We have a wicked double bill lined up at The Alma Cafe on Friday 15th September…

Larry Amos (on tour) & Lonesome Dave Ferguson!

Don’t miss this event. Both musicians are legends and masters in their own right! Check out their biographies below:

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R180pp:
Bookings are ESSENTIAL and your ticket includes one of Alma Café’s hearty home-cooked dinner.
Please book your table by phoning 021 685 7377 as availability is very limited.
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Larry Amos Biography:
Widely regarded by his peers as the ‘best blues guitarist in the country’, Larry Amos is not only that…

Born in Gauteng on the 6th of April, 1952, from a very young age he aspired to being a musician, and started playing guitar at the age of 9. Performing at family parties and school functions his sweet voice was known to make the women cry! At 15 years he formed a band that went on to win 3rd prize at a Battle of the Bands held at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg.

After school Larry went to Cape Town to pursue his love for music by working during the day and performing as a guest artist at various nightclubs at night. After 2 years in Cape Town, Larry came back to Johannesburg and teamed up with his brother Robbi Robb and Govinda Davidopoulis as a trio doing parties, functions and guest spots around town.

He began his professional career after signing with an agency as a solo artist with his first gig in the Persian Room at the Four Seasons Hotel in Durban. Touring the country from there, included at stint as backing vocals and understudy to Riff Raff in the Rocky Horror production in Lesotho (it was banned at the time in SA). He also performed on the TV show, “Beat 79” doing one of his own compositions, “Mother Nature”.Baxtop was formed in Johannesburg in 1978 with Larry Amos on guitar and vocals, Tim Parr (guitar, vocals), Fuzzy Marcus (guitar, vocals) and Bruce Williams (drums, vocals) and was billed as ‘ the best blues-rock-boogie band that never came out of the American South.'”Work it out” is rated as one of the Top Ten Albums of South Africa according to Garth Chilvers.

“Baxtop” became South Africa’s top original blues-rock band, signed a recording contract with WEA records, and had a number one hit with “JoBangles” and also won a Sarie Award. The band also toured with Millie Jackson on her South African visit. In 1982 Baxtop disbanded, and Larry formed the Larry Amos Blues Band…
“However, what struck me about him were his awesome abilities and that phenomenal guitar work of his and the way he made that instrument work. Everything was so fluid and slick. He did things that I had never seen and heard of before. Cigarette stuck in the strings up in the neck, near the keys of his guitar, standing in the light of a solitary flood light and he would let it crank – slowly and uncertainly at first and then, as he got into his stride …. Things just happened. This wasn’t a Jimi Hendrix extravaganza (as seen on film). It was just one man and his guitar and he just went places with it where I have never been or heard of before.”
— Rogan Coles – Music journalist
The Blues Band was followed by the “Naughty Boys” who released one of the last 7 singles to be pressed in South Africa. Larry composes his own music and currently has over 60 titles registered with SAMRO. In1994 the R.A.W. CD was released, this was a co-operative effort with Bruce Williams (previously the drummer for Baxtop), and enjoyed moderate success with one of the numbers, “Dance of Love” being chosen to appear on ‘Monster Hits’.

In 1991 Larry went to Ireland and joined Tim (Parr) performing at the Galway Busking Festival, and various venues including as an opening actor two concerts of Don Baker (Bono of U2’s favourite harp player),where the audiences went wild for his original numbers and exciting guitar playing. Later, in 1995 Larry and Tim supported “Crosby, Stills and Nash” at the Standard Bank Arena and were complimented by them for his outstanding song, “Let the Sun” and performance. “Let the Sun” is featured on his CD “GOING UP” which is on sale at gigs around the country as a compilation of various aspects of his work. He has also recently released a demo CD “Un” which comprises mainly of ballads and shows another aspect of this talented artist.

