What’s On at the John Peel Centre
Ian McNabb
Ian formed The Icicle Works in 1981 and became part of the Liverpool renaissance movement of the eighties, alongside acts such as Echo And The Bunnymen, Dead Or Alive, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and China Crisis.
A versatile musician, and Mercury-nominated solo artist, Ian has toured as bass player with Ringo Starr, and played keyboards with The Waterboys; he has co-written and recorded with Crazy Horse, The Lightning Seeds and Peter Buck, to name but a few.
Ian’s solo acoustic shows are an intimate opportunity to share over 2 hours of greatest hit songs, and stories, from his 40+ year career.
Book Online
WeDrum Stowmarket is an exciting new Youth Music funded initiative across this town this year. Working with ages 12-18, all sessions are FREE, no audition process, no experience needed and new members are always welcome.
Work with professional musicians to create and perform group drum and electronics focused music, inspired by and led by you.
- Develop drumming skills and knowledge
- Recreate your favourite beats as part of a drumming group
- Improvise and compose new music
- Perform live to an audience
Core sessions run weekly in schools, fortnightly at The Mix Drop ins and monthly at the JPC. We are also running our summer sessions at the JPC from 24th-29th July.
WeDrum is a new CIC creating drum and electronics focused music, based in Suffolk. Our mission is to inspire positive personal and social change in the lives of our members and the communities in which they live.
Reserve your free place
1st Nov: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/737897600587
22nd Nov: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/737896186357
6th Dec: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/737898242507
Please note: December 6th workshop will be held in our new bar at 11 Market Place
James Yorkston and Sweden’s The Second Hand Orchestra had no real plans to do a follow up, but as James visited his studio in Cellardyke, Fife everyday in early 2021, he began to start writing songs on the piano as opposed to his usual guitar as he gazed upon the sea outside his window.
After sending the first five or six songs to Karl-Jonas Winqvist (the leader/conductor of TSHO), they began to discuss working on the music together. With Yorkston’s shift from guitar to piano, they thought about what other changes they could make to their process which led to the involvement of a guest singer and the legendary Nina Persson (The Cardigans) was brought into the fold.
Today, they release the first song from the forthcoming album, “Hold Out For Love”, a kind of Fife-gospel anthem with Yorkston and Persson’s vocals interwoven together over the lyrics: “You’ll have no regrets / If you hold out for love / Don’t sell yourself short / For the sake of a moment.”
James Yorkston, Nina Persson and The Second Hand Orchestra were joined by Philip Selway (Radiohead) to record a live version of the song, directed by Dah Dit Dit.
Stream “Hold Out For Love” here.
Watch the live version of “Hold Out For Love” here.
Whilst there is a lightness in sound to The Great White Sea Eagle, there is a dark humour throughout and the album conveys a rich message about life and grief, family and nature. James’ song for Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison, “A Sweetness In You”, being one such moment.
The Great White Sea Eagle follows the release of Yorkston’s second novel The Book of the Gaels, recently declared Book of the Month in The Times.
Doors open 7.30pm
Tickets £16.50 Adv. / £18 Otd.
Book Online
(fee applies) or call our Box Office on 01449 774678 (open 10am to 2pm weekdays).
Licensed bar.
Dotty May Blooms presents
Christmas Wreath Workshop & Cocktails
Why not spend an evening with friends and family making Christmas wreaths to get you in the mood for the festive season.
You will be taught how to make Christmas Wreaths & you will get to take your wreath home to hang on your front door.
All while having a cheeky cocktail…
£45 per person – Includes 1 glass of Classic Champagne Cocktail / Nibbles / All Materials
BOOK ONLINE
The Vinyl Lounge
A cracking night of listening, dancing and sharing your vinyl
+ your favourite guest DJ’s
Bring along your favourite 45’s & Albums and the Vinyl Lounge DJs will turn them into a show…
7.30pm till Midnight
£5.00 per ticket
Book online
(fee applies) or call our Box Office on 01449 774678 (open 10am to 2pm weekdays).
Licensed bar.
Our very own Whole Shebang Open Mic Night returns with another evening of Whimsical, Homegrown, Organic Live Entertainment.
No fire, no nudity, no animals!
Other than that we like to keep the “open” in “open mic” so no matter what it is you do, music, poetry, juggling, dance, magic, exotic bird mating call impersonations, whatever, we’d love to have you along!
