Innes Sibun

High energy blues played with passion !! Innes Sibun made his first album with legendary producer Mike Vernon who produced the John Mayall/Eric Clapton Beano album as well as all the Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac albums. In 1997 Innes met his hero when he opened up for Peter Green at a show in New York, he also played on "Rattlesnake guitar" a tribute cd dedicated to Peter Green which also featured Rory Gallagher, Ian Anderson, Harvey Mandell, Billy Sheehan & Snowy White. He played guitar for Robert Plant on his "Fate of nations" tour throughout America, Europe & South America & can be heard on Robert’s "Sixty six to Timbuktu" album as well as on a track on his box set "Nine lives". He has made 5 albums with various independent blues labels such as Viceroy, Provogue & Ulftone. He has toured with Blues legends Johnny Adams, Wild child Butler, Jay Owens & Jesse "guitar" Taylor & opened up for Joe Louis Walker, Ronnie Earl, the fabulous thunderbirds, Roger Chapman, Chris Farlowe,Jools Holland, Walter Trout, Boy George, Dr.Feelgood, the Levellers, Nine below zero, the Bluesband, Kevin Coyne, & Moody Marsden to name but a few. He has also recorded or played live with the following......Wilbur Bascombe (Jeff Beck, aretha Franklin), Rob Stoner (Bob Dylan), Bobby Chouinard (Gary Moore), Jeff Simon (George Thorogood), Jimmy Kunes (Cactus), Leo Lyons, Ric Lee & Chick Churchill of Ten years after,Robert Hart (Bad company), Hamish Stewart (Average white band), Tony Remy, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Chris Youlsden (Savoy Brown), Stackridge, the Korgis, James Cotton, Sherman Robertson & more. His current band fuses blues with rock, jazz & more modern influences. Drummer Robbie Brian has played with Peter Gabriel, Hugh Cornwell & presently plays with Siouixie siouix & has been described as summoning the dark arts when he takes a drum solo (you have to be there !!!) Bassist Steve Hall & Hammond/Rhodes player Tim Blackmore are much in demand session players due to their soulful playing & high level of skill on their instruments.In 2006 the band played shows in Germany, belgium, Austria, Slovenia, Holland, Bosnia & the UK including Colne, Gloucester & Bristol international blues festivals.In 2007 with the release of the critically lauded album "Tail dragger" on ZYX records, Innes & band embarked on shows through Europe as well as taking in dates in Africa & the U.S.A.2008 so far promises festivals in the UK & Canada as well as shows opening for Johnny Winter & Al Kooper. "The best blues you will hear this year" - Total guitar magazine."Powerhouse guitarist who plays electric blues. Hugely popular on the continent, Innes is one of the many unsung heroes that populate a British music scene dominated by TV-promoted nonentities" - Venue magazine.REVIEWS *************************************************
Review of gig at Moles Club 30th January 2005It’s very rare that after seeing two sets full of fret– er – fiddling that you’d want to hear any more, but more is exactly what we are left gagging for at the end of tonight’s gig. Masters of blues, Innes and his band take full command of eighty minutes’ worth of classic covers, and original material oozing talent and experience. Sibun sings the blues beautifully, and carries us all with him throughout the set. He’s got one of those rare voices that can be bought right down to near nothing, then suddenly let rip in a real bluesy growl. It’s his guitar work tonight though that really blows us away. Carefully building solos up from tiny melodic gestures into full on crazy technical genius, he doesn’t actually stop smiling once - clearly loving the good reception, and playing all the better for it. Stepping out into the audience in a sort of bold unifying gesture, Innes re-asserts the fact that we’re focussing fully on the real intricacies of each run and pattern, and his mesmerising solos almost become a genre in themselves. Not all thrills of the gig take place on his guitar though – the keys player gets to let rip several times, and the solid bassist is given a couple of sections where he gets to funk out quite insanely. What does it for me is the ten-minute drum solo in the second set. In an exhilarating array of skill and measure, halve of the tricks Robbie Brian pulls seem more the result of the dark arts than any kind of practice. The cheers throughout, and raucous applause as he winds it up are truly justified, and playing with anyone else, he would have stolen the show. Regulars at jazz jams around Bath, all four players here are well worth catching in any line-up. Another lethargic Sunday has been grafted into an amazing night of music, and with the comedy next door too; who needs a day of rest? Chris Chislet
