BAND OF FRIENDS

BAND OF FRIENDS
A celebration of the music of Rory Gallagher
Winners of The European Blues Awards 2013
Not just the notes – but the sound, energy and feel of Rory Gallagher, delivered by people who helped define it…
www.bandoffriends.eu
“REPEAT AFTER ME” - Brand new studio album OUT NOW!
"Really has the atmosphere of
a Rory concert"
– Lust For Life
"This is not a tribute band but
a group of its own.
The trio work wonders." –
Rock & Folk
"Sparks fly from the first note.
The Band of Friends
is pure cracker." – Bluesfocus
"The pleasure flies in your face –
one cannot get enough" Voor
"A sturdy pot of blues-rock – they
impressed, and not only me"
Bluesbreaker
"Emotional highlight... a fantastic
interpretation"
RockBlogBlues
"In the music industry it's hard to
find something this well done.
Priceless." Miusyk.com
"Like no other power trio, they
celebrate the amiable guitar
hero's passion on stage"
The Blues Alone
With the exception of ‘A Sense Of Freedom’ (Written by Frankie Miller, but
performed by Rory Gallagher, Gerry McAvoy, and Ted McKenna for the film of
the same name in 1979), ‘Repeat After Me’ is an album of entirely original
songs.
McAvoy says “the band adopted an old school approach of fully rehearsing the
pieces before a record button was hit. We both rehearsed and wrote the songs
at the same time. At times it was quite daunting”.
The album itself draws some of it’s inspiration from a myriad a musical
influences - Marcel’s love of Rock & Roll and blues, Gerry and Ted’s background
playing top 40 songs in the sixties; from the music of their peers Rory Gallagher,
and Alex Harvey, to Tamla Motown and Soul, with a good helping of classic rock
and blues.
Lyrically, ‘Repeat After Me’ is extremely diverse - taking on all aspects of life on
and off the road.
The music is as technically demanding as anything BOF have ever played.
As a whole, it’s a brave, but confident, exploration of the combined talent of
this dynamic trio.
Ted McKenna says - ‘Repeat After Me’ is a melting pot, that when stirred
became potent!
2016 has been an incredibly busy year on the road for Band Of Friends with
shows booked throughout Europe.
As Winners of European Blues Awards “Band Of The Year” in 2013, and boasting
rave reviews from every show, it’s clear to see why the band continues to be so
popular.
In the era of tribute acts who deliver note-perfect renditions of their heroes'
catalogues, the Band Of Friends is something different. They can do the notes
played by electric blues icon Rory Gallagher. But they can also do the sound,
energy and feel – because the band includes people who helped define those
essential elements.
BAND OF FRIENDS
"Although the band as a whole is
flawless, it really is Marcel who
deserves most plaudits. He is
quite stunning in the Rory role"
RTM
"Gerry and Ted were no backing
musicians. They were part of an
integral unit that allowed the
maestro to present his prodigious
talent. Plenty of body language
was what I remember. Little nods
here, smiles there and just
enough ad lib without over
milking the solo breaks. The
tradition continues with Marcel."
Noel Buckley
NEW!!! “REPEAT AFTER ME” - OUT
NOW!!!
When the Irish guitarist-vocalist passed away in 1995 he left behind an eleven-album
catalogue of inspired albums, and the memory of unforgettably energetic concerts.
Bassist Gerry McAvoy [Nine Below Zero, Champion Jack Dupree, Deep Joy] appeared
on every one of those albums. Drummer Ted McKenna [Sensational Alex Harvey Band,
Greg Lake, Gary Moore, Ian Gillan, Michael Shenker Group] powered those live shows
from 1977 until 1981 and appeared on Rory's acclaimed Photo-Finish, Top Priority and
Stage Struck albums.
The old friends have teamed up with Dutch guitarist and vocalist Marcel Scherpenzeel
[Marcel Scherpenzeel Band, Wolfpin], who grew up with his bandmates' music.
If they say he's the nearest thing you'll get to Rory – and that's exactly what they do
say – you'd better believe them!
Ted recalls: "In 2010 Gerry told me he'd played with Marcel at a tribute show and
thought he was the closest thing to Rory you'd ever hear. We got together for a play in
Marcel's dad's blues club in Amsterdam. The impact was instant."
Gerry says: "Rory will always be close to my heart, of course. Playing tribute shows was
one thing – when I heard Marcel I knew he had it all. Close your eyes and it's there."
Marcel adds: "You have to approach something like this with respect and honour. I
already respected Gerry and Ted, and it's an honour to play Rory's music with them."
LIVE CD
DEBUT EP
Available to buy from
www.bandoffriends.eu
BAND OF FRIENDS DATES 2016
OCTOBER
th
OCTOBER 20 The Grand social,Dublin.Ireland
st
OCTOBER 21 Spirit Store, Dundalk, Ireland
nd
OCTOBER 22 Empire, Belfast, N Ireland
th
OCTOBER 26 Velo House,Tunbridge Wells.UK
th
OCTOBER 27 Cathouse,Glasgow,Scotland
th
OCTOBER 28 Cluny,Newcastle,UK
th
OCTOBER 29 Flowerpot,Derby.UK
NOVEMBER
th
NOVEMBER 4 Harmonie, Bonn, Germany
th
NOVEMBER 5 Kulturzentrum Bü, Minden, Germany
th
NOVEMBER 6 Piano, Dortmund, Germany
th
NOVEMBER 7 Theaterstubchen, Kassel, Germany
th
NOVEMBER 9 Ansbacher Kammerspiele, Ansbach, Germany
th
NOVEMBER 10 Wunderbar Weite Welt, Germany
th
NOVEMBER 11 Beavers, Miltenberg, Germany
th
NOVEMBER 12 Adler Meidelstetten, Meidelstetten, Germany
th
NOVEMBER 14 Kulturfabrik Kohfmehl, Solothurn, Switzerland
th
NOVEMBER 15 Palazzo beat, Chur,Switzerland
th
NOVEMBER 16 Feuerwehrhaus,Rimsting,Germany
th
NOVEMBER 17 Objekts, Halle. Germany
th
NOVEMBER 18 Kulturbastion, Torgau. Germany
th
NOVEMBER 19 Zurlinde, Affalter. Germany
th
NOVEMBER 25 Iduna, Drachten, Netherlands
th
NOVEMBER 26 W2 Poppodium,Den Bosch,Netherlands
th
NOVEMBER 27 De Bousil, Weert, Netherlands
DECEMBER
st
DECEMBER 1 la Batterie,Guyancourt,France
nd
DECEMBER 2 Chez Paulette,Nancy,France
rd
DECEMBER 3 Spirit of 66,Verviers,Belgium
th
DECEMBER 10 6 Ball,Thessaloniki,Greece
th
DECEMBER 11 Kytarro club, Athens,Greece