Anyone interested in taking part should email events@johnpeelcentre.co.uk with details of what they would like to do and email title SHEBANG, or come along on the night and we should be able to fit you in. Max. 10mins/3 songs per act (subject to number of acts).
Alternatively, if you are more of an observer, just come along to watch an exciting evening of random entertainment!
Doors: 7.30pm
FREE ENTRY
Licensed Bar – Please note our bar is now cashless.
Please note that seating is available at this event.
BLACKBEARD’S TEA PARTY are back at the JPC in December ’23 so dust off those eyepatches and pirate hats!
All the elements fans have come to love from a Blackbeard’s Tea Party show will be there; singalong traditional sea-shanties, floor-filling bombastic folk tunes and anarchic stage antics. But you can expect a seasonal twist; Christmas songs, festive dress-up, and perhaps a sprinkling of sparkles. This show is sure fire way to kickstart your Christmas season with a piratical-folk bang.
Their bold and riotous modern folk rock is built for late nights and big stages. Hold on to your tricorne hats and be prepared to stamp your wooden legs – Blackbeard’s Tea Party are in town. Sea-shanties will be given a bombastic rock edge, and folk instrumentals will become late-night floor-fillers when this raucous bunch of reprobates hit the stage. They have dirt under their fingernails and a twinkle in their eyes, and you can expect fantastic musicianship, playful choreography and an unstoppable urge to move your body.
Blackbeard’s Tea Party believe a live show should be a spectacle for the eyes as well as the ears. Outlandish outfits, costume changes, DIY props, unhinged stage antics and chaotic choreography all add up to an engaging, high-octane show that inevitably leaves audiences cheering for more.
Drums, percussion, electric guitars, fiddle, melodeon and 4-part harmonies combine to create music that is drenched in tradition, but filtered through a kaleidoscope of modern rock and pop. Established as the go-to band for folkin’ fun shenanigans, Blackbeard’s Tea Party have played memorable sets at; Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival, Fairport’s Cropredy Convention, The Rainforest World Music Festival in Borneo and many many more.
The band celebrated a decade of ‘rocking the folk boat’ in 2019 and commemorated this with their ‘Ten YAAR Anniversary Tour’ during the Autumn & Winter. They also re-released an updated version of their most popular track ‘Chicken on a Raft’ to commemorate this milestone.
During ‘Lockdown’ the band began writing material remotely via Asana for their fourth album and as things began to return to normality they were very excited to get into the studio with their new lineup; Ben Trott on Guitar & Paddy Lester-Rourke on Bass, to record these tracks.
The result was ‘Kick The Curb’, their first album in 5 years which was released in the Autumn of 2022 & accompanied by an 18 date UK tour. After the enforced hiatus Blackbeard’s Tea Party couldn’t wait to get out on the road to play the new album live. They had a fabulous time & loved catching up & sharing cheesecake with fans both old & new !!
+ support from JAMES MORGAN
Hailing from darkest Suffolk, James Morgan crafts folk songs for the modern age, with a hefty lump of punk sensibility thrown in for good measure. James has travelled the length and breadth of the country, playing bars, pubs and festivals from Scotland to Cornwall, and travel plays a major part in his songwriting process. Also songs about pirates, assassins, and mutineers. Because why not?”
Doors open 7.30pm
Tickets £12 Adv. / £14 Otd.
Book online
(fee applies) or call our Box Office on 01449 774678 (open 10am to 2pm weekdays).
Licensed bar.
COMMON GROUND THEATRE COMPANY
present
MISS MIMPLE MEETS THE ICE WOLF
by Pat Whymark
Renowned amateur sleuth and part-time dog trainer Miss Jean Mimple is on a hiking tour of the Italian alps, sightseeing and collecting the odd alpine to take back to her garden in St Mary Mirkin. In a remote hostelry, she meets Dr Bridges, assistant to the mysterious Professor Ramekin, who lives in nearby Castle Pandoro.
The body of one of the servants at the Castle has been found torn to shreds, and Dr Bridges invites Miss Mimple to help with the investigation. The locals at the inn warn her of The Ice Wolf, or “Bestia Gelato” – half man, half wolf, half frozen dessert – which has terrorised the region for several months? Undeterred, the plucky Miss Mimple sets off to investigate.
