Joey Landreth

Curby; if you haven't already, you may want to check out Joey's drummer/co-songwriter/producer Roman Clarke's album from last year, Looking For Mine - quite tasty.

New UK dates out:-

Apr 23 Tue Lewes Con Club - Lewes, 
Apr 24 Wed Fat Lil's - Witney, 
Apr 25 Thu The Boileroom Music and Community Arts Venue - Guildford,
Apr 26 Fri The Railway Inn - Winchester,
Apr 27 Sat The HUBS - Sheffield,
Apr 28 Sun Audio Glasgow - Glasgow,
Apr 29 Mon White House Unique Social Club -  Ashington,

Apr 30 Tue The Wardrobe - Leeds, 
May 1 Wed The Night and Day Café - Manchester,
May 2 Thu The Bulls Head Alton - Alton,
May 3 Fri Kilkenny Roots Festival - Kilkenny, Ireland 
May 4 Sat Killkenny Roots Festival - Kilkenny, Ireland 
May 5 Sun The ROOTS @ The Rafa - St David's, 
May 7 Tue Thekla - Bristol,
May 8 Wed The Garage - London,
May 9 Thu The Flowerpot - Derby,

High praise from the Master - Thanks Curby; just following your example.

I’m just trying to get my head around what this strange affinity is between Winnipeg, Manitoba and Ashington, Northumbria. I mean, Winnipeg is a city of 750,000 or so souls; about 1100 miles or a good 2-hour flight from any coastline and is the largest and provincial capital of Manitoba. Ashington is home to around 28,000; barely 3 miles from the North Sea coast: it’s not Northumbria’s major town/city nor the centre for the regional council…

Winnipeg grew as a major rail transport hub, nestled in a flat plain on the confluences of the Red and Assinboine Rivers. Through the 20th century, the city suffered its fair share of financial ups and downs. Ashington grew on a flat plain with the River Wansbeck just to the south: it grew as a major coal mining centre with the growth of railways but also suffered a fair share of financial downturns with the cutting back of the railways and the phasing out of the deep pits (last one, Ellington closed in 2005). 

Winnipeg is noted for The Forks; Canadian Museum for Human Rights; Assinboine Park & Zoo. Ashington has Woodhorn Museum; Plessey Woods Country Park; Wansbeck Riverside Park and Whitehouse Farm Centre. Ashington has notably produced a number of professional footballers, notably Jack Milburn, Jackie Milburn, Mark Cullen, Jimmy Adamson, Jackie Charlton, Bobby Charlton, Cecil Irwin, Colin Ayre, David Thompson, Chris Adamson, Martin Taylor, Peter Ramage and Ray Blackhall. Premier League referee Michael Oliver, the youngest in the league’s history, was born in the town. And by some coincidence, Winnipeg lays claim to Doug McMahon; Héctor Vergara, FIFA referee; Paul Fenwick; Marco Bustos Kianz Froese; Desiree Scott on the soccer pitch.

Hey; long way round the houses, but I think I see some commonality coming through here…. That’s why these Canadian guys love playing Ashington and why Ashington love them….

So, point in hand, “A Special Evening With – Joey Landreth”. Oh yes, I was well up for this, especially after a good mate’s rave report from the last time Joey passed through the region; even more so when I found out that the evening’s support was Roman Clarke. Now again, I’d heard good things about Roman, who it seemed last visit, did one of his own songs from the drum stool, mid-Joey set, and made quite an impression with the locals, only fair then that this time he stepped forward of the drum riser and behind a small keyboard for a 40-45min set, maybe and maybe not centred round his debut full album, Scorcher. What can you say, Roman has a fair touch on the keys and golden voice to carry his well-crafted songs. The highlight was the “break-up” song, which may or may not be on the new album. It’s a bit hard to do a guitar solo when it’s just you on the stage, behind a keyboard, but Roman’s solution was a very novel twist. Overall, a fine, entertaining set from the guy who not only plays drums and does backing vocals for the evening’s headliner he also co-wrote and produced his latest album…

And so, to Joey Landreth. There was a great charge of expectation in the build-up to this show and was it ever worth it. Joey has great slide skills on the guitar but what really sets him apart is that he has the vocal ability to express the singer’s vulnerability behind the words of the songs he performs where others try to deflect behind over-the-top expression and raw power. And it’s this sensitivity that needed to showcase the themes of “mistakes, letting go, forgiveness and growing up”.

As you’d expect, Joey’s set was a fine blend of (solo) album 1 Whisky and the new album, Hindsight; track listing something like – Forgiveness; Dangerous Heart; Cryin’; Hindsight; Hallejulah I Love Her So; these two, Joey solo on stage. Then, Greenhouse; Father Son Holy Spirit; Waitin’; I Can’t Win; Whiskey; Lovin’ You; Letting You Go. It was almost a false start as early in the set Joey announced that he had a flat battery in one of his effects pedals, but he didn’t reckon on Northern resource as Mike Slaughter headed to the front of the stage with a replacement as the song was closing.

In all, a sublime evening’s entertainment, even “beautiful” was a word bandied about. Ashington clearly recognise the calibre of musician Joey & the band represent and it’s clear, the band have really taken Ashington to their hearts just as much. You’ve got to wonder, next tour Bros Landreth do over here, if they’ll sneak Ashington in the itinerary. Fingers crossed, I mean, any damn fool can play Albert Hall and the like…..

YouTubes from Fat Lil’s; Whitney, earlier on the tour:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQqJGLkIa8g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USmvyFc29yc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9DZdGm4zuw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsAboKGxoeU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F75MaPkvUfY

After the UK tour finishes (see post 5 on thread), the guys head off to:-
May 11 Sat Rhythm & Blues Night Groningen, Netherlands
May 12 Sun Paardcafé  Den Haag, Netherlands
May 14 Tue Blue Shell Köln, Germany
May 15 Wed Feierwerk e.V. München, Germany
May 17 Fri NOCHTWACHE Hamburg, Germany
May 18 Sat Sønderborghus Sønderborg, Denmark
May 19 Sun BLUES GARAGE isernhagen, Germany
May 20 Mon Badehaus Berlin Berlin, Germany
May 21 Tue Bygningen - Vejle Kulturservice Vejle, Denmark
May 22 Wed Tobakken Esbjerg, Denmark
Jun 2 Sun Communitea Café Canmore, Canada
Jun 6 Thu Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts North Battleford, Canada
Jun 8 Sat Poor Michael’s Emporium Onanole, Canada
Jun 17 Mon Mod Club Theatre Toronto, Canada
Jun 20 Thu National Arts Centre Ottawa, Canada
Jun 21 Fri Petit Campus Montréal, Canada
Jun 22 Satt Rockwood Music Hall New York, NY, United States
Jun 23 Sun City Winery DC Washington, DC, United States
Jun 25 Tue The Basement Nashville, TN, United States
Jun 29 Sat Puistoblues Pääkonsertti Järvenpää, Finland
Jul 19 Fri Vancouver Folk Music Festival Vancouver, Canada
Jul 26 Fri Stan Rogers Folk Festival Canso, Canada
Aug 7 Wed Burton Cummings Theatre Winnipeg, Canada
Aug 8 Thu Burton Cummings Theatre Winnipeg, Canada

A highly recommended "catch",  if you can....