but a good time outfit intent on giving the audience the best Show that they possibly can.....and some....lots of FREE, lots of BAD COMPANY....lots of laughs, lots of tears...life.....

As one punter said after a Major gig, "ALL RIGHT NOW are so much more than a tribute Band'

If you love the music of Free and Bad Company, then do not miss the opportunity of enjoying this incredible Band.

Skinny Molly was started by Mike Estes of Lynyrd Skynyrd with Dave Hlubek of Molly Hatchet, and Kurt Pietro recalling the best of Skynyrd and Mike Estes: including "Gimme Three Steps", "Call Me The Breeze", "Saturday Night Special", "Sweet Home Alabama", "That Smell", "Simple Man", "What's Your Name", "Freebird" plus Mike's own "Straight Shooter" & "She's Rockin" etc…

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SKINNY MOLLY features the former Lynyrd Skynyrd and Artimus Pyle Band guitarist Mike Estes.

Long regarded as one of the South's very best guitarists Mike originally wrote songs for The Rossington Collins Band & Lynyrd Skynyrd before being asked to join Skynyrd. Mike was subsequently inducted into the Hollywood Hall of Fame and played on the band's legendary 1995 "Endangered Species" and "Southern Knights" CD's as well as on the "100 Minutes of Skynyrd" DVD.

In Skinny Molly he is joined by brilliant young Florida based slide guitarist Keith Whalen in a twin guitar attack that launches into classic Southern Rock and boogie set featuring the best of Lynyrd Skynyrd. The full line-up includes bass player Gary Nutt (Mike Tramp), drummer Kurt Pietro (Brave New South) and Keith Whalen on second guitar. Expect long hair, Marshall stacks, classic guitar led rock and boogie!

Back in 1973 Lynyrd Skynyrd changed the course of rock music by leading a new Classic Rock scene from the south, The debut album "Pronounced Leh nerd-skin-nerd" included the anthem "Freebird", and the band went on to sell 26 million records. Tragically a plane killed several band members and their road crew, and it was only 10 years later that Skynyrd reformed with members of their extended musical family.

By the mid 90's the South's leading guitarist Mike Estes joined Skynyrd for their first acoustic release and DVD. It was one of the most exciting later Lynyrd Skynyrd line-ups ever! Now comes Skinny Molly recalling the best of Skynyrd and Mike Estes: including "Gimme Three Steps", "Call Me The Breeze", "Saturday Night Special", "Sweet Home Alabama", "That Smell", "Simple Man", "What's Your Name", "Freebird"!!! + Mike's Straight Shooter "She's Rockin" etc…
Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Molly Hatchet/Blackfoot/The Outlaws etc…

This is Classic Southern rock 'n' boogie played by the best in the business from the Deep South!

Before he was 25, he had fame as the guitar player for the Black Crowes, fortune, a beautiful wife and home; seemingly, he had it all. But in the blink of an eye, much of it was gone. How he managed to make it through with graciousness and his sense of self-intact is examined on his new solo album, Through A Crooked Sun.

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Rich Robinson
Through A Crooked Sun
(Circle Sound/Thirty Tigers) Release date: October 11, 2011

Socrates said that a life unexamined was not worth living, but sometimes life is going so well that you could forgive one for just going with the flow. But life will catch up with you in time, as it did for Rich Robinson. Before he was 25, he had fame as the guitar player for the Black Crowes, fortune, a beautiful wife and home; seemingly, he had it all. But in the blink of an eye, much of it was gone. How he managed to make it through with graciousness and his sense of self-intact is examined on his new solo album, Through A Crooked Sun.

"The sun was a fitting metaphor to examine my life, because in many ways what was going on both nourished me and blinded me at the same time," says Rich. "I was living this life that was askew. My relationships with the people that were supposed to be my closest seemed damaged. My marriage was not a good fit for either of us and we weren't facing up to that. Though I love my brother, the fact that my working environment can be challenging has been well chronicled. Nothing was working like it should have been, but by many people's standards, it was a dream come true." It would take an unexpected (at least by Rich) band hiatus, financial difficulties and most devastating of all, a painful divorce to push him to the point of re-evaluation.