Could the terrifying Ice Wolf be linked to Professor Ramekin’s experiments? (Spoiler: Of course it is!) Will Miss Mimple ever return to sleepy St Mary Mirkin, and will the odd alpine be happy there or will he miss his Italian roots.
A festive comedy with songs lasting 2 hours including an interval.
Doors open at 7:00 pm
Performance will begin at 7:30 pm
COMMON GROUND THEATRE COMPANY
present
MISS MIMPLE MEETS THE ICE WOLF
by Pat Whymark
Renowned amateur sleuth and part-time dog trainer Miss Jean Mimple is on a hiking tour of the Italian alps, sightseeing and collecting the odd alpine to take back to her garden in St Mary Mirkin. In a remote hostelry, she meets Dr Bridges, assistant to the mysterious Professor Ramekin, who lives in nearby Castle Pandoro.
The body of one of the servants at the Castle has been found torn to shreds, and Dr Bridges invites Miss Mimple to help with the investigation. The locals at the inn warn her of The Ice Wolf, or “Bestia Gelato” – half man, half wolf, half frozen dessert – which has terrorised the region for several months? Undeterred, the plucky Miss Mimple sets off to investigate.
Could the terrifying Ice Wolf be linked to Professor Ramekin’s experiments? (Spoiler: Of course it is!) Will Miss Mimple ever return to sleepy St Mary Mirkin, and will the odd alpine be happy there or will he miss his Italian roots.
A festive comedy with songs lasting 2 hours including an interval.
Doors open at 3:30 pm
Performance will begin at 4:00 pm
COMMON GROUND THEATRE COMPANY
present
MISS MIMPLE MEETS THE ICE WOLF
by Pat Whymark
Renowned amateur sleuth and part-time dog trainer Miss Jean Mimple is on a hiking tour of the Italian alps, sightseeing and collecting the odd alpine to take back to her garden in St Mary Mirkin. In a remote hostelry, she meets Dr Bridges, assistant to the mysterious Professor Ramekin, who lives in nearby Castle Pandoro.
The body of one of the servants at the Castle has been found torn to shreds, and Dr Bridges invites Miss Mimple to help with the investigation. The locals at the inn warn her of The Ice Wolf, or “Bestia Gelato” – half man, half wolf, half frozen dessert – which has terrorised the region for several months? Undeterred, the plucky Miss Mimple sets off to investigate.
Could the terrifying Ice Wolf be linked to Professor Ramekin’s experiments? (Spoiler: Of course it is!) Will Miss Mimple ever return to sleepy St Mary Mirkin, and will the odd alpine be happy there or will he miss his Italian roots.
A festive comedy with songs lasting 2 hours including an interval.
Doors open at 7:00 pm
Performance will begin at 7:30 pm
COMMON GROUND THEATRE COMPANY
present
MISS MIMPLE MEETS THE ICE WOLF
by Pat Whymark
Renowned amateur sleuth and part-time dog trainer Miss Jean Mimple is on a hiking tour of the Italian alps, sightseeing and collecting the odd alpine to take back to her garden in St Mary Mirkin. In a remote hostelry, she meets Dr Bridges, assistant to the mysterious Professor Ramekin, who lives in nearby Castle Pandoro.
The body of one of the servants at the Castle has been found torn to shreds, and Dr Bridges invites Miss Mimple to help with the investigation. The locals at the inn warn her of The Ice Wolf, or “Bestia Gelato” – half man, half wolf, half frozen dessert – which has terrorised the region for several months? Undeterred, the plucky Miss Mimple sets off to investigate.
Could the terrifying Ice Wolf be linked to Professor Ramekin’s experiments? (Spoiler: Of course it is!) Will Miss Mimple ever return to sleepy St Mary Mirkin, and will the odd alpine be happy there or will he miss his Italian roots.
A festive comedy with songs lasting 2 hours including an interval.
Doors open at 7:00 pm
Performance will begin at 7:30 pm
COMMON GROUND THEATRE COMPANY
present
MISS MIMPLE MEETS THE ICE WOLF
by Pat Whymark
Renowned amateur sleuth and part-time dog trainer Miss Jean Mimple is on a hiking tour of the Italian alps, sightseeing and collecting the odd alpine to take back to her garden in St Mary Mirkin. In a remote hostelry, she meets Dr Bridges, assistant to the mysterious Professor Ramekin, who lives in nearby Castle Pandoro.
