Steve Lukather returns to the UK due to popular demand

Legendary TOTO Guitarist
STEVE LUKATHER
Returns to the UK due to popular demand

March 2011 solo gigs confirmed for
Leamington Spa, Manchester and Holmfirth

Following the release of his critically acclaimed new studio album “All’s Well That Ends Well”, and his packed UK gigs in London, Wolverhampton and Southampton earlier this month, TOTO guitarist STEVE LUKATHER has announced a handful of UK solo concerts during March 2011.

Lukather will play Leamington Spa Assembly (Thursday 17th March), Manchester Club Academy (Friday 18th March), and Holmfirth Picturedrome (Saturday 19th March).  Tickets go on sale to the general public from 9am on Friday November 26th via the 24 hour box office: 0871 230 1110, www.seetickets.com. 

Steve returns to the UK and Europe in 2011 with the same band who accompanied him on his 2010 European dates – Eric Valentine (drums), Steve Weingart (keyboards, vocals) and Renee Jones (bass guitar, vocals).

“The reaction from the recent UK and European tour was incredible,” says Lukather.  “The All’s Well That Ends Well” has received tons of amazing rave reviews and I’m really excited about coming back to the UK and the rest of Europe to perform more of my solo work with one of the best band’s I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with.”

Continues Lukather, “Earlier this year I told everyone I was genuinely excited because I had some great new music to play.  However I wasn’t expecting the overwhelming response from the fans.  I originally set out to achieve a personal best, and the plan was to work hard on all aspects of the music.  It’s still a journey that’s for sure.”

For over 30 years Lukather has been known as one of the founding members of the multi-million selling, multi-Grammy Award winning band ‘Toto’.

His outstanding guitar playing has appeared on hundreds of albums with the biggest stars and music legends including Van Halen, Whitney Houston, Alice Cooper, George Benson, Rod Stewart and even played guitar on Michael Jackson’s multi-million selling milestone album ‘Thriller’.  Lukather even appears on Jackon’s posthumous studio album “Michael,” released on December 10th.  

In 2009 Lukather was also inducted into Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame. The following year he received the international Eddy Christiani Award for 33 years of guitar mastership.

STEVE LUKATHER
2011 TOUR DATES

24 HR TICKET HOTLINE: 0871 230 1101
www.seetickets.com

AGENCY & CC BOOKINGS SUBJECT TO A FEE

Thursday 17th March 2011
Leamington Spa, The Assembly
Tickets: £23 / Box Office: 01926 523001 / www.leamingtonassembly.com
Spencer Street Leamington Spa , Warwickshire, CV31 3NF

Friday 18th March 2011
Manchester, Club Academy
Tickets: £23 / Box Office: 0161 832 1111 / www.manchesteracademy.net
UMSU, Oxford Road, Manchester. M13 9PR

Saturday 19th March 2011
Holmfirth West Yorkshire, Picturedrome
Tickets: £23 / Box Office: 0871 230 1101 / www.picturedrome.net
Market Walk, Holmfirth. HD9 7DA

Steve Lukather - O2 Islington London 18th November 2010

In support of the recently released and quite superb "All's Well That Ends Well" cd, Steve Lukather and his band hit London as part of a 14 date European tour.

With no support act we were straight into the main event and track 1 off of the new cd "Darkness In My World" hits us hard. Big riff and Steve in great voice on a song that is very autobiographical for the year that Steve has had. But Steve is happiest playing music and from the word go the whole band were on and having a real ball, enjoying playing their music.
With a setlist that went way back into the back catalogue right to the new cd with 6 songs played off it.

The setlist was

Darkness In My World
Always Be There For Me
Extinction Blues
On My Way Home
68
Brodies
Ever Changing Times
Keyboard Solo/Song For Jeff
Tumescent
Drum Solo
Out Of Love
Tears Of My Own Shame/Little Wing
Can't Look Back
Encore 1 Flash In The Pan
Encore 2 The Road Goes On(acoustic)

His band of Steve Weingart (keys), Eric Valentine (drums) and Renee Jones on bass were superb. Laying down the beat to allow Steve to weave his magic over. Some of the musical endings were very intricate and a joy to hear.

