visit our website thisisnorthdevon.co.uk NDJ-E01-S2 The Journal Thursday October 13, 2011 55

Amiable Scouser wholoves life on the road

Time to party with Zamba’s carnival vibe

Dance away to eclectic mix

‘Youthfully blessed with talent’ violinist

Blending brass brilliantly

Although CharlieLandsborough didn’t tastefame until his 50s – havingspent many years doingevery kind of job from navvyto schoolteacher – his risewas meteoric. Since his firstbig hit, What Colour Is TheWind?, he’s never lookedback and has won just aboutevery award possible in theUK country scene. CharlotteGay spoke to him ahead ofhis Queen’s Theatre gig.

CHARLIE Landsborough is one of thoseartists (along with other such easy listen-ing royalty as Dominic Kirwan and DanielO’Donnell) who builds that extra-specialbond between performer and his audi-e n c e.

Certainly the singer, whose musicalstyle lies somewhere between the folk-based approach of the singer-songwriterand the more middle-of-the-road reaches ofcountry music, is not afraid to court hisfans in every corner of the globe.

“We ’ve got great support in NorthD evo n , ” he said. “It’s one of our favouriteplaces to come. The Queen’s is a smashing

place to play. It’s got that nice ethos of anold theatre. There is a certain thing thatthey have, a quality of their own.”

C h a rl i e ’s fans seem to respond to theabsolute sincerity of the man, the warmthof his personality and his sharp, but neverunkind, Scouse wit. It’s these fans thatmake his gigs special.

“When you’ve got a good theatre and agood crowd in front of you – it’s pre-dominately about the people. They’re veryresponsive, very warm and just a smash-ing crowd to play to.

“Somebody once said a lovely thing‘Charlie hasn’t got fans, he’s got friends’and I really like that.”

Charlie has a legion of friends and it’snot unusual for him to see a familiar facein the crowd.

“When I first started out, many yearsago, I remember playing in theatres withan old lady in the front row. Then I’d beplaying somewhere, much further afield,and she’d be there again the next night.“I’d think she must have been sick to deathof looking at me.”

For most of his life, Landsborough had achequered musical career where musicplayed a secondary role to the jobs thatprovided a living. His passport to a full-time musical career came, in his fifties, viahis self-penned song which became a num-ber one hit in Ireland, What Colour Is The

Wind? He has written about his climb tofame in the book Storyteller. The auto-biography has been so popular it’s goneinto reprint.

“Not many reprints have been done be-fore. I am in very exulted company. Thebook is a very simplistic read. It’s just atrip through my life. I’ve been around forlong enough, been to enough places anddone all sorts of jobs to hopefully make itinteresting. But mainly, it’s great for mygrand-kids and family when I’m no longera ro u n d . ”

A man eager to get back on the tour bus,Charlie demonstrates a sheer dogged per-severance to his career, building up hisaudience through hard work.

“I really enjoy being on the road. I travelwith my wife, son and best friend. We’relike travelling gypsies. The nicest aspect ofliving a musical life is the actual per-for mance.

“T hat’s what it is all about – you playingin front of people and them hopefullyenjoying what you do. You meet wonderfulpeople from all walks of life. It is anabsolute joy and I thank God each andevery night.”

● Charlie Landsborough is at the Queen’sTheatre, Barnstaple on Thursday, October27. Tickets: £18 plus a 60p Love Arts pay-ment on 01271 324242.

Planet of Sound 2Plough Arts Centre,Tor ringtonFriday, October 14

AN EVENING of dancing andfrivolity is promised at thePlough, when an eclectic mix ofbands and DJs perform. Planetof Sound 2 is a showcase foremerging bands and DJs.

With a summer of festivalsunder their belt, Tankus theHenge are experienced atthrowing a party. Hailing fromLondon the six piece draw visu-al and musical influences fromold-time fairground to modern-day circus.

Describing themselves asStampeding Electro Ska, TheMagnus Puto Band promise tobe another crowd mover. Theupbeat eight piece from Bristolnod to all manner of globalstyles, lending them an undeni-ably danceable tone.

