NE Guitars Magazine - Issue No:7

MURDOCK ON...

Brian Setzer’s Guitar Style

+

ANTQUITY VINTAGE STRINGS

New Guitar Strings From Seymour Duncam

NEGUITARS

February / March 2025 Issue No:7

£4.99

The

UK TOP

ROCKABILLY

BAND

In Association With

Spomsored By & Associated With

www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

NE GUITARS

Editorial

Paul George - Editor

Jane Shields - Assistant Editor &

Social Media Manager

Mark Taylor - Marketing Manager

Guest Author - Michelle Taylor

Guest Author - Lee Ethrington

Guest Author - Murdock Brodie-

Thomas

Guest Author - Jimmy McKenna

Review Specialist - Danny Mayes

Conquest Music

Alan Bambrough

alan@conquestmusic.co.uk

Cliff Evans

cliff@conquestmusic.co.uk

www.conquestmusic.co.uk

WELCOME...

Issue No:7

February - March

Happy New Year folks, I do hope the

holiday seasonn was kind to everyone.

But that’s all over now and we look forward to a

great 2025 with NE Guitars Magazine.

Well, we’ve hit the ground running at full speed

with our first issue of the year which has a

Rockabilly theme running through the pages.

Of course on the front cover you would have

seen that we recently had a chat with Stray Cats bassist, Lee Rocker. How cool is

that!! I’ve also got to say what a lovely guy Lee is to talk to. You can read the full

interview inside.

Also with the Rockabilly theme, we have the very cool UK Rockabilly band, The

Jets. I was lucky enough to see these guys in the early 80’s when they were in the

charts. What a band! We also have Murdock doing his thing on Brian Setzer with

some great playing tips and lessons.

We look forward to the North East Guitar Show in March at Rainton Arena,

Houghton-Le-Spring on 16th March. From personal experience this is a very

busy and popular show, last year we queued in the rain for well over an hour just

to get through the door. Thankfully this year we have our own stand at the show

where you will be able to chat to us and buy your own printed edition of this mag.

Hopefully we will see you there.

NE Guitars and Conquest Music

would like to thank all contributors,

authors, photographers, advertisers

and all of our readers and

subscribers. Without you this

publication would not be possible.

All intellectual property rights,

including copyrights, trademarks

rights and database rights with

respect to the information, texts,

images, logos, photographs and

illustrations NE Guitars and with

respect to the layout and design

of the website are protected by

intellectual property rights and

belong to NE Guitars or entitled

third parties. The reproduction

or making available in any way or

form of the contents of the website

without prior written consent from

NE Guitars is not allowed.

We have a little North East action with Charlotte Grayson and The Montgolfiers

courtesy of VainGloriousUK and Chas Groovy, plus a look at Willie Dowlings gig in

Newcastle soon courtesy of our sponsors, Conquest Music. Our regular columnists

are also back including our Michelle talking about her Blackstar range of amps, Lee

and Danny have got some great pedal reviews for us both in their usual buffoonery

style plus you can catch up with the best of the action on our gigs board.

OK, we have a little heads up here, in the next issue we will be starting a classified

section where you can sell, buy, swap guitars, amps, pedals and all other manner of

bits and pieces. If you would like more details on selling your bits in the next issue,

drop me an email at the usual address and I’ll get right back to you.

On a final word, I would like to welcome our new friends to the magazine, from

South Shields, the new guitar emporium, NE Guitars. Not to be mistaken by NE

Guitars Magazine, this cracking shop has a whole host of Guitars, Amps, Strings etc,

you name it, they have it. If you find yourself up in South Shields, do pop in and say

hello, they are a very friendly bunch!

So here we go, the first edition of the year. Please do enjoy, read and download. But

most of all, do share, spread the word, tell your friends, do what ever it takes to let

people know about our magazine. For those in the North East, hopefully we will

see you at the guitar show in March. Bye for now!

Paul & The Team.

www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 03

Contents Feb

- March Issue No:7

P10

ORIGIN EFFECTS:

Lee Ethrington Reviews

Lee looks into a whole host of Bass

Pedals from Origin Effects and gives us

the lo-down.

P30

THE JETS:

Top UK Rockabilly Band

Meet The Cotton Brothers who have

been rocking the charts with their own

unique style of Rockabilly since the 70’s.

P46

CHARLOTTE GRAYSON:

Hartlepools’ Golden Girl

A look into the music of one of the North

East’s finest singer/ songwriters as she

releases her brand new single.

04 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

In Focus

On The Cover Lee Rocker

Stray Cats Bassist and Rockabilly Artist in

conversation with NE Guitars Magazine.

30 The Jets

Bob Cotton, the Bassist and Lead Singer from the

70’s/ 80’s Rockabilly Revival band talks.

40 Willie Dowling

A look into the ‘Music Man’ by Conquest Music

prior to his gig at The Cluny, Newcastle.

46 Charlotte Grayson

A look in to Hartlepool’s top singer/ songwriter

from ‘Simply Folk Music Magazine’.

Reviews

10 Origin Effects

Lee Ethrington looks in to the Bass Pedals from

Origin Effects

50 MXR ZW-44 Wylde Overdrive

Our Review tech Danny, reviews another great

Pedal

51 Seymour Duncan Antique Strings

Top pickup creators Seymour Duncan with their

brand new set of pure nickel strings recreating the

old sounds.

Features

06 NE Guitars News

All the latest international, national and local

guitar news.

14 Michelle Taylor

Our star girl talks about her kit, her guitars in aher

regular column.

26 North East Guitar Show

A look ahead to this years guitar premier show at

the Rainton Arena.

36 Murdock on... Brian Setzer

Murdock Brodie Thomas dives into the Stray Cats

Guitarist’s style

44 VainGloriousUK

More from the North East with Chas Groovy

56 North East Gigs Board

The best of gigs around the North East

On The Cover

Lee Rocker

Stray Cats

Bassist

ADVERTISE WITH US

With our uniquely huge coverage around the

North East, it is very easy to see why advertising

your business in our pages is so worthwhile. It

also doesn’t have to cost the earth. Check out

our low rates at our website here:

www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk/advertise

Or why not give us a call or email us and talk to

us about our deals and your specific needs.

Tel: 07546 656143 Email: editor@neguitarsmagazine.co.uk


NE GUITARS NEWS

STOP PRESS The Latest Guitar News From Around The World STOP PRESS

Northern Kin

Back For 2025

Northern Kin is back for a 7th

year in 2025, at our fantastic new

home at Thornley Hall farm, for

3 days, over the weekend of 1st –

3rd August 2025.

Created by a dedicated team of

live music enthusiasts, determined

to bring more live music to the

North East, and a festival that

truly represents this wonderful

area, Northern Kin is perfect for

lovers of Folk, Blues, Rock, Ska,

Punk, Pop, Prog, Indie, Soul and

much more, with an eclectic mix

of the finest live music and a few

musical surprises thrown in for

good measure.

There’ll be more than 40 bands

and artists on 3 big stages, with

lots of things to see and do, all

in a beautiful rural setting that is

completely secure for all campers

and a friendly atmosphere, for all

ages.

Among the already confirmed

headliners are former Scorpions

Guitarist Michael Schenker,

Ultravox and Band Aid front

mand Midge Ure and the iconic

punk band, The Undertones.

Check out more details and ticket

prices at the official website here:

https://www.northernkinfestival.

co.uk/

New Single Release for Hartlepool

Top Artist, Charlotte Grayson - By PMG

Top Hartlepool solo

artist Charlotte

Grayson, has released

her latest single ‘Get

Outta My Yard’.

The new single was

released on 27th

January with high

praise from many

online music sites and

critics.

Born in Hartlepool and

supported by a family

of musicians and

entertainers, including

her grandfather,

Kenny Layton who

hit stardom in the

70’s an 80’s with the

comedy duo, Diamond

and Leyton and her

father who achieved

Three of the original

Sex Pistols members

and The Who are

returning to the stage

for separate Teenage

Cancer Trust (TCT)

shows.

The Who classics will

be performed as they

return for two shows,

with special guests

Level 42, a jazz band,

local fame withe the

popular band, The

White Negros, the 24

year old has released

two acclaimed album

with tracks written

about her own life and

on March 27 and

March 31.

Kate Collins, chief

executive of TCT,

said: “These gigs

would not exist

without Roger, who

remains a tireless

honorary patron for

the charity and is

unstoppable in his

support for young

experiences. The latest

single is available to

stream and purchase

on most music

platforms. Read more

on Charlotte on Page

46 0f this issue.

Sex Pistols and The Who to return to

stage for Teenage Cancer Trust shows

people with cancer.

Tickets went on sale

at 9am on Friday 31st

January.


Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake

guitarist John Sykes dies aged 65

NEWS

Moody Blues singer

Justin Hayward

announces Forever

Autumn tour for

October

Moody Blues guitarist and

vocalist Justin Hayward has

announced UK tour dates for

October this year.

John Sykes, a guitarist with the rock

bands Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake, has

died aged 65. A statement said his death

followed “a hard-fought battle with

cancer”.

The Whitesnake frontman David

Coverdale paid tribute on Instagram,

calling the news “shocking”. The Guns N’

Roses guitarist Slash also remembered

Sykes on Instagram.

Sykes was born on 29 July 1959 in

Reading, Berkshire. His family spent

three years living in Ibiza but returned

before Sykes’ teenage years, when he

became obsessed with playing guitar. He

cited guitarists including Jimmy Page

and Ritchie Blackmore as influences. He

joined his first band, Streetfighter, after

the family moved to Blackpool.

After two years in the metal band Tygers

of Pan Tang, a dissatisfied Sykes quit in

1982 to join the Irish band Thin Lizzy,

nudging them towards the metal sound

for which they would become widely

known and playing guitar on final album

Thunder and Lightning, released in 1983.

Frontman Phil Lynott died in 1986 and

the group disbanded. Coverdale pursued

him to join the British band Whitesnake,

and Sykes debuted on their 1984 album

‘Slide It In’, which brought them US

success. While he played on their 1987

self-titled album – again pushing them

towards a more crowdpleasing sound

Sykes married Jennifer Brooks Sykes

in 1989. They divorced in 1999. He is

survived by his three sons, James, John Jr

and Sean.

He is sadly missed and remembered by

his former North East band, Tygers of

Pan Tang. Read more on this story.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/

entertainment/music/thin-lizzy-andwhitesnake-guitarist-john-sykes-diesaged-65

Do you have a story to tell or have seen

something in the news or online we

should know about?

