My first glimpse of The Bluetones was in 1996 when the video for their amazing ‘Slight Return’ was played on The ITV Chart Show back in 1996. The instantly recognisable intro, lovely jangly guitars and a delightful melody conjure up great memories, and this still sounds as brilliant as ever. Soon after buying this, I found a cassette copy of their heavier, meatier ‘Cut Some Rug’ single in Woolworths for 29p. I would become an even bigger fan of the band when they released their second album ‘Return To The Last Chance Saloon’ in 1998, and saw them play live two years later at Leeds Festival, not long after I met them at a signing session that took place at Bristol’s Virgin Megastore. The band split in 2011 after a final tour and a brilliant album ‘A New Athens’, and in a few weeks time on Feb 26th, frontman Mark Morriss releases his excellent new solo album ‘A Flash Of Darkness’, his first material since The Bluetones ended. However, Mark is out on tour later this month in support of the album, where he will be joined by all of his former bandmates. Morriss said: “The line up of the band has yet to be revealed, though there have been some seriously unsubtle hints dropped as to who those ‘old pals’ who are joining me might be… suffice to say, I don’t think you’ll be too disappointed.
First up is a show at The Admiral in Glasgow on Friday February 28th, tickets available from here: http://www.tickets-scotland.com/artists.html?event_method=viewevent&event_id=e7ed4b74-4bc1-11e3-99e8-12313d04bc40
The following night, Saturday March 1st, sees the band playing at Electric Circus in Edinburgh: http://www.ents24.com/edinburgh-events/electric-circus/mark-morriss-the-bluetones/3677241
… before a third and final gig on Sunday March 2nd at Bakers in Kilmarnock: http://www.ents24.com/kilmarnock-events/bakers-niteclub-kilmarnock/mark-morriss-the-bluetones/3677249″