********** Then there is the new album by INNES SIBUN, Farmhouse blues, named for John Bradshaws legendary Bath jazz pub. Just like old time mountain music, blues is a genre that rests solidly on the individuality of the performers and their ability to communicate. There are no standards for this, no exams, no grade levels; you just know it when you feel it - and when Innes is playing, you feel it. He is born out of the intense playing of electric masters such as Otis Rush, Albert King and Buddy Guy, but has absorbed the whole tradition - particularly evident in the warm acoustic "midlife crisis blues". The big news here is that Innes has made himself complete by becoming a singer, not just a star sideman. It’s a good move , especially as he turns out to be a fine and committed singer with a surprisingly strong voice that one suspects will get even stronger. The album was recorded live in the studio and it shows not only Innes’ on-the-spot expressiveness, but the band’s cohesiveness with drummer Rob Brian standing out. Farmhouse blues is a set of Innes originals along with songs by Willie Dixon, Otis Rush and Tampa Red, but the essence of the album is Innes’ playing and singing. Charley Dunlap **************************************************** TAIL DRAGGER REVIEWS ****************TOTAL GUITAR MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2007 - Another release from a TG ex-alumni, this time Bath-based blues ace Innes Sibun. Thanks to Sibun’s gritty playing and a production that sounds more deep south than south west of England ,Tail dragger offers more than your average white boy blues. Stephen Lawson. ******************************************GITARRE & BASS JULY 2007 - Ein paar jare alter, um ein paar erfahrungen reicher aber keine um illusion armer klingt der Englander Innes Sibun auf, Tail dragger (Zyx/Peppercake), einem wunderbar dreckigen, sensiblen, abwechslungsreichen blues/soul/rock-album - den besten seiner karriere. Innes ist ein hervorragender gitarrist, oft ein energetischer vielspieler, der dich bei nachster. Gelegenheit aber auch mit einem einzigenton vom hocker hauenkann. Und sein gesang: Eine leicht bruchige, irgendwie immer ruhendestimme, pragnant, mal swingend, dann straight & tight artikulierend - mich erinnert er inzwischen hier und da an Herman Brood . Das musikalischste, ausdrucksstarkste und schonste moderne blues-song-album, das ich seit langer zeit gehort habe. 100 punkte ! Lothar Trampert ************* ********************** CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2007 - While his work with Robert Plant and Peter Green in the 90’s means it’s stretching a point to call Innes Sibun the best kept secret in British blues, this west country ace deserves a higher billing than most of his peers. Tail dragger is the latest piece of evidence , showcasing a guitar style inspired by a stolen copy of B.B King’s Live at the Regal , a voice whose ravaged croak sounds hard earned and genuine, and a flair for observational writing that means that Sibun is rarely forced to dip into anyone else’s back catalogue. The tone of this urgent and ballsy album is set by stomping opener "It takes time" and the one-chord groove of "I dont get fooled by tears", but Sibun can slow things down nicely too, which he does on the gorgeous acoustic led "I’ll never love again". National treasure status awaits. Henry Yates ************************************************************ ************************************************************ ************************************************************ ************* BLUES REVUE - MARCH 2008 Innes Sibun wastes no time in getting to his point with the first assault from his 12-track opus. Launching into Otis Rush’s “It Takes Time”, Sibun’s high-energy fervor, blistering, no-nonsense guitar artistry and raggedly honest vocals recall Rory Gallagher. In recent years Sibun’s been building momentum with a highly aggressive solo act that, of late, further fuels comparisons to Gallagher through his ability to shred his way through meat’n’potatoes blues. Like Gallagher, Sibun’s a guitarist first – one of exacting tone and impassioned playing. Sibun refines his craft with each release and his band’s reputation as a dazzling live act is picking up steam across the UK. On Tail dragger he seamlessly grafts well-crafted originals and wisely-chosen covers to create 48 minutes of smoldering blues-rock. The discs crowning achievment “As The Years Go Passing By” was recorded live in the studio and Sibun lays into this cover tune like he’s giving birth to it. Likewise originals “I Want You Back” and “Sweet Disposition” present an artist in his prime, with able assists from his equally impressive keyboard player Tim Blackmore. Sibun’s vocals are vastly improved over previous releases; they carry conviction despite sounding like the after effects of a hard night on the town. On “Don’t Stop Believing”, he assumes a deep tone, reminiscent of Hoodoo Gurus’ Dave Faulkner. Yet don’t be misled. Sibun turns on a dime with delicately rendered acoustic-driven tracks like “I Miss You (Daisy’s Song)”, “I’ll Never Love Again” or the deceptively simple-sounding “Southbound Train” which vamps along on mandolin and barrelhouse piano. The jaw-dropping buried track, “Friar’s Boogie”, demonstrates just how tightly wound this band can get; everyone plays at triple speed without the loss of a single note or breath. Far from a one-trick blues-rock pony, Sibun embraces more variety than listeners may expect. Eric Thom ************************************************************ ************************************************************ ******TO BOOK THE BAND IN THE U.S.A CONTACT [email protected] ********************TO BOOK THE BAND IN THE UK CONTACT [email protected] **********TO BOOK THE BAND IN GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND ETC GO TO WWW.TOURWORK.NET *****************************TO BOOK THE BAND IN HOLLAND E-MAIL [email protected] ********