Grateful Fred's Newsletter No: 94
A busy October coming up...
When I look at the calender of Grateful Fred shows lined up for the year ahead, there are always one or two shows that I really look forward to.
Don’t take that the wrong way. I look forward to every Grateful Fred show as I know the amazing talents of the artists that I’ve booked.
But there are always one or two shows, from artists that have appeared before, that I just know will be great, and this month is one of those times when we welcome back for the third time the brilliant Max and Veronica.
If you didnt’ know that Max and Veronica are from sunny Italy then, hearing them perform, you would, without hesitation, think that they hailed from the Deep South of the USA. Mississipi bluesmen country…
As well as being super-talented artists they are also two of the nicest people you will meet and are always happy meeting people after the show to talk about their music, their influences and, for us nerdy guitar players, what sort of guitar does Max play to get that wonderful sound.
(Little secret…it’s not the guitar but Max’s magic fingers).
But as well as Max’s terrific talents as a guitar player and Veronica’s washboard and ukulele skills, Veronica has a beautiful, smokey, jazz voice that you can hear on this video recording…
See what I mean?
And supporting Max and Veronica I am delighted to be welcoming, for the first time, a friend of mine…
Donna Marie
Donna and I worked together, online, on a design for the cover of her CD, “Come Home To You” and I created a short promo video for her song “Falling Through The Cracks”…
Donna is a great songwriter and constantly tours throughout the UK performing in theatres and major venues. I was so pleased when she accepted my invitation to come and perform at Grateful Fred’s.
To give you a little taste of what’s in store here’s a video of a recent performance that I think you’ll love…
And opening the evening will be me and my bandmates, Pete, Chris, Frank and Chris otherwise known as…
The Silver Freds
We were really looking forward to playing in August, the show that was cancelled due to a fire alarm problem. So we are raring to go and open what I am certain will be a great evening of live acoustic music.
Please come and join us and if you can tell a few friends who may not have been to a Grateful Fred Night before then I’ll be very, very…grateful.
Tickets are still available from: https://www.theatkinson.co.uk/events/grateful-freds-oct-2024/
Then…
On Monday the 14th of October at the Grateful Fred Bijou Sessions at the award-winning Southport Bijou Cinema we will be welcoming back two of Nashville’s finest…
Jon Byrd and Amelia White
Jon and I first met when I asked him to headline a show that I put on at the legendary Liverpool venue, The Lomax in 2013. Since then Jon has performed for us Fredheads at the Grateful Fred Cafe’ Sessions in Formby and also in 2018 here at the house in “Fred’s Shed”. So this will be Jon’s fourth show for us and I am so looking forward to it.
Jon writes great songs and has a wonderful way of telling the stories behind the songs that ensure his audiences are carried along with him.
Jon performs throughout the USA and lives and records in Nashville, Tennessee where he’s known as a singularly authentic country singer and Telecaster slinger recording with such artists as the soulful Davis Raines, Texas country singer Buck Jones, folk-rock songwriter Stephen Simmons, the rockabilly whirlwind Suzette Lawrence and many more of his contemporaries.
Likewise, Amelia has performed for us Fredheads here at “Fred’s Shed” in 2017, which seems ages ago now.
Amelia, like Jon, is a true road-hog who, although living in East Nashville, constantly tours throughout the USA and whose songs and performances receive great reviews.
Jon and Amelia will be performing solo sets before joining together for a final set of what promises to be another great evening at The Grateful Fred Bijou Sessions.
Tickets are just £12 and available now from: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/southport-bijou-cinema/t-jzlmnml
Then…
On Thursday 17th of October we, The Wanderers, are putting on a…
Totally Acoustic Night
…at the newly re-opened and now extended Cafe’ D’ Art in Formby Village.
Over the last twelve months or so we have played a couple of times at two absolutely great acoustic nights at The Bobbin Micro Pub in Leigh and at The Shepherds Pub in nearby Lowton.
Both nights are operated on a totally acoustic basis. By that I mean no PA, mics or amplified guitars. Just the artists with their guitars, mandolins, fiddles, banjos performing as if in your front room.
And it sounds great. Appreciative and quiet audiences and artists enjoying music as it’s played informally for the fun and enjoyment of it.
As well as ourselves, The Wanderers, we’ll have great music from “Vinny & The Engineers”, “Great Jones St” and “Moonshadow”, and each band will play two sets of three or four songs each set.
It’s a trial run to see if we can muster up an audience and maybe make it a monthly night, so we’d be really grateful if you could come along and enjoy the evening with us and if you could spread the word and let your friends know.
And the good thing about it is that it’s TOTALLY FREE.
So please come along.
Well that’s it for now.
I hope you can come along and join us at one of the shows, and, if you could tell your friends I’d be an even more “grateful Fred”.
Till then,
Peace and Love,
Grateful Fred
The Wanderers