Kris Barras Band and the Jack J Hutchinson Band rock the Foxlowe
The Kris Barras Band and the Jack J Hutchinson Band rocked a sold out, hot and sweaty Foxlowe Arts Centre last night.
The Jack J Hutchinson Band have supported the mighty Kris Barras Band on their Winter 2019 UK tour, throughout January and February.
Jack J Hutchinson is a British blues rock guitarist, based in London. The Jack J Hutchinson Band features: Jack J Hutchinson (vocals and guitar), Felipe Amorim (drums) and Lazarus Michaelides (bass).
The band, along with Stuart Moir and Alberto Manuzzi, are working on the follow-up to their critically acclaimed album ‘Paint No Fiction’. The record, with artwork designed by long time collaborator Aaron Gardner, is scheduled for release in the summer. Hutchinson has stated: “Most of the material has come together whilst on the road over the last 10 months or so. Whereas my previous record was written mainly at home with an acoustic guitar, a lot of the new songs came together in sound checks and in hotel rooms jamming on my electric. So, unsurprisingly, it feels like a much heavier album with a lot of movement.”
Some of that new material was played during the set last night, along with tracks from his critically acclaimed album ‘Paint No Fiction’ and a frenetic cover of ‘Oh Well, Part 1’ by Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, and was well-recieved by the enthuiastic 250+ sell-out crowd of blues, southern rock and classic rock fans.
The Kris Barras Band followed the Jack J Hutchinson Band, and played a trademark blistering set that featured classic rock and heavy blues guitar and “soul-wrenching melodies“, along with bravura displays of Jimi Hendrix-esque showmanship (including playing the guitar behind his head, and with his teeth) mixed with a swirling Hammond organ and keyboard sound, pounding drums and heavy bass.
The set featured ‘Watching Over Me’, a song written for his late father who had inspired him to pick up the guitar when he was 6. As a musician himself, he had played bass in Kris’s band. Kris’ father lost his battle with cancer a few years ago. The spoken introduction to the song and the emotional delivery was a touching tribute and touched everyone in the audience I’m sure.
The Kris Barras Band members are: Kris Barras – Lead vocals/guitar, Josiah J Manning – keys, Elliott Blacker – bass, and Will Beavis – drums.
From the Kris Barras Band website bio page:
“Inspired by his father at the early age of only Six years-old, Kris was already making an appearance on stage before turning Ten. He has since gone on to spend more than twenty years thrilling audiences throughout the globe playing live.
“The band have appeared at major festivals throughout the UK and Europe. These include Ramblin’ Man Fair (UK), Rawa Blues Festival (Poland) and Bliuzo Naktys (Lithuania). 2017 saw the band complete two very successful tours in both the UK and Europe with 2018 lining up much more of the same.
“In April 2018, it was announced that Kris would become the new frontman for USA super-group, Supersonic Blues Machine.The band feature’s legendary artists such as ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Steve Lukather (Toto), Eric Gales, Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule) and Walter Trout.
“Kris was nominated for ‘Blues Guitarist of the Year 2017’ by Total Guitar magazine and voted into the Top 15 Blues Guitarists in the World by Music Radar.
“‘The Divine and Dirty’ album was released in March 2018 and went in straight at number one in both the Amazon and iTunes Blues charts as well as Number 3 in the Official UK Blues/Jazz Charts, where it remained in the top 30 for 12 weeks. The album also reached the UK top 40 on Amazon for all music; the only blues-based band in that chart at the time.”
All photos by Giles Metcalfe.
Peterloo and Bohemian Rhapsody Tickets Selling Out Fast
Tickets for Peterloo and Bohemian Rhapsody are selling out fast, so we recommend you get yours soon. In light of the bad weather, we’ve moved some more to the online ticketing site, so you can buy them from the comfort of your own screen, although at the time of this posting there are still some available in the Gallery.
Limehouse Lizzy 2019 Tour
Limehouse Lizzy, who continue to keep the spirit of Celtic rock icon Philip Lynott and his band Thin Lizzy alive, are officially one of the hardest working bands in the UK.
Rocking up to a cold and icy Leek on Thursday the 17th of January as part of their 2019 Tour, they played to a packed room of Rock Fans of all ages, including the children and grandchildren of rockers old enough to have seen Thin Lizzy live in the 70s and early 80s.
As their Facebook Page states:
“Attention to detail, playful audience interaction and that all important X-factor that leaves you with the feeling of witnessing the real thing have led to their performance being described as “beyond tribute”, by both audience and critics alike. ”
Returning to the Foxlowe for 2019, the audience were treated to the Celtic influenced tracks like ”Whisky in the Jar” and “Black Rose”, amongst the usual razzamatazz, audience banter and the classic tracks “The Boys are Back in Town”, “Sarah” and many others that we’ve come to expect from one of the most highly rated acts on the tribute circuit.
Photos by Giles Metcalfe
Foxlowe Pixies Come out of Hibernation
The Pixie apples, a late-eating variety, were put away last autumn to hibernate in a cellar, where they get ideal storage conditions (low temperature and humidity). The plan was to sell them in the cafe when they were fully ripened and ready to eat. NOT MANY LEFT NOW, SO CATCH THEM WHILE THEY’RE STILL YOUNG AND SWEET.
