Whitby Blues, Rhythm And Rock Festival

With Corky Laing headlining and five very different striking bands stepping on stage, this is a festival that will appeal to music lovers of all ages

The legendary Mountain drummer, songwriter, singer and raconteur from Montreal Canada, will be doing seven shows with his band in England this October and we are delighted that one of these is at Whitby Blues, Rhythm & Rock Festival. On the UK tour Corky will be accompanied by Chris Shutters, USA (guitar, vocals & flute), Mark Mikel, USA (bass, vocals & keyboards) and Phil Baker, UK (guitar, vocals and keyboards). Mountain forged a style and sound that changed the face of rock music and the powerhouse double-drummer along with with Leslie West, Felix Pappalardi and Steve Knight gave us “Mississippi Queen”, “Nantucket Sleighride”, “Theme from an Imaginary Western” and many more; all standing the test of time. Although best known as a long-time member of the pioneering American hard rock band Mountain and for West, Bruce & Laing, during the past few years Corky has been living and thriving in the fast lane. In between his one man show, playing with his band, lecturing at Universities around the world, Playing God: The Rock Opera and doing some producing, Corky has recently completed his memoirs, a book soon to be released tilted “Letters to Sarah”. Having played on over a hundred recordings and been a major contributing artist on numerous singles, live albums and 23 or so studio albums, performed by the man who co-wrote many of the hits, this tour is all about playing the Mountain songs like they were originally written, like they were heard on the original recordings, with some West, Bruce & Laing and also Cream thrown in for good measure. Jack Bruce was a long time collaborator with Corky, in West Bruce and Laing. Here's what Mountain looked like in their heyday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FplFq9EXiSM and you can check out Corky and his band playing the infamous “Nantucket Sleighride” at The 100 Club in 2015 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFhWRV-hvCk&feature=youtu.be The full line-up is as follows: · Corky Laing – still gets a kick from rehearsing daily on his kit, sharing stages with brilliant musicians, performing to audiences and is truly thrilled to have been invited back to the UK again! . Chantel McGregor – delivering songs that salutes contemporary rock, showing a gradual transition from conventional Blues to a harder, bigger and bolder sound with progressive influences! · Stevie Nimmo Trio – enjoying making music now as much as at any point throughout his 20 years in the business and relishes the prospect of continuing to tour and playing live! . Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion – has made a considerable impact these last five years, and is one of the bands that have added a fresh approach and vibrancy to the UK blues scene! . Catfish - British Blues Award winners have carved a reputation as an excellent live band, with the help of frontman guitarist/vocalist Matt Long, who plays with a real passion for the blues! . Southbound – with inspirations drawing from blues, rock, jazz, funk and soul, their exclusive take on British Blues leave audiences enthralled by their unique sounds and grooves on stage! So why go to this festival. Music is good for us, a perfect distraction from an increasingly demanding daily life, a great environment to make friends, have a good time and let your hair down.......all in all, a health and mood boosting experience. Those that have said music heals the soul, are right.......so why not get in touch with your inner self and treat yourself to a day or two in Whitby this Autumn! No need to worry about searching for food and drinks on the day either, there will be a range of alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages, real ales available and a varied menu that should meet everyone's taste! Don't miss out on going to Whitby Blues, Rhythm and Rock Festival on Saturday 13th October! The festival will take place at Whitby Pavilion, West Cliff, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO21 3EN Early Bird tickets are only £24.00 and can be purchased by calling 01472 349 222 or online at http://www.whitbybluesfestival.co.uk/tickets.html