"Hey Fear," the lead single from the album, looks at fear's dual nature. "Fear can be a healthy, natural, protective response to your environment, but it can also be debilitating," says Rich. "In many ways, continuing the unhappy life that I was leading was a response to the fear of what lay beyond it." The song recognizes that, though fear will remain a part of one's everyday life ("Hey there fear/You've been there for me/A familiar voice/In a raging sea"), it cannot be dispatched by flailing away at it, but by embracing a quiet mind and a more simple life. "I wanted this song to be sparse to represent simplicity, and then add in the more frenetic production at the end to represent the onset of fear," Rich says.

"Bye Bye Baby" addresses what Rich refers to as his life lived backwards. "I had everything people work hard for at age 20, and now in my early 40's, in a lot of ways, I'm starting over, like someone in their early 20's." The song features evocative imagery as metaphor for the past experiences of his life. A falling curtain and two birds falling from the sky are juxtaposed with the very direct question, "Is this world done with me?" "I didn't mean for that question to be negative, but really more of a question of whether the life that I've led is over and wondering if that's all there is to it. More of a question and a gentle letting go than anything," says Rich.

The Black Crowes are still a vibrant, relevant entity, an experience he shares with his longtime bandmates, including his brother Chris. To refresh their individual energies, the band has gone on more frequent hiatuses, which has allowed Rich to explore musical ideas that might not fit the band dynamic, and also continue to hone his skills as a terrific visual artist (www.richrobinsonart.com). "The most exciting thing for me in doing my own album is that a lot of the things that I want to express lyrically, which are very personal, may not have space to be expressed in the band format," says Rich.

"It's All Gone" uses a hooky call and response between Rich and his psyche to chronicle his own burgeoning spirituality in light of changing circumstances ("I fell the distance of the deepest canyon drop/ That's how you bleed, sir/It took me years to climb back to the top/ That's what you need, sir"). His sense of spirituality has made him more aware of a growing collective consciousness that has come out of the recent difficult times that rejects the shallow, and Rich sees that as a very positive thing ("I feel it coming to take us to a new world"). The production on the song features twinned guitar parts to match the dual vocals, and the result is a joyous welcoming of new ways.

The subject of consumerism is addressed on "It's Not Easy," a song about how the pursuit of material things can desensitize us, how we often use it to fill in emptiness in our lives, so that we feel something, however temporary that sensation is. "I'm not judging; I've been there, but I think it is something that we need to be more aware of" he says. This consciousness about the limitations of materialism and a growing political awareness have led him to participate in interesting projects with those that he has found common cause with, most prominently contributing music to The People Speak, the Howard Zinn film project.

Finally, family is very much at the center of Rich's worldview. He has recently remarried and they have welcomed a new son to the family (with another on the way). "She has been very good for me, and we really do think very similarly about things. Thinking about my three, soon to be four children really does make me think about the kind of world that I want to create around myself, what kinds of values I want to raise them around. And I'm more aware than ever that we create our own entrapments as well as our own bliss." Thinking about family has also caused Rich to look the other way down his family tree toward his father in particular, who has been struggling to maintain good health. "Follow Your Forever" is a song to him. "Things look better than they did a few months ago, and this song came from starting the grieving process," Rich says.

Through A Crooked Sun finds the musical gifts that have propelled a major career fully intact, but joined this time by a more sentient, holistic outlook: that of a father, a son, a husband, a spiritual being, a musician, fully integrated and more comfortable than ever in his body, mind and soul.

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‘Song For Whoever', ‘Perfect Ten', ‘Rotterdam', ‘Don't Marry Her', ‘You Keep It All In', ‘Old Red Eyes Is Back', the list of hits is almost daunting and The South are bringing their music back to the nation. Dave Hemingway and Ali Wheeler [lead singers with The Beautiful South along with departed songwriter Paul Heaton] loved the songs and life on the road too much to just muse on past glories, and so The South was formed. Now the band are delighted to announce an intimate series of headline shows across the UK in February and March 2012. The "Small Is Beautiful" tour is a great chance for lovers of this truly classic British Pop band to reconnect with the musicians and the music once again.

