Fran McGillivray and Mike Burke
FRAN MCGILLIVRAY AND MIKE BURKE – LARKINS ALEHOUSE – FRIDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER – 7PM
In the mid 1990s we formed the urban blues band So Long Angel, releasing two CDs, “Would it Matter” and “Falling”, and touring extensively. In 2005 we appeared again as a duo on the Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival Acoustic stage and had such fun that we decided to concentrate our energies on the duo, enjoying again the intimacy of this style for both live shows and recording. We released two CDs “Restless” ( 2006) and “The Road that you Believe In” (2009), which have been very well received and great fun to record.
In 2012 we toured the UK as members of the Spikedrivers Blues Roots Revue and had such a ball that we decided to expand our sound a little, so we got together with Roger Nunn, the drummer from So Long Angel days to form the Fran McGillivray Band. We’re loving playing as a trio, with Roger switching between full kit and djembe . We think we produce a highly distinctive sound, with lots of scope for dynamics, interplay and rhythmic improvisation. In addition to original songs, our live set features our take on songs by Little Walter, Robert Johnson and Willie Dixon as well as numbers by some of the great women of the blues – Bessie smith, Big Momma Thornton, Etta James and Memphis Minnie. We also still enjoy performing as a duo.
In 2013 we released the first Fran McGillivray Band CD “Some Luck”, which is made up mainly of original songs written by Mike and myself, some featuring special guest Alan Glen blowing some great harmonica. The songs have a broad range of tones, textures and themes, but they’re all rooted in the music we love – the Blues.
2017 saw the release of “Midnight Call”, another album of original songs with blues, country and Americana stylings and featuring special guests Alan Glen on harmonica, Mike Paice on sax and Martin Smith on lap steel.
In Autumn 2018 we toured as Saints and Sinners, a project where we join the Spikedrivers to form a five piece band exploring the connections between blues and spirituals. A second tour followed in Autumn 2019. The first Saints & Sinners album “Going Over Home” was released to coincide with the 2020 autumn tour… which didn’t happen in its full glory due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A new Saints & Sinners tour is planned for 2022.
Right now (Autumn 2021) we’ve just released a new Fran McGillivray Band album with Roger called Rain, and we’re busy with duo, trio, and Saints and Sinners live shows.