Mark Atherton profile picture

Mark Atherton

About Me

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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 30/07/2006
Band Website: www.markathertonmusic.co.uk
Band Members: LIVE ----------------------------- Mark Atherton: vocals, guitar----------------------------------- DOVETALES CD ---------------- Mark Atherton: vocals, guitar, congas, tambourine, shaker; Margaret Benson: double bass; Kevin Butterfield: harmonica; Nigel Corbett: violin; Fiona Duncan: recorder; Wendy Grady: accordion; Lauren McCormick: flute, whistle, oboe; Ryan Porter: bass drum ------------------------------------------------------------ --- BETWEEN TWO WORLDS CD Mark Atherton: vocals, guitar, maracas; Simon Cohen: violin, viola, melodeon, whistle, oboe; Dave Howard: mandolin, bass; Jai Field: tambourine, bass drum ------------------------------------------ CHASING THE SHADOWS CD Mark Atherton: vocals, guitar; Simon Cohen: violin, accordion, flute, oboe (See CD Reviews blog)
Influences: A lot of my influences are probably unconcious but here are some of my favourites, roughly in order of when I first got into their music: THE BEATLES, Simon & Garfunkel, RALPH MCTELL, Leonard Cohen (some), Cat Stevens (Tea for the Tillerman), Mike Oldfield (1st 4 albums), NICK DRAKE, John Martyn (70s albums), U2, Roy Harper, Incredible String Band (some), guitar playing of Bert Jansch, John Renbourn & Davy Graham, Joni Mitchell (up to mid-70s), Crosby, Stills & Nash (debut), Al Stewart (60s & 70s + 'Between The Wars'), Donovan, Harvey Andrews (Writer of Songs & Spring Again), Jez Lowe, Jackson C Frank, Kim Seymour, Travis, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Coldplay, PAMELA WYN SHANNON, Vashti Bunyan, Keane, Damion Rice, Karine Polwart, Jack Johnson, KT Tunstall, Jose Gonzalez, Kirsty McGee, TIRILL, Emil Brynge, Findley Brown, Scott Matthews, Andy Whittle, HELEN ANDREWS and so many of the other great musicians you can see here as my friends. (My 'Top Friends' are nearly all people I've met in the 'real world', along with a few others I've exchanged messages with, so that's why I don't have some all-time favouritres like Nick Drake up there.) ------------------------------------------------Also writers such as Laurie Lee (As I walked Out One Midsummer Morning), James Herriot, John Wyatt (The Shining Levels), Gavin Maxwell (Ring Of Bright Water), JD Salinger (The Catcher In The Rye), Charles Webb (The Graduate), Hermann Hesse (complete works), John Fowles (The Magus), Aldous Huxley, Fritjof Capra, EF Schumacher, Ken Kesey (One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest), Jeff Moore (The Wandering Minstrel) etc and of more recent times playwright Stephen Poliakoff (esp. Gideon’s Daughter), writer/producer/director/narrator Adam Curtis (The Century of the Self, The Power of Nightmares, The Trap) and Jonathon Coe's brilliant The Rotters’ Club - The Closed Circle (esentially one novel in two parts).
Sounds Like: Reviewers or fans have mentioned Nick Drake, Donovan, Al Stewart, The Beatles, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Simon & Garfunkel, Marc Bolan, Del Amitri and the organiser of one venue said I sounded like Gary Miller singing Aqua Marina in Stingray! But of course you can hear what I actually sound like on my uploaded songs and videos, although some of my other songs are in different styles.------------------------------------- I've Got All I Need is a live version of a track from my CD Chasing The Shadows.------------------------------------The Geese Fly Farther Than The Eagle and Circle Of Stones are from my CD Between Two Worlds and Rainbow In The Rain from my Dovetales CD. ---------------------------------------------------The Blossom video was recorded live at Tanworth-in-Arden and features my interpretation of an early home recorded Nick Drake song. The Catch A Ride video was recorded on a photo camera at a more informal gig in Matlock.---------------------------------------------------- -My CDs are available from my website where you can download for free MP3s of the original studio version of Catch A Ride from Dovetales, Circle of Stones, a live version of The Geese Fly Farther Than The Eagle, Blossom and videos of I've Got All I Need and Blossom in WMV format.--------------------------------------------------You can also read a short resume, a longer biography, review quotes, all the lyrics of the songs on my CDs, details of forthcoming and previous gigs, a diary/blog of recent gigs & other musical experiences, view a gallery and write a comment in the guestbook if you like.
Record Label: Close To The Mark Music -----(self owned)

My Blog

Previous gigs & other musical experiences, 2006-2008

The Loft, Nottingham, 19/10/08My return gig at The Loft was organised by Tess Kaine this time, having taken over from Curtis Whitefinger. I played a set of about 45minutes, following the other act on ...
Posted by on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:28:00 GMT

CD REVIEWS

I've included below a review for each of the 3 CDs that are currently available from my website or at gigs.  DOVETALES CD Well, the CD has been played around eight times, so now time fo...
Posted by on Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:31:00 GMT

Busking

It was around this time of year that I first tried my hand at busking, thinking there’d be lots of people in town Christmas shopping and hopefully, in the Christmas spirit, feeling more generous...
Posted by on Mon, 24 Dec 2007 09:08:00 GMT

Friends Requests

I tend to only add people who are fans of my music or vica versa, along with people I know from real life and people I can particularly relate to.   I did try at first to have a good listen to th...
Posted by on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:53:00 GMT

Songs of Justice & Peace CD

My CD Songs of Justice & Peace, a not-for-profit CD available on the Matlock Stop War website, is no longer available as the Matlock Stop War website has closed down. Thanks to those of you w...
Posted by on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Can anyone recommend a good Agent?

Can anyone recommend a good Agent for booking gigs? I've been offered bookings up to now through a combination of recommendations from fellow musicians, following an open mic spot, repeat bookings&nbs...
Posted by on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 04:33:00 GMT