Rock ‘n’ roller back on the road again

A true blue British phenomenon, who is credited as being the UK’s very first rock ‘n’ roll guitarist, is on the road again. Joe Brown will be joined on the 40-date spring tour by his band, including his producer son Pete.

They will make a stop at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, on Wednesday, March 9, at 7.30pm.

Although Joe has been in the music business for more than 50 years, he is as contemporary and relevant today as he ever was and attracts a growing legion of fans wherever he plays.

Joe has influenced many — Jeff Beck, Mark Knopfler, George Harrison to name but a few — and is the only British guitarist to have spanned over five decades of music, from his early roots in skiffle to his current tour de force musical set.

He plays a variety of instruments from guitar and violin to banjo and ukulele — he now has his own signature brand of ukes. Joe’s live work is second to none, not least because he is as loved for being an entertainer and raconteur as he is for his superb musicianship.

Joe said: “We love playing Nottingham and come back every year. I also get to catch up with my old friend, Vince Eager, who lives in Radcliffe and he always comes to see my shows. He is a lovely man and a great mate.

“I first met him in 1959 because we were in the Larry Parnes stable and we have been friends ever since.

“Guitarist Alvin Lee, who was born in Nottingham, but now lives in Spain is coming back to see me so I look forward to that as well.

“There’s no support on the tour so it’s just me and the band. It is going to be hard work and we do try to get in as many songs as possible, although there are one or two we have to leave out because we run out of time.

“During the show I do a few jokes and talk about the old times and have a bit of banter with them. That always goes down well.

“I’ll play a few of my hits, like The Darktown Strutters Ball, Sea Of Heartbreak, A Picture Of You and That’s What Love Will Do, and mix it up a bit as I love music from all genres. As usual I’ll end the show with the lovely song, I’ll See You In My Dreams.

“When I was younger we lived in a pub and everyone would be singing that song in the East End. George Harrison sent me a CD with it on with Clive Edwards, known as Ukulele Ike, performing it. He was the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio.

“George loved all the old songs and thought I could do something with it. I closed the George Harrison tribute show with it and have been closing all my shows with it ever since.”

Joe said that when the tour was over he would have a bit of a rest before taking to the road again for the autumn.