Then get in touch with us here at

editor@neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Stay in the Loop with NE Guitars News

Billed as ‘The Voice Of The

Moody Blues’, Hayward will

play ten dates around the

country, kicking off at

Cardiff ’s New Theatre on

October 19 and running

through to London’s Cadogan

Hall on October 31.

“I always enjoy touring the

UK,” says Hayward, who spent

much of 2023 and 2024 on the

road, with several solo tours,

along with two On The Blue

cruises, and a sell-out tour

co-headlining in the USA with

Christopher Cross. “When I

was in a local group in

Swindon, we were offered a

tour of the North of England

and Scotland and I thought,

‘This is it - this is living’. British

music - and British music

fans - have a special place in

the world of music, and I’m

privileged that my songs are a

part of that.

“The same goes for ‘Forever

Autumn’. Wherever I go in the

world people seem to know the

song and associate it with my

voice. It feels right to

acknowledge Forever Autumn

this Autumn.

The shows will go on general

sale at 9am on Friday January

31, except the Truro show,

where tickets go on general

sale March 31.

https://justinhayward.com/


Peter Yarrow, guitarist, singer for Peter, Paul & Mary, dies at 86

Peter Yarrow, an icon of the

‘60s folk explosion best known

for his guitar, vocal, and song

writing contributions to the

era-defining trio, Peter, Paul

& Mary, has died at the age of

86. He had been suffering from

bladder cancer.

As one-third of Peter, Paul &

Mary – alongside Paul Stookey

and the late Mary Travers –

Peter Yarrow was a huge figure

in the ‘60s folk scene that

produced the likes of Bob Dylan

and Joan Baez.

The trio, which came together

in 1961, were rewarded with a

remarkable run of commercial

success – two chart-topping

albums, a number of Top 10

hits, and millions of albums sold

in total.

Their third album, ‘In the Wind’,

contained three songs by a

then-mostly-unknown Bob Dylan.

Two of those covers, Blowin’

in the Wind and Don’t Think

Twice, It’s All Right, became hits

for the trio, and helped establish

Dylan in the public eye as a

songwriter to be reckoned with.

On his own, Yarrow remained

a consistent progressive voice

and prolific musician, releasing

four solo albums from the earlythrough

mid-’70s.

North East Guitar Show Back

At Rainton Arena For 2025

Guitar enthuisiasts and

players will be packing in

to the popular Rainton

Arena, Houghton-Le-

Spring on March 16th this

year for the return of the

North East Guitar Sow

hosted by Mojo Guitar

Shows.

The Arena will be packed

with top trade stands

from retailers, builders,

luthiers, local businesses

including Flattley Pedals

Boutique, East Durham

Guitars, ToneWood

Amp and many others.

Also making their show

debut will be NE Guitars

Magazine, selling copies

of the latest issue and

providing information

for businesses wanting to

advertise within it’s pages.

Also at the event, will be

live music from Mitch

Laddie Band, Anth Purdy

and Connor Thomes as

well as refreshments, free

parking and a free prize

draw.

The event will be running

from 10:00am - 4:00pm

and admission on the

door is just £7:00.

Unit 6, Wheatley Hill Ind Est.

Front Street,Wheatley Hill,

Co. Durham DH6 3QZ

Tel: 07531 536080

Email: john@white-wolf.studio


SUBSCRIBE

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NOW!

AND GET YOUR

FREE COPY

DELIVERED TO

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EVERY MONTH

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REVIEW

Article & Images - Lee Ethrington

Hello folks, today I have for

you a little rundown of some

effects pedals from Origin.

So if you’re looking to shape your bass

sound for live performance, studio,

or home play then this is the place for

you.

Origin Effects is a uk company that

are putting out some of the best pedals

on the market and were nice enough

to send a few along for yours truly to

mess about with so I could bring you

my thoughts. So without further ado

let’s get into it.

CALI 76 BASS COMPRESSOR.

Compression is one of the foundations

of a nice bass sound and has been

for pretty much the entirety of

the instrument. The Cali 76 does

everything your usual unit does and

then some!


Origin Effect Subscribe! Pedals

I sat for a good few hours messing

around with this funky little unit and

was impressed not only by the control

it gives you but the vast range over

which it can be used. Its simple layout

and nice chunky controls are smooth

and precise in operation so you can

really get exactly the control you’re

after and the large LED band lets you

see exactly where you are applying the

compression and how aggressively it is

acting on the input.

With controls for DRY, OUT, IN,

RATIO, ATT/REL, and HPF, its

amazingly easy to setup for a solid

punch or a wider sweep to open the

sound up without losing control of

the tone. If you decide to be silly ( lets

face it thats what we do here ) you can

really push your sound to scare the life

out of both your amp, audience, and

yourself.

My personal favorite was using it with

the ratio cracked pretty far up and a

fairly even ballance between IN and

OUT then playing around with the

RATIO to trim my tone to something

I would use live. A solid bit of kit

with masses of range and potential to

control your tone exactly as you would

wish.

DCXBASS. Ok Im not going to lie

and say I could get the best out of

this unit but that is in no way a fault

of the pedal itself. As with the other

bits of kit the guys sent us this unit

is a solid and beautifully finished

product that immediately impacts your

sound. Therein was my problem. I

just couldn’t settle on a single tone for

playthrough.

I found myself thinking ”this is cool

but what if I just tweak that? Oh thats

nice but I could move this just a little”

long story short, a number of hours

down the line and I still had not settled

on a tone that i could leave alone.

With controls for LEVEL, DRIVE, L.F,

H.F, and a mode switch between EQ

and DRIVE then a threeway selector

for voice with DRK, FLAT, and MED

options you could spend days fiddling

around and still not reach the limits of

what this thing can do.

You want big, hefty low end grunt?

No problem. How about some lighter,

smoother sounding chill vibes? Got

it. Nice fat mid sounds, covered bro.

Honestly the only fault in this unit was

me, the player. For someone that really


sound.

Shes a monster unit too. Not a dainty

little thing but a big slab of metal that

looks every bit as good as it sounds.

REVIEW

With a D.I. out for studio or straight to

desk applications plus the usual input

and output it lends itself nicely to both

live and studio work and once again is

a well built and sturdy bit of kit thats

more likely to dent the stage before

you dent it.

knows what they want out of their

sound then its an awesome bit of kit.

For a giant child with a big bass rig its

a rabbit hole that you will struggle to

get out off.

BASSRIG SUPER VINTAGE.

This beast is designed to replicate the

Ampeg SVT and 8X10 cab. To put it

blandly, it does just that. If you could

do it with an SVT you can do it with a

BASSRIG.

With control for OUTPUT, BLEND,

DRIVE, BASS, MIDRANGE, and

TREBLE, plus switching for 800, 3000,

and 220 on mids, an ultra high or low

cut, an fx or fxbypass DI ground and

lift, a 4000, 0, and 2000 horn cut and

an LF, HF to amp EQ one would be

forgiven for thinking it would be a

little complicated. Happily its anything

but. I started low on the drive and

output then played with the tonal

control until i found a great vintage

sound. Once i was there it was a simple

matter of upping the drive to dirty it

up and adjusting the blend so I cound

really push the sound through the amp

without losing any of my initial setup.

Trust me, this thing bites hard when

you want to but reacts nicely when

you roll back to really get that classic

This is where I would normally tell

you that its my favourite unit on test

but………

BASSRIG 64 BLACK PANEL.

This is without doubt the single best bit

of bass kit I have ever heard or used.

I wanted Lizzy and got it. I wanted

Megadeth and got it. I wanted Sting

and I still got it!

Designed to give the sound of the

Fender Bassman/Showman hooked

up to a 2X15 cab. And like the super

vintage it does exactly what it says.

When you start playing with it is when

it really gets fun. Even a hamfisted

idiot like me can get sounds out of the

black panel that should be reserved for

studios and rockstars.


The same controls as the super vintage

with the exception that the midrange

sweep and selector are replaced with a

MIDDLE and switching between TWD

and BLK plus the ultra high and low

cut replaced with BRIGHT and FAT, its

once again easy to set up and play.

The range of sound on this pedal is

superb and I dare say unmatched by its

competitors. Quite literally any song

I jammed to with this thing I found

a perfect tone with zero problem.

Fingerstyle, pick, slap, muted, pinched

it didn’t matter, everything just found

a voice that fit perfectly to each and

every track. A sublime product all

round.

Now the bit you’ve all been waiting

for, Price. Origin effects are not £50

pedals you just pop on your board for

a giggle. With the Cali 76 coming in

around the £300 range, tha DCXBASS

Around £250 and the BASSRIG’s at

near £400 they are a serious purchase.

I can however state that they are

worth every penny as they are some

Origin Effect Pedals

of the best built, solid, responsive and

complete pedals I have ever seen or

used. This is one of those cases where

you truly do get what you pay for.

Big thanks to Chris and the guys over

at origin effects for letting us have a

play with their creations. Head over to

Origineffects.com and check out the

range they offer.

Now, where did I put my credit

card?................


Guitar Talk

Michelle is back with NE Guitars Magazine but this time as a guest writer

talking about her guitars and her rig. But not only that, she is here to explain

how our sound is influenced by what kit we use. Join Michelle in her regular

column and learn her music secrets

Hi everyone and I hope you all survived the holiday season, I

had a bad cold through both xmas and new year and so it wasn’t

very “Happy” for me at the time, but now I’m up and ready for

this new year with recharged batteries!

Maybe some of you received some cool presents such as guitars

pedals and amps? Or maybe straps strings and picks ?

Whatever it was, we need most of that stuff and so its

always a welcome surprise, and you can never

have too much stuff ( although my better

half may disagree with that statement at

times).

Previously I’ve discussed the guitars

I own and which ones I play most

etc. Then I got into discussing

some of my amps last month, but

as I said earlier…”you can never

have too many” and so here’s a

run down of the other amps that

I use often and how I use them.

Of course you can have just one

amp that does it all, (much cheaper

that way and takes up less space) but

in my case I like to have amps ready

in rehearsal rooms, studios, at home,

and overseas etc, plus Im in the incredibly

fortunate position to have things sent to me to try

before official release and so I learn all about these amps

by trying them out at home in the studio and then I learn even

more by taking them out on actual gigs.

