Few tribute bands can genuinely claim to have two rock stars in their ranks. But the British Invasion Show has just that in front man, Johnny Warman, and guitarist Dave Gregory from XTC. The show hits the stage at The Boom Boom Club in Sutton on Saturday 17 September.
Johnny was signed to Ringo Starr’s record label, and had a string of hits in the 1970s and 1980s, including ‘Screaming Jets’, which featured Peter Gabriel. Dave Gregory was a member of XTC, known globally for hits such as ‘Making Plans for Nigel’, ‘Sgt Rock’ and ‘Senses Working Overtime’.
“The British Invasion Show celebrates the years 1964 to 1966 when British bands invaded the US charts,” said Johnny, who has also worked with Elton John. “We perform all the classics by bands like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, The Pretty Things, Dave Clarke 5, The Moody Blues and early Pink Floyd. The audience gets a two-hour show, and we pack in as much as we can. We make sure people get their money’s worth.”
Dave and Johnny Warman first met in 1980 when Johnny supported XTC on the release of their Black Sea album: “It was an amazing experience I’ll never forget, and I learned so much from them. It’s great to work with Dave again.”
For Johnny, the British Invasion Show is all about paying tribute to one of the greatest eras in music: “This is the music that gave us the opportunity to follow our heroes and our own creative paths. All guitarists should come and watch Dave, who is a virtuoso – his attention to detail is extraordinary.”
The British Invasion Show is performed by Johnny Warman’s Magic Bus. Between them, the band has worked with acts including Elton John, David Bowie, XTC, Ringo Starr, Peter Gabriel, Julian Lennon, ABC, Cheap Trick, Bruce Springsteen and Foo Fighters.
Details
The British Invasion Show starts at 9pm on Saturday 17 September at The Boom Boom Club, he Borough Sports Ground, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, Surrey SM1 2EY. To reserve your tickets (£10), email [email protected] (including the name, date, venue, show and how many tickets you want), or call Pete Feenstra on 0208 761 9078.
