Leeroy Stagger is back in the UK this summer for the first time in five years and playing a series of gigs throughout July in support of his album Truth Be Sold that’s out on July 4th in the UK on one of my favourite labels – Clubhouse Records.
The eleven track album is Stagger’s eight studio album and builds on his impressive back catalogue, we have another batch of original songs from the Canadian, combining freshly written material with songs written earlier in his career including one of the albums many highlights Cities on Fire a song written some eight years ago that has been updated and reworked as a rock protest song about the Occupy Wall Street Movement, the track is one of the albums amped up moments, though it’s not all about fuzzy guitars, pedals and amps as the album strikes a balance with some quieter moments too including the beautiful steel-drenched ballad Break My Heart, my favourite track on the album The Other Half sits somewhere in-between, great lyrics and I love the guitar on this one, in between these two tracks comes another cracker entitled ESP and as a trio they work wonderfully well. The album was produced by Grammy winner Steve Berlin from Los Lobos and was recorded at Portland’s Mystery Machine Music, Berlin himself appears on the album playing baritone sax on another of the album highlights Goodnight Berlin. Essential listening.
If you missed it last year there’s also another Easton Stagger Phillips album set for release pretty soon, more details at the Kickstarter page, this is the second collaboation between the three and if it’s on a par with the last one it will be another treat – if you’re not familiar with Staggers back catalogue I urge you to delve in there is much to cherish.
Buy at the Clubhouse
Friday 5th July – Ents Shed, Bedford
Saturday 6th July – Maverick Festival, Suffolk
Sunday 7th July – Fleece Folk, Suffolk
Tuesday 9th July – Greystones, Sheffield
Wednesday 10th July – Taylor John’s House, Coventry
Thursday 11th July – Thunderbolt, Bristol
Friday 12th July – Le Pub, Newport
Saturday 13th July – Tingestock, Tingewick Village Hall
Sunday 14th July – Musician, Leicester
Tuesday 16th July – The Prince Albert, Brighton
Wednesday 17th July – The Windmill, Brixton, London
Thursday 18th July – Hare and Hounds, Birmingham
Friday 19th July – Ironworks, Oswestry
Saturday 20th July – Summertyne Festival – The Sage, Gateshead
Sunday 21st – Truck Festival After-Party, Oxford