The body of one of the servants at the Castle has been found torn to shreds, and Dr Bridges invites Miss Mimple to help with the investigation. The locals at the inn warn her of The Ice Wolf, or “Bestia Gelato” – half man, half wolf, half frozen dessert – which has terrorised the region for several months? Undeterred, the plucky Miss Mimple sets off to investigate.
Could the terrifying Ice Wolf be linked to Professor Ramekin’s experiments? (Spoiler: Of course it is!) Will Miss Mimple ever return to sleepy St Mary Mirkin, and will the odd alpine be happy there or will he miss his Italian roots.
A festive comedy with songs lasting 2 hours including an interval.
Doors open at 3:30 pm
Performance will begin at 4:00 pm
COMMON GROUND THEATRE COMPANY
present
MISS MIMPLE MEETS THE ICE WOLF
by Pat Whymark
Renowned amateur sleuth and part-time dog trainer Miss Jean Mimple is on a hiking tour of the Italian alps, sightseeing and collecting the odd alpine to take back to her garden in St Mary Mirkin. In a remote hostelry, she meets Dr Bridges, assistant to the mysterious Professor Ramekin, who lives in nearby Castle Pandoro.
The body of one of the servants at the Castle has been found torn to shreds, and Dr Bridges invites Miss Mimple to help with the investigation. The locals at the inn warn her of The Ice Wolf, or “Bestia Gelato” – half man, half wolf, half frozen dessert – which has terrorised the region for several months? Undeterred, the plucky Miss Mimple sets off to investigate.
Could the terrifying Ice Wolf be linked to Professor Ramekin’s experiments? (Spoiler: Of course it is!) Will Miss Mimple ever return to sleepy St Mary Mirkin, and will the odd alpine be happy there or will he miss his Italian roots.
A festive comedy with songs lasting 2 hours including an interval.
Doors open at 7:00 pm
Performance will begin at 7:30 pm
The JPC Funk & Soul Shack presents: SMITH & THE HONEY BADGERS
Part Sharon Jones, part Irma Thomas, vocalist Marietta Smith has the pipes. She is backed by a 7 piece outfit, who spread their funk and sweet, sweet soul around like fresh jam. A London based band with a number of releases on Detroit’s own “Funk Night Records” and a live show honed on stages all over the UK, expect classic deep-soul vocals, with a heavy-funk backing. If you like labels like Daptone, Motown, Colemine or Stax then you need to check them out!
Doors open 7.30pm
Tickets £16.00 adv. / £18.00 otd.
Book online (fee applies) or call our Box Office on 01449 774678 (open 10am to 2pm weekdays).
Cashless bar.
Heart-Pounding Revelry A high-energy folk-rock band from the West Country, The Leylines mix raucous violin dynamic guitar riffs and acerbic lyrics. All of which culminate in a whirlwind show that will get heart, and mind, pounding.
The band have a reputation of playing rowdy, high-energy shows, and with their infectious feel-good tunes, The Leylines are firm favourites of the festival and independent venue circuit.
The Leylines are: Steve(vocals/acoustic guitar), Hannah (violin/keys/bs), Dan (lead guitar/bvs), Sean(bass guitar/bvs) and Dave(Drums)
“A helter skelter musical maelstrom”– Rhythm & Booze Magazine
“The love child of The Levellers and Liverpool’s glorious Amsterdam“– Liverpool Sound & Vision
“High-energy, gutsy sound and scythe-sharp lyrics”– FolkWords Reviews
+ support: WILSWOOD BUOYS
WILSWOOD BUOYS From Mersea Island in Essex. Young new act, Wilswood Buoys are currently cutting their name into the UK underground scene. Mixing trad folk, with modern alternative acoustic pop, the band have a really unique sound that’s raw, fresh, familiar and accessible. Formed in summer 2018, starting out as just a couple of mates having a jam things quickly escalated into writing music. Both of the boys had a completely different upbringing in terms of musical styles and this led them down a path of intertwining many genres into one. Expect catchy riffs and big choruses. 2021 was huge for the band, with highlights of supporting Frank Turner in Colchester and playing the Nick Alexander Stage at Lost Evenings IV at The Roundhouse in London, plus the duo have recently supported Levellers and played Beautiful Days Festival. Frank Turner also produced their debut album which they have toured with him.