Highlights were all of it really.

All of the new songs came over superbly and worked well in the live mode. Shazz was especially glad to hear "On My Way Home" and I enjoyed the way the songs have grown in the live setting and the extended solos in "Brodie's" and "Flash In The Pan" were phenomenal.

We also had the instrumental "68" that Steve wrote for the Lee Ritenour cd "6 String Theory" this year which started with a long story of the song being named after an act that you are left owing 1. I'll let you all think about that one.
In fact between songs the stories from Steve were great -  it felt like being in a room full of friends, which to an extent we are. We laughed a lot and also felt for him with the break up of his marriage and the loss of his mother this year.

We had blues, funk, jazz and straight ahead rock in "Can't look Back" and of course marvellous geetar playing throughout.
We had songs from Luke, Los Lobotomys, Candyman and of course Toto. Not the karaoke ones as Steve call them but "Out Of Love" and "The Road Goes On" which ended the show. Steve returned to the stage and played this last track unaccompanied on an acoustic guitar  -  again a song about the road where Steve is happiest.

After an hour and 50 minutes it was over and a great night was had by all.

Brilliant.


He will be back to the UK again in fact I read 3 dates in March have been announced in Leamington Spa, Manchester and Holmfirth
and also tickets for Toto in June are already in hand.

"The Road Goes On!"
ME


First 2 images (c) Carey Brandon
Final 3 images copyright property of George Chin All rights are strictly reserved.  Re-posting on any other site will be regarded as unauthorised use. For permission to re-use, please contact George Chin. 
Final 3 Photos: © George Chin / www.iconicpix.com 

Philip Sayce Innerevolution

There isn't very often I am speechless.

I am sad to say I knew very little of Phillip Sayce until Peter Noble sent me a copy of the cd recently. Believe me that is my loss.

Phillip Sayce is a a Welsh Born geetarist who after witnessing Eric Clapton live a youngster decided this was his chosen path. As a mainstay of the Toronto scene in his teens he was asked to join the Jeff Healey band. He moved onto Uncle Kracker and as the then geetarist for Melissa Etheridge he released his first solo cd in 2005"Peace Machine".

Innerevolution sees Phillip teaming up with such luminaries as Richard Marx to produce an 11 track cd that has crosses many boundaries but is tuneful and uplifting with echoes of Jeff Healey,Jimi Hendrix,The Beatles.Stevie Ray Vaughan  and Lenny Kravitz and also on track 2 "Scars" vocally Jeff Scott Soto.

Ably backed by his backing band of Ryan Macmillan(drums),Joel Gottschalk(bass) and Fred Mandel on keys who have played with the likes of Queen,Supertramp,Elton John and Matchbox 20 there are really too many highlights to mention.

Track 1 "Changes" sets the scene with its guitar driven wah wah style  with Phillip's rich vocals on top.

Track 2 "Scars" is a heavy funk number with the JSS vocal style as mentioned before and some great geetar playing.

There really should be justice in the world and a song like "Daydream Tonight"being a world wide hit. Everytime I play it I want to re hit play straight away. I love its optimistic vocal line about climbing to the top of the world and being whatever we want to be and you could hear it being played at the end of a movie. The fantastic production on the cd really shows home on this with its light and shade sound.The Beatles middle section and the orchestration and soulful solo really are top top draw!! 

You also have the raw blues of "Tennessee  Girl" with its stunning solo,"Bitter Monday" and its Queen style drum intro and big chorus and again another wah wah style solo and "Are You Ready" is another great song with light and shade and a Joe Perry sounding extended solo to end with that would go down a storm live!! Same as "Gimme Some More"with its very insistent drum led beat and big chorus and heavy playing and very bluesy solo!!

