New Roots season in Chichester

Mostly the events are at the Chichester Inn in West Street, but this season Roots co-ordinator Sue Martin has also included the Hamish Stuart Band and Kokomo at Blues On The Farm in June and Martin Simpson in a special Festival of Chichester gig at Assembly Room, The Council House, North Street at the start of July.

“This must be my third or fourth full year doing this, and it’s great,” Sue said. “There is a lack of venues in Chichester where you can put on top-quality musicians and performers. I am just so lucky I have built up a reputation for putting on top-quality artists, and the good thing is the agents are really taking note. People are now realising the venue (at the Chichester Inn) is not just a back room in a pub. It is a great place to play. It has a lovely warm atmosphere. The musicians love the intimacy of it, and the word is spreading. People are now coming to me asking to play there.”

Sue does two seasons a year, one running from the beginning of March through to the beginning of July/the Festival of Chichester: “And then we start again in September running through to December, the beginning of January.”

And for this current season, Sue is announcing a great mix of first-timers to the series plus returning regulars.

The series kicks off Saturday, March 7 with the Micky Moody Band. Micky is a former member of Juicy Lucy, Snafu, Whitesnake, Frankie Miller’s Full House, Chris Farlowe, Roger Chapman and The Shortlist, Moody Marsden Band, Company Of Snakes and M3. He is currently a member of both Snakecharmer and The Bad Apples.

“Micky is the most astonishing guitar-player,” Sue says. “He is a legend of his generation. Looking at his back catalogue, there are more than 100 albums he has played on.”

And the great thing is that Micky approached Sue about performing in Chichester, as did Marcus Bonfanti who plays the Chichester Inn on Wednesday, March 11.

Events coming up (at the Chichester Inn in West Street unless otherwise stated): Saturday, March 7 – The Mickey Moody Band; Wednesday, March 11 – Marcus Bonfanti; Wednesday, March 18 – Dennis Greaves & Mark Feltham; Saturday, March 21 – The Pete Williams Band; Wednesday, March 25 – Lisbee Stainton; Saturday, March 28 - BluesClub; Friday, April 10 – Deborah Bonham Band; Wednesday 15 April – Band Of Friends. Gerry McAvoy, Ted McKenna, Marcel Scherpenzeel, A Celebration Of The Music Of Rory Gallagher; Saturday, April 18 – Morrissey Mullen Legacy; Saturday, May 2 – Brothers Groove; Saturday. May 9 – The Standard Lamps; Saturday, May 30 – Stevie Nimmo Trio; Wednesday, June 3 – Woody Mann; Thursday, June 4 – Brothers Strut; Friday, June 5 – Brothers Strut; Thursday, June 18 – Hamish Stuart Band and Kokomo, Blues On The Farm, Appledram Farm, Birdham Road; Thursday, July 2 – Martin Simpson, Festival of Chichester gig, Assembly Room, The Council House, North Street.

More details on www.rootsaroundtheworld.com; tickets on 01243 783185.