The Grey Lady Music Lounge, Sunday 29th January 2012

Paul’s music is best described as a captivating fusion of alternative/pop and classical. He composes and performs both instrumental pieces and songs. With influences such as modern day artists; Ben Folds, Elbow, Turin Brakes and composers such as John Barry, Samuel Barber and Rachmaninov, Paul is an artist that offers something different. Following his 3 previous album releases; ‘Ordinary Guy’, ‘Train of Thought’ and live album ‘Escapism’, Paul recently released his first EP entitled ‘The Sirens ‘which is available for purchase at live performances and downloads are available at Itunes and all good online retailers. The EP features Paul’s larger ensemble known as The Paul Dunton Orchestra, which comprises a line-up of up to 12 violins & 6 Cellos, guitar, double-bass and flute.

Show full profile »

The haunting vocals and versatile song writing skills of Cyrano’s Joe Ackerley join the exciting new singing style of his hitherto unknown sister Alice to form The Ackerleys.

Joe Ackerley, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Tunbridge Wells rock heroes & Grey Lady favourites Cyrano is already well known for his catchy riffs and melodic harmonies. His younger sister Alice, at 15 years of age has an originality and purity to her voice that will pierce you to the heart. Together their voices blend and intensify, complementing each other as siblings often do. The simple directness yet compelling beauty of their lyrics complete the experience.

If it is possible to make draw a comparison - perhaps Kings of Leon meet Laura Marling. The result is a new folk rock duo bursting with talent just waiting to be discovered.

Show full profile »

Tom McHugh was born in the early sixties in a house on a road near a canal in the midlands black country. After school he went to London. Then he got work in the steel industry. Tom started to write songs about twenty years after Lowell George died (in 1979) and then played some of them live about five years after that. He was in a band for a while. Tom has a way of saying things, like most people do, and spends time in whimsy, folksy alt and thrash soft rock. He says he likes the Beatles, Mark Hollis, Donald Fagan and Gustaffer Yellowgold, but mainly local artists and friends who play their own instruments and write their own songs.

Show full profile »

"We are a three-piece-band playing original music based in the South East of England. We have been together with this current line up since early 2010. We play melodic rock music with influences blending from rock, Latino, classical, folk, blues and jazz sources. The emphasis is on strong melody lines and chorus with a dancing, toe-tapping rhythm. 'Heartbeat', our first EP, was released in the autumn of 2010."

David Mann, guitar and vocals, is actually a Freudian psychotherapist in his day-job! At school he played the clarinet but found his true form of musical self expression when he took up the guitar. His guitar influences are the usual suspects: Richard Thompson, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Robert Fripp, Jimmy Page --- but he honestly can’t play half as well as any of them! His song writing reflects influences from his wide taste in music: though essentially rock, there are shades, notes, colours, tones and rhythms from blues, folk, Latino, classical, jazz and world music. He has always had trouble writing his own lyrics. In his teens he put poems by William Blake, Lewis Carroll and others to music. These days he co-writes with his partner, Michelle, who puts the words to the voice of The Freudian Slippz.

Michelle MacGrath, lyric writer, is a published poet. She has been writing and translating poetry since her early twenties. She started writing poetry to record key events, ideas, observations and moods. She has been writing songs with David for 2 years and in that time they have written more than 100 songs together.

Steve Diver, bass guitar and backing vocals, has been playing guitar and bass for a very long time. He has played in other bands from Scotland all the way down to Hampshire. Bass players he hopes to be influenced by include James Jamerson, Jean -Jaques Burnel and Bootsy Collins. Steve's day job is not interesting enough to mention here.

Gordon Fraser, drums and backing vocals, started playing the drums at school in the 70’s, he was in a couple of school bands and has been playing on and off with friends ever since. After a period of not playing but feeling that something was missing in his life he dusted off his kit and joined the Freudian Slippz in January 2010 and has been enjoying making music with David and Steve ever since!

Show full profile »