Oli Brown Band (Page 2 of 8)

Good boy.

He´s right about the live-thing ... I really hope I can manage to see him during the Blues Caravan tour. The videos I saw so far were just great.
For all German folks who are interested: the current issue of Bluesnews also features Oli Brown and has "Psycho" on a compilation disc with new artists.

Eva

I spoke to Graham at the Walter Trout/Oli Brown gig at the Edinburgh Picture House about Oli supporting Joe in 2009. According to Graham, there had been discussions with Joe's management and the consensus was that Oli was too similar!

2008 was an extremely busy year for Oli Brown.  In January Oli signed to Ruf Records and went to Germany to record his first Ruf Records album, titled "Open Road", it was released in June and has received great reviews. In February, whilst in America, The Oli Brown Band were invited to record at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis, by John Fry himself.

Oli went back to the States for the month of August 2008 and was performing with Blinddog Smokin, Sherman Robertson, Miss Blues, Billy Branch and did his own Oli Brown set too !

In the UK the Oli Brown Band secured support slots in 2008 with artist such as Jon Cleary, Johnny Winter, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Robben Ford, Walter Trout and Devon Allman (he was also due to support Jeff Healey). These gigs saw them playing in larger venues and increasing their rapidly growing fan base, and also he played a large number of solo dates and blues festivals.

Starting that the end of this month Oli will do a tour of Europe with the Blues Caravan and the whole month of March is taken up with the "OPEN ROAD" tour. Tour dates here:

http://www.oliselectricblues.co.uk/gigs.html

Certainly supporting Joe on his November tours would have been the icing on the cake for Oli, sadly it was not to be, due to a decision to choose a support act quite unlike Joe. The stories I’ve heard about the bar rapidly filling up during Imelda May’s set perhaps suggest why Scott McKeon has been chosen to support Joe at the RAH.

Like Oli, Scott he is a young British blues rocker who recorded an impressive debut album in 2006, “Can’t Take No More”.   In the last year he was the opening act at the Hard Rock calling event in Hyde Park last summer featuring Clapton and John Mayer and he supported Watermelon Slim on a short UK tour in July last year.  Since then he has played some  local dates, a few in Europe and the states.  I do feel he needs to increase his workload by touring more extensively and finishing his next album if he is to reach his potential.  Certainly compared to Oli he has a low key year.

Thanks Duncan for giving the info on Oli. He certainly did have a busy year. He is totally dedicated to the music and deserves all the acclaim he's getting.
He told me he was having the month of December off but I can tell from some of the comments I have had on my videos of Oli that he has been playing in some schools. Taking the music to the kids is a great way of introducing them to the kind of stuff they might not otherwise hear. Like Joe he is really helping to keep the blues alive and vital.
Also, like Joe, he is a super nice guy.

Guitarjosh....Glad you like Oli.

Eva, if you do get to see Oli in Stuttgart I hope you will take the video camera with you

Tripsy

Phil - I'm sure Oli's voice will grow on you.  Open Road is an exceptional recording and I can't wait to hear more from Oli and his bandmates.  I just wish he'd come to the States so I could listen in person.

Thanks for that Tripsy:) Alex and I see him on the 26th at the.. Robin, cannot wait

Cool:) I take it he will signs cds after the show? I got a photo pass from his management. so tell him to look for the big fella with a camera:)

Thanks for the videos Tripsy.

There really does seem to me an Oli phenomenon at the moment in the UK and it is certainly introducing younger people to the blues, much in the way that Back Door Slam did in the USA.  here are a couple of quotes to illustrate that:

Having played with Oli on 3 dates of his tour with Walter Trout in October last year and shared the stage with him and AL on many occasions I can tell you I have NEVER seen so many young guys and girls at a blues gig EVER. Last year in Holmfirth I was delighted to stand with Oli & Fred as he greeted, kissed and signed his way through a crowd of fans the oldest of which must have been 20, so utterly refreshing and even better when these kids were asking questions like “what is this music called” and “why haven’t we heard it before”
Richard Spooner former drummer in Aynsley Lister's band.

I had never been to a Blues gig where young girls are screaming at the performers.I have now ! It was at the Norwich Arts Centre Friday 13 March 2009Oli Brown and his band tore down any barriers that may be perceived about Blues music and age group. From the moment they hit the stage at this sold out gig, there was constant hysteria in the room, from young and old ! This was a terrific show from start to finish, Oli’s playing and singing knows no boundaries. So much emotion. On one number (Roxanne) he walked away from the mic and sang filling the whole room with just his own lungs as the pa system, fantastic.Fred Hollis on bass and Simon Dring on drums, are outstanding, they are so in tune with Oli. A great team.Oli played most of the tracks from his debut album “Open Road” and once again proved why he is garnering such a great reputation as a live artist."Missing You", is simply superb a great track about being away from the woman you love, mixed with a blistering and I mean blistering guitar solo. Outstanding !This boy is a real star.(and only 19 !)
Dean, Norwich, comment on Paul Jones' BBC website

Long may it continue...