Description

Passionate and intoxicating, Mike blazes his own unique trail - fusing his love and command of blues and roots music to create a unique blend. Since his re-emergence to the circuit in 2015 he has charged up the ranks to stand with the best known names in the UK blues and roots rock scene.

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 wrenching songs that will make you desperate 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, with influence taken from the whole range of 20/21st century American music - beginning in the Mississippi Delta and ending up right back in the present moment with his powerful emotive voice and intoxicating virtuosic guitar playing carrying you every inch of the way.

To experience Mike playing solo or with his band egging him on is to see why one reviewer declared him 'burnt in blues & soaked in soul'.

His first solo album, the Americana-tinged 'Spindrift' was released to critical acclaim and reveals an introspective side to Mike's songwriting and performing. The next 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 forthcoming single 'Jenny (Sun Goes Down)' and the bar-room swagger of 'The Big Picture' or 'Baby, I Love You'. Released 2nd March 2018 (with the first single landing a month earlier), bloggers and reviews alike agree that Jenny's Place is a career-defining record, described by one writer as "This is modern contemporary music, crossing and melding genres" and by another as “A classic 21st-century album full of 20th-century soul.” One track 'Coffeecan Telephone' has been streamed nearly 50,000 times on Spotify.

Description

Overlooking Montpellier Gardens, one of the town centre’s most picturesque locations, the vividly painted Blues Bar packs an unlikely punch amongst its more gentile neighbours.

However, due to its unique, welcoming vibe, its insistence in providing high quality, free live music every night of the week, and the incredible support of its customers, the bar has developed a strong position in the community, as licensees Simon and Sharon Colgan, explain:

"The Blues Bar is not just a pub, it has a defined character that has aged extremely well," says Simon. "It is the only live music venue in Harrogate that has kept its identity during the past 21 years and it continues to attract new customers and performers from miles around."

Modelled on an Amsterdam cafe´ bar it has been going for more than 20 years.

LIVE music every night + 3 Bands on a Sunday..
GIN bar upstairs with 60+ Gins to choose from..
The home of YORKSHIRE TAPAS.

4 Montpellier Parade,

Harrogate,

North Yorkshire,

England,

HG1 2TJ.

01423 566 881