Lastly "Little Miss America" has Hendrix and Kravitz all over it. At over 8 minutes long it gives us a chance to see a song develop over a longer time frame. Again fantastic back up from the band give Phillip the chance to show his chops vocally and playing wise and a solo to die for.

I could go on all day really. 

A truly fantastic cd that should see Phillip move onto bigger things. There is a real depth to this that shows maturity for one still quite young. There is raw power,an emotive side and just a joy in producing music that you can see he so believes in.

Brilliant.

Phillip is on tour until the 17th of November being supported by Marcus Bonfanti a new British blues geetarist who recently released his "What Good Am I To You?" cd. 

Very heavy old school blues with a real stomp you feel should have been made in the swamps of the deep south.

Songs with very gravelly vocals with a real blues edge and delicate acoustic picking sit alongside some real blues stompers that will go down a storm live.

"Will Not Play Your game","Goin Down"and "Give Me Your Cash" are all highlights.

2 different cds that also have a lot in common. Soulful,passionate and a joy to hear.

ME

Steve Lukather's tour hits the UK

Following the release of his new album “All’s Well That Ends Well”, guitarist, vocalist, composer and producer Steve Lukather will play 3 rare UK concerts:-
Thursday 18th November - O2 Islington Academy, London
Tickets: £25 / Box Office: 0844 477 2000
http://www.o2academyislington.co.uk/
Friday 19th November - The Robin 2, Bilston, Wolverhampton
Tickets: £23/£25 / Box Office: 01902 401211
http://www.therobin.co.uk/
Saturday 20th November - The Brook, Southampton
Tickets: £23/£25 / Box Office: 023 80555366
http://www.the-brook.com/
For VIP tickets, go to www.mascotrecords.com/luke/vipticketsshop.htm
For over 30 years Lukather has been known as one of the founding members of the multi-million selling band Toto. He’s played guitar on hundreds of albums with the biggest artists including Van Halen, Whitney Houston, Alice Cooper, Rod Stewart and also played guitar on Michael Jackson’s multi-million selling milestone album ‘Thriller’.

NH

Black Country Communion Live UK Dates

Black Country Communion, featuring vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Trapeze, Black Sabbath), award-winning blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Billy Idol), today confirmed that they will perform two long-awaited UK concerts in December.
Fittingly, the first concert will take place right in the heart of the Black Country at the legendary Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Wednesday 29th December, followed by a concert at London’s o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Thursday 30th December.
NH

GMT Tour Cancelled

In our recent interview with John McCoy we gave details of the planned GMT November tour. We have just heard that GMT have had to cancelled the tour due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the band's control.
GMT are absolutely gutted about this and are trying their hardest to reschedule for next year.
As soon as we hear of any new GMT dates we will of course let you know

NH

Firefest Friday - Nottingham Trent University 29th October 2010

First trip to the annual Firefest event up in Nottingham.

Fridays venue had changed from The Rig to the 650 capacity Trent University around the corner due to the amount of people wanting to go. Getting inside it was like a small sports hall with the stage set to one end. Amazing to see how quickly it can go up as at 2 o'clock when we popped in it was only just starting to go up.

The hall was pretty full for the arrival of band one Reckless Love from Finland. Having played in Nottingham recently they were greeted like returning heroes. To anyone who hasn't heard the album if Poison/Kiss inspired rock is your thing you can't go wrong. Led by the high kicking bastard son of Michael Monroe and David Lee Roth, Olli Herman is straight to the edge of the stage wanting us all to sing along and for all the ladies to scream at him!! Which they all do.

Ably backed up by Pepe on geetar, Hessu Max on drums and Jalle Verne on bass they play all of the debut cd. With for me the highlights being the last 5 songs which were Back To Paradise, Beautiful Bomb and encores of Bad Ass, a cover of Def Leppard's "Hysteria" and then One More Time.  All had grown men screaming along to songs that are all about a great chorus. Olli's vocals for "Hysteria" were spot on. They left with the crowd begging for more and an enormous future should await!!

