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Buddy Whittington Band

8.45pm

Tickets available on the door from 8.00pm, Buddy on stage at 8.45pm. Call 07760 400 226 or 0191 230 4474 with any queries.

We are very excited about this one. Buddy Whittington is John Mayall's lead guitarist in the Bluesbreakers, a spot he has held since 1993. Luckily for us, the Bluesbreakers schedule is a bit more relaxed in 2008 which gives Buddy the opportunity to visit the UK with his own band. We have worked with John Mayall several times over the past five years and know that Buddy is a brilliant guitarist. This will be an amazing gig in a very intimate venue, so be sure to purchase your tickets now.

A bit of the Buddy - Bluesabreakers background .....

Born in Fort Worth, Texas on the 28th December 1956, Buddy Whittington began playing guitar at the age of eight after being inspired by his sister's records of The Beatles, Rolling Stones and in particular, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton. By the age of 14 he was already a part of the Dallas/Fort Worth music scene and playing regularly in the clubs along Jacksboro Highway.

Although he became versatile enough to be able to play anything from the country music of Bob Wills to the rhythm and blues classics of Bill Doggett to rock 'n roll, his main love was and is to this day, the blues. During the early 80's, he formed and sang with his own group "The Sidemen" who became well known to a large audience who loved their down home grooves. In 1991, "The Sidemen" were booked at a club called Dallas Alley to open up for none other than John Mayall. John was impressed enough to keep in touch and when Coco Montoya left the Bluesbreakers in 1993, there was no doubt in John's mind who to call.

Ever since that out-of-the blue phone call, Buddy has brought a powerful new dimension to the Bluesbreakers' sound. To date, his searing guitar and unique talents have ignited the albums SPINNING COIN, BLUES FOR THE LOST DAYS, PADLOCK ON THE BLUES, ALONG FOR THE RIDE, UK TOUR 2K, NO DAYS OFF, STORIES, 70th BIRTHDAY CONCERT and ROAD DOGS.

It's been a Mayall tradition for the Bluesbreakers’ guitarist to cover a Freddie King instrumental, starting with "Hideaway" by Eric on the "Beano", "The Stumble" by Peter Green on "A Hard Road" and "Driving Sideways" featuring Mick Taylor on "Crusade". Buddy continues this tradition in style with "Sen-Say-Shun" on the Blues For The Lost  Dayes album, Mayall's 1997 Silvertone release.

The Texas influence rears its head on Dead City from the same album and on Ain't No Brakeman from 1994's Spinning Coin. "It's that Les Paul through a Marshall tone that Eric refined in '66 - it can't be topped! And although I play a Stratocaster through a Dr. Z amp onstage these days, it's that perfect Gibson/Marshall 'thang' that we're all striving for!", muses Whittington.

Unlike countless rock 'n rollers who carry racks of guitars around for every show, Buddy likes to keep it simple and plays only one - his 1963 Stratocaster. He is also an accomplished blues songwriter and in addition to the songs he sings with the Bluesbreakers on live shows, on the Bluesbreakers CD ‘Stories’, he contributed his own Romance Classified. He and longtime Mayall drummer Joe Yuele co-wrote Pieces And Parts and together, they also co-wrote Always a Brand New Road on 1999's Padlock On The Blues and Awestruck & Spellbound on the latest CD Road Hogs. For the same album, bassist Hank Van Sickle joined the writing team and came up with the Bluesbreakers instrumental tribute to the boss entitled Brumwell’s Beat. These songs continue to get critical acclaim and attention and have been quoted in many of the album's reviews.

Although John Mayall makes Los Angeles his home base, Buddy is proud to live in Hurst, Texas with his family where he was raised and born to play the blues. Whilst playing with John, Buddy also works on material for an album of his own.

After the gig ....

The constant queue at the merch desk is always a good indication of how well any band is going down.

There was an excellent turn-out for a Wednesday night and we were all well rewarded. Buddy and the biys served up a delightful mix of slow blues and good old foot stompin R&B [the real stuff].

Songs such as Young & Dumb, Big Legged Woman, Can't Be Good, Second Banana, Stevie Rave On and Help Me Make It were rolled out for our delight and consumption.

The band also featured Pete Stroud on bass and Roger Cotton on keys [both previously with Peter Green's Splinter Group] plus the excellent Darby Todd on drums - comparatively young, but we won't hold that against him.

Buddy Whittington is a cracking guitarist who delivers the business without the historyonics, but then again, if John Mayall is going to employ you in his band for 15 years, you really must be doing something right.

The crowd loved it, the band loved it and we hope to get them back next year.