CASTELL ROC PRESENTS

The classic rock bands of the late ’60s and early ’70s enjoy a unique place in popular musical history. Wishbone Ash embarked on the nascent Progressive Rock scene in 1969, taking full advantage of a fertile musical environment where they produced a distinctive brand of melodic rock. Inspired equally by British folk traditions and American jazz and R&B, the group played to public and critical acclaim. 50 years later, having pioneered the use of twin lead guitars, Wishbone Ash has gained worldwide recognition, based firmly on a regime of relentless touring. The band includes founding member Andy Powell, who handles lead vocals and trades guitar licks with Yorkshire’s Mark Abrahams. Bassist Bob Skeat, a 25 year veteran of the band, drives the rhythm section along with Mike Truscott, one of the best of Britain’s new breed of drummers. Wishbone Ash, the quintessential road band, is an acknowledged influence on many other bands including Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden along with younger bands like Opeth. Power and melody have made the Ash a hard act to follow, while they are currently being discovered by new generations of loyal rock fans. An exceptional recording and touring career has seen Wishbone Ash weather many changes in record labels, personnel and musical trends. Today, the band is still going strong, with most of their vast catalog intact on CD, an award-winning website and a date sheet the envy of many other bands.

 Recording highlights are, of course, the multi-million selling 1972 album “Argus,” considered to be one of the all-time classic rock albums, together with “Pilgrimage” (1971) and “New England” (1976). More recently, “The Power of Eternity” (2007), “Elegant Stealth” (2011) and “Blue Horizon” (2014) garnered enthusiastic praise. It was not until 2019 that the album Coat of Arms was to be released and that has proved to be a real career-capper. The band’s biggest seller, the double album “Live Dates” (1973), is one of the most highly rated live albums of the 1970s. There is the inevitable box set titled “Distillation” (1993) and also the unplugged album, “Bare Bones” (1999), which shows the softer side of the band. In 2008, at the invitation of XM Satellite Radio in the USA, Wishbone Ash produced a fresh, live recorded performance of the “Argus” classic, in front of a small invited studio audience. The resulting CD, “Then Again Now,” includes bonus tracks like “Way of the World.” With 24 studio releases, 11 live albums and five live DVDs to date, Wishbone Ash continues to prove they are not a band to rest on their laurels.

Creedence Clearwater Revival fronted by Peter Barton - The group comprising Peter Barton on vocals and guitar, Alan Sagar on bass, Jim Kirkpatrick on guitar and Geoff Hammond on drums Selling out at venues all over the world, Clearwater Creedence Revival (tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival) feature road-hardened players who, collectively have performed with – Stax legend Steve Cropper, Big Country, Denny Laine (Wings, Moody Blues), Eric Haydocks Hollies, Animals And Friends, Alan Silson (Smokie), Wayne Fontana’s Mindbenders and more. Together, they are the best ‘tribute’ to CCR & Fogerty you’re ever likely to see! “Clearwater Creedence Revival do themselves “Proud” (‘…Mary’). The vocalist is a big, bearded fella with a lovely, gravelly voice and he guides us through some classic Country stylings and soothes many a hungover head. ‘Bad Moon Rising’, ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain’ and ‘I Put A Spell On You’, amongst others, make not being able to get to the bar more bearable, and in a world seemingly overrun with Creedence bands, this lot can hold their heads high above the rest.“ (ROCKTOPIA, Giants of Rock review)