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After 20 years, ten studio albums, five greatest hits compilations, thirty-four chart singles, 15 million record sales worldwide and performing in front of millions of fans, when time was called on The Beautiful South in 2008, not everyone was ready to leave the party. Dave Hemingway and Ali Wheeler, lead singers with the band - along with departed songwriter Paul Heaton – were having too much fun to get out the pipe and slippers, and so The South was formed. Joining the duo were fellow mainstays from the original band: keyboard wizard Damon Butcher and the potent horn section of Gaz Birtles and Tony Robinson that brought so much to the live shows. Armed with a sensational back catalogue of hits such as ‘Song For Whoever', ‘Perfect Ten', ‘Rotterdam', ‘Don't Marry Her', ‘You Keep It All In', ‘Old Red Eyes Is Back' and many others, there is a long way to go on this particular road.

This band has history and pedigree. Dave Hemingway's musical career stretches back into the Eighties. He became a founder member of The Beautiful South after the demise of The Housemartins, who had enjoyed a sustained purple patch and many hits before calling it a day in 1988. Whilst bassist Norman Cook went on to become superstar DJ Fat Boy Slim, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway proceeded to form the new band in December 1988. Right from the off, The Beautiful South seemed to defy the normal logic associated with pop bands, not least for the fact that they stayed together for 20 years.

Over the life of the band, they produced many self-penned hits and had several number one albums – they scored their only number one single with the Dave Hemingway / Briana Corrigan duet ‘A Little Time'. A globally successful band, members of The South have performed these songs in front of hordes of fans from Hull to Houston. They love the material and know what will keep the fans happy.

Now with The South marking the next step in these musicians' careers, the band are starting to add in exciting new songs to their repertoire. Competition for space in a set-list packed with so many hits is fierce, but the quality of some of the new material is such that the songs have slotted right in – and the fans' reaction has been amazing.

The South certainly have history. But the future looks bright...

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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 2012 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.

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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???

Guitarist Larry Miller is undeniably one of the must see blues/rock acts. He is famous for his exciting, mesmerising guitar playing and rip roaring shows in the UK and around Europe. He holds the record for the most encores at The Cambridge Rock Festival, returning the following year to a capacity crowd and a standing ovation. If you like Rory Gallagher, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Moore or Hendrix, you'll love the guitar pyrotechnics of Larry Miller.

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Guitarist Larry Miller is undeniably one of the must see blues/rock acts. He is famous for his exciting, mesmerising guitar playing and rip roaring shows in the UK and around Europe, bringing his unique showmanship and energy to every performance. He holds the record for the most encores at The Cambridge Rock Festival, returning the following year to a capacity crowd and a standing ovation.

Larry Miller has released 6 albums, all of which have had critical acclaim. The latest being ‘Unfinished Business' which has had rave reviews. One journalist in his review announced " Unfinished Business is the business" and Classic Rock magazine wrote a glowing review of the album, giving it a top five star rating saying " He's the fieriest, fruitiest, ballsiest blues rock guitarist you'll ever likely to hear".


Larry Miller's band features an experienced, powerful driving rhythm section. He has a new album to be released in 2012 and will be playing new songs from this album plus songs from his ‘Unfinished Business' album as well as live favourites. If you like Rory Gallagher, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Moore, Walter Trout or Hendrix, you'll love the guitar pyrotechnics of Larry Miller.

