7 - 8 Phee Johnston & Band
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Singing and performing from the age of 9 in professional musicals, Phee (as she is known to her family and friends) decided on her approach to teen-hood that she wanted to get involved in rock and roll.
At 14 her school band won the’ Battle of the Bands’ and she recorded her first demo at Bush House, home of BBC Radio. At the age of 16 she auditioned for The Academy of Contemporary Music where she gained a place two years before the normal acceptance age. Desperate to leave school to pursue her musical ambition, she left home and went to live in Guildford to study music and vocals. Leaving ACM in 2000 Phee struck up a musical partnership with fellow student and guitarist, Tom Jaworski. The pair played in a few bands until they decided to go out as a duo calling themselves ‘Freebird’, playing covers in pubs and bars by night and writing their original songs by day. In 2002 they met Richard Studholme who had recorded and worked with a number of great musicians from Arthur Brown to Eric Bibb.
 | | Phee Johnston |
Richard recognised the pair’s potential and offered them studio time in exchange for Phee prize possession (at the time!) her first car, a blue Renault 5. On some of the tracks, Phee and Tom were without a drummer and were delighted when the legendary Clem Cattini (who’d previously played on 52 Number 1’s) offered his services. Their first demo received a good response but a delayed result. 1 year later Sony Pictures in America called, having heard their song ‘Easy Words’ which they wanted to use in an episode of ‘Dawsons Creek’ on the international series 4 DVD. This subsequently resulted in a lot of interest from UK management companies but the right deal was not found at the time. Over the next 2 years Phee and Tom devoted a lot of time to writing, recording and gigging around London and the UK. They have played many of the top venues including The Kashmere Klub, The Kings Head, The Borderline, The 12 Bar Club, The Rock Garden to name a few. In 2006 ‘Freebird’ decided on a name change and to market the band differently, using Phee as their main resource. Phee took her Father’s middle name, Johnston and ‘The Phee Johnston Band’ was born.
Phee and the band launched at The Bedford, in Balham, South West London, which plays host to a great number of musicians from KT Tunstall to Neil Finn. The band now play there regularly and have built up a strong fan base both there and in other venues. Phee’s focus is very much on performing and with the strong song writing and playing partnership with Tom,‘The Phee Johnston Band’ is focused on creating strong, honest, live music. Julie Roberts and Gary Holder
 | | Julie Roberts and Gary Holder |
"Julie Roberts is a fabulous singer . . . I love that dark smoky voice . . . She's really brilliant. . . really sophisticated . . . a great singer." - Claire Martin, top jazz vocalist and presenter of the Radio Three programme, Jazz Line-up, speaking on BBC South Live, August 2006. "I feel so lucky to be able to sing. I love singing. I feel it's what I was born to do. Now I'm getting opportunities to perform - sometimes for two hours and more - and am feeling really encouraged and appreciated. I am working with double bass player, Gary Holder, on our new CD, Don't tell me to stop and hope that it will get air-play and lead to more gigs. It's live gigs that I enjoy most. I love to see people relaxing and enjoying what we do. Last summer it was great to have such appreciative comments from top professional musicians, too." Julie's music ranges from sensitive jazz influenced song arrangements and blues to folk. She has a wonderful mellow voice with a unique quality, and the ability and experience to interpret songs in many styles. Her material includes the songs of Nina Simone, Billy Joel, Tracy Chapman, Peggy Lee, Tom Waites, Jackson Brown, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and many more. As a student in the late sixties she sang folk music and in jazz and rock bands. In the last couple of years, having given up the day job (almost) she is back enjoying herself singing and playing to appreciative audiences. Having teamed up with double bass player, Gary Holder, they have developed their own distinctive arrangements, including some original songs. Events in 2006 events included two festivals: at Horsham Park and the Streatham Arts Festival, The Arts Cafe at the Studio, Capitol Theatre Horsham in June, and at Horsham Town Hall in November, two gigs at the prestigious Pallant House Art Gallery in Chichester;two charity gigs in Redhill and others in Warlingham and Haywards Heath, support for the Tom Neilson Concert in Haywards Heath, music on the terrace at The Plough at Plumpton, United Nations Day event at The Market Place, Burgess Hill in September, Washington Music Club in December, and recording, as time has allowed. Julie sang in the Brighton Festival in the ("non-religious") Brighton Gospel Choir in May and in their December concert. Gary plays in several other bands. Next gig
Sunday 21 January, 8pm, Horsham Folk Club, The Normandy Centre, Denne Road, Horsham RH12 1JF More about Horsham Folk Club: www.horshamfolkclub.co.uk More about Julie Roberts: www.julierobertsmusic.co.uk
More about Gary Holder: www.garyholder.biz This week's demo discs
This week's demo tracks are from Portsmouth based Comet Hotel, Jack Dale from Southampton and Kokopelli from Brighton. Check out the audio samples on the right hand side of this page - then tell us which one gets your vote by using the form just below.
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