Event information
Doors 7.30pm
Tickets £14
Standing
Book online
(fee applies) or call our Box Office on 01449 774678 (open 10am to 2pm weekdays).
Cashless Licensed bar
TEACH YSELF WAH!
The Best of Pete Wylie and the Mighty WAH!
After last year’s sellout tour, The Mighty Wah! Is back, bigger and better.
A tour, a celebration of a storied life and career, and songs that say something…
And a double vinyl LP that covers all that and more!
From post punk classics to transcendent hits to superb songs that have never been on vinyl before…
There’ll be great music, tall tales (all true!), and Pete’s fantastic voice and guitar
Ask The Clash, The KLF, U2, and a cast of thousands…
And we’ll answer the question:
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW?
Though, strictly speaking that should be WAH! TEVER…
BOOK ONLINE
(fee applies) or call our Box Office on 01449 774678 (open 10am to 2pm weekdays).
Doors open 7.30pm
Tickets £21.50 Adv.
Licensed bar.
Man The Lifeboats began life in a shanty-punk folk moshpit in 2016. Skinny Lister and Holy Moly & the Crackers were the two bands that lit the fire and blew the roof of the Garage that night.
Fast forward 6 years and 100 gigs and counting and Man The Lifeboats are an established band ploughing their furrow on the festival circuit, winning over audiences at Warwick, Swanage, Beardy Folk, Folk in a Field, Bearded Theory, Deepdale, Ragged Bear and more, drawing comparisons to Bellowhead, Waterboys, Oysterband, the Levellers, and those folk-punk heroes the Pogues.
The second album Soul Of Albion hit no27 in the Official Folk Charts in 2022. Recorded at Rockfield Studios, it sounds like Led Zeppelin arm-wrestling Shane McGowan in a Birmingham brewery, like Jimbob and Fruitbat fronting Fairport Convention, like The Albion Band turned up to 11 with their fiddles on fire. Tonic for these troubled times.
+ Support TBC
“9/10. A stomping musical cocktail of alchemic proportions” OUTLINE MAGAZINE
“Sounds like The Men They Couldn’t Hang at their height meet The Clash – it’s a belter” FOLKING.COM
“Think The Pogues in overdrive with the breath of the Dropkick Murphys down their necks” TURN UP THE VOLUME
“Combining swirling punk-folk with biting politics. My kinda band.” TURN UP THE VOLUME
Doors open 7.30pm
Tickets £12.00
Standing tickets
Book online
(fee applies) or call our Box Office on 01449 774678 (open 10am to 2pm weekdays).
Licensed bar.
JOHN
Cryptically-named duo JOHN – comprised of John Newton (drums, lead vocals) and Johnny Healey (guitar, backing vocals) – return with the latest single from their incoming fourth album, A Life Diagrammatic. The follow-up to 2021’s Nocturnal Manoeuvres LP, which broke new ground for the band by crashing the top 75 of the UK album chart, arrives Sept 22nd via Brace Yourself and Pets Care Records.
Seeing the light of day today is the pulsating ‘Riddley Scott Walker‘ which features a guest turn from former Bad Seed and Magazine man Barry Adamson. Drawing its title from the Russell Hoban novel Riddley Walker, which imagines a post-nuclear war future in which society has regressed and history has been obliterated to such an extent its open to widespread misinterpretation, it’s a fitting marker for an album rooted in industrial fallout and how technology and tradition can have equally hazardous impacts on our future.
“We currently rehearse next to the ramshackle of an industrial port on the south coast, and we’ve always drawn inspiration from the sites and sounds of this industrial fallout,” explains Newton. “There’s very deliberate signposts of this throughout the album, whether that be the field recordings of a demolition sequenced into a mesmerising rhythm or the inconsistency of a signal-bound phone conversation.”“Having identified that visual references as just as important as audible ones, we really wanted to continue driving the cinematic leanings of our music. This is something that has steadily grown throughout our back catalogue and was a key reason why we felt it relevant to collaborate with other cinematically-inclined individuals such as Simon Pegg and Barry Adamson.”