After such a great start the atmosphere did drop a bit for the next band up Crazy Lixx from Sweden. 

Promoting their superb second cd "New Religion" they started well enough but once a couple of songs from their first cd were played which I think the crowd didn't know it didn't help. Led by Danny Rexon on vox the 5 piece play a grittier Skid Row with Def Leppard choruses inspired rock that also reminds me of the early 90's band Heavens Edge (funnily enough this cd is rereleased by Rock Candy next week!!) Heavier than Reckless Love as soon as they went back to cd 2 and Blame It On Love and then 21 Til I Die it was up to the earlier excitement levels.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 1 hour set and maybe a swop of line up position with Reckless Love could have helped but these things happen.

Lastly H.E.A.T. who is was very much looking forward to seeing. In some quarters they are the saviours of AOR to others a Europelite band. Like marmite they seem to be  loved or hated. 

After releasing album number 2 earlier this year "Freedom Rock" they should be on a high but due to the musical differences led split with vocalist Kenny Leckremo this was only the second gig with Swedish idol winning vocalist Erik Gronwall. So is this a match made in heaven or hell?

With a setlist split between their 2 cd's could they go wrong?

Beg Beg Beg

Late Night Lady

Nobody Loves You(Like I Do)

Everybody Wants To Be Someone

Danger Road

Straight For Your Heart

Straight Up

Never Let Go

1000 Miles

High On Love

Who Will Stop The Rain

Encores of

There For You

18 And Life

We're Gonna Make It To The End(acoustic)

Keep On Dreaming

For me and the vast majority of the crowd.  No.

 Erik's vocals were great and he seemed to fit in as if he had been their forever. 

The crowd sang along and punched the air to new and old songs alike and the 70 minute set went past in a flash. Looking like a young Billy Idol,Erik stalked the stage like a veteran and any thoughts of it not working evaporated. 

Ably backed by Jona Tee on keys,Jimmy Jay on bass and Crash on drums the only downer was on the geetar mix. Dave Dalone and Eric Rivers were let down as most of the solos suddenly appeared half way through and Eric especially looked like a geetar god on the last song "Keep On Dreaming" yet we heard very little of it.

It didn't impact on the performance as we were all on a high but still annoying just the same.

So we now look forward to album number 3 and the chance to move onwards and upwards.

So Firefest number one for me and one that I will certainly visit again.

Tonite was a Scandinavian treat from 3 young bands all about fun with big choruses.

Loved it!!

Loved it!!

ME

Joe Bonamassa releases Albert Hall gig on CD and Blu-Ray

JOE BONAMASSA
“Live From The Royal Albert Hall”

Featuring special guest appearance by Eric Clapton

 

Provogue is pleased to announce the companion piece to 2009’s hugely successful DVD release “Joe Bonamassa - Live At The Royal Albert Hall” (originally released on DVD in the UK, October 2009).  Now, for the first time, the legendary concert, featuring a special guest appearance from Eric Clapton, will be released on special 2 x CD and Blu-Rayformats in the UK on November 15th and November 22nd respectively.

When blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa took the stage at Royal Albert Hall in May 2009, he fulfilled a dream he’d held since first picking up a guitar as a kid in upstate New York.  The sold-out concert—fresh off the release of his album The Ballad Of John Henry—marked Bonamassa’s headlining debut at arguably the most prestigious concert venue in the world.  “May 4, 2009 was a day 20 years in the making,” says Bonamassa.  “I have never been so honoured in my life.  It was truly larger than the sum of its parts.”

The Blu-Ray edition, which also features an exclusive interview with Bonamassa, presents that magical night in full—for posterity, and for all the fans that couldn’t be among the 4,000 concert goers who filled the seats.  The 12-camera high definition, Surround Sound shoot was produced by Bonamassa’s collaborator Kevin Shirley.

