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Their
story began in the 70s when a very young Dave left
Liverpool and headed to London with his guitar. He
released a solo album in 1973, which was rated as a
classic acoustic guitar record of its time.
This led
to touring with his hero Bert Jansch as well as achieving
national exposure on shows such as The Old Grey Whistle
Test and In Concert.
Dave
became a regular solo performer at well-known London
venues such as the Marquee, the Roundhouse and the
Lyceum. He was even listed as “one of the 6 best
guitarists in the world” by Melody Maker and opened
for many big names of the day including The Edgar
Broughton Band at the Rainbow and Rod Stewart and Status
Quo at Reading Festival.
Mixing
with this kind of musician led Dave to forming an
electric band called ‘The Reactors’ in 1979.
Boo joined on bass and vocals and the two became a solid
songwriting team. They were signed to The Police’s
management company and they recorded a Reactors album
‘Snaps’ in 1989. At one time even Jermaine
Jackson (Michael’s brother) took an active interest
in them in the States.
In
the early 2000s Dave and Boo developed an acoustic act
which returned them to their folk club roots. Their debut
album as a duo, Maybe I Might Fall, was critically
acclaimed and featured a simple acoustic performance.
Several albums have been recorded since then, from 2002’s
Amber through to Great Pleasure in 2018. The songs are
intelligently constructed, elegantly articulated and
never less than entertaining, drawing on influences from
both the folk world and the rock scene they were involved
in for so long. The songs are at the heart of it all,
served by imaginative and stylish arrangements and by the
singing and playing of two seasoned, wholly in-tune
musicians.
Great
Pleasure is the latest release from the duo,
incorporating their fluent style with a familiarity with
the recording process that allows them to write and
perform at a level every bit the equal of their
major-label peers. What’s more, they translate the
ambitious playing, singing and songwriting of their
studio recordings seamlessly into their live
performances, so that whether they are playing at a large
festival or a more intimate folk club the audience feels
involved and part of a special event. In short, they are
the real deal, and Great Pleasure is more than worthy of
your attention.
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