Tickets £13 ADV / £16 OTD
Doors 7:30 pm
Book Online
(fee applies) or call our Box Office on 01449 774678 (open 10am to 2pm weekdays).
Licensed bar.
International touring blues-rock powerhouse Catfish are making waves on the music scene in the UK and Europe. They have now won a total of five UK Blues Awards and were in the top five finalists in three categories in the 2023 awards.
In the last few years, they have played at almost every major UK blues festival and have established themselves as a real force in the British blues scene. They now tour regularly in Europe.
‘Catfish are one of the finest live bands in Britain today. The quality of musicianship is outstanding and in Matt Long, they have one of the greatest young guitarists on the scene today…’ Blues Matters Magazine.
Doors open 7.30pm
Tickets £13 in advance / £15 on the door
Book online
(fee applies) or call our Box Office on 01449 774678 (open 10am to 2pm weekdays).
Licensed bar
The queens of banjopunk, three Swedish sisters by the name of Baskery, who’ve played music since they were old enough to hold an instrument. Baskery play a combination of classic ‘roots music and Americana’ with a twist of rule breaking punk turn this much loved style of music on it’s head. Their sound oozes style and playfulness and has helped them accrue a number of plaudits and accolades.
The three sisters can’t recall when or why they started playing, the music’s always just been there. In their late teens, the sisters joined forces with their dad, who for decades, was a one man band playing old blues and country tunes for a living. They named the band Slaptones and released two albums on EMI Sweden.
This foundation of classic “roots music and Americana” settled in their hearts, but also awoke the urge of breaking the rules of traditional music. Baskery is a band built on what three people can do together and it’s all about turning the music on its head, blending the straightforwardness of punk with the subtlety of singer/ songwriting.
Event information
Doors 7.30pm
Tickets £15 Adv. / £18 Otd.
Standing
Book online
(fee applies) or call our Box Office on 01449 774678 (open 10am to 2pm weekdays).
Cashless Licensed bar
BEAUX GRIS GRIS & THE APOCALYPSE
+ Support TBC.
Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse (pronounced \bo\ \gree-gree\ ) California-based blues rock americana soul band created by Louisiana-born-and-raised musician Greta Valenti (Well Hung Heart) and UK British Blues Hall of Fame Inductee, Robin Davey (The Hoax, DVL, Well Hung Heart). Joined by the talents of musical heavyweights: Tom Rasulo (Dave Matthews, Gerard Way) Drums/Production in the UK & USA OR Alex Thomas (Anna Calvi, Bat For Lashes, Squarepusher) (UK) on Drums; Emma Jonson (UK) & Sam Robertson (USA) or DANIEL KIRKPATRICK (USA) on Keys, plus Stephen Mildwater (UK) and Chris Cunningham (USA) on Bass in the UK/USA respectively. PLUS VARIOUS OTHER PLAYERS AND GUEST APPEARANCES AT VARIOUS SHOWS.
To fully understand Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse is to experience the band live, a mix of soulful songs, intense energy, and world-class award-winning musicianship. RhythmBooze summed up the show finale as “A mind-boggling, blistering finish with everything thrown in including the kitchen sink…truly memorable”. When LouderSounds preaches “Let Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse twist yer melons and remind you of the wonder of life” it might be because the band vibe is easier to pin down than their unique take on the roots genres. Rockshot Magazine elaborates “This extremely entertaining collective is a New Orleans-inspired, American blues-folk-soul band, who refuse to be pigeon-holed”.
Beaux Gris Gris and The Apocalypse debut album Love & Murder spurned Top 10 hits in genre charts across Europe. The albums wide-reaching appeal earned it a #13 placement in the “Top 50 Albums of the year” by Classic Rock Magazine, describing it as “A sensual, vibrant cocktail“
Guitarist Robin Davey was the youngest ever inductee into the British Blues Hall of Fame. He spent time as an artist on Atlantic and Interscope Records, and has recorded with a wide spectrum of artists from Mick Jagger to Katy Perry. Multi-award-winning vocalist and songwriter Greta Valenti is Louisiana-born-and-bred creative with generations of her family dating back before the Louisiana purchase. Her rock outfit Well Hung Heart (OCMA’s Best Live Band) toured the USA opening for the likes of Fitz & The Tantrums, Twenty One Pilots, Foreigner, and Offspring.