The two decades he’s referring to began when, at age 12, he first opened for blues icon B.B. King, who said, “This kid’s potential is unbelievable.” King’s words are as fitting today as they were then. Bonamassa averages 200 shows every year, and with each gig, he comes more into his own as a virtuoso and a vocalist. At the Hall, Bonamassa had the added honour of being joined onstage by the legendary Eric Clapton. The Times of London cited Joe’s “searing excellence and showmanship,” and Planet Rock said, “The sight of two of the world’s best guitarists trading solos was more than a little thrilling.” 

“Joe Bonamassa is a big star amongst his peers,” says Shirley, “garnering awards and magazine covers all around the globe. While he has a devoted audience that’s growing worldwide, his rejection of major label deals in favour of paving his own musical path has left the mainstream largely unfamiliar with his extensive repertoire and skill. Hopefully, this incredible performance, featuring Joe accompanied by an incredible band in addition to a guest appearance by Eric Clapton, will put an end to that.

Format: 2 x CD Disc 1 1. Django 3:45 2. The Ballad Of John Henry 6:47 3. So It's Like That 2:55 4. Last Kiss 7:13 5. So Many Roads 6:20 6. Stop! 6:22 7. Further On Up The Road 6:17 8. High Water Everywhere 5:07 9. Sloe Gin 8:29 Disc 2 1. Lonesome Road Blues 4:36 2. Happier Times 7:30 3. Your Funeral My Trial 4: 38 4. Blues Deluxe 9:17 5. Story Of A Quarryman 5:17 6. The Great Flood 8:04 7. Just Got Paid 11:43 8. Mountain Time 10:54 9. Asking Around For You 12:30 Cat No: PRD 7274 2 Barcode: 8712725727422 Genre: Blues Label: Provogue

Format: Blu Ray DVD 1 (56:08) 1. Django 3:45 2. The Ballad Of John Henry 6:47 3. So It's Like That 2:55 4. Last Kiss 7:13 5. So Many Roads 6:20 6. Stop! 6:22 7. Further On Up The Road 6:17 8. High Water Everywhere 5:07 9. Sloe Gin 8:29 DVD 2 (1:14:17)  1. Lonesome Road Blues 4:36 2. Happier Times 7:30 3. Your Funeral My Trial 4: 38 4. Blues Deluxe 9:17 5. Story Of A Quarryman 5:17 6. The Great Flood 8:04 7. Just Got Paid 11:43 8. Mountain Time 10:54 9. Asking Around For You 12:30 DVD Extras 1. Woke Up Dreaming 10:05 2. Joe Bonamassa Interview on Bus (Running Time: 23:06) Cat No: PRDVD 7330 7 Barcode: 8712725733072 Genre: Blues Label: Provogue

                                                                   

Philip Sayce & Marcus Bonfanti: UK Tour starts Nov 7th 2010

Philip Sayce, former guitarist with Jeff Healey band,  Uncle Kracker and Melissa Etheridge, will embark on a nationwide tour in the UK starting at the Manchester Academy 3 on Sunday 7th November.

Sayce’s guitar-driven retro blues rock sound is rich and raw. Fans can expect Sayce to perform songs from his first album Peace Machine, and his second and most recent album INNEREVOLUTION, released by Provogue Records. Described by many as an emotive singer and an exceptionally skilled guitarist, Sayce’s live shows features a stunning interpretation of Neil Young’s classic Cinnamon Girl; a song that featured on his debut album Peace Machine (also released by Provogue Records).

Sayce’s touring band includes bassist Joel Gottschalk and drummer Fritz Lewak (Melissa Etheridge, Jackson Brown, Peter Frampton), while he takes on lead vocals and guitar.

