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Mick Clarke
Biography
In 2006 London blues guitarist Mick Clarke releases his new
album of distinctive British blues rock guitar on the Taxim label, Germany and
the new year sees him continuing to tour festival and club dates all over Europe
with his band. The new release will be his eleventh album since beginning his
solo career in 1985.
Since beginning his solo career in the early 80s Mick has become
one of the most successful blues-rock acts in Europe, touring regularly in every
country from Finland down to Italy. Praised for his fiery "straight from
the wood" guitar sound, he has appeared on numerous festivals with artists
such as Robert Cray, Johnny Winter and the late Rory Gallagher. A contemporary
of Rory, Mick has worked with several of his ex-band members, and plays guitar,
slide and acoustic with a similar raw emotion and power, learned from years
on the road.
Recent tours have included appearances at "Rock at Sea"
in Stockholm, Sweden, the Piazza Blues Festival in Switzerland and the Bragdoya
Blues Festival in Norway. Last year Mick headlined the Saturday night at the
Great British R&B Festival in Colne, England as part of the British Blues
All Stars... also featuring Kim Simmonds and Maggie Bell.
Mick has also toured several times in the U.S.A. and appeared
with artists such as Johnny Winter, Canned Heat, Big Jay McNeely and C. J. Chenier
plus rock shows with Foghat, Savoy Brown and the Paladins. The Southern California
Blues Society called him "One of the finest blues players to come out of
England."
Mick began his career with Killing Floor, part of the British
blues boom of the late 60's. The band backed Texas blues guitar star Freddie
King and toured with legends such as Howlin' Wolf and Otis Spann. Recently the
original band got together again to record a brand new album, and in January
2004 Killing Floor released "Zero Tolerance" - its first new album
for 32 years - and is now lined up for two festival appearances in 2006.
In the mid 70s Mick co-formed SALT, a powerful blues-rock act
who were a big hit on the London scene in the 70's playing regularly at the
Marquee and other top venues. The band played at the Reading Festival and also
opened for Muddy Waters at two major London concerts.
Mick's first solo album "Looking For Trouble" came
out on the Italian label "Appaloosa" in the early 80s and sold well.
More albums quickly followed including "West Coast Connection" recorded
in Portland, Oregon with local musicians. Recent releases have been on the German
label "Taxim", including a fine compilation CD "Premium Rockin'
Blues",and "New Mountain" on Mick's U.S. label "Burnside"
features plenty of Mick's current live material as well as new songs and a couple
of acoustic tracks. The current "Live in Luxembourg" CD is Mick's
first ever live album, recorded in 2002 at the "Big Blues" in Luxembourg.
THE MICK CLARKE BAND originally started working around the
London area in the early 80s, but quickly received offers of work from mainland
Europe and the United States. Early festival appearances such as the Belgium
R&B Festival in Peer confirmed their appeal for continental audiences, while
the US tours established a world wide reputation for the band.
Mick leads a band of top musicians, tearing up audiences where-ever
they go. With a combination of original material and blues standards Mick's
brand of high-energy blues rock never fails to deliver the goods. As one U.S.
reviewer put it "If you don't see THE MICK CLARKE BAND kick yourself!"
Killing Floor - "Zero Tolerance" |
Mick Clarke - "Live In Luxembourg" |
Mick Clarke - "New Mountain" |
Mick Clarke - "Happy Home" |
The Mick ClarkeBand - "Roll Againe" |
The Mick ClarkeBand - "No Compromise" |
The Mick ClarkeBand - "Tell The Truth" |
The Mick ClarkeBand - "Steel And Fire" |
Mick Clarke - "West Coast Connection" |
The Mick ClarkeBand - "All These Bluese" |
The Mick ClarkeBand - "Rock Me" |
The Mick ClarkeBand - "Looking For Trouble" |
Salt - "All Wired Up" |
Killing Floor - "Killing Floor" |
Killing Floor - "Out Of Uranus" |
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More info here:
mail@mickclarke.com
www.mickclarke.com
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