"As the natural successor to Rory Gallagher and Alvin Lee, Miller with the right backing looks set to commute his way to fortune with ease". - The International Encyclopedia of Hard Rock

"The best in-yer-face rock band around" - The Guardian

"Berry invented it, Jagger modified it, Nugent abused it... and Miller looks set to once again re-define the whole damn package!" - Kerrang

"Highly impressive, a total victory" - Kerrang

"This is entertainment with a capital `E`" - Blues In Britain magazine

"His guitar playing is simply mesmerising` " — Blues Matters magazine

"Fantastic world class guitarist " - Bluesrockers USA

"Why isn't he a superstar" – Classic Rock magazine

"A blues rock powerhouse" - The Guardian

‘Sensational rock blues guitarist..' - Guitarworld USA

"A fantastic guitarist" - Andy Fairweather Low (Eric Clapton Band)

"Pure class" - Sunday Express

"Fabulous finesse and feel, modern, fun and inspiring, a real blast". - Guitar Techniques

"A big live draw for many years- with stinging riffs dropping like Mortar fire". - Classic Rock Magazine


"In case you don't know it, Miller is a stunning guitarist, and arguably the best currently active British born axeman, with the possible exception of Jeff Beck …. that good! " - Total Kit Car

"Guitarist Larry Miller and his band deliver swirling guitars, vocal pyrotechnics, and rock solid - drums and bass, performing a combination of blues classics and self penned material. A man who can "out Hendrix Hendrix" , Larry Miller has been playing since the age of seven,and has created one of the tightest bands on the circuit." - BBC Cornwall

Biography:

After picking up his brother's guitar and writing his first song, he felt his future lay in Rock music, being influenced by some of the guitar greats - Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Gary Moore.
"For me, my moment of inspiration was seeing Rory Gallagher live, I had never experienced anything like it. So loud, so gloriously on the edge of total mayhem, yet Rory was still totally in control. How could I not do this too! Like Rory I'd work under my own name, with a band. I'd do all the writing, singing, producing, playing and leading."

Very quickly, Larry found his own Blues/Rock style, and has been constantly refining it. He is a guitarist, singer, songwriter, with a love for his music which is simply infectious.

After many years in the music business and touring constantly, Larry has built up a large following across the UK and building an ever increasing army of fans in Europe. His status as guitar slinger, is becoming legendary with his exciting, mesmerising guitar playing and rip roaring live shows. His engaging personality brings a dimension of showmanship to his performances like no other. In 2009, Larry played an amazing seven encores at the Cambridge Rock Festival and a declaration was made of a "National Larry Miller day". This is embedded in the festival's history and he returned in 2010 and 2011 to a standing ovations. He is unique, there is only one Larry Miller.

Larry Miller has released 6 albums, all of which have had critical acclaim. The latest being ‘Unfinished Business' which has had rave reviews. One journalist in his review stated " Unfinished Business is the business" and Classic Rock magazine wrote a glowing review of the album, giving it a top five star rating asking "Why isn't he a superstar"?
Larry Miller plays Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars through Marshall amplification. Larry says "Like many guitar greats, I have used Marshall for years as it gives me exactly what I need for my live shows and I am proud to be sponsored by Marshall".

A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica. He is best known for his songs "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding", a hit for Elvis Costello; "Cruel to Be Kind", a U.S. Top 40 single; and "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass", as well as his production work with Costello. - Wikipedia

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Nick Lowe ‘The Old Magic'
Proper Records, released Sept 12, 2011

NICK LOWE'S FIRST NEW ALBUM IN OVER FOUR YEARS

"I'm sixty-one years old now, Lord I never thought I'd see 30," Nick Lowe sings on "Checkout Time," a song from his first new studio album in over four years, 'The Old Magic,' set for September release on Proper Records. 

The line cuts right to the quick.  He was very busy in his 20's spending time "not fitting into three successive movements: pub rock, punk and new wave" according to the New York Times.  But Lowe has mined fertile new creative ground in recent years and the eleven tracks on 'The Old Magic' dig deeper still.  As National Public Radio in the US observed, "Few musicians get better with age.  Nick Lowe is an exception."

'The Old Magic' was recorded in London with Lowe's crack backing band anchored by Geraint Watkins (keyboards), Steve Donnelly (guitar), and Robert Treherne (a.k.a. Bobby Irwin, drums).  Additional musicians include Ron Sexsmith, Paul Carrack, and Jimmie Vaughan among others.  The album was co-produced by Lowe, Neil Brockbank, and Treherne. 