For those that don’t know, I run the Blackstar Amp

Appreciation group on Facebook and Im always asked a zillion

questions either in the group or in private messages whenever

there is a new release, and so I constantly need to know as

much as I can about the new products in order to offer accurate

info from my own personal experience, as I’d never talk about

something that I hadn’t actually used myself. One of the

questions I get asked quite often is what amp do I use …and

why?

When selecting which amp I will use it will all depend on

what Im using the amp for that particular day.

Sometimes I just need something low wattage

and lightweight, other times I may need

something that takes up the least amount

of space, and sometimes I may need

something loud.

Occasionally its simply comes

down to what mood Im in and

what amp I fancy taking, and

so naturally it’s fun to have a

number of things to select from.

The Blackstar Artist combo

One of my all time favourite amps

is the Blackstar Artist Combo, and

it was released as both a 1x12 and a

2x12. I have owned both the 30w and

15w versions of the combo and they

are wonderful if you like that USA type

tone. The Artist is an amp that takes pedals

extremely well too so its perfect for those that

like to use a pedalboard.

The Artist is a low/medium gain amp with onboard reverb and

effects loop together with Backstar’s brilliant emulated output

(so you can send a signal direct to the PA system as well as

using the amp sound onstage). Personally I found the 2x12 to

be a bit on the heavy side (still not crazy heavy like some 2x12

combos) but the 15w 1x12 although slightly smaller in size


Guitar Talk with Michelle Taylor

and weight, it still offered the same great

full tone and it was easily loud enough

for most jobs (I have even played on a

number of festivals with mine).

Blackstar Artist 15

I don’t have the Artist 30 anymore

but I do still have my Artist 15 with a

matching extension cab. I usually just

use the combo itself, but sometimes on

bigger stages it looks cooler with a whole

stack and so I will use the extension cab

too, although in all honesty it sometimes

isn’t even connected. I love the full warm

punchy sound that you get from the 6L6

Artist amp. I set it crystal clean and add

pedals for varying levels of overdrive

together with delays and whatever else I

need for that particular gig. Naturally I

could just use the gain from the amp and

that would work great too, but I like to

run most of my amps crystal clean ( like

a painter with a clean new palate ) and I

color and create with my pedals as I think

it offers me more versatility this way,

as I can always click off a pedal and go

immediately back to my warm and pure

crystal clear ground tone.

Sure I can roll back my guitar volume

to clean up amp overdrive, but you lose

some of the tone and volume then, plus

you can’t have your delay effects in the

front of an amp if its set up dirty as the

delays sound terrible ( to me anyway

) and so I find that this crystal clean

method works best for me.My Artist 15

is a blonde one, but they were made in

black too.

Unfortunately Blackstar don’t make the

Artist amps anymore and so if you see

one second hand anywhere be sure to

snatch it up.

Blackstar TV-10A

As I mentioned in my previous article, I

have a Blackstar TV-10A combo which

is kinda a mini version of the Artist and

that is Blonde too! It offers that same

warm full USA style tone but in an even

more compact version.

The TV-10A is a 10w 6L6 combo and

definitely one of my favourite amps at the

moment, in fact just last week I took it

into a studio to record a few tracks with

my band and it sounded great, even the

sound engineer had to come over and

take a look at it! The amp is very simple

and straightforward with just a separate

master and channel volume, reverb,

effects loop, a single tone control, and

on the back it has an emulated output

making it great for recording or going

into a PA system. The amp also has

two voicings to select from which are

accessed via a button on the amp or via

the accompanying footswitch.

Limited Edition Blackstar CV30 combo

This is the signature combo of Carmen

Vandenberg (of which there were only

130 units made worldwide) and is

basically an Artist combo with a little

more gain and without the separate

volume control on channel 2. Personally

I prefer the layout much better on the

original Artist amps as I like running my

amps crystal clean, and so I tend not to

use this one as much at the moment. It

does look cool though with its turquoise

color and gold trim.

Artist 10AE combo

This is also a 10w Artist amp and is the

anniversary edition that was used to

celebrate Blackstar being in business

for 10 years, naturally this was released

quite a few years back as now Blackstar

are an established name in the business

and at the front in amp innovation. The

amp was a limited edition with only 1000

units made worldwide. Originally I had

two of these amps and I ran them as a

dual mono rig. Sometimes I would use

only one of them together with a small

extension cab, and even with its small

size and wattage this amp worked well

in a band situation. The amp has an

emulated output and so I would send a

signal to the PA and monitors and still

have the live sound from the amp….

perfect ! :). I still use this amp both on

its own or with an extension cab and it

can often be found in my rehearsal room,

so that if Im not using it that day my

guitarist Thom will as he loves it too.

The Blackstar ID Series 260TVP

Not to be confused with the ordinary

ID Core range of amps, the ID Series

amps had something rather special called

TVP or True Valve Power. The amps

themselves didn’t have any real valves

in them, but you really wouldn’t notice

it. When these amps first appeared they

were truly amazing and many units were

sold around the world. This was before

Boss released its Katana range which

although cheaper …just didn’t sound

anywhere near as good, and didn’t have

the TVP section on their amps. The

ID260TVP is a 2x12 2x 60w combo with

super wide stereo inbuilt !!! Yes I know!

Pretty amazing as it makes the inbuilt

delays, chorus, tremolo, and reverbs etc

sound unbelievable. I remember trying

one for the first time and I’d set up an

overdrive patch with a plate reverb

together with a delay with a few repeats

and played a couple of notes on my guitar

and the sound was coming from behind

me and to the sides of me, it was weird

and sounded wonderful. As you will

have gathered by now, the ID Series are

fully programmable, and you can save

a load of patches on them with all the

inbuilt effects which can then be accessed

via the foot switch for live gigs or with

the simple press of a button on the amp

at home. I hate gear with menus and


sub menus and all that kind of chewy

nonsense, I want to plug in and turn a

few knobs, possibly press a couple of

buttons …and that’s it. The ID Series

TVP amps are as simple as that with no

menus etc. You can if you wish however

connect them via USB to your computer

and open the software and access loads

of other stuff if that your thing and

you can even back up your patches to

your computer this way too if you wish.

Personally I could never be bothered with

all that, I like to just plug and play :)

The thing that makes these amps sound

so good (apart from super wide stereo)

is the TVP section. With this you can

switch between a selection of tube type

emulations (such as 6L6, EL34, KT88,

EL84, 6V6, KT66) that retune the amp to

have the same tonal qualities, dynamics,

sag, compression and overall feel of that

tube type, pretty amazing stuff! The ID

Series even have a selection of voicings

too that can be saved together with other

parameters in the patch mode such as

Clean warm, Clean Bright, Crunch,

Super Crunch, Overdrive 1, Overdrive

2, etc. The amp even has Blackstar’s

patented ISF control which allows you to

customise and fine tune your amps even

further. Most of Blackstar’s amps have the

ISF control which kind of realigns where

you mid range sits and so makes the mids

more customisable depending on how

you have the rest of the amp set up. It can

take you from (control fully left) a tighter

bass response to offer a more USA style

distortion tone and then (control fully

right). You get fuller mids and a more

“woody” UK warmer tone. I gigged the

ID260TVP for many years and simply

loved this amp. Id have guitarist come up

to me at the end of a gig and compliment

me on my tone etc and ask what size the

amp was and what tubes it was using

etc..and when I would tell them that the

amp didn’t have any tubes they wouldn’t

believe me ! They would walk around

the back of the amp to look for them

to be sure ! LOL The ID Series were

discontinued but a newer version was

then released under the name Silverline

and had been upgraded and redesigned

with a totally new silver/grey look, and

today they are available as 20w, 50w, and

100w and be found as both combos or

amp heads. The version which took the

place of my ID Series 260TVP is now

called the Silverline Stereo Deluxe 2x12

and if ever you see one please plug in to it

and give it a try.

The Blackstar TV-10B

I got this amp literally only a week or so

ago at the time of writing this article and

so it is still pretty new to me, but boy

does it sound good, and like my TV-10A

amp which was a 10w 6L6 valve amp, the

TV-10B is a 10w amp but this time with

an EL34 valve. This TV-10B has more

gain and offers more of that classic UK

sound. It has an inbuilt foot switchable

boost control too which is perfect for

soloing. For me this is definitely the kind

of amp where I would have it set dirty

and put my delays in the effects loop

and then I’m good to go, I wouldn’t need

anything else apart from a tuner, and like

the other Blackstar amps it has a great

emulated output to take a signal from the

amp to a PA in necessary. I can imagine

that I will become very good friends with

this amp. I love its aesthetics too with

a dark “British racing green” type color

and gold piping with an unusual grey fret

front.

Practice Amps

As well as the amps mentioned in this

and the the last issue of NE Guitars

magazine I have a few practice amps.

Basically these are amps that can easily be

taken from room to room and are quite

small and lightweight. Having said that

they can still get pretty loud if you want

them to, and one of them can even be

used for smaller gigs!

The Blackstar ID Core 20V2 combo

This is similar in some ways to the big

ID Series TVP amp that I mentioned

earlier but in a much smaller format and

without the TVP section, and so it can’t

really be gigged. It does have some great

tones in it for practicing though, that

together with inbuilt multi effects, tuner

and a selection of voicings and even

super wide stereo too. I have one of these

in Sweden and another in the UK, so I

always have one around if I need one.