Sadly, their sleep was disrupted when the cellar flooded and they had to be transferred to an attic, which was equally cool but somewhat drier. This has meant that the Pixies, although perfectly edible, are just a bit wrinkled.
For that reason, we won’t be charging for them, although if anyone wants to make a donation for those they eat, it will be most welcome.
Spring Film Programme
The much anticipated new film programme starts on the 22nd January and what a great one, including Peterloo, a major new cinematic work with huge contemporary relevance; Children Act, starring Emma Thompson; The Wife, starring Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce, and Under the Tree, long-waited in Leek.
We start with BlacKkKlansman, which won director Spike Lee the coveted Grand Prix from Cannes, and then King of Thieves, the story of the notorious Hatton Garden robbery, with a stellar cast led by Sir Michael Caine.
The Wednesday documentary programme starts with Versus, a film about the life and films of much-lauded film-maker Ken Loach, followed by a new film, Bikes vs. Cars, on the challenges facing cities around the world in safely accommodating the needs of both cyclists and motorists. The Swedish director, Fredrik Gertten, already has a following in Leek, with two of his acclaimed films Bananas!* and Big Boys Gone Bananas having been well-received at the Foxlowe.
Printed programmes and tickets will be available very soon, but full details, trailers and links for on-line tickets can be found in the What’s On calendar. You can also download an electronic copy of the programme here.
Information is also available on Facebook, via Foxlowe Films and Foxlowe Arts Centre
ST13 Jan-Feb 2019
An on-line copy of ST13 (No 55) is now available.
Follow the links for the full text:
The Dylan Project December 2018
The Dylan Project visited the Foxlowe Arts Centre once again, on the night of Thursday the 13th of December, 2018.
Now in their 20th year, but unfortunately sans Dave Pegg for this show (apparently “unavoidably detained” elsewhere), The Dylan Project (Steve Gibbons, Dave Pegg, P.J. Wright, Phil Bond & Gerry Conway) played under the banner of the Cuckoo’s Nest Folk Club to a packed room of respectful but enthuisiastic Dylan fans.
As their website says:
“Don’t be misled by the word ‘tribute’. Although the phrase “tribute band” can mean a slavish facsimile or a big-name cash-in, The Dylan Project is far more than a mere copycat act. The members bring their own distinctive take on the music, Steve Gibbons interprets the lyrics with stylish individuality and, above all, respect for a master writer and performer shines through every word, every note. As Mojo’s reviewer said: “The Dylan Project is a tribute in the best possible sense. Touching and deftly handled, it makes you marvel, once again, at the scope and majesty of this singular writer’s work.””
Thanks on behalf of the Foxlowe and The Cuckoo’s Nest to the band and everyone who attended on a very chilly night in Leek. See you again next year!
Photos by Giles Metcalfe.
Foxlowe Arts Centre brings new professional theatre to Leek
It’s around three years since we started our collaboration with Live and Local to bring professional theatre shows here and this year (season) we’ve been allocated 5 shows, two in the autumn and three in the spring.
January saw the welcome return of James Rowland with his “One Hundred Different Words for Love”: he told us about the third part of his trilogy and it’s plain that our audience want him to come back with it.
In February, on Thursday 21st, Little Earthquake bring their new show “I Ain’t Afraid of no Ghost”.
Imagine an ordinary home with extraordinary goings-on. Set in the 80s, this show is based on the family experiences of one of the actors, whose home is taken oven by a playful poltergeist. Find out who really took that packed of Kit Kats.
A funny and nostalgic trip back to the 80s in a theatre show for adults and older children about a family home being haunted by a playful poltergeist. It delves back into the childhood of Gareth, the director and one of the performers, and draws you into a fascinating paranormal mystery set in a very recognisable suburban world.
”A quirky, creative performance that encourages your own overactive imagination, reconnects you with some sounds, sights and flavours of the past, and provides lots of laughs along with a few spooky surprises!”
Formed in 2005 by co-Directors Gareth Nicholls and Philip Holyman, West-Midlands based Little Earthquake “exists to create events that will surprise, entertain, inspire and intrigue. The stories we tell invite audiences to scupper their expectations and escape the ordinary.
And then April (Friday 26th) sees a real treat – New Perspectives Theatre bring their new stage adaptation “The Man without a Past“. This is based on the Cannes-award-winning film made by the acclaimed Finnish film-maker Aki Kaurismaki. It’s described as “A Finnish melancomedy – part melancholic love story, part deliciously deadpan comedy”. Tickets for this should be available in late February.
And next? Towards the end of March we’ll have sight of the list of offers for the next season. In the meantime, there are other Live and Local shows nearby which you can go to: just look for them under <What’s On> at liveandlocal.org.uk.
Information from Michael Quine (01538 529324 – michaelquine@talktalk.net)
Wreath Workshops Still Have a Few Places – 16th Dec
From the ornate to the simple. Why not have a go yourself? Good company and free drinks, plus a unique wreath at the end of the session.
There are still some places for this Sunday’s workshops: one in the morning (11am-1pm) and five in the afternoon (2-4pm).