CREGAN & CO APRIL 2016 Jim takes his band on the road for Rod's songs and more...
CREGAN & CO. ‘LIVE’!
“If you can’t afford my tickets go see these guys...They’re just as good and half the price !!” (Rod Stewart)
“BAND OF THE WEEKEND” Giants of Rock, 2015
APRIL 2016
THURS 14TH: LONDON (Putney), The Half Moon, 93 Lower Richmond Road, SW15 1EU www.halfmoon.co.uk 8pm £12.50 adv /£14.50 Door)
FRI 15TH: HORSHAM, Capitol Theatre, North Street, Horsham West Sussex RH12 1RG www.thecapitolhorsham.com £16.50 8pm 01403 750220
SAT 16TH: STROUD, Subscription Rooms, George Street, Stroud GL5 1AE www.subscriptionrooms.org.uk £15.00 / £13.00 (concs) 01453 760900 7.30pm
Formed by Rod Stewart’s guitarist and collaborative songwriter, Jim Cregan, Cregan & Co. celebrate from 1977 to the present day with an evening of Rod’s hit songs with very special guest vocalist Ben Mills. Jim recorded and toured with Leicester favourites, Family and has recently played several ‘live’ shows with a reformed version of the band, still featuring Roger Chapman..
Last September, three members of Cregan &Co. (Pat Davey, bass; Sam Tanner, Keys and Jim Cregan, Guitars) spent the day supporting Prostate Cancer UK. at the eagerly-anticipated reunion gig of The Faces.With co-musical director Josh Phillips (Procul Harum) Jim Cregan lead a 13-piece house band called 'The Best Of British' with guest singers Steve Harley, Midge Ure and Paul Carrack. This is the third “Rock’n’Horsepower' event that Jim and Sam have performed at. Other artists who have guested with the band at these concerts include The Who, Jeff Beck, Mike Rutherford, Mick Hucknall and many others. They reckon they have collectively played on over 150 million albums!
Last year Sam Tanner was delighted to be asked to play piano with The Faces, only the second pianist to ever have that honour, replacing founder member, the late Ian McLagan.Sam was recommended for the job by Jim, Kenney Jones and Robin Le Mesurier, who have all played with The Faces' Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood on various occasions. This was Pat Davey’s second outing at Hurtwood Park, and with Geoff Dunn (drums) formed the backbone of the house band.
Meanwhile in other news....
Back in 1976 Jim was working with Cockney Rebel and having a great time. They had number one records and everything was good except he couldn’t persuade Steve Harley to include him in the band’s songwriting. So when Rod Stewart asked him to join his band after the breakup of The Faces and said he was open for writing, Jim said 'Yes'. After a couple of years Steve moved to Los Angeles and it was there he helped Rod finish some lyrics so now we have Jim Rod and Steve working together. Much later Jim returned to London and there found Steve open to collaboration. They wrote the song 'A Friend for Life' produced by Jim and arranged by Mike Batt. Rod always liked the song and threatened to record it but it took until this year for him to get round to it. He told Jim he took one of his own songs off to make room for it on Rod's new album 'Another Country'. Jim and Steve will be taking Rod and Penny out for a fish supper to celebrate!
Former Family and Cockney Rebel guitarist Jim joined Rod Stewart's band in 1977 and became his musical director, co-producer and co-writer. Cregan co-penned many hits with Stewart, including ‘Passion’, ‘Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)’, and ‘Forever Young’. Jim is a world class guitarist and has written for many rock and pop stars (Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker, Art Garfunkel, Steve Harley) and his co-write ‘Brighton Beach’ on Rod Stewart’s latest album ‘Time’ was released as a single with masses of airplay on BBC radio.
Ben Mills is an accomplished singer/songwriter in his own right and with this great band he plays a mean guitar too! He’s having a blast singing Rod Stewart’s back catalogue with the guy who actually wrote the songs ... putting his own stamp on the hits that everyone knows and loves....
“The instant Ben started singing the mood was set and all around me people began to sing along and vfdance in their seats. Ben's vocals are so naturally reminiscent of Rod Stewart's ...... Come and listen to the stories and share in the music that has formed the soundtrack to many of our lives for more than 30 years !
Drummer Harry James is renowned for his work with legendary rock band Thunder as well as drumming with Steve Harley, Jon Lord and Glenn Hughes. Other members of the band are bass player Pat Davey (Tom Robinson Band) and pianist Sam Tanner (Alexander O’Neil, Nate James & Duffy).
“Together, they soar, that great Rod Stewart sound conjured up by the guys who created it.” Southampton Review
Listen to Ben Mills here-
