2005 sees British Blues Guitarist Mick Clarke continuing to tour festival and club dates all over Europe with his band, promoting the current release "Live in Luxembourg" - his eleventh album since beginning his solo career in 1985.
Praised for his fiery "straight from the wood" guitar sound, Mick has become one of the most successful blues-rock acts in Europe, touring regularly in every country from Finland down to Italy. The band has appeared on numerous festivals with artists such as Rory Gallagher and Robert Cray. Recent tours have included appearances at the Piazza Blues Festival in Switzerland, the Bury Blues Festival in England with Hubert Sumlin and the Bragdoya Blues Festival in Norway. In 2005
Mick will appear with the "British Blues All Stars" at the Pistoia Blues Festival in Italy and the Great British R&B Festival in Colne, Lancashire.
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!
Later bands included SALT, a powerful blues-rock act who were a big hit on the London scene in the 70’s. 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” and sold well. More albums quickly followed including “West Coast Connection” recorded in Portland, Oregon with local musicians. The new "Live in Luxembourg" CD (released on Taxim Records, Germany, and available through the website www.mickclarke.com) is Mick's first ever live album, recorded in 2002 at the "Big Blues" in Luxembourg.
Mick leads a four piece band of top musicians, tearing up audiences where-ever they go.. line-up is CHRIS SHARLEY (ex Sassafrass) on drums, DAVE LENNOX (ex Ginger Baker/Blodwyn Pig) on keyboards and EDDIE MASTERS on bass. 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!”
Full information can be found at www.mickclarke.com.