Skip "Little Axe" McDonald & King Size Slim

Event information

Special roots and blues double header - two solo guitarists a generation apart, one playing amplified electric guitar, the other a big old fashioned steel resonator...but both joined musically by their heavy groove based approach.

The pair took their music to "all points north" last Autumn, playing, amongst other venues, Band On The Wall (Manchester), Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and Hoochie Coochie (Newcastle), with a brief stop for a big London end of tour party at the Albany in Deptford.

Now, these two fantastic guitarists will reunite for one night only at the beautifully intimate Servant Jazz Quarters in Dalston.

SKIP McDONALD
Ohio born guitar legend Skip Mcdonald is an artist quite unlike anyone one else out there performing at the moment. He reinterprets the history of the blues and presents it in a contemporary way, breaking sonic territory and showing he is still years ahead of many musicians half his age.

Skip has been a major contributor to artists as diverse Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaata, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, James Brown, Robert Plant, Mark Stewart & The Mafia, Sinead O'Connor, and Megadeth. Then, as leader of the house band for On U Records, under his own "Little Axe" monicker or as part of underground heroes Tackhead, Skip made some of the most important records for the genre defining cult label, giving dub reggae an edginess that has never been matched.

"Channeling the Mississippi blues of Howlin’ Wolf and Son House via the cavernous dub of Keith Hudson and King Tubby, this set ekes out the raw, heartfelt and otherworldly elements common to both genres.’ Q Magazine

"The mood flickers between foreboding and playful; blues for modern times" Uncut Magazine

"Dub-blues grooves that manage to be soothing yet unsettling" The Independent

KING SIZE SLIM
The big warm tones from his resonator guitar along with a powerful and direct vocal delivery are the trademarks of singer/song-writer King Size Slim. Add rolling grooves and percussive hooks and you have a song- writer who delivers original compositions that are steeped in a world of music that is fully conscious of its roots but at the same time has a new story to tell.

Constant touring has built Hastings based Toby Barelli (aka King Size Slim) a reputation as a powerful performer, immensely engaging, passionate and entertaining with a delivery that grips his audience. Performing over 150 shows a year either solo or with his 4-piece line up King Size Slim has become a ‘must see’ act on the acoustic roots and alternative blues circuits as well as at venues and festivals around the country and into Europe.

2015 live highlights included: hand-picked to open the BBC Music presents "Queen Rock Big Ben" New Year Special, supporting Tinariwen, main stage at Red Rooster Festival, Beautiful Days Festival, live collaborations with Skip McDonald and Michael Chapman.

King Size Slim’s second album, "Chukka Chukka" is out April 2016 on Treehouse44.

“Taking lactose intolerance to new levels... I really like this record!” Huey Morgan, BBC Radio 2 (Milk Drunk radio play)

"King Size Slim gave the standout performance of the weekend… This was the real deal, authentic acoustic roots music.” eFestivals, review of The Acoustic Festival of Great Britain 2015

Best Emerging Artist 2014 - British Blues Award Winner