It's another busy week for the north west music scene. We've got a one-night only gig from the iconic Dolly Parton tonight, then the Carling Academy will see a great gig tomorrow from Scott Matthews, and a showstopper with self-confessed hellraisers the Horrors on Friday. It promises to be a busy week...
One of Nashville's most successful singer-songwriters will be strutting her stuff tonight and showing she's still the reigning queen of country music.
Dolly Parton has written over three thousand songs, and she'll be showcasing some of the best at the Manchester Arena tonight.
It's all a far cry from her humble beginnings in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains, one of twelve children who worked on a poor farmstead. The theme of poverty inspired her earliest hits, like Coat of Many Colors.
Sadly tonight's show sold out months ago, but for those there it promises to be a fabulous night.
Then tomorrow night we've got Scott matthews coming to Liverpool.
It’s something of a surprise to discover a singer from Wolverhampton with a sound that's more suited to the American plains than the Black Country coalfields.
Scott Matthews has taken Later with Jools Holland by storm, performed with Foo Fighters and now he’s on his way to the Carling Academy for a hotly-anticipated gig tomorrow night.
His first album, Passing Stranger, won him fans across the music industry when it was released this time last year, and the first single Elusive was a favourite on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show - billed as The Hottest Record In The World and Single of the Week.
His publicity says throughout history the Midlands has played an important part in shaping the history of rock, folk and popular music - Beverley Knight and Robert Plant, I concede, but let’s not forget Slade and Babylon Zoo (or should that be Babylon who?).
Scott has been playing the guitar since he was seven, and cites his heroes as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, Marc Bolan and Joe Satriani.
His work is full of light and shade, romance and loss, Indian vibes and American blues, modern English folk and proper full-on rock. There’s a bit of Nick Drake and a bit of Jeff Buckley - mix in some Ravi Shankar and you’re almost there.
Scott began writing music at home with his older brother Darren, and continued to gig around the country, making a living by day in a warehouse, shifting boxes. He raised the money to pay for 20 demo CDs and the rest, as they say, is history.
He was snapped up by independent label San Remo and set about recording his debut album Passing Stranger. With Ravi Shankar’s tabla drummer Sukvinder Singh Namdhari, the album is a melting pot of musical genres.
After touring in support of the album, national radio play and sessions, Scott supported the Foo Fighters at their two UK acoustic shows in June.
“My ambition was to make a record and that’s been achieved,” he says. “I think just being happy in my life and in what I’m doing, really, that’s the ambition.”
Scott Matthews plays the Carling Academy tomorrow night (21/3), tickets £12.50 from 0151 707 3200.
Touted as the most exciting British band since the Sex Pistols, the Horrors are a mass of sharp elbows, big hair, feedback and monochrome clothes.
The band, who play at the Carling Academy on Friday, have been tipped by Jarvis Cocker as the future of British rock and had their video banned by MTV for excessive strobe use and general gruesomeness. They've caused $10,000 of damage during a near-riot at a gig in New York because of an over enthusiastic crowd.
"We don't set out to cause trouble" says coiffured frontman Faris Badwan. “Liverpool shouls be great. We're looking forward to a great show."
The Horrors play Academy 2 on March 23. For more information see www.myspace.com/thehorrors.