The Blackstar Debut 50R combo

I have a Debut 50R which is a simple no

fuss all analogue amp that has quite good

tone for such a small amp but without


Guitar Talk with Michelle Taylor

all the bells and whistles of an entry level

digital modelling amp. To me this amp

can sound a little boxy at times as I prefer

a full fat sounding clean ground tone, and

so because of that I cant see myself using

pedals with it, although I have heard that

it is great for them. Whenever I use the

Debut 50 ( which is usually in rehearsals

or practicing ) I tend to set it dirty and

use the volume of my guitar. My guitarist

Thom Som Monsieurs has used the

Debut 50 quite a lot in rehearsals too and

he liked it, plus I know a few people that

gig with this amp too. I even know of

others that have it as part of the backline

on open mic nights so it just shows that

it’s all down to “the sound in your head”

and what works for you. The amp gets

its valve like tones by using cascading

Mosfet technology and it has both plate

and hall reverb options together with

the choice of running it in either 5w or

50w mode. This amp has both clean and

overdrive modes together with the usual

ISF control. Personally I never bother

with the power reduction buttons, I just

turn the master volume down and it’s

fine for me. I actually decided to take the

front fret off this amp and customise it

because I wasn’t keen on the yellow color

fret that mine had, I replaced it with a

diamond pattern sofa like material that I

found in a shop selling cloth :)

The Blackstar ID Core BEAM mini

combo

I bought this amp purely to use in my

kitchen as a bluetooth player to wirelessly

connect my phone to. Everywhere you

look you see those Marshall radios and

Bluetooth players that cost silly money

just because it has that brand name on

the front. I have a friend that owned the

company that Marshall outsourced the

building and importing of those amps

from China (or wherever they were

made) and I won’t repeat what I was told

regarding quality. Anyway, I digress…In

all honesty I couldn’t possibly see myself

having one of those when I’m an official

Blackstar endorsed artist, It would feel

like I was being unfaithful! LOL

The BEAM (Bass, Electric, Acoustic,

Music,) is actually for plugging your

instruments into! This tiny combo with

its inbuilt effects and superwide stereo is

great as a practice amp, or for beaming

all your music via bluetooth by pairing

it with any of your devices. Personally I

have never plugged an instrument into

mine, it’s purely for playing music in my

kitchen.

Summary

So, those are all of the amps I own these

days, as I sold all my Fender combos and

cabs a couple of years ago. All the other

brands that I’ve owned were sold off

many years ago too, although I still have

a Roland cube 80 combo in my home

rehearsal room that Martin my keyboard

player often plays through when we get

together to rehearse with my band. All

of the amps I own at the moment give me

everything I need and more, and in all

honesty I could easily survive with just

one or two of them. The main thing is to

have an amp that is able to give you that

great sound that you hear in your head,

and then everything else is just flavouring

with pedals and making sure that it

has all of the features you require. This

could be things such as reverb, emulated

output, dual channels, USB connection,

power reduction or whatever.

I’m often asked what amps would I be

using if I wasn’t endorsed by Blackstar,

but the truth is that I was already

using these amps for years before

being endorsed and so it would still be

Blackstar. Their amps offer me the sound

I’m looking for, and the guys there are so

incredibly innovative and are constantly

adding so many brilliant features and

patents to their amps, and so it makes it

an easy choice.

I’ve had the opportunity to own and

use most brands over the years and I’ve

been able to try a number of different

models, and many have been fine…but

they just didn’t tick all the boxes for some

reason, I’d have them a while and then

move them on, but I kinda got hooked

on the Blackstar gear. Unfortunately a

person’s choices are often coloured by

brand logos, peer pressure, and posing

value. Instead people should have an

open mind, listen to the amp and check

out it’s features, and compare to other

things. Don’t be blinded by a logo. Don’t

be scared to be a Lone Wolf and stand

out from the crowd if you find something

you really like…. be you! Just because a

guitar hero from the 60’s or 70’s used a

particular amp, guitar, or pedal certainly

doesn’t mean that it was better, it simply

means that it was one of the few brands

which were available at that time which

they could get their hands on, and it

certainly wouldn’t have the same features

as many of the brands today, and if they

were still around today they probably

wouldn’t still be playing the same gear.

But back to the question…”What

amps would I be using if I couldn’t use

Blackstar”. At first I thought that I might

be playing a Mesa Boogie…but then

again they are way too heavy to drag

around and so I doubt it. Ive always been

really curious to try a Mad Professor

combo or amp head as I use a lot of their

pedals and love them, but Ive never had

the opportunity to do that so far and so I

can’t offer an opinion on those. Possibly

I’d just use a Fender of some description

again as they are as common as muck and

so easy to get your hands on, LOL!



Image by David Ryder Prangley

ON THE

COVER

NE Guitars Magazine is so

proud to bring yet another

exclusive with a great

legend of the world of

Rock ‘n’ Roll. Back

in 1979, three young

Rockabilly hopefuls came

to England hoping to make

it a very cut-throat and

competitive music scene.

46 years later, The Stray

Cats are the most iconic

band of the modern

Rock ‘n’ Roll era.


ON THE

COVER


On The Cover: Lee Rocker

Article by Paul George & Lee Rocker

Images courtesy of Lee Rocker

Seriously folks, this magazine has a habit of

drawing in the biggest stars even though we

are still only eight months old and this month

is certainly no exception. Regular readers of NE

Guitars have probably gathered that I am a little bit

of a Rockabilly nut so what an incredible pleasure

and honour to be able to feature and chat to, one of

my childhood heroes. The Stray Cats remain, today,

one of the biggest influences in many rock ‘n’ roll

artists as well as, in my opinion, the biggest and best

Rockabilly band of recent times.

So one afternoon (actually, the morning for Lee in

New York) in January I made a call to the Stray Cats

Bass Player, Lee Rocker. For the next forty minutes

or so, Lee told me his incredible story of his life,

upbringing, rise to fame and his current solo career,

not to mention the ongoing success with the Stray

Cats.

So without further ado, let’s get into the interview

with the legendary Lee Rocker.

NEG: Where did it all start for you then?

LR: So I really started playing music as a child.

Both of my parents were classical musicians. They

both played clarinet actually and my dad was a

solo clarinettist for the New York Philharmonic

for 61 years. And my mom was a clarinettist and a

teacher at a university here in New York. So I grew

up surrounded by all kinds of music, I have to say

classical music and jazz and rock and roll and I mean

really all kinds of music from my earliest memory.

And the only rule that they had for us growing up

is that you pick an instrument and you take lessons

and you learn how to play it and read and write

music. And I started playing cello at about seven or

eight years old and played cello until I was about

12 maybe. And then really discovered rock and roll

and started to play the bass, which was a natural

kind of progression. And I came across, with my two

friends, Brian and Jim of the Stray cats, Carl Perkins

and Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash

Records. And those were old records even then for

us kids, but it was just like being struck by lightning,

like what is this? This is amazing. And it was really

changed everything for me.

NEG: Just coming back to the Stray Cats, you were

all school friends, I believe?

LR: Yes, we grew up in, you know, not a little

town, but a town in the suburbs of New York City,


ON THE

COVER

Massapequa, New York. And we were

neighbours. We all lived a few blocks

away from each other. And as I was

saying, growing up in a house of

musicians, we converted and pulled the

old car out of the garage and turned

that into kind of a rehearsal room. We

put a drum set in and amplifiers and

we would get together and play music

throughout all of our teenage years. I

mean, I would be in that garage playing

the bass with my fingers flat. I’ve been

there with a guitar.

NEG: I was surprised to learn that, in

1979, that the Stray Cats actually came

over to the UK and really made it big in

the UK. I mean, I remember Runaway

Boys and Rock this Town, but why the

UK?

LR: You know, I was playing New

York venues, places like CBGB’s and

Max’s Kansas City. And then out in

the suburbs, we were playing like

little corner bars, really. And we were

just kids. But started playing in New

York. We were drawing bigger and

bigger crowds every week. The band

really had a power and connected

with people. And that we didn’t know

much. I was 17 years old, but I knew

what was going on. I could just feel

how people reacted to the band. And

we were in the city playing CBGB’s

in those places and started to talk to

people and see some of these music

newspapers in the day, Melody Maker

and NME and some of these other

London-based music magazines. And

you know, that’s where the scene was.

At that moment in time, everything


On The Cover: Lee Rocker

was going on in London in the early

80s. And, you know, without much of

a plan, really at all, we literally bought

four tickets. We bought three for the

band and one for my upright bass. And

went from JFK Airport to Heathrow,

got to London, and we realized that we

hadn’t thought it through very well. We

didn’t know what the hell was going

on. I just started knocking on doors.

And, you know, I go to some of these

music pubs and trying to connect with

people. And it happened really quick,

just like in New York, where we play

one week and there’d be 25 people.

And then the following week there’d be

50 and then there’d be 100. The same

thing happened in London. And it just

built and built. And the scene was so

amazing at that point. I mean, with

The Clash and The Pretenders and

Motörhead, all of this kind of diverse

music, really, you know, all kinds of

styles. It was just, it was the place to be.

And in addition to, you know, people

coming to see us, the Rolling Stones

started coming down to gigs and Pete

Townshend and Robert Plant and so

many people. And they would draw

their own crowds with it. And it really

put us on the map quickly. The whole

thing was sort of like being shot out of

a cannon.

Image by Lloyd Oliver

LR: We did. We did a U.S. tour last

year. Yeah. We’re talking about 2025 as

well, but nothing is really confirmed

yet. But it’s very possible that we’ll hit

the road again. You know, it’s funny,

you know, the Stray Cats, people don’t

know the band broke up and came

back together and that’s sort of true. It’s

sort and not true. I mean, we’ve always

been, we started together from little

kids and we’re always in touch. And

over the years, we have done a lot of

concerts and a lot of tours. And I never

really even think of them as being like

a reunion or anything. It’s just ongoing

life, you know, a great band. So it’s you

know, it’s it’s always nice to get to go

out and do some gigs.

NEG: So talking about your solo career

a little bit, because Image: I’ve been Ramon looking Remenyi

into your website and getting a little bit

of an update on what you do. Tell us

a little bit about your solo career and

what you’re doing with that?

LR: Well, I’ve got an incredible band

with me for a long time. My right hand

man is a guitarist, Buzz Campbell, who

is just a fantastic rockabilly, rock and

roll player. He’s been with me for about

25 years. And, you know, what I do is

I put out so many records on my own

and managed to work with so many

different, wonderful people. But this,

what I do out on the road live really is

cherry picked. I think the best songs

NEG: One of the songs that you guys

did was the ‘Rumble in Brighton’, I

remember, at the time when you hit the

scene, there was kind of a Rockabilly

revival where the Mods and Rockers

were all over the beaches in Brighton,

Bournemouth, places like that. Was

that song inspired by that era?

LR: Oh, without a doubt. And, you

know, a big part of that was almost

like, yet again, in some of the music

magazines, just keep reading and

hearing about, you know, these fights

that would break out and the whole

thing with mods and rockers. And that

was really what the song was based on.

And then, you know, we got to England

and started touring and more popular

rockers, you know, Hell’s Angels and all

kinds of stuff. So it was kind of culture

shock. But yeah, that’s definitely based

on some real events.

