Thu 8th February, 2018
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
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Bookings are closed for this event.
THIS IS A STANDING GIG WITH CHAIRS DOWN BOTH SIDES OF THE AUDITORIUM – The Cafe is open this evening, last orders at 6.30pm
The band are giving away a free download of the song ‘Living Free’ from their new live album when people join their mailing list at:
https://www.willeandthebandits.com/
“If Cream had spent more time on a beach in Newquay they might have sounded like this.” Blues Matters Magazine
The band have also just been nominated in two categories of the UK Blues Awards – “innovation in the Blues in the UK’ and “Best Regional Blues Act in the UK” https://ukbluesawards.com/finalists/
Essentially Wille and the Bandits is a classic blues rock three piece much in the vein of Cream or The Jimi Hendrix experience. But in a similar way to how these bands pushed the genre in their time, Wille and the Bandits try to take their sound beyond what is expected of such a traditional line up.
The use of more bizarre instrumentation and eclectic influences in the song writing often pushes them more into a world music or progressive category. Having toured with artists such as Deep Purple through to the John Butler trio and played major festivals across Europe, the band seem to leave an equally astounding impression on audiences of all ages and musical backgrounds with their energetic and soulful performances.
They have received great critical acclaim, being voted in the top ten must see bands at Glastonbury 2014 by BBC Radio 1 and reaching number 2 in the UK blues chart with their first single on downloads alone. Now touring their third independently released studio album Wille and the Bandits fan base, repertoire of sounds, styles and innovation seems to be growing at an exponential rate.
The band are praised in the press for their albums; bursting at the seams with textures, originality and soul. Rock legends such as Ian Paice, Joe Bonamassa and Francis Rossi have also praised the band’s musicianship and their unique edge to Rock and Blues.
It’s rare to find a band as dynamic as Wille and the Bandits, one that is just as comfortable and as impressive at both ends of the sonic spectrum. In the modern age of disposable music it is refreshing to hear a band that still value the art of creating albums and who continue to bring new instruments and ideas into their songwriting rather than settling for a tried and tested formula. Ten seconds of Youtube will not scratch the surface of the band’s sound and message; this is a band that is very much about discovery and one best experienced LIVE!.
“Love the soul in their music” – Bob Harris
“Wille & the Bandits are taking roots music to a new level” – Rootstime Magazine
“Wille is a superb slide player, I love what these guys are doing” – Joe Bonamassa
“These boys can really groove” – Francis Rossi, Status Quo
“These boys can groove and sing like whiskey angels and it doesn’t take long to realise why they belong on the festival circuit.” – Glastonbury festival
“This incredibly talented band excels in playing not just one or two musical styles but in fact focus on several genres to an extremely high quality.” – Maverick Magazine
Russell Sinclair
Russell is a singer, guitarist and songwriter from Plymouth drawing influence from many different genres of music.
As well as writing and recording, Russell is building a great reputation for his energetic live guitar driven performances and is building an enthusiastic fan-base throughout the South West.
June 2015 saw the release of Russells debut album entitled “Bought & Sold” with the songs being well received at various UK Blues festivals throughout the year.
Russell frequently performs with his band The Smokin’ Locos – the personnel, roles and instruments within the band frequently change in keeping with the varied musical styles that are created. The passion, commitment and quality of the music being performed never changes. When not performing with the full band, Russell often performs solo or as a duo with harmonica accompaniment.
Photo by Andy Westwood at Snapped String Photography.