The Live Room is the brainchild of Ron Dukelow and Hilary Booth, both experienced music promoters, who, for ten years were the driving force behind the highly successful Live at the Talbot series at the Talbot Hotel in West Wales. It's their intention to bring the same ethos to their new venue at the Caroline Social Club to make it the best folk and roots music venue in the Bradford area. bIf you have a suggestion for an artist to play there get in touch. They can't promise that they'll be able to present them, but they'll consider all ideas.
After a previous gig featuring My Darling Clementine this comment appeared on Twitter... 'The Live Room is the best thing that has happened music wise in this area in the 15 year I've lived here' (Adrian Gallagher).
Sunday 24th March they feature legendary US blues singer/songwriter Guy Davies supported by Preston's smooth blues singer/songwriter Mog Stanley.
Guy Davis is a musician, composer, actor, director, and writer. But most importantly, Guy Davis is a bluesman. The blues permeates every corner of Davis' creativity.
Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself to reviving the traditions of acoustic blues and bringing them to as many ears as possible through the material of the great blues masters, African American stories, and his own original songs, stories and performance pieces. His writing and storytelling have been influenced by Zora Neale Hurston, Garrison Keillor, and by the late Laura Davis (his one hundred and five year-old grandmother).
Throughout his life, Davis has had overlapping interests in music and acting, inevitable considering that he is the son of famous acting and activist parents, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning Ossie Davis and his wife Ruby Dee.
Guy himself has performed on television and theatre, but over the past two decades has concentrated on his musical career, releasing some fourteen acclaimed albums, many produced by John Platania (Van Morrison guitarist) and appearing live on prime time TV shows such as Conan O’Brien.
Jackson Browne, Maya Angelou, and Jessica Lange (who had Guy perform his take on the Bob Dylan song, ‘What’s a Sweetheart Like You (Doing in a Dump Like This)’ for a special fundraiser she and her husband Sam Shepard organized for Tibetan Monks in Minnesota) all count themselves as Guy Davis fans.
‘If the earthy power of Guy Davis's sandpaper vocals doesn't grab your attention and the resonance of his acoustic-guitar strings doesn't turn your head, you need to make sure you're still alive’
- Robert Gordon
‘He has a power and authenticity which makes him sound as though he is in direct contact with the old masters’ – Sydney Morning Herald
The laid back, sharp dressed man that is Mog Stanley describes himself as a song singin', guitar playin', foot tappin', blues, folk, indie musician which sounds like he's got a sponsorship with Coca Cola but that really does sum up his stylee.
His crisp bluesy guitar playing is complimented by his super smooth vocals. You only have to listen to 'Little Bag of Bones' to get hooked on his immaculate, ultra-hip laid back vibes and as you can hear (and see above) I'm tuned in as I write the blog.
A fine advert for the rockabilly quiff; a rollicking purveyor of old-school blues-rock; a doppleganger for the young Morrissey.
Manchester’s Mog Stanley has been described as many things, but ‘cutting edge’ is clearly not one of them.
There is, however, a first time for everything. Recently booked to appear at a Manchester unsigned bands showcase, the 31-year-old songwriter quickly realised what an incongruous presence he appeared.
Armed with only his vintage guitar and home-made percussion box to keep him company, Stanley’s old-school, DIY set-up made him stand out like the proverbial sore thumb.
Yet, of all the acts who performed that night, it was Stanley who seemed to make the biggest, most eye-popping impression of all: his tub-thumping Midlake meets Black Keys blues-rock prompting choruses of delight and disbelief among the assembled audience.
