Former La’s guitarist Barry Sutton is this month starting a residency at Liverpool’s recently refurbished Everyman Bistro with his band, Beatnik Hurricane.
The legendary Liverpool musician – who has worked with some of the city’s best bands such as The Stairs, Cast, and Smaller to name a few – is promising to put the funk into Friday once again.
Anyone who has been to one of Beatnik Hurricane’s marathon gigs at Cahoots in Smithdown Road over the past year or so will know what to expect; for those who don’t, Sutton does not pull his punches.
He says: “We’re there to blow your minds. Our remit is a 21st century re-imagining of 50’s New York bebop clubs, with us as the house band dropping super-hot grooves one after the other until we can funk no more.
“We’re delighted to announce this new residency in an iconic Liverpool venue in which I spent many happy evenings in the 80s and 90s, when the Bistro was a magnet for a whole host of city musicians and creatives.
“The Everyman has obviously been a focal point for creative people from across the arts spectrum of Liverpool life, but I really want to reboot the old Everyman culture with a great house band, somewhere to dance, hang out, be seen, meet new lovers and swerve old ones… but crucially, share a space with a universal clique.”
The band is renowned for inviting guest musicians up to perform, either with them or to deliver a performance in their own right. Beatnik Hurricane has long championed eclectic styles and it’s not unusual to see grime rappers, jazz, soul, Latin and blues musicians, trombonists, saxophonists, trumpeters, classically trained violinists and pianists join in the jam sessions which are known to last several hours.
Tom Lang, creative director of the Everyman Bistro, himself a former singer, says he is genuinely excited about what Beatnik Hurricane will bring to Friday nights at the venue. He said: “The Everyman has been a massive success since it reopened and we’ve welcomed back Bistro customers new and old. It there seems fitting that a legendary Liverpool musician holds a regular night at a legendary Liverpool venue.
“We can’t wait to see what these nights hold in store, but anyone who knows anything about Barry Sutton will know he doesn’t do anything by halves and these nights could well find themselves committed to Scouse folklore.”
Sutton, who has also worked with The Fall, Love, The Magic Band and Echo And The Bunnymen says revellers can expect to hear them cover everything from James Brown to John Martyn, George Clinton to Billie Holliday and Howlin’ Wolf to Diana Ross, plus a few original songs also.
The Bistro Hurricane launch party is Friday 13th March from 9pm until late. Free of charge.