Amidst urbanely insistent grooves ("Sensitive Man"), and spare-yet-imposing shuffles (the aforementioned "Checkout Time"), ‘The Old Magic' features three exceptional, recently road-tested Lowe ballads - album opener "Stoplight Roses," "House for Sale" and "I Read A Lot." 

Then there's "Restless Feeling," a shimmering dance tune worthy of the roller rink that Lowe wrote for a fictional band he calls Coastline.  As is his custom, Lowe also peppers ‘The Old Magic' with three covers – by Elvis Costello, Tom T. Hall and Jeff West – that fit seamlessly with his originals.

Nick Lowe's last album, 2007's 'At My Age,' was widely acclaimed and since then his long-unavailable first two albums 'Jesus of Cool' and 'Labour of Lust' , have been released.  Nick is currently playing a few UK shows including Meltdown at the Royal Festival Hall and the  Glastonbury festival.

Photo Courtesy of Dan Burn-Forti

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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.

Blood Red Sky are a U2 tribute band based in North Hampshire. They have performed shows all over the UK and are starting to attract interest from overseas.

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Expect hit after hit after hit - and all for charity!

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Johnny 2 Bad

Johnny 2 Bad formed a few years ago (2005) have rapidly established itself as not only the number one live Tribute show to global superstars UB40 but also as one of the premier and most exciting new reggae bands in Europe Today

Johnny 2 Bad boast a line up that wouldn't be out of place on any stage in the World as Its core musicians of Mikey Nanton { Keys } , James Renford { sax } , David Skins { drums } and The Boot { bass } have well over 25 years of recording and World Wide touring at the very highest level with major recording artist such Apache Indian, Musical Youth, Sting, Beres Hammond, Edwin Starr, Alexander O'Neale and for most of that period as part of the exciting Reggae Revolution backing band behind PATO BANTON that resulted in a GRAMMY nomination for best Live reggae Band in 2001

Many appearances on TV & Video WORLDWIDE on such shows as TOP OF THE POPS, MTV, CDUK with the number 1 hit BABY COME BACK, as well as on stage performing hits such as PASS THE DEUTCHIE, BOOMSHAKALAK, GROOVING, BUBBLING HOT as well as being whisked by private jet for a one off show In San Remo , Italy on the track THIS COWBOY SONG with STING that also resulted in another collaboration with Sting on SPIRITS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD for the Jim Carey Movie ACE VENTURA PET DETECTIVE.

Private shows for Peter Gabriel and Womad as well as being the first ever Reggae band not only to perform at the SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE but also the first band to get the crowd up dancing ever as it had a strict no standing up policy until that night !!.

The glamour side of the band is fronted by the widely acclaimed brass section who in addition to James extensive credits include Andy Harris and Stuart Haugh on Trombone and Trumpet who came fresh in to the band from the English Philharmonic Orchestras and even a Bombay Brass band.

The Brass part of the show has been widely accepted as probably the best Brass live section in the UK today for not only their playing abilities but also for their non stop dancing and journeys into the audiences on a nightly basis .

And finally on lead vocals and lead guitar, Johnny 2 Bad have the emerging raw talent of Wayne Lawrence who has gained a reputation as one of the best vocalists in the country today, his credits include song writing with the legendary NICKY CHINN of CHINN CHAPMAN fame ( biggest UK selling songwriters after Lennon / McCartney writing hits for Sweet, Mud, Suzi quarto, Go West and hundred more ) . Wayne was also the first reserve for the BBC series s FAME ACADEMY ( Lemar ) out of 250'000 hopefulls.

After fronting the Birmingham Band FARSIDE ( Best Unsigned Band in UK 2005) he was head hunted to join Johnny 2 Bad to enhance the reputation from not only Best Live band we have ever seen ( The Stage Review 2007 ) but also now to having the best vocalist.

But this is not about just one person, JOHNNY 2 BAD is about a great band, a great show offering a live experience of REGGAE music that is second to none that crosses over all barriers.

