The lovely people at MCR Scenewipe got up to some high jinx with John Fairhurst late last year: “John picked us up in his van on a rainy Manchester night and whisked us off to a derelict building that he was cunning enough to know a way into to play his session. He was like the cool older brother we never had to get us into trouble.” If Mississippi John Hurt were alive and kicking today, who knows if he’d condone such breaking and entering, but he’d surely be flattered to know that his rancorous blues standard echoes through the halls of the strangest places, miles from his own birthplace, and years after his death in 1966.
So, how are you feeling today? Spring clean and ready to confront the world? Strident in the face of adversity? Ready for anything? Hopefully you got your hands on the free download of Joys of Spring we released through Bandcamp to mark the official opening of Spring. If not, do not despair, you can still get a hold of Obnox Stomp, and that will definately put a spring in your step! This “toe tapping barnstormer” (BBC Manchester) has become John Fairhurst’s signature tune in perfomances all over the world, and you can download it for free from the link on the right. Don’t forget to spread the word, just click “share” and choose an option.A great big thanks goes out to Paraffin City and Big Hands for the accompanying video, there’s more where that came from so stay tuned!
To celebrate March 21st, which marks the official start of Spring, we’ve made John Fairhurst’s critically acclaimed album Joys of Spring free to download for one day only. We’d love to hear from you, wherever you are in the world, whether it’s Spring there or not. Just let us know what you think by commenting on the post, and don’t forget to pass on the joy, so your friends don’t miss out.
Just a quick note to say John Fairhurst will be playing The Hare and Hounds in King’s Heath, Birmingham, on June 3rd. This independent pub has built up an enviable reputation as one of the UK’s most vibrant and eclectic live venues, hosting everything from Basement Jaxx to Marlena Shaw, internationally touring acts like Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and The Black Seeds (above), as well as homegrown talent like Vijay Kishore and The Dhol Blasters. For more information and to order tickets for John Fairhurst’s performance, just click here.
Just at the beginning of last month, John’s loved ones were no doubt freezing their toes off back in Blighty and cursing him for the balmy weather out in Australia- John’s current (Obnox) stomping ground. Just in case we needed proof that he’s been working his little cotton socks off out there, despite the siren call of Bondai Beach, here it is. The Sonic Assassin at Sideways Through Sound on Sydney radio station 2SER asked him in to the studio for a natter and some live fingerpicking lusciousness.
It must be unusual to hear two English Northwesterners talking on Aussie radio, but strangely enough, The Sonic Assassin and John hail from the same part of the world, so this cosy chat could just have well have been overheard in a pub near Billinge as on the airwaves of Sydney’s foremost underground radio station.
John talks about being bottled by thugs in a Melbourne backstreet, Bukka White, Takoma Records and its founder John Fahey’s extensive back catalogue, Fairhurst’s collaboration with Traditional Healthcare and Gertrude’s Brown Couch, Manchester’s vibrant music scene, radical musician led Manchester label Debt Records, and touring the world for the past three years.
Obnox Stomp has become John Fairhurst’s signature tune of late, even Tom Robinson himself sounded exhusted as the last notes faded from the airways of his latest BBC Radio 6 Introducing Podcast: “Blimey! That’s an amazing piece of music! What power and originality and freshness, a wonderful thing!”
I wonder just how much Robinson would boogie if John dropped by the studio to play live….it’s a hoedown Tom, and you’re invited! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Obnox Stomptious!
Just before he left for the wilds of the Antipodean outback, John was invited by BBC Manchester Introducing to headline a special concert at Manchester’s Ruby Lounge, on September 6th 2009. Supporting were the dreamlike Starless and Bible Black, who you can catch on March 5th as part of Moseley Folk’s Lunar Society at The Hare and Hounds in Birmingham.
No doubt inspired by the constant rumbling in his belly caused by an unsatiable urge to perfect the blues, and the arid climate of his current home in Melbourne, John Fairhurst has recorded a new EP, shortly to be released on Debt Records. Just in case your belly’s a-rumbling already, here are a couple of morsels for you to wrap your chops around. Hungry Blues was recorded with the delectable Dexter and Alabaster dePlume, and Standing in the Rain was written and performed in collaboration with Dave Rybka. Yummy
It’s official! John Fairhurst’s been confirmed for the Cabaret Voltaire Stage at this year’s Aeon Festival. The self styled “shoestring boutique” festival takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend in Devon’s beautiful Shobrooke Park near Crediton. Over the event’s five year history, organisers have strived to create a “laid back bohemian feel, in the spirit of all the original festivals before commercialism prevailed.” The Cabaret Voltaire Stage, which shares a tent with the bar, promises “world music, funk, jazzy DJs, comics and poets” and invites you to “leave your troubles at the door.” It’s promoters are known for booking acts on the cusp of great things, and they certainly have an eye for talent- their gig with Speech Debelle in Exeter last year just before she won the Mercury Prize is a case in point. Other acts confirmed for Cabaret Voltaire this year include Mama Matrix, Maybe Myrtle Tyrtle and Hong Kong Ping Pong.
Following the US leg of John Fairhurst’s tour, he’s heading over the border to Mexico for a month of gigging, recording and discovery. The highlight is a gig at Morelia International Guitar Festival. Morelia in the state of Michoacán has long been regarded as Mexico’s musical mecca. The city houses Latin America’s oldest functioning conservatoire, as well as several large music festivals, the most popular of which is its well established guitar festival.
Musicians, guitar enthusiasts and students travel from all over the world to attend four days of concerts and workshops, and to drool over an array of handmade instruments for which the region is renowned.
Following more dates in Mexico, John returns to the UK in May for a month long tour of his native stomping ground. The first UK dates will be announced imminently, so keep your eyes peeled!
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