Philip Sayce was born in Aberystwyth, Wales, and grew up in Toronto, Canada, after his family moved there when he was two years old.  When his parents took him to an Eric Clapton concert, he was awestruck. He was instantly drawn to the guitar. By the time he was 15 he was playing guitar in his first band and a regular fixture on the Toronto club scene, where his fluid soloing and guitar skills won him many fans. Sayce began rapidly distilling his own guitar style  from a melting pot of influences that included Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Cray, and in particular Stevie Ray Vaughan, to whom he is most often compared.

As a teenager, Sayce was held in such high regard that, after jamming on stage with one of his heroes, guitar player and fellow Canadian Jeff Healey, he was invited to join Healey’s band. After three-and-a-half years with Healey’s band, Sayce felt it was time to move on. In 2001 he moved to Los Angeles and joined Uncle Kracker. He was with the band when they had their massive US No.1 Drift Away. He starred in and wrote the music for the short film Cockroach Blue and in 2003 Grammy and Oscar winner Melissa Etheridge came calling. Sayce enjoyed an “awesome” time playing and recording with her band until 2008.

During his stint with Melissa, in 2005 Sayce released his debut solo album, Peace Machine, using what he describes as Etheridge’s “shit-hot” band. Recorded live in the studio, it’s full of raw, high-energy, low-maintenance retro-blues delivered with startling punch and real style, and showcases Sayce as soulful, powerfully expressive vocalist as well as a supremely talented guitarist and all-round musician.

With his jam-club years in his pocket, live is where Sayce shines brightest.  His band performs with a potent mixture of power and finesse, and as the focal point he regularly pulls the trigger and unleashes visceral, unforgettable guitar solos.

April 2010 saw the release of, INNEREVOLUTION, Philip Sayce’s most recent studio album recorded with his current touring band - keyboardist Fred Mandel (Queen, Supertramp, Elton John, Alice Cooper), bassist Joel Gottschalk and drummer Ryan MacMillan (Matchbox 20). Some of the songs co-written with Richard Marx, busbee, Mike Bradford, Dave Cobb and Marti Frederiksen among others, establishes Philip Sayce not only as one of the finest blues guitarists, but also as a musician, singer and songwriter with tremendous talent.

There’s the driving, exhilarating opener Changes, with its guitar-motif nods to Hendrix and The Beatles; the broken-heart questioning of Are You Ready, and the thrown-it-all-away regret of the pulsing Bitter Monday. The funked-up, get-down Little Miss America, on which Sayce pushes his voice to the edge, and at the other end of the intensity scale is a diamond among other gems on the album: Daydream Tonight, a mid-tempo, slow-burning ballad delivered with passion and giving off a hint of the piquancy of some of a young Lenny Kravitz’s finest, most soulful moments.

The album also includes a cover of the Automatic Man song My Pearl. “I just love the song,” Sayce enthuses. “I wanted to bring my love of funk and soul to this track, and it's so much fun to play.” More varied than Peace Machine, and overall more sophisticated and more polished in terms of songwriting, sonics and performance, INNEREVOLUTION is a stylish, engaging and thrilling album that should bring Philip Sayce to the attention of a lot of new fans of guitar music.

UK blues rock guitarist Marcus Bonfanti is very special guest on Philip Sayce’s UK November tour.
With appearances at many of this summer’s festivals under his belt, including Glastonbury, Maryport, Hopfarm and Secret Garden as well as playing the prestigious South By South West festival in March, guitarist and vocalist Marcus Bonfanti is fast building a reputation as one of the most exciting acts on the UK live circuit.

Having learnt his trade playing 3 sets a night, 6 nights a week, he is no stranger to live performing. Together with his band, featuring Scott Wiber (bass) and Alex Reeves (drums), he’s been playing shows up and down the country throughout 2010 to promote his current album What Good Am I To You?, which has already been credited as one of Classic Rock magazines’ Top 50 releases of the year.

Twenty eight year old Bonfanti was born and raised in London to an English mother and an Italian father.
Self-taught as a guitarist, Marcus has already packed plenty in, from LIPA (the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) to top level session work, from school days as a trumpet player to learning guitar licks in his bedroom to the strains of Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog.’