Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – CHANTEL McGREGOR (February 2