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Special Guest at BILSTON: DEBORAH BONHAM
Support at Clitheroe, Liverpool, York, Newcastle, Southampton, Derby & Grimsby: BOWDEN WILLIAMSON BAND ONLY
Out Now: New Nazareth studio album – ‘Big Dogz’ (Edel)
Also available - ‘Naz Box’ (Salvo/USM)
Nazareth are one of the UK’s finest ever classic rock bands. The band are perhaps best known for their breakthrough albums, ‘Razamanazz’ and ‘Loud n Proud’- (both 1973) and their chart-storming singles, ‘Bad Bad Boy’, ‘Broken Down Angel’ , ‘Love Hurts’, ‘My White Bicycle’ and their remarkable adaptation of Joni Mitchell’s ‘This Flight Tonight’. Since then the band have released a steady stream of top-notch albums and retained a steadfast, almost rabid fan base across the world.
Nazareth has sold an impressive over 60 million records in their 40 year music career worldwide for which they count as one of the best known and most successful Scottish bands ever. On their new album ‘Big Dogz’, they have returned to their roots, pure rock music with its rough edges, like it’s straight from the ‘70s. Exactly how rock should sound – and that’s how Nazareth lays it down.
An excellent overview of the bands career is the current sumptuous 4-cd Salvo/Union Square Music release, ‘NAZ BOX’
Said NAZARETH founder member Pete Agnew:Our friends at earMUSIC offered us the opportunity to mark some new territory with this new album and the 'Nazhounds' are delighted to be back among their pack. We're straining at the leash to tour this puppy. We reckon it's bitchin'! So get ready, because from 10th March, the Big Dogz gonna howl!!"
Support for the England portion of the tour (except Bilston) is the Bowden Williamson Band, featuring Animals & Friends guitarist, John Williamson – recently seen across the UK alongside Stax and Blues Brothers legend, Steve Cropper. Special Guest at Bilston is Deborah Bonham
Formed in 1968, Nazareth sprung from the ashes of a semi-professional local band, ‘The Shadettes’, eventually taking their name from the opening line from ‘The Weight’ - the classic song by The Band. Releasing their first album in 1971, the band still features the gravel-voiced DAN McCAFFERTY and bassist PETE AGNEW, alongside lead guitarist JIMMY MURRISON and LEE AGNEW who has more recently taken over the drum stool for so long occupied by the sadly departed DARRELL SWEET.
For their 40th anniversary, Naz decided to record a come-back album. earMUSIC released ‘The Newz’ in 2008, proving once again that Nazareth is fully committed to rock and always satisfy with great songwriting and a fresh sound. The contemporary production brilliantly held true to their roots and really emphasize the extraordinary voice of Dan McCafferty.
‘Big Dogz’ was recorded in Prague and mixed in Basel, produced by guitar player Jimmy Murrison and young Swiss sound-wizard Yann Rouiller, the album has a challenging approach to production. In contrast with rock music’s current tendency to be clean and overproduced in order to be perfect and easily consumed, Nazareth´s album focuses on capturing the dangerous and challenging edge that rock music should have, too often lost in the chase for perfection. For this reason, Nazareth have always truly concentrated on bringing out that dirty, challenging, edginess of real rock; that sound that rock music must have.
Nazareth really manages to be different. On the new album, you’ll find what the band has always portrayed: four guys who live rock, who record together in the same room to show who they really are and what they want.
‘Big Dogz’ is a pure rock diamond, one that is sure to become one of the highest points of their grandiose career and follow the success of past albums like ‘No Mean City’ and ‘Hair Of The Dog’.
Founding member Pete Agnew says: "They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but having recorded the new album 'Big Dogz' I don't agree. We've got some tasty bones here!”
MARCH TOUR DATES
SAT 10TH: GLASGOW, Classic Grand, 18 Jamaica Street, G1 4QD 0141 847 0820 7pm Tickets – Tickets Scotland or Chic Box Office 08700 110034 £17.50 +bf http://www.classicgrand.com/
SUN 11TH: INVERNESS, Ironworks, 122b Academy Street IV1 1LX 0871 789 4173 7.30pm Tickets tbc http://www.ironworksvenue.com/
TUES 13TH: DUNDEE, Dexters, 22 Castle Street, Angus DD1 3AF 8pm Tickets tbc 01382 228894
THURS 15TH: CLITHEROE, The Grand, 18 York Street, Lancashire BB7 2DL 01200 421596 Tickets tbc Time tbc http://www.thegrandvenue.co.uk/
FRI 16TH: LIVERPOOL, O2 Academy, O2 Academy 2, 11-13 Hotham Street, L3 5UF 7pm £17.50 http://www.o2academyliverpool.co.uk/
SAT 17TH: YORK, The Duchess, Stonebow House, York YO1 7NP £20 +bf (advance) / £22.00 (door) 7.30pm 01904 641 413 http://www.theduchessyork.co.uk/
TUES 20TH: NEWCASTLE ON TYNE, O2 Academy, Westgate Road, NE1 1SW 7pm £17.50 http://www.o2academynewcastle.co.uk/ Box office 0844 477 200
WED 21ST: SOUTHAMPTON, The Brook, 466 Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton SO17 3SD http://www.the-brook.com/ 023 8055 5366 320 (advance)/ £22.oo (door) Doors 8pm
FRI 23RD: DERBY, Assembly Rooms (Darwin Suite), 8pm £20.oo Standing Only 01332 255800 http://www.derbylive.co.uk/
SAT 24TH: *BILSTON, Robin 2, 2-28 Mount Pleasant, Bilston Wolverhampton WV14 7LJ (with DEBORAH BONHAM only) http://www.therobin.co.uk/ 01902 401211 £20 (advance)/ £22.oo (door) Time tbc
SUN 25TH: GRIMSBY, Yardbirds Rock Club, Church Street, Grimsby, N.Lincs DN32 7DD 07771 520374 http://www.myspace.com/yardbirdsrockclub Time tbc Tickets tbc