Rhi Write Rebellion returnfor their second Planet ofSound show with a new nameand a much developed sound.The blues and jazz outfit prom-ise knife-edge guitar riffs, sun-ripe double bass lines, dirtydrum fills and Rhiannon’s sul-try vocals.

Also playing are Devonukulele extraordinaires theGlow Worms. While the Jack-daws, who’ll be taking a breakfrom their usual noisy garageband grunge, deliver a set ofequally energetic rockabillyt w a n g s.

Finishing off the eveningwill be the General Rigoryboys, some of Devon’s most ex-cellent DJs. Expect electro,jungle, funk, soul and reggae.The music kicks off at 7.30pmat this standing gig with bal-cony seating. Tickets: £6 (ad-vance), £8 (on the door).

Box office: 01805 624624.

Massed band concertThe Durrant House Hotel,B i d e fo rdSunday, October 16, 7.30pm

THREE of the area’s popularbands blend their brilliantbrass sounds for a concert inBideford this weekend. Apple-dore, Bideford Town and Hart-land Town bands combineforces for a 10th anniversaryconcer t.

The three bands first cametogether for a concert in 2001.Since then (with the exceptionof 2003) they have played every-where from Kingsley Theatreto the Milky Way.

“The members of the three

bands very much enjoy joiningforces to be able to play at theseeve n t s, ” said Maureen Croker,publicist for Appledore Band.“It is also a way of meeting eachother socially. An opportunitythat does not often arrive as thebands have many commit-ments in their own right.

“The bands would like totake this opportunity to thankall who attended all or many ofthese concerts over the pastnine years.

“They look forward to meet-ing many of you again this yearand hopefully those who mightbe new to attending these con-cer ts.”

Tickets: £7 on the door.

■ FAIRGROUND PARTY: Tankus the Henge at Planet of Sound 2.

Czech National Sym-phony OrchestraQ u e e n’s Theatre,Bar nstapleTuesday, October 18,7.30pm

THE BRILLIANCE of vi-olinist Nicola Benedettiwill be offset by theCzech National Sym-phony Orchestra conduc-ted by the legendaryLibor Pešek at theQ u e e n’s Theatre nextwe e k .

The Daily Telegraphdescribed Benedetti as,“the closest that classicalmusic strays to The XFactor: youthfullyblessed with talent”.

The programme for the

evening consists ofB e e t h ove n’s OvertureEgmont, the rarely per-formed Double Concertofor Violin and Cello byBrahms and Dvorak’sSymphony No.9 NewWo rl d .

Benedetti will bejoined in the Brahmsconcerto by cellist Le-onard Elschenbroichwho has won numerousawards for his intelligentand soulful playing.

Tickets: from £24 to £21plus a 60p Love Arts pay-ment; £5 (young person).

● Box office: 01271 324242or visit the website www.nor thdevontheatres.org.uk

ZambaLandmark Pavilion,Ilfr acombeSaturday, October 22

FOR A reggae, ska carnivalvibe head to the Landmark Pa-vilion next week. Zamba, (whotake their influence from thelikes of Bob Marley, Sublime,Hendrix and The Specials),mix mellow vibes with faster,dance style tracks. Expect amix of lively covers and ori-g i n a l s.

“Zamba create such a greatatmosphere in the room whenthey play. Everyone is up anddancing and it’s always a funnight,” said Charmain Lovett,programmer for Live@ TheL a n d m a rk .

Support comes from Ilfra-

combe three-piece SoundFoundation, fronted by WayneGreen. Doors open: 7.30pm.

The music starts at 8pm.

Tickets: £2. Box office: 01271324242 or visit the websitewww.nor thdevontheatres.org.uk

■ ATMOSPHERE: Festival favourites Zamba

■ CLASSICAL X FACTOR: Nicola Benedetti

■ CHEQUERED CAREER: CharlieLandsborough had a meteoric rise to fame.

■ MUSIC TRAVELLER: Loving a life on the road - Charlie Landsborough