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

The Brook is the best 600 Capacity live music venue hosting national and international Blues, Rock, R'n'B, Funk, Punk, DJs, Indie and many other things including Tributes. Because of the fine calibre of bands that we have, people travel from all over Hampshire, Dorset, Sussex and the Isle of Wight. People often come from Portsmouth, Winchester, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Brighton, Reading & Poole, to check-out the most friendly and very best place to see shows in the South of England. It's not just the punters that say that - it's the bands!!! "Best dressing room on the circuit!"

"This is most definitely the best gig in the South!"

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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

Opening times and showtimes vary, depending on the day, the artist, and whether there is a support or not. The times shown below are given as a rough guide and may be subject to change. Please check the times when you book your tickets. To avoid disappointment buy your tickets in advance and get here early.

Box Office Hours are 1pm-7pm Monday to Saturday 023 8055 5366

The Brook is an eighteen plus venue, (unless otherwise stated) although children of fourteen and upwards can come to shows if accompanied by an adult over the age of twenty one. Anyone under sixteen MUST be out of the building by midnight. This is the law.

No more than two fourteen plus per adult.

Please note that on the advice of Southampton Police - we only accept Passports or Photo Driving Licences as acceptable proof of age to buy alcohol. We do NOT accept any other form of age identification. We do NOT accept any national proof of age scheme cards. If you are lucky enough to look young - you will need I.D. If you are bringing under 18's with you, we accept any form of I.D.