Having headlined festivals across Europe, including Upton Festival (UK), The Great British R&B Festival (UK), Moulin (Netherlands) and Blues Alive (Czech Republic), the band were nominated for Band of the Year at the European Blues Awards. THIS YEAR, THE BAND WILL BE WORKING ON THEIR THIRD ALBUM AND TOURING EXTENSIVELY ACROSS UK, EUROPE, and the US.
While Beaux Gris Gris is the musical arm of their creativity, the pair have also established their own multi-award winning CREATIVE agency, Grow Vision, SPECIAILZING multimedia content and development. Daryl Hall INVITED them to direct / produce his show “Live From Daryl’s House” for Viacom for two years. Helping to bring the show from a 30 min syndicated TV show to a 1 hour, dolby surround premium mainstay on VH1/MTV Live. Their feature documentaries “THE CAMARY EFFECT” & “The Unbelievable Plight of Mrs. Wright” have won over 50 film festival awards, and secured distribution through Gravitas Ventures. Their visual work FOR MAINSTREAM BRANDS, LIKE Taco Bell, HAVE secured them MULTIPLE ADVERTISING AWARDS & CLIENTS ACROSS VARIOUS industries.
VIDEO – BEAUX GRIS GRIS BLUESAPALOOZA 2022
Doors open 7.30pm
Tickets £12 Adv. / £15 Otd.
BOOK ONLINE
(fee applies) or call our Box Office on 01449 774678 (open 10am to 2pm weekdays).
Licensed bar.
CHINA CRISIS
+ Support
The early 1980’s heralded a second Liverpool-based musical renaissance responsible for producing not just new wave legends OMD, but also the diverse likes of Echo and the Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes, A Flock of Seagulls and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Amongst these lauded Merseyside acts was China Crisis, emerging in 1981 from their native Kirkby as the songwriting duo of vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist / vocalist Eddie Lundon, who over the years have been accompanied by a gifted and creative but ever-mutable group of musicians both on stage and in their recordings. Citing influences as varied as Davie Bowie, Stevie Wonder and Eric Satie, it’s not entirely surprising that their sound was distinctive amongst their peers, often combining elements of jazz, reggae, country and other styles with their own unique melodies and harmonies. With their philosophy that “the song is the most important thing”, China Crisis didn’t just stretch the creative limits of the technology of the time, but incorporated horns, strings, woodwinds, pedal steel, and did whatever they sensed would serve to create the best possible outcome for a given song. The result of their effort was a clearly identifiable China Crisis sound that stood out from the crowd and garnered the band eleven UK Top 50 singles and three UK Top 40 albums, as well as considerable commercial success in Western Europe, ANZ, Southeast Asia, and the Americas.
That the China Crisis sound is enduring is demonstrable well into the 21st Century, not just through the continued fidelity of their longtime fans but the fact that a whole new generation of musicians and listeners are becoming China Crisis devotees. In 2015 Gary and Eddie released the seventh China Crisis studio album to great acclaim via the fan funded PledgeMusic marketplace, a work referred to as at once “adventurous and contemporary” and “intimate”, and a return to the band’s “heady” songwriting strengths. Meanwhile China Crisis classics have been sampled into modern singles by the likes of French Montana and Action Bronson, and the band’s songs have been chosen for use in contemporary cinema such as with the hit film Gone Girl and the immensely popular Sex Education on Netflix, all introducing their music to a whole new audience. Recently the band have undertaken extensive touring to mark the celebration of 4 decades of music-making, selling out shows throughout the UK as well as in the US and Canada, with more dates planned for Australia/New Zealand and Europe over the coming year. The band have just released their “40th Anniversary: Live from the Liverpool Philharmonic”, a lovingly produced live concert video from their inaugural 40th Anniversary show which features songs from every one of their albums (some never performed live), recorded in their hometown with an all-star 16-piece China Crisis band.
With a combination of truly engaging music, a good bit of Scouse humor, and the clear kinship the band have with their fans, any China Crisis show is one you leave happier for having been part of. Their live performances are truly must-see.
Doors open 7.30pm
Tickets £27.50 Adv.
BOOK ONLINE
(fee applies) or call our Box Office on 01449 774678 (open 10am to 2pm weekdays).
Licensed bar.