We often get people come to us and say that reggae wasn't their cup of tea but that night they had enjoyed it so much they would be back, and they do come back as all the shows up and down the country are selling out as the Street Team and website kick in to support the band.

The success of the band as opposed to being just a tribute band has been further supported by the call from fans to record our own album which we have just released call UNCOVERED and is being very well received with radio airplay already including a collaboration now with Lithuanian Pop Star ASTA PILYPAITE on the crowd favourite track LOLLIPOP.

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"Probably the most quintessentially English pop voice of it's generation", The Times.

Nobody sings like Colin Blunstone, the mild mannered man from St.Albans, who became one of Britain's most respected and popular vocalists. Lead singer with The Zombies his distinctive voice manages to be both sweetly angelic and deceptively strong and was a key element of the bands sound. Now Colin takes a short break from the iconic Zombies to tour with his fabulous solo band featuring songs from his fifty year musical career from "She's Not There" with The Zombies, to solo hits "I Don't Believe In Miracles" and "Say You Don't Mind" and on to "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted" with Dave Stewart and the unforgettable "Old and Wise" with the Alan Parsons Project.

"Colin Blunstone's voice is one of the greatest British vocal sounds of the 20th. Century", Sir Tim Rice, The Evening Standard.

Several slightly more obscure tracks will be played live for the first time along with a selection from his brand new album now being recorded under the working title of "On The Air Tonight". Pete Billington leads the solo band on keyboards ( Jamie Cullum, Alison Moyet and Kid Creol) with Chris Childs on bass ( Thunder, Go West, Beverly Craven), Pat Illingworth on Drums ( Dave Stewart, Jeff Berlin, Hugh Masekela) and Tom Toomey on guitar (Zombies, Toomey Swarbrick).

"Colin Blunstone's solo oeuvre seems more relevant today than ever, by turns breathy, ethereal and operatic", Billboard.

Not to be missed an evening of music and history with a master entertainer!

Following Article Taken From The Wonderful Wikipedia

Blunstone's plaintive, wistful voice was one of the factors making The Zombies' single, "She's Not There" (written by fellow band member Rod Argent), such a big hit worldwide. After the amicable split of the band, shortly after completing the baroque-pop classic LP, Odessey and Oracle, Blunstone briefly worked in the insurance business before resuming his musical career. In 1969, he signed with Deram Records and cut three singles under the pseudonym of Neil MacArthur, including a re-make of The Zombies' hit, "She's Not There" which charted in the UK.

He had some success as a solo artist, singing in a much gentler, softer style, notably in 1972 with "Say You Don't Mind" (written by future Wings member Denny Laine) and "I Don't Believe In Miracles" (wtitten by Argent member Russ Ballard), both with distinctive string arrangements by Christopher Gunning

One Year (released in 1971 and produced by Chris White) was his first solo album, and includes the song "Caroline Goodbye" about Blunstone's break-up with the model and actress Caroline Munro. This was followed by Ennismore, which is now considered a classic of that period, and Journey, of which the highlight was a track released as a single, "Wonderful", written by Chris White and featuring the keyboard work of Rod Argent.

He signed with Elton John's Rocket Records and released three albums, Planes (1976), Never Even Thought (1978) and Late Nights In Soho (1979), which was only released in Europe.

Blunstone also contributed his unique, breathy vocals to Dave Stewart's hit cover version of the Tamla classic, "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" (1980).

He went on to appear on several albums by The Alan Parsons Project including Eye in the Sky and Ammonia Avenue. In 1984, he joined with other Parsons musicians to form Keats.

He has appeared quite a few times on the principal radio and TV shows in the UK. He and his band performed several sessions for the John Peel Show and Johnnie Walker Show and on the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1971 where he performed live with a string quartet.

He has had only a limited acting career. He was in "The Savages" (2001) TV Series and Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1997) both as a singer. Other TV appearances include "The Dan and Dusty Show" (2004) as The Zombies, "Shindig! Presents British Invasion Vol. 2 " (1992) also as The Zombies, and "Pop Quiz" (1982). His sole movie part was in Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) a movie directed by Otto Preminger (as The Zombies) and starring Laurence Olivier.