In 1998 Larry did the vocals on Willem Fourie’s CD released by Makhulu, “Wondering”. He has also done guitar parts on Frank Lepo’s (Sankamoto) solo album, as well as Sinyaka’s “Why isonda ma gents”. He has jammed locally with the likes of Johnny Fourie, Alistair Cokley, Mike Faure, George Worthmore, Jethro Butho, Julian Laxton, Mike Slavin and numerous others, including a surprise session with Shaun Phillips at Tandoor, Rockey Street!

Larry has done gigs at various venues, including: Frascas, Honeydew; Blues Room, Sandton; Opiyard, Pretoria; Bohemian, Millpark; Unplugged Kitchen, Broederstroom; Killarney Mall, Killarney; Rustlers Valley, Free State; Blue Naartjie, Orange Grove; Origin, Orange Grove; Page 3 StudioTheatre, Magaliesberg; Carry’s, Northriding; Zeplins, Cape Town; Log Cabin, Cape Town; Barley Corn, Cape Town; Brass Belle, Cape Town; Radium Beer Hall, Orange Grove; Big Easy; Banbury Cross, Northgate; Caesars Palace, Jhb International; Bass Line, Melville; Julian’s, Cresta; The Showcase, Northgate; Cliffy’s, Pietermaritzburg; Splashy Fen 2001, Underberg; Tempo’s; Catfish & Caterpillar and Bingelela – KZN; Tusk Inn- DBN; Churchills & The Stagecoach – PMB, Rags – Gauteng…..

At the end of June 2001, he launched a SAB sponsored event “Blues in the Berg” at the Caterpillar and Catfish, which was followed by a 3 week working holiday jamming with Russell Taylor at Bingelela just outside Bergville. The South African Music Week took place between 24 – 28August and he was invited to feature at various events in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

Larry was also involved in the vocals and guitar for the soundtrack of aSABC TV programme first flighted on 23 October 01, done in conjunction with Louis van Rensburg.

Links:

Videos:

Profile:

http://www.rock.co.za/files/larry_amos.html

Dave Ferguson Biography:
Harmonica player Dave Ferguson has been playing extensively in and around Cape Town and beyond since the early 90s as well as a 12 year stint in the UK (including Nashville, Memphis, Australia & others). Other international live and session work has been with UK Alt. Country fore-runners The Arlenes, Emily Barker, Sophia, John Townes Van Zandt, Bob Margolin (Muddy Waters), Michelle Shocked, Candye Kane, Mickey Harte, Lucky Oceans (Asleep at the Wheel, The Zydecats), Dave Clarke and Winston Delandro (Blues of Cain, Shaka Kahn, Joan Armatrading and Bob Marley), Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy), Ian Siegal, Jimmy Dludlu, Prime Circle, Taxi Violence, Bed on bricks, A-King, Red Earth and Rust, Valiant Swart, Ollie Viljoen etc.
Early 2007 saw the launch of his solo show arising from a close association with his friend Benjamin Darvill (aka Son of Dave). This enabled Ferguson to find a voice and created a vehicle for songwriting with an unique sound & approach which has led to a growing cult following. Dave Ferguson has taken his solo show all over South Africa (as well as Namibia, France, the UK and Italy) including all the major South African Rock & Blues Festivals (Oppikoppi, Splashy Fen, Up The Creek, Rocking The Daisies, The Table Mountain Blues Summit, Voodoo Lounge Blues Fest, Big Blues and even the two main Trance festivals: Earthdance and Rezonance).
Ferguson also opened for The Lemonhead’s Evan Dando, Gemma Ray, Candye Kane (US Blues Singer of The Year 2008) & played with Michelle Shocked as well as doing a private performance at the request of the Counting Crows while they were on tour.
Dave has an endorsement with Seydel Harmonicas and has done a live looping clinic for Boss to launch their new RC-30 pedal.
Dave Ferguson is currently based in Italy and the UK where he has been performing as well as shows in other parts of Europe including a prime slot at Balla Coi Cinghialli (Italy2011) and opening the Main Stage at The Rollright Fayre (UK 2012).

https://www.facebook.com/Lonesome-Dave-Ferguson-218930584833758/timeline