Mike Ross - the lunchtime session
Mike Ross + Stone Thieves
Entry Requirements: Under 16s are not permitted in the venue. Under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.
Mike Ross plays the lunchtime session:
Born and raised in the Great North but living these days down in the Southland with a steady mind and a thoroughbred plan, Mike writes soul wrenchin', riff bustin' songs that will make you want to share the tale of his life’s journey and the lessons he's learned.
This winding road leads from England to Europe before jumping the Atlantic to New York, detouring way down south to Memphis and New Orleans via Clarksdale Mississippi and Nashville Tennessee, soaking up every scent and sound along the way before fetching up on the shores of Sussex with a lifetimes worth of tales to share.
Mike takes listeners on a uniquely detailed and image packed history tour of the history of the music of the music he loves to play, beginning in the Mississippi Delta at the beginning of the 20th century and finishing up right back in the present moment with his powerful emotive voice and intoxicating virtuosic guitar playing carrying you every inch of the way.
Kerrang! called Mike Ross “Burnt in Blues, Soaked in Soul!” — a description that holds true of Mike’s multiple facets: songwriting, multi-instrumental talents, gritty riff-busting, yet eloquent, guitarist and also his vocals, all of which come to the fore on his latest solo releases. He’s a proud DIY artist too, who writes, performs, records, produces & releases his own music.
Mike has also collaborated with some of the brightest lights in the UK emerging artists scene, such as Elles Bailey, Jack J Hutchinson & Troy Redfern. What’s more, he’s an international, incessantly touring, musician who has played live music on every continent and in most European countries.
Mike Ross’s material proves him to be a man you can rely on to conjure up fuzz-charged Heavy Blues and powerful Rock, to make his guitar soar and sing, and to deliver smart-as-a-whip lyrics.
Spinning blues, rock, soul and country into an intoxicating blend (reminiscent of the calm virtuosity of the Allman Brothers combined with the wild abandon of Rory Gallagher), Mike and his band are an unstoppable force of nature and an unforgettable live act.
Mike earned critical acclaim from every point of the music compass: Classic Rock, Maverick Magazine, Planet Rock Radio, BBC Radio, Music News. As Henry Yates put it in Classic Rock Magazine: “You need to know Mike Ross.” True then: true now.
Solo support from Stone Thieves.
Line Up
Mike Ross
Burnt in Blues, Soaked in Soul! - Kerrang!
Born and raised in the Great North but living these days down in the Southland with a steady mind and a thoroughbred plan, Mike writes soul wrenchin', riff bustin' songs that will make you want to share the tale of his life's journey and the lessons he's learned.
This winding road leads from England to Europe before jumping the Atlantic to New York, detouring way down south to Memphis and New Orleans via Clarksdale Mississippi and Nashville Tennessee, soaking up every scent and sound along the way before fetching up on the shores of Sussex with a lifetimes worth of tales to share.
This lad from the far North East has distilled the essence of the Deep South and West Coast of America - Blues In Britain
Mike takes listeners on a uniquely detailed and image packed history tour of the history of the music of the music he loves to play, beginning in the Mississippi Delta at the beginning of the 20th century and finishing up right back in the present moment with his powerful emotive voice and intoxicating virtuosic guitar playing carrying you every inch of the way.
Fuzzed up, fierce and full frontal fiery attack coupled with sexy, smooth slidin', southern soul! - Mojo Magazine
To experience Mike playing solo or with the other members of his 4 piece band egging him on is to see why one reviewer declared him 'soaked in soul & burnt in blues'.
Releases
Mike's first solo album, the Americana-tinged 'Spindrift' was released in 2014 to critical acclaim and reveals an introspective side to Mike's songwriting and performing. Tracks such as the honest, plaintive southern 6/8 soul feel of 'Lazy' and 'Don't Worry Baby, Just Call #2' contrast with the driving fuzz of 'Ran Thru Here' and the outlaw imagery portrayed in 'Been So Long'. The album takes listeners on a visceral aural journey of the heartlands of American legend.
New album “Jenny's Place” boasts a fuller and more muscular set of performances. The textures found here are thicker and sinewy, from the highway rolling 'Dakota Red' and the agonized blues of 'Dark Dowder' to the Petty-esque choruses and melodic structure of 'Jenny (Sun Goes Down)' and the bar-room swagger of 'The Big Picture' or 'Baby, I Love You'.
Press and radio support for Jenny's Place (and Spindrift) has been strong, with tracks steadily gathering airplay on both national and international radio stations since it's release earlier in the year.
Shows
With a reputation for incendiary live band shows and powerful yet intimate solo performances Mike has previous work with not only Black Crowes founder and guitarist Rich Robinson but also outlaw country legend Steve Earle already under his belt. The Brighton release show for the “Jenny’s Place’ album (filmed for upcoming TV and record release) was a sell out and the summer of 2016 will see Mike appearing at respected festivals such as Blues on The Farm in Sussex, Rambling Man Fair in Kent, Beautiful Days in Devon, Truck Festival in Oxford and a headline slot at Brighton's Trafalgar Street Party in July. The gig list for the remainder of the year is packed out and includes shows at venues such as Ain't Nothin' But & The 100 Club in London, The DeLaWarr Pavilion in Bexhill, Worthing Live Festival and upcoming support shows with blues 'royalty' Lucky Peterson.
There will also be national dates on a UK tour set to commence in the Autumn.
Stone Thieves
In the alleyways beneath the neon sky, dreams are made and broken in the same heartbeat, deals and enemies are made with matching ease. Cars are fast, trains are as long as the burning night, men are tough but the women are tougher. The smell of incense, sweat and oil fill the air and a needle drops on the record that soundtracks this life.
Stone Thieves are the emotion, fire, passion, love, regret and hope of every man and woman that has ever felt the calling of the wild, to be where nobody else is, forging their own path in the wilderness.
Carrying on in the tradition of the great narrative songwriters (Petty, Springsteen, Young) Stone Thieves show snapshots of lives lived on the edge, in dive bars and on the back seats of cars. The cheaters, the stealers, the dealers and show stealers get called out for what they are.
Songs about driving into the night at a million miles an hour with the bitter words of the last argument hanging heavy in the red mist of anger, not caring about where your headed only who you’re leaving behind.
Songs about finding salvation anywhere you can, in a bottle, a pill, a lover and still finding the strength to open your eyes and face another day.
Songs about finding redemption, shedding skin and being reborn, being able to leave the past behind and turning your face to the sun, taking it all in your stride and letting the good times roll.