Blunstone still tours to this day, sometimes on his own, occasionally in tours with 1960s bands such as Manfred Mann - and most often with his old Zombies colleague Rod Argent. Some of his recent albums are As Far As I Can See, the mid 1990s Echo Bridge and Out of the Shadows (with Rod Argent).

His most recent album, also in conjunction with Rod Argent, was released in 2006.

The Los Angeles music climate of the late sixties and seventies was characterized by the heavy sounds and sentiments that reflected the revolutionary attitudes of the generation. Bursting onto that scene was a new group whose sound not only epitomized the hard attitudes of the youth with its heavy drumming and bass lines, but also embraced more delicate aspirations through its intricate guitar and keyboard overlays.

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The Los Angeles music climate of the late sixties and seventies was characterized by the heavy sounds and sentiments that reflected the revolutionary attitudes of the generation. Bursting onto that scene was a new group whose sound not only epitomized the hard attitudes of the youth with its heavy drumming and bass lines, but also embraced more delicate aspirations through its intricate guitar and keyboard overlays.

Iron Butterfly was signed to ATCO records (a division of Atlantic Records) in the spring of 1967 and released their first album, aptly titled Heavy, the following winter. While the band was on the road with the likes of: The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Traffic, The Who, and Cream, their impressive debut stayed on Billboard's album charts for almost a year.

In July of 1968, Iron Butterfly released the monumental LP, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, featuring the 17:05 minute side-long track that shook the entire music industry with its phenomenal reception. 'Vida outsold every record in the history of recorded music within the first year of its release (over eight million copies sold) and therefore outgrew and outsold the standard of the music industry's "Gold Album" award. For this achievment, Iron Butterfly was subsequently awarded: The Industry's Very First "Platinum Album"! This historic award was created and presented by then-president of ATCO Records Ahmet Ertegun, who went on to become the current CEO of the WEA Group. Most recently, "Vida" received the Multi-Platinum" award.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, stayed on the charts for 140 weeks, with 81 weeks in the Top Ten. To date the album has sold in excess of 25 million copies and remains an undisputed classic in the archives of rock with DJ's and audiophiles worldwide.

Within a year of releasing In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Iron Butterfly had charted a third album, Ball, - which surpassed 'Vida (still in Billboard's Top 10) turning "Gold", and climbed to No. 1. Ball remained on the charts for 44 weeks, followed by two more album releases in 1970 - Live, and Metamorphosis, each charting respectably in the Top 20.

Iron Butterfly toured extensively, appearing throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, where they appeared at London's world famous Royal Albert Hall. The band also appeared on stage with: Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, Chicago, Janis Joplin, Steppenwolf, Canned Heat, Three Dog Night, Quicksilver, Yes, Creedence Clearwater, Rush, The Turtles, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills & Nash, & The Byrds, just to name a few!

In the 70's, two albums titled, Scorching Beauty and Sun of Steel were released on MCA.

Past television performances have included: The Steve Allen Show, The David Frost Show, The Red Skelton Comedy Hour, Playboy After Dark, The Dating Game, Somethin' Else, and numerous performances on American Band Stand, with Dick Clark. The Band also was invited by Atlantic Records to perform on May 14, 1988 at Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary Concert "It's Only Rock'n Roll" at Madison Square Garden, in New York City which HBO taped, and televised, world-wide via satellite.

Iron Butterfly's music has been featured in movies like: Savage Seven, Manhunter, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Night Mare On Elm Street, and Fatal Instinct, as well as the TV series Wonder Years, Hardcastle & McCormick, Roseanne, Home Improvement, The Simpsons, and Unsolved Mysteries. References to the band and their music are still frequently heard, in hit movies like Ford Fairlane, Sybling Rivalries, and several times on top TV shows: Cheers, Letterman, Dennis Miller Show, Howard Stern and numerous others. In November '95 Ron Bushy appeared on Phil Donahue, and Unsolved Mysteries. In 1996 the group appeared in: American Journal, America's Most Wanted, and People Magazine.