Bill Sheffield and Pete Christie sing an impromptu rendition together of Richard Thompson’s ’Vincent Black Lightning’.

This great night was at Portsmouth Hoy on Poole Quay, in Poole Dorset UK, on Friday 4 May 2012. Authentic Blues musician, Bill Sheffield was over from his home town of Georgia in USA; on a night off, before his UK Tour started and he come by to watch fellow musician Pete Christie’s set.

Bill Sheffield and Pete Christie met up a few years ago at a ‘house jam’; that’s what happens when all your mates are musicians. Bill Sheffield’s nick name of ‘The big bluesman from Atlanta, Georgia, USA’ is quite apt; Bill has the sweetest  and most unexpected booming voice; great to watch in concert.

Pete  Christie wrote a yet to be release instrumental for Bill Sheffield called ‘Bill’s Blues’ but on this occasion Richard Thompson’s ‘Beeswing’ prompted Bill and Pete to wow the audience with ’Vincent Black Lightning’.

You can catch Bill Sheffield touring with Dave Saunders and Pete Christie  is currently touring around the length and breadth of  UK.

Pete Christie

Review: words and pictures Neil King, FATEA

Venue: The Bricklayers Arms
Town: Poole
Date: 6th January
Website: http://www.petechristie.co.uk/

It was a nostalgia ridden first gig of 2012, the first gig in what had been a stalwart venue of the music scene, The Bricklayer’s Arms, affectionately known to all, simply, as The Brickies, in some twenty odd years.

Back in the old days, the music used to be held in a hall out of the back. The toilets used to be outside and the smokers were inside. The hall has been demolished, the music now inside the main pub in a refurbished back bar, the toilets are now inside the pubs and the smokers are found outside.

Back then there were three pubs within a stone’s throw that did music, now there’s none. Tonight is a one off to celebrate the birthday of Harry, one of the bar staff. We do have a new music venue in the area, the wonderful Mr Kyps, but the days of doing a tour of Ashley Cross or even playing all three venues on the one night have long since gone, torpedoed by residents associations and anti-entertainment legislation.

One thing that is consistent is tonight’s performer, Pete Christie, he played The Brickies back in the heyday when if you wanted to get a fresh pint and it was raining, you got wet and whilst there was a certain amount of nostalgic longing in the pre-gig chatting, there was also a grudging gratitude for being in a warm and comfortable room, particularly as it was a party and there was food available.

Pete Christie is a singer/songwriter with a common touch, he has a knack for extracting a song from areas where other singer/songwriters fear to tread. It’s relatively easy to write songs around emotional events or the big political issues, more difficult to write about the more mundane, more difficult still to write about it in a way that holds the attention of the listener, Pete, has that talent.

He’s playing a long set which gives him the opportunity to test out new songs projected to appear on an album that Pete is going to be releasing this year. These are judiciously mixed with more familiar songs from his extensive repertoire, including a number of requests shouted from the audience, some of which are no longer included on his current set list.

Blues and singer/songwriter classics from the likes of early Fleetwood Mac also form part of the set as Pete seems to absorb himself in the music, just him and his guitar, being played in a number of different styles, including, briefly, as a lap guitar. Pete showcases himself not only as a man of words and melodies but also a consummate performer on the old six string.

The room isn’t as conducive to music as the old hall was, it’s part of a corridor for both the toilets and one of the smoking areas, fortunately Pete’s an old trooper when it comes to these sort of distractions and not detract from a highly enjoyable performance.

There was a sense of nostalgia about being back in the Brickies, but that really was eclipsed by the enjoyment of spending the time in the company of and listening to Pete Christie.

 Review: words and pictures Neil King, FATEA

****

PETE CHRiSTiE & DJ CONNiE @ THE BRiCKiES!

A free Birthday Bash for ‘Harry’ aka Chris, Bar Manager at The Bricklayers Arms, Poole

featuring singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Christie performing live acoustic anglicana folk n roots

PLUS Solid Air/Larmer Tree resident Conrad Barr DJing before/after from 8pm till late, Fri 6th Jan, 2012

DJ Connie is workig on rcording a 6-disc lifetime archive box-set, due for launch late 2012…watch out for this amazing collection.

Derrin Nauendorf, Pete Christie, Alex Roberts pay tribute to Bob Dylan’s ‘I Shall Be Released’ for their encore song together

Live at Mr-Kyps in Poole, Dorset, UK 13.03.2011

Photo by Peter Scheibner

3 outstanding acoustic guitarists together on 1 bill

@ Mr Kyps ‘in the round’ Sunday 13 March 2011

Advance: £7.00
Door: £9.00

Great songs. Great guitar techniques. Great night.

Derrin Nauendorf – headline

http://www.derrinnauendorf.com
- power beyond the scope of the instrumental forces involved.

Maverick Magazine – “Just Amazing, A man who deserves to be a major player in the music world.”
Yamaha – “Blistering acoustic roots performer”
Blues Matters – “Simply Spellbinding”

Pete Christie

http://www.petechristie.co.uk
- mesmerising, the epitome of what modern folk artists could only aspire to be.

Alex Roberts

http://alexrobertsmusic.com
- represents all the best aspects of the songwriter’s craft.

Pete Christie December 2010 Newsletter

2010 was definitely a good year.

There isn’t room here to thank everyone for their support,

I will however mention:

Matt Andersen & Jackie Leven for their inspiration

(Link to BHOne Review)

Alex Roberts

Redvers Bailey

Bemis

Tinderbox

and Lou Brown

for sharing some memorable performances with me

Most of all, to the people who matter most. You guys who keep turning up to listen.

Especially Sheila, who has travelled almost as many miles as me!

Thanks Sheila!!!

2011 looks like it’s going to be a busy one
– largely on the road, but hopefully there’ll be a new album at some point!!

Thanks again!!

Happy New Year!!!

Pete

bh one – Mr Kyps gig review

12.15.2010 · Posted in Gig Reviews by Karl Hayman

Jackie Leven

“…a commanding presence…magnificent night of storytelling, both spoken and musically…”

Pete Christie

“…archetypal singer songwriter…interesting chord voicing and well used vibrato during instrumental sections…”

Hannah Robinson

“…Well crafted songs, lyrics that anyone can relate to and identify with and a voice which bears no comparison…”

photography by Damian Godley

So proud to have Jackie Leven watching my performance.

Pete Christie and Hannah Robinson are guest performers with Jackie Leven at Mr Kyps, Poole, Dorset UK.

8 Decemeber 2010

Jackie Leven
GOTHIC ROAD – JACKIE LEVEN’S first new studio album since 2008