2009 UPDATE Movinmusic is now booking 2009 April/May and September/October dates for Flanagan. Flanagan have just been confirmed for a slot on the Sunday afternoon at the Burnley Blues Festival. All interested venues and promoters can contact us on 01209 860067 or e-mail us at: mike@movinmusic.co.uk.
Flanagan consists of Mark Flanagan (Guitars, Vocals, Waterphone, Meletron, Steel Drums), Kevin Willoughby (Bass) and Gary Foote (Drums, and Saxophone).
Mark
Flanagan was born in Liverpool and started playing ukulele at the age of
eight. He got his first guitar
when he was 12 and was mesmerised by Django Rheinhardt.
He grew up listening to Hank Williams, Ray Charles, The Beatles, Tamla
Motown, the Stones, and Bowie. He
joined his first group at the age of 15 and later moved to East Anglia where
he founded cult swing harmony group 'The Box Brothers'.
Mark
then moved to London in 1988, where his neighbour happened to be Jools
Holland. He jammed with Jools at the Edinburgh festival that year and has been
with the Rhythm and Blues Orchestra since. He has performed on many live TV
shows, where he has accompanied anyone from Chaka Khan to Paul Weller, Barry
White to Eric Clapton.
Reunited
with old mate Kevin Willoughby in '98, they met up with the wildly talented
Gary Foote and Flanagan was born. They
recorded an EP "Like A Fool" in January 1999 and the new album "THE CHOSEN FEW"
is due for release in March 2002 when Mark will be doing a short UK solo tour
to promote the album.
Kevin
Willoughby is a formally trained genius of bass and harmony.
He met Mark Flanagan in a jazz-funk band in the '80's and they were
involved in many projects together. Kevin
went to Senegal, Africa in 1989, and ended up staying for six years playing
with various artists such as Ishmail Lo, Sariba Kouyate and Super Diamono.
He then spent some time in Scandinavia where he was involved in various
projects including an acid-jazz collaboration.
He came back to England in the late 90's and reunited with Mark.
Gary
Foote is a gifted and sensitive musician.
He played drums between the ages of 11 - 20, then switched to
saxophone. The result is a very
musical drummer and supremely accomplished saxophonist.
He has been the main man on percussion and saxophone with Joan
Armatrading for over a decade. Other
projects include 'The Quiet Boys' with Mick Talbot and Chris Bangs, gigs with
Jimmy Ruffin, an album with Laurel Aitken, touring with Jamiroquai and Banco
de Gaia, Top of the Pops appearances with Tom Jones, The Bee Gees and also
gigs with The Zoot Money Band.
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