The Grey Lady Music Lounge, Sunday 8th August 2010

The Charlie Rivers Band, combine catchy melodies and intertwining vocal harmonies that simply refuse to leave your head, with songs that range from the blissfully acoustic to the all out rock 'n' roll!

One time solo singer/songwriter Charlie Rivers has witnessed an entirely natural and organic growth in his music which started when he enlisted the help of local guitarist Steve McCormack to join him in some acoustic shows. The duo became joined at the hip and it was not long before they produced the debut album “1⁄4 2 3” in late 2008. After the release of the Album it was evident that live a fuller sound was required, this came in two forms - bassist Jamie and later, drummer Ashley Rushman.

Since finalising the line up, CRB have had an incredible 12 months, including two sell out shows at The Royal Victoria Hall and Trinity Theatre. Another 2009 highlight saw the boys support Maddness, Mutya Buena and Skye Edwards (Morcheeba) aboard HMS Belfast at the launch party for the Busking Cancer charity.

2009 finished on a high as CRB spent 3 weeks in California, playing intimate acoustic shows in venues such as Lestats (San Diego), Biscuits & Blues (San Francisco) and the prestigious Viper Room (Los Angeles). The tour was a great success and has only given them a taste of what will follow.

We are now only weeks from the release of the debut album as a band, Tender Chaos. The Band are holding a launch for this album at the Royal Victoria Hall, (Tunbridge Wells, 8th May) and would love everyone to come and listen to what promises to be a cracking album. See www.charlierivers.co.uk for ticket information.

In the space of only 11 months, The Charlie Rivers Band has morphed from the ‘hear- a-pin-drop’ sounds of one man and his guitar, to an uncompromising full band musical experience. Playing sell out gig after sell out gig in the UK and around the world, audiences soak up Charlie’s sensitive lyrics, supported by his band who never fail to provide breathtaking harmonies and stunning charismatic performances. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the real deal!

Watch Out!!

Walking On Sunday are Henry & Nick, who have been writing together for 10 years and have played, busked, and recorded their way across Kent and London. Their unique mix of acoustic mellowness and insightful lyrics has helped them establish a solid and ever increasing fan base. The duo's take on their music is as follows "The first song that really got us noticed was ‘Camden Town'. This started out as a story about one of our favourite places to see live music and grew into a song about their own experiences there and hopes about performing there in the future. Shortly after writing Camden Town we were asked to join a band called C7. Nick as the main vocalist and me as the drummer and though this band we headlined Maidstone river festival for 3 years in a row. Although mainly a covers band C7 allowed us to play our own tracks for a 20 minute slot in the middle of the set which increased our fan base and gave us the boost in confidence we needed to write more of our own music. One of our favourite things to do is to busk. It gives us a chance to try out new songs on people wandering past and gives us a really good idea on what sort of music people enjoy and what works".

With influences such as modern day artists; Ben Folds, Anthony & The Johnsons, Burt Bacharach and composers such as Barber and Rachmaninov, Kent based singer-songwriter Paul Dunton offers something unique! Paul’s music is best described as a captivating fusion of popular contemporary and classical. He composes and performs both instrumental pieces and songs. He is due to provide the soundtrack for an upcoming international film release. For smaller intimate shows Paul (piano/vocals) performs with along side his quartet know as the ‘Crew’. The atmospheric and ethereal live sound features Cello, violins and Flute. Paul is due to release his third album at the beautiful King Charles Martyr Church near The Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells on Friday June 11th. That concert will see both Paul giving away a free signed copy of his new album entitled ‘Escapism; to all who come and paul will be performing alongside his ‘full’ crew known as The Paul Dunton Orchestra which comprises a line up of 10 violins, 5 cellos, Flute, Guitar, Percussion and vocalist Fiona Keeler.

I have always loved music and have been inspired by the lyrics of hundreds of songs. When I was 5 I started piano lessons and as the years moved on I felt I really preferred the freedom of playing my own made up tunes on the piano and then I discovered that I could actually sing and started putting songs together when I was about 9. However, It took a while for me to feel confident enough to perform in front of anyone else. When I was 10, I entered a talent competition in the Isle of Wight which was the first time I had ever performed in front of an audience - I was incredibly nervous. I was thrilled when they announced that I’d won second place in the final. This gave me a real confidence boost.

Song writing has since become a huge passion of mine and it has influenced my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined. To write and then sing something I have actually written gives me a real sense of accomplishment. I now take singing and piano lessons at secondary school, I have a keen interest in drama and am a member of two school choirs.

I have been influenced by many different artists throughout my life. Shawn Mullins. Alicia Keys, Vanessa Carlton, U2 and The Verve to name but a few who I really admire. A song written by Shawn Mullins called Lullaby it has been a particular favourite of mine and has cheered me up through some tough times.

I’m sure that music will play a big part in my future even if I don’t end up doing it as a career. I can express myself freely through my music and if I’m feeling stressed or worried about something it is a great way to relax and forget about anything else. I’m sure it will always be a special and valuable part of my life.