NEG: So, looking back over the years

as we have, you guys have got back

together quite a few times. I believe you

got back last year as well, didn’t you?


and best moments of my career, which

goes on for 45 years now. And so I’m

doing, of course, Stray Cat stuff and

Lee Rocker solo songs that I’ve written,

and also tell some stories a little bit

and kind of pull the curtain back. I’ve

worked with so many great musicians

ranging from, you know, Scotty Moore

and Carl Perkins who was a dear friend,

to Willie Nelson and John Fogarty. And

so many people. So I’ve added a lot of

these moments to the concerts that I’ll

be doing in Europe this year.

NEG: You’ve got quite a few dates

coming up in Europe, including playing

in London on the 3rd February?

LR: So I’m really focusing on Europe

the first half of this year. So I’ve got

shows all over Europe and quite a few

that will be added that are just not

quite online yet. But I’m really touring

all over Europe between the end of

January to July.

NEG: You know, we’d love to see

you guys up in the North of England

somewhere.

LR: It’s been a long time, so I’m

overdue.

NEG: You mentioned the Stray Cats

may tour again. And any chances that

Stray Cats will be over in the UK, do

you think?

LR: At this point, I sure hope so. We’re

just at the very onset of talking about

this year, so I’m keeping my fingers

crossed and hoping we do it again this

year.

NEG: How about album stuff? Have

you got any any albums coming out

yourself as a solo artist or with the Cats

or anything?

LR: Well, the last Stray Cats record

we did was called ‘Forty’, which was a

number of years ago. And I’m working

on new music all the time. And it’s

really just a matter of me getting

enough studio time and enough free

time in a way from the touring part

of my life to finish up this record.

But absolutely. You know, I’m always

working on new music and I’ve got a

couple of couple of great, great tracks

that I’ve got coming out.

your best career moments, worst career

moments?

LR: You know, both of those questions

are a little tougher than I’d imagine, but

probably best career moments. I mean,

I’ll never forget going back to the early

days for the first time hearing a song

of mine on the radio, and that was in

the UK, and that was Runaway Boys.

And being in a black cab in London,

and amazingly, so we hear Runaway

Boys come on, and we’re going, wow,

this is unbelievable. And we realized

that they’ve released the wrong mix

to the radio stations. So we asked the

cabbie to turn around and take us over

to Arista Records and go, what the hell

is going on, guys? But they actually

sent out the wrong mix and had to pull

it. So that was kind of an interesting

first time hearing yourself on there.

You know, in terms of so many great

moments with the Stray Cats, you

know, a big moment was certainly a

Festival in the US, which was about,

I think, about half a million people.

And the three of us, tiny little band

with a couple of little amplifiers on

these gigantic stages was so cool. And

then working with so many different

musicians, and then Carl Perkins was

such a teacher, mentor to me. A show

that I did with Carl in London, which

was, I think, his 33rd anniversary, Blue

Suede Shoes, with Clapton and Dave

Edmonds and Perkins. And that really

turned into a lifelong friendship I had

with Carl. So we did a lot of touring,

a lot of recording, and that just meant

so much to me. Scotty Moore was

another dear friend and an incredible

person, and playing bass with him on

guitar was definitely a dream. One of

my biggest inspirations, Scotty Moore.

Oh yeah, what a gentleman, what a

musician, what a great guy. I miss him

sorely.

NEG: Lee, thank you very much for

speaking to us here at NE Guitars

Magazine. We wish you luck with

the coming tour and hopefully look

forward to seeing you up here in the

North East along with the Stray Cats.

You can read more about Lee and The

Stray Cats here:

https://leerocker.com

https://straycats.com

Stray Cats Facebook

NEG: Let’s just talk very quickly about


Image by David On The Newbold Cover: Lee Rocker

ON THE

COVER


AXE IN FOCUS


The North East Guitar Show

The North East Guitar Show 2025

Mojo Guitar Shows are delighted to be taking forward the North East Guitar Show in 2025

This exciting show has been run by Northern Guitar Shows for the past 20 years

You can pay at the door, cash or card/ contactless payments.

New for thisyear you can also buy tickets for the show athttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-guitar-show-2025

Plus on the Mojo Guitar show websitew

www.mojoguitarshows.co.uk

We have more traders/private sellers than ever, bringing along hundreds of pre-owned, new

and vintage guitars. Plus you will find parts and accessories galore, including gear you just

won’t find in guitar shops. With well over 100 trader tables there is something for all budgets

We have an incredible line up of live music throughout the day, which will take place in the

dedicated live stage area! The headline act this year is the incredible Mitch Laddie Band, one

not to be missed!

Other performers include rock n roll guitarist Anth Purdy and acoustic gem, Connor Thomas

always a crowd pleasers!

There are fantastic prizes in the FREE draw, all must be won on the day!

• Win a brand new contemporary Fairclough T-Style Guitar

• sponsored by Scan Pro Audio

• Affordaboard Pedals are giving away £100 voucher in draw

• Flatley Pedals are giving one of their fab pedals.

• Newtone Strings giveaway!

Don’t forget to enter the draw on admission and enjoy the show!


LOCAL HEROES

Award winning Flattley Boutique

Effects Pedals are hand built in the UK .

For more information, demo videos & stockists visit

28 www.flattleyguitarpedals.com


I

absolutely love it when we get the

chance to talk to successful artists from

the North East. Martin Stephenson

and the Daintees certainly fit that

description with Martin’s career spanning

40 years.

As with past artists in NE Guitars, we

thrive on our opportunities to get in to

conversation with our stars and bring

our readers the pure facts right from the

horses mouth (No offence Martin, I’m not

calling you a horse!)

So let’s get on with it and see what Martin

has to say.

NEG: So Martin, when did it all begin for

you?

MS: When I was 11 my table tennis coach

gave me three albums for my perusal love

that weekend, they were Island by King

Crimson which I connected to the song

Formentera Lady, nothing else on that

album, just the melody of that song. The

2nd album was The Incredible String Band

(which, like King Crimson, I didn’t like at

all and never listened to them since) and

the 3rd was Frank Zappa’s ‘Hot Rats’ of

which lead me to Beefheart’s ‘Willie The

Pimp’. Beefheart was the light switch for

me.

NEG: Tell us who were your early music

influences?

MS: Beefheart, Velvets, Elvis, Sabbath,

Iggy Pop ha ha! Then along came the punk

and 2nd gen Psychedelia circus, loved the

whole punk into New Wave shift of 77-79,

my time.

NEG: Tell me about how the Daintees

came together?

MS: The Dainties were born of the New

Wave era and blossomed into a busking

ensemble early 1980

Inspired by Jonathan Richman & his

Modern Lovers, also Alan Horn’s early

Postcard was something to behold.

NEG: Being a guitar magazine, we are

always interested in an artist’s equipment..

Tell us about your rig?

MS: All my vintage guitars I have either

sold or gifted, but I still have some

interesting characters to tinker with, I

wouldn’t call it a rig, my main weapon of

choice for many years was a small bodied

K Yairi Rag with a Mike Vanden Mimesis

pickup straight into a direct box and

into the biggest amp in the venue (the

PA system) I can’t use amps, I like the

overall sound of a PA. I passed the Yairi

on and now use 2 Art & Lutherie guitars

handmade in La Patrice, Canada, £600

each. They are better than any Martin or

Gibson I ever owned

I have a Louis Panorama 1827 parlour

guitar, it’s off the map, and my pals Alex

Kirtley & James Cole have done a lot of

good work for me over the years, earlier

than that my old mate Nigel Foster who

is now in Australia. I also use a travel

guitar made by Furch called a ‘Little Jane’

amazing instrument (see the picture left),

shuts down to the size of a backpack,

locking tuners, great pickup, my daughter

painted it for me, she was obviously

hanging out with Donovan

NEG: I recently listened to ‘You Belong

To Blue’ where I heard various genre’s

coming through, how would you define

you’re music style?

MS: Genre Hopper, anti Formulated,

curious, Jack of all, master of none. ;-)

NEG: You’ve worked with Billy Connolly

I understand, how did this come about?

MS: He’s a lovely lad, love him, I suppose

it came about through sitting on my

mum’s bed in 1980 as I liked the acoustics

of her room and I wrote a song entitled

‘Rain’ in about 5 minutes, if I hadn’t’ wrote

that song there and then I wouldn’t have

met Billy.

NEG: What has been your most

memorable gig?

MS: So many but not the large affairs.

I always remember my time with Roy

Buchanan, John Martyn, Janis Ian,

Hothouse Flowers, Microdisney very

fondly but to me it will be a small obscure

place with a handful of people.

NEG: Looking to the future, do you have

any new releases on the horizon?

MS: Yes I have a bunch of songs I’d like

to share and have The Dainties play on.

Gary Dunn, our Dainties guitarist, is an

absolutely incredible musician. I always

have Gary nearby as I love his playing.

NEG: You have a busy year of gigs, where

will you be playing in the North East?

Martin Stephenson

MS: I next play the North East on

Saturday 31st August at The Church on

the Hill, Washington Tyne & Wear, my

home town. In the church, my parents

Frances and Alf were married. Very

excited about that. The link is: https://

clients.wegottickets.com/login.php

NEG: Finally, how can our readers learn

more about you and the Daintees?

MS: Our website is www.daintees.co.uk

or you can find us on our bandcamp page

daintees.bandcamp.com Our social media

links are X: @MGStephenson and https://

www.facebook.com/DainteesBiz/

NEG: Martin, thank you for talking to us,


IN Focus The

Article By:

Paul George

Bob Cotton

Ray Cotton

Images Courtesy of

The Jets


The Jets


The

Since The Late 1970’s The Jets have

paved the way for the British Rockabilly

scene. Since that iconic time, the Cotton

brothers have continued to wow crowds

around the world. NE Guitars Magazine

is thrilled to be speaking to lead singer &

Bass player, Bob Cotton

What a time that was! The end of

the 70’s and early 80’s was alive with

different genre’s of music. What I

remember most was the Mods and

Rockers revival. Yes, there was the

odd scrap on the beaches of Brighton

and Bournemouth but it was one of

the final times that the youth had

a real identity. I don’t mean gangs

but rather fitting in with people that

loved the same music as you did and

where you could enjoy the scene and

really be yourself.

For me, it was Rockabilly and Rock

‘n’ Roll. Indeed, it had only been a

few years since the world lost Elvis

and then Bill Haley, but a new wave

of stars were emerging to keep our

beloved sound alive. The Stray Cats

had come over from the States to

the UK and had set the pace, to be

followed by a whole host of British

Rockabilly and Rock ‘n’ Roll. At the

forefront was The Jets. I first saw

them at an Elvis convention in the

early 80’s just after they released their

chart hit ‘Yes Tonight, Josephine’,

a remake of the old Johnny Ray

number. Back then I didn’t know a

great deal about them, as a kid we

just loved the music. Roll the clock

forward over forty years and I’m still

listening to it.

Just recently, I got in touch with


The Jets

Bob Cotton, the Lead Vocalist and

Bass Player of the Jets and had the

opportunity to ask him about the

origins and career of The Jets.

NEG: When did it all start for the

Jets?

Bob Cotton: The Cotton brothers

Bob, Ray and Tony, first formed

the band under the name BRAD

in1974, which was the initials of the

members in the band, Bob, (lead

guitar) Ray, (Drums) Andy, [bass]

and Dave, [rhythm guitar], were

school mates). Tony used to come up

on stage and sing a couple of songs

and play Tamborine, washboard and

then , later on, Rhythm guitar. BRAD

had a couple of different members,

including. Henry Watkins and Phil

Ward. Tony also became a permanent

member playing Rhythm guitar and

sometimes Bass guitar. Sometimes

having 4 or 5 members. The lads

changed the name to The Jets in

approximately 1977. THE JETS

became a 3 piece in 1978 with the line

up as it still is today. Bob on Double

Bass and lead vocals, Ray on Lead

Guitar and vocals, Tony on Drums

and vocals.

NEG: What or who influenced the

Rockabilly Sound?

BC: It was Early Elvis, Eddie

Cochran, Johnny Burnette, Carl

Perkins and a lot of Sun Recording

artists.

NEG: How easy or tough has it been

to play as a family band?

BC: We have always had a great

laugh together both, working and

socialising together. Of course every

family has disagreements but we’ve

always managed to get past them.

NEG: Your first big Chart success

was ‘Yes, Tonight Josephine’. How did

the chart success and new fame affect

the band

BC: We never really felt that it

changed us as people. We still had

our mates in Northampton that we

used to knock about with. I suppose

that we lost control of some of the

music decisions, as management and

big record companies, EMI etc always

seem to think that they know best

and we was still very young and new

to the “Big Pop World”.

NEG: Since the 80’s The Jets have

continued recording and performing.

What have been your favourite

moments and Album’s?

BC: “Session Out” was a favourite I


suppose, as this was the first album

that we had total control over.

We later formed our own record

company, Krypton Records and have

since recorded a further 18 albums (I

think) hahaha. !!!!!

NEG: Being a Guitar and Guitarist

magazine, we are always interested

in the Guitars and set ups bands use.

Can you tell us about Ray’s Guitars

and amps etc?

Ray Cotton - Guitarist: Main guitar

is based roughly around a Telecaster,

but this I call (A Bittza) bits of this

bits of that, the bodies I sprayed up

myself, the Scratchplate and controls

are all custom put together by myself

soldered up the pots and caps. The

pickups are Seymour Duncan. Other

guitars include 1961 Gretsch

Tennessean, another ESP Tele from

1980 with an original 1964 bridge

pickup, and dimarzio neck pickup,

various other guitar ranging for

Marlin sidewinders, to Ibanez Les

Pauls, around 10 guitars.

AMPs - Main amp onstage Fender

blues deluxe, Wem 1969 1 x 15 inch

Dominator with Reverb, Peavey

Classic 2 x 12, Peavey Encore Vintage

(all Valve) Selmer Twin Thunderbird

30 1960, Fender Twin Reverb 1973,

Session 75 1 x12 ( Retrotone)

Effects - 1960s Echoplex, Wem

Copcat, Boss Me 70 for stage ( Very

Roadworthy) Line 6 Pod and lots

of other stuff.

NEG: It’s great to be featuring two

double bass artists in NE Guitars this

month, how did you get in to the

double bass? Can you tell us a little

about your instrument?

Bob Cotton: I used to be the

guitarist in the very early days (not

very good though). I started to play

the Double Bass in 1978 when we

changed to a 3 piece band. In those

days there was no, “Youtube” or “Cd

players” or “apps” to teach or show

you how to play, it was a matter of

putting the needle down on to the

vinyl and keep going backwards and

forwards with it, over and over again.

I think my first Double Bas was about

£150 , the problem was always trying

to amplify it as feedback was always

a real problem. That is when I started

to use Magnetic Fender Precision

pick ups mounted on a piece of wood

and positioned at the bottom of the

fingerboard, this meant that you had

to have Steel strings, which ripped

your fingers apart. These days, a lot

a players use, Gut or Plastic which

are a lot softer and easier to play. I

still use “steel core strings” now, only

they have a softer material wound

around them .”Presto”. My ¾Bass has

a Magnetic pick up on as well as a

small transducer for the “slap” sound.

My Amp Head is actually borrowed

from my nephew, Dan Cotton, as my

own amp, a Trace Elliot RAH1000

watt has an intermittent fault at

the moment, so I am using Dan’s

AH300w Trace Elliot. My cab’s are

1 x 15inch 600watt Trace Elliot cab

and a 2 x 10inch 700watt Trace Elliot

cab with a tweeter. I’m not sure what

the speakers are as they are a USA

replacement. I also use a K&K pre

amp.

NEG: It’s good to see you playing all

over the UK this year. Do you still get

the same kick out of performing as

you did in the early 80’s?

BC: Yes definitely. The big difference

is that the whole scene has changed

over the years. People are older now

and there is nowhere near as many

youngsters on the scene now. We are

Headlining lots of festivals in lots of

different countries, more and more

now, as a lot of the 1950’s original

artists are sadly no longer with us.

NEG: Are there any more albums /

recordings on the horizon?

BC: We have just released, in late

2024, 2 cds, “50 years of Rockin” and

the “Jets Christmas”. Incidentally.

All cd’s plus other Merchandising is

available at www.thejets.co.uk

NEG: What does the future hold for

The Jets?


Northern Guitar The Shows Jets

We are in the process of recording

another cd which is “Rockabilly” and

will be out in the middle of 2025.

We also are continuously playing gigs

in both the UK and around Europe.

Maybe returning to some of the other

countries that we have played such as,

USA, Russia, Japan, Brazil, Australia

and Scandinavia.

NEG: Bob, thank you for speaking

to us at NE Guitars Magazine and we

wish you and the band every success

for the future.

You can learn more, buy merchandise

and get connected with The Jets on

their website and facebook page

below

www.thejets.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/thejetsuk


Murdock On...

Brian Setzer

Join Murdock Brodie-Thomas each month with an insight and lessons to

the best guitarists out there. This month our man dives into the world

of the Stray Cats front man and Rockabilly inovator, Brian Setzer.

Brian Setzer, born in 1959, is best known for his role in reviving rockabilly and swing music. In

the early 1980s, he formed the Stray Cats, a band that brought 1950s rockabilly back into the

mainstream. With a blend of rock, country, and rhythm and blues, Setzer’s sharp guitar playing

and energetic performances made the genre exciting to a new generation.

Setzer’s guitar style is defined by fast picking, string bends, and clean, bluesy solos. His sound

is rich with reverb and echo effects, giving his guitar a distinctive, atmospheric quality. His

improvisational solos, influenced by jazz and blues, balance technical skill with spontaneous

energy, setting him apart from other guitarists of his time.

Influenced by rockabilly pioneers like Scotty Moore and jazz greats like Django Reinhardt,

Setzer merged these styles into his own playing. He used Moore’s lead guitar techniques to

drive rockabilly forward, while Reinhardt’s improvisational approach shaped his solos and

phrasing.

In 1989, Setzer formed the Brian Setzer Orchestra, a big band that blended swing, jazz, and

rockabilly. Their 1994 album ‘The Brian Setzer Orchestra’ and hit single “Jump, Jive an' Wail”

34 36 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk

Murdock Northern On... Guitar Brian Shows Setzer

helped bring swing music to a new audience and solidified Setzer’s place as a musical

innovator.

Setzer’s influence on rockabilly and swing is undeniable. Songs like the Stray Cats’ “Rock This

Town” and the Orchestra’s “Wolfgang’s Big Night Out” became anthems, while Setzer’s guitar

work remains a key part of his enduring appeal.

Known for his pompadour and sharp suits, Setzer’s style extends beyond his music. His Gretsch

G120T has become iconic, as has his ability to blend vintage sounds with modern energy.

Today, Setzer is a respected figure whose music continues to inspire a new generation of

musicians across the world.

For our track I thought we’d take a look at Setzer’s improvisational philosophy. We’re going to

be working over a rockabilly-blues track, utilising a mix of furious blues licks and some of those

signature jazz lines.

First let’s take a look at the chord sheet. You can see here I have highlighted the chords with

different colours. Setzer’s approach to playing is to subtly outline each chord he’s improvising

over, rather than just pentatonic noodling. This can be tricky if you’ve never played this way

before, so I won’t hold us back with too much theory. Essentially we’re targeting notes around

the chord tones (notes from the chord). If we were to just play the notes in a given chord (A7 -

A, C#, E & G), while it would sound accurate, however it would be rather boring to listen to. So

instead we will highlight those chord tones with chromatic lines, blues licks and fancy chord

stabs. Let’s take a closer look.

A7 Lick

Leading with a descending chromatic line we’re highlighting this A7 chord. In bar 2 the chord

progression changes to a D7 (see chord sheet) - here I have inserted a diminished lick. Setzer

uses a lot of these, so keep an eye out in the other licks for them.

(A7 Lick)

1

= 160 =

2

12 11 10 8 9

10 8

9

8

7 10

8

7

6 9

7

3 4

5

5

5

5 7

7

5

5

6

5

5

7

D7 Lick

This run here is a super chromatic voicing of a D7 chord with every note having a chromatic line


attached to it. I have spoken to many jazzers over the years with regards to approaching

CHROMATICISM and the one thing that they all seem to agree on is this; it doesn’t really matter

what notes you hit. It’s more like a vibe you’re trying to get. Hopefully this demonstrates that a

(D7 Lick)

little.

1

= 160 =

2

5

4 3 4

5 4 3 2

7

5 6 7

5 8

7

5

E7 Lick

Over the E7 chord we some more diminished lines and chromaticism coming back, and in the

second bar we default to an A Blues scale lick. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it!

(E7 Lick)

1

= 160 =

2

3

5 7

6 9

7 10 9 8

7 8 7 7

10

7

10 7 5

In between the spaces left by these licks I am just noodling with A Blues scale ideas. The “rule”

usually is to avoid noodling, but if you’ve ever watched Setzer play you can see he utilises the

opportunity to noodle between the clever bits. He’s improvisations when live often extend songs

with seemingly endless rockabilly shred, so having some strong noodling chops is a must. The

backing track is a lot longer than the demonstration so feel free to noodle your bollocks off!

The Chord Stabs

Another fantastic way to fill out those longer solos is by utilising the chord voicings and pairing

them with some violent rhythms can lead to a super effective, authentic rockabilly sound.

Here I have outlined the chord shapes I use in the demonstration. I’ve left the rhythms out - play

with it yourself. You can add different stresses, play off beat/out of time and really have fun with

it. The weirder the better sometimes.

(A7 Chords)

A6/9

A7#9

A7 Voicings

A5

A7

1

1

= 160 =

2

3

4

5

5

4

4

8

8

6

5

12

10

9

(A7 Chords)

15

14

12

A6/9

A7#9

D7 Voicings

A5

A7

1

1

= 160 =

2

3

4

5

5

4

4

8

8

6

5

12

10

9

15

14

12


Murdock On... Brian Setzer

Blues Triplet Lick

This one was too good not to drop in! Practise slowly to build dexterity, you want to hear every

note clearly in this one.

(A Blues Lick)

3 3 3 3

1

= 160 =

15 13

14

16 13

14

17 13

14

16 13

14

3 3 3 3

2

15 13

14

16 13

14

17 13

14

16 13

14

E9 Voicings

(E7 Chord)

1

= 160 =

12

9

11

12

The Big Finish

Nothing gives your solos a chef ’s kiss like a big finish! This one simply blends the A Dorian

scale with the A7 chord tones. You could also use this shape while you’re noodling. The notes

flow really nice across the first three strings and allow near infinite combinations, flurries and

slurs of note groupings. The possibilities

(Finisher Lick)

are endless.

1

1

= 160 =

2

8 9 5

8 7 5

8 7

5 6

7 5 7

And that should cover it. These licks can be tricky so practise them slowly.Maybe try to do just

one of them, then noddle for a bit before trying to stick another tough passage in. There’s also a

backing track in C so you can try and figure these licks out in a new key. I hope you enjoyed this

lesson, everyone. Do check out The Stray Cats and The Brian Setzer Orchestra, if you haven’t.

There’s decades worth of concerts on YouTube to get stuck into.

Keep practising, and Happy New Year!

Check out the YouTube video for this Lesson

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7QuQK_QXexY

Backing Tracks for Lessons

Brian Setzer Blues - A

https://neguitarsmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Brian-Setzer-A-Blues.wav

Brian Setzer Blues - C

https://neguitarsmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Brian-Setzer-C-Blues-Backing.wav

Demo Audio

https://neguitarsmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Demonstration-Audio.wav


WILLIE

DOWLING

A Music Man For

All Seasons

By Alan Bambrough

Conquest Music

Willie Dowling likes to describe his

life as a series of failures, each slightly

less spectacular than the last. That’s

not a view that many who know his

work would agree with.

Willie is a multi-instrumentalist,

singer, composer and producer for

his own bands, as well as for many

other artists and has also spent

decades successfully composing

music and songs for film, television

and adverts. A musical director and

session musician of high regard,

Willie has toured extensively and

recorded with artists as diverse as

Midge Ure, Shane MacGowan, Sinead

O’Connor, Dr Hook, The Wildhearts,

Hot Chocolate, Andy Taylor and the

Quireboys to name a few.

Willie has fronted, written and

produced albums for his previous

bands, had Top 40 hit singles,

appeared on Top of The Pops and

TFI Friday and performed on the

major festival stages in the UK and

Worldwide. He was the founder

member of influential rockers The

Grip, mid 1990’s ‘quick-flash and

gone’ Honeycrack, followed by

SugarPlumFairies, Jackdaw4 and The

Dowling Poole.

In addition to band/artist production

and touring work, Willie Dowling is

a renowned composer for film and

television in a wide variety of styles

and genres.

He wrote songs and underscore for

the return of the legendary satirical

puppet show ‘Spitting Image’, and

over the years has worked on many

other TV shows and films for such

luminaries as Steve Coogan, Rob

Brydon, Stephen Fry, Rik Mayall,

Lenny Henry, Alexander Armstrong,

Ben Miller, Vic Reeves, Bob

Mortimer, and many more.

Dowling has written a musical that

performed in London’s West End. As

a key participant in the Tony Hawks

best seller ‘One Hit Wonderland’,

Willie produced and recorded with

such nobility as Sir Tim Rice & the

late Sir Norman Wisdom. The result

of this strange cocktail was a chart hit

in Albania!

Recently he composed a critically

acclaimed album of classical

music inspired by memories of

his upbringing in the North East


Willie Dowling in Newcastle

of England – “Reflections On

Northumbria”.

Living in a converted mill in rural

France now, Willie and his wife live

the Good Life of near agricultural

self-sufficiency. Willie is as happy

harvesting a crop of Aztec Broccoli

with his pets at his ankles, as ever

he could be hogging the stage at

Wembley Stadium.

Raised in Northumberland, despite

not being old enough to order a pint,

Willie honed his piano playing and

other performance skills in the

restaurants and plush hotels of

Newcastle, before taking a National

Express Coach on the day of his last

A-level exam to pursue his career in

London.

His first band venture in London was

to join the seminal punk rock outfit

Chelsea on lead guitar, a band which

launched the careers of Billy Idol

(Generation X) and Tony James

(Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Sisters of

Mercy). Before long, Willie formed

his own band The Grip and very

soon they were headlining legendary

venues such as The Marquee. Their

powerful performances, catchy songs

with intelligent lyrics had the music

press championing them as the next

big thing.

Despite the inevitable dreams of

stardom, Willie was smart enough to

have a side hustle of writing and

recording music for adverts to bring

home the dough. More often

than not, it would be with Andre

Jacquemin, long time collaborator

with the Monty Python team, and

also the man who taught Willie his

way around a recording studio.

Perhaps the reason why he is not a

household name, Willie Dowling’s

music has always been a difficult one

to pigeonhole. Largely because of

the diversity of ideas, styles and

influences he brings to bear on his

work.

Combined with challenging and

thought-provoking lyrical themes

that could paint Willie as a protest

singer, he has often operated on the

fringes of the genre specific radio and

press juggernauts.

In what seems like a musical journey

that has taken him almost full circle,

Willie’s new album The Simpleton is

released autumn 2024, and is an

album of piano driven songs.

“It’s something of a departure from

the intricate, multi-layered

productions of the albums that I’ve

made for the past couple of decades”,

says Willie.

“When I was just a kid - in fact from

the age of 15 to 21 - I used to play

piano and sing in hotels and

restaurants, initially in Newcastle

where I grew up, and then in London

when I moved there, aged 18. I’d play

everything from cheesy standards to

Tom Waits and Billy Joel, largely as

background noise to wealthy people

sucking up soup. I came to hate it,

and for the sake of my sanity I quit

aged 21 and started The Grip, and

there began a long history of bands I

lead, all doomed to end up in the

folder marked ‘Noble efforts who also

ran’”

”During lockdown I found myself

wondering whether I could still write

a stripped down, piano-driven song

as I’d used to do all those years ago,

and I wrote the song ‘The Simpleton’.

To my surprise, I found I enjoyed the

experience so much, I ended up

writing an album of piano songs, with

enough left over for a huge pudding

should I fancy a wee bit more.”

So why the gloomy outlook you

might ask? The Simpleton seems to be

going down well, and just in this last

year you’ve toured supporting

Hillbilly Vegas, Quireboys and the

remarkable Cats in Space, surely

things are looking up?

“Well, there’s that old trope about life,

regarding whether one views their

cup as half full or half empty. I

tend to take the view that it’s likely

someone else’s cup and I’m probably

not even allowed to drink from it. I

accept that this may be evidence of

the misanthrope and that it may

not be entirely healthy. But then

expecting the worst means one is

rarely disappointed, and anyway, it

likely makes for a more memorable

quote...”

Witnessing Willie Dowling perform

live is far more than just watching a

sequence of great songs played well.

His self-deprecating and acerbic wit

that precedes each song is as funny

as many of the comedy greats that he

has worked with.

You can enjoy the live experience in

February. Willie Dowling Presents

The Simpleton Tour UK 2025

7 February: Giffard Arms,

Wolverhampton

9 February: Venue 23, Wakefield

10 February: The Cluny, Newcastle

11 February: Bannermans, Edinburgh

13 February: Anvil, Bournemouth

14 February: 100 Club, London

15 February: The Diamond,

Ballymena

20 February: The Asylum,

Birmingham

21 February: Esquires, Bedford

A Bandcamp, fans only release of The

Simpleton is currently available on

CD from his website, and as digital

download, and of course at his

concerts. If there is such a thing as a

21st Century Renaissance Man, then

it must surely be Willie Dowling.

Independent of thought and actions,

he is a thinker, composer, poet,

musician, comedian, gardener… A

Man For All Seasons.

You can hear tracks from The

Simpleton on Willie’s YouTube

page www.youtube.com/@

WillieDowlingMusic and keep

up with live shows and other

information at:

www.williedowling.com


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40 www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk www.neguitarsmagazine.co.uk 43

during the course of providing some

incidental music found that suddenly

they were a band.

So what’s in a name you ask…….

they performed initially as ‘Sick

Note’, their first gig was at Peterlee

Leisure Centre supporting headliners

‘Penetration’ who were then at the

height of their success.

Then they became ‘The D.T.s’……….

before finally settling on The

Montgolfier Brothers after the

famous aviation pioneers. Even this

was subsequently shortened to The

Montgolfiers.

How the best Rocking group to ever

come from Darkest Peterlee became

The Masters of the Obvious. It was

1978 when 16 year old aspiring

singer and mouth organ player Gaz

Whitton met up with guitarists Alan

King and Colin Butler. They were

thrown together and told to do some

music for a Peterlee Youth Drama

Workshop production called ‘All

Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go’.

Other, participants in the production

were destined to become more wellknown

including Malcolm Gerrie

who would go on to be Executive

Producer of the phenomenal TV

music programme ‘The Tube’, 15

year old Gina McKee, who took to

the acting lark in a big way, and Chris

Cowie who would go on to produce

‘Top of The Pops’.

VainGloriousUK presents

THE MONTGOLFIERS

Another top group from the late 70’s

Chas Groovy writes for you!

https://vaingloriousuk.com/

recruited drummer Micky Reay

and bassman Kenny Jobson and

But what about their music man?

Well Gaz liked a bit of red hot boogie

and blues, yet he also had a place in

his heart for the passionate songs

and vocal gymnastics of progressive

rock legend Peter Hammill. An

unlikely combination you may think

but this led to Gaz coming up with

some splendidly intricate lyrics and

unusual song themes. The duelling

guitars of Alan and Colin added a

sophisticated gloss that put then

head and shoulders above and rather

different from other rocky type

groups.

By the time 1980 arrived they had an

Gaz, Alan and Colin quickly


Vain Glorious UK

Locally...

extensive repertoire of songs, which

they began to record. Then they

got the chance to play some gigs in

Germany which established them as

a hot live act. Kenny subsequently

stepped down to pursue err....

other pursuits and in came bass

man Robbie Ryan and the chaps

continued to write songs and record

them.

In 1984 they became one of only

a handful of unsigned groups to

perform on The Tube and their 15

minutes of fame was assured.

Their impressive songs and stage act

led to local rock impresario John

Sconner Holdforth taking them on

board and he even got through on

the phone to Virgin Records Boss

Richard Branson (‘how did you

get my number?’).This didn’t lead

to instant stardom though so they

continued to do their thing until

1985 when domestic bliss began to

overtake the individual members.

You can listen to The MontGolfiers,

watch their appearances on the tele,

and even buy their two splendid

albums at www.vaingloriousuk.com



Charlotte Grayson

CHARLOTTE

GRAYSON

BRAND NEW SINGLE

‘GET OUTTA MY HEAD’

OUT NOW


Charlotte Grayson is a Singer Songwriter

from Hartlepool, on the North East coast

of England. She started gigging at 14,

initially performing on the local open mic

circuit, with her mother as chaperone so she was

allowed into the Pubs to play. Armed with just her

trusty Ukulele and a handful of disparate covers,

from Britney to System of a Down. She quickly

gathered a reputation and played her first official

gig at 16 for PinDrop Events (a renowned acoustic

Promoter from the area).

That same year she completed (which was, at the

time) a half finished Melanie Martinez song called

‘Where Do Babies Come From’. It was her first

tentative step into songwriting and was captured on

video during the recording session with a couple

of static cameras. The video of this session has over

500K views on YouTube and continues to steadily

grow. This was also the beginning of Shy Bairn

Records.

Charlotte shared a few songs with ‘Edwin’ (who was

living in London at the time) and he immediately

booked a studio to get the tracks recorded. He

booked White Wolf Studio’s in Durham for a few

days and they set about getting the ideas down to

see what they had. They pulled in a few favours for

the sessions, which included backing vocals from

‘The Woven Projects’ Brian Batey, and Slide guitar

from Charlotte’s Father, John. The result was a set of

gorgeously LoFi Americana Ballads which just had

to be released. Edwin promptly set up Shy Bairn

Records in 2018 and released the tracks as 2 digital

singles (‘Maybe’ & ‘Something To Miss’). First single

‘Maybe’ was awarded ‘BBC Intro Track of the Week’

and she performed her first BBC Introducing Session

that same year.

In March 2019 Charlotte (aged 18) decamped into

the studio with her newly recruited band (made up

of members of The Warrens and Label boss Edwin

on Bass) to record her first album. They recorded

14 tracks in an intensive 5 day session. Again she

pulled in friends and family to add their talents.

Her Grandfather ‘Kenny Layton’ played Harmonica

on a few tracks and local vocal group ‘The Jades’

added backing vocals. This was also the start of

her relationship with Producer Mark Aubrey, who

Mixed and Post Produced the album.

The album ‘Grow’ is a fine collection of songs that


takes in several influences while staying true to

Charlotte’s core sound. From country ballads (Old

Flame, Grow Old, Goodbye), Indie Jangle Pop (Tip

Toe, All You Had To Do), 50’s Rock’n’Roll ballads

(Love You Anymore), Indie Rock (Sorry) and a nod

towards Motown (People). All of which showcase

Charlotte’s melodic pop sensibilities and smart,

storytelling lyrical style.

The album delivered 4 singles (2 of which received

‘BBC Intro Track of the Week awards) and a host of

incredible reviews.

The recording of second album ‘Sugar Coat’ was

done remotely due to lockdown restrictions. With

Charlotte, Edwin and Mark sharing files back and

forth and utilising Mark’s contact book of musicians

Charlotte Grayson

to create the songs. Despite the obvious restrictions

recording this way, it did allow time for the songs to

develop their own sounds and feels. It also allowed

Charlotte to really lean into her influences. First

single from the album ‘Coffee’ achieved’ BBC

Introducing Track of Week’ and was playlistsed by

Amazing Radio UK and US,

She formed a band ‘The Shame Areas’ to promote

the album once the world re-opened. They played

a handful of shows including ‘This Feeling’ nights

at Stocktons Ku Bar and The Tall Ships Festival in

Hartlepool. She developed a few songs with the band

who agreed to record the songs so she could capture

the energy the tracks had live. The tracks are due for

release early January 2025.

01 GROW

02 ALL YOU HAD TO DO

03 Drunk Girls

04 GOODBYE

05 GROW OLD

06 WHAT I MEAN

07 MY SIDE OF THE STREET

08 PEOPLE

09 OLD FLAME

10 SORRY

11 FLAT

12 LOVE YOU ANYMORE

13 PARTY OF A LIFE

14 AGREE TO DISAGREE

01 COFFEE

02 MUG

03 SUGAR COAT

04 ME WITHOUT YOU

05 DON’T DATE

06 FRIENDS

07 FAR TOO SHORT

08 BEST OF YOU

SFMM - Having seen several live

performances from Charlotte, I have to say

this girl deserves to go a long way in the music

industry. Her original lyrics and vocals are

amazing. Jane Shields


Review with Danny Mayes

MXR ZW-44 WYLDE

OVERDRIVE PEDAL

Review by

Danny Mayes

In this edition of your favourite

proper Northern mag, I’ve got

an unreal pedal for you! The

Zakk Wylde Signature Overdrive

by Dunlop MXR brings all the

gain and tones you could ever

want!

This pedals straight off my own

pedalboard, I was playing with

my old band and just want happy

with the the tone I had for this

band! I had a new amp, a new

guitar, new pickups and I still just

wasn’t satisfied with the sound.

So I did what we all do in this

situation, went looking for more

gear! Because why would I think

about adjusting my own settings!

Anyway, she’s been a mainstay on

my board since and is barely ever

turned off.

Out the box your hit with Zakk’s

signature bullseye design in a

basic yet striking black and white

set around the footswitch. It’s

controlled with the 3 knobs (tone

gain and output) allowing for

easy tone shaping, distortion and

volume control. It’s got a bright

red LED to tell you if she’s running

or not! It’s just as sturdy as you’d

expect from Dunlop MXR, they’ve

been doing it long enough! Solid

metal casing, solid inputs and pots

and a true bypass switch to boot!

All the staples of a good solid

pedal!

It must be stated that this is not a

distortion pedal, it’s an overdrive.

You’re not going to get ungodly

distortion from this alone,

however it does pack an amazing

punch and really tightens up your

overall tone and repsoniveness!

I love sticking this straight into

the front end of my already dirty

amp to really get those tubes nice

and hot, driving them as hard as

possible!

May not be what everyone likes to

do and may not be for everyone,

but it’s how I get my own

soundband, isn’t that what pedals

are all about!

Best placed after a tuner and

wah, the ZW-44 takes a wash and

maybe another gain stage well, not

muddying too much if you want

to use it as a boost! I personally

have mine after the wash before

the modulation, constantly on

tightening up the riffsm, I’ve got

mine set tone to 2 o’clock and

gain to 11 as to not muddy up the

amp too much! But that’s just my

personal settings.

Much like the man himself the

MXR ZW-44 is as balls to the wall,

take-no-prisoners, relentless and

loud and is well worthy of any

pedalboard in my opinion!


Seymour Duncan Antiquity Strings

Seymour Duncan

‘Antiquity’ Vintage

Tone Strings

Review by

Paul George

Not so long ago, while

having a surf around

the guitar bits section of

the internet, I came across a set

of strings which, quite frankly,

got my fingers itching. Seymour

Duncan ‘Antiquity’ strings which

apparently gives the ‘rick, warm

tones’ of the classic sounds. Being

an antique guitarist and playing

songs of yesteryear, I thought

these are just the cut of my jib.

So I sent an email off to Seymour

Duncan offering a review on these

bad boys and a few weeks later,

a package dropped through my

door containing four packets of

strings. Off to my studio, to get

them on my guitars.

Firstly, when I opened up my

package I was greeted with two

packs of 9’s and two packs of 10’s.

I searched the package again just

to see if the 11’s where hidden

somewhere, damn! No 11’s.

Being one that never reads the

small print, I failed to realise that

they only come in the two gauges.

Ah well, never mind, my Gretsch

will have to go without. I must

admit, the 9’s are still unopened as

I find them too thin for me. So if

there are any 9’s players out there,

give me a shout and I’ll send them

on to you for a review.

Back to the 10’s. I put a set on

my Strat and a set on my Tele.

The big difference between these

and the regular strings out on the

market is that they are pure nickel

wound rather than the nickel-alloy

counterparts which promotes

longer life and richer tones. Well,

as far as the longevity goes, all I

can say is I haven’t busted one yet

and with my hammer hands, that’s

a big plus.

So here’s the big question. Do

they sound vintage. Hmmm, yeah

OK, I am getting good tones with

them especially with my surf style

so yes, the tone sounds vintage.

But not sure if they are epochmaking.

But they are good and

yes the warm, rich tone that SD

boast, is accurate.

I would love a set of 11’s of these

babies for my 1950’s set up. I

imagine they would be perfect.

The final thing is the price, At

under a tenner, they are simply a

bargain. Great strings for small

pennies. In this day and age,

Seymour Duncan have a winner!


NORTH EAST GIGS BOARD

www.neguitars.co.uk

Tel: 0191 5910221

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• Guitar Parts • Repairs

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NE Guitars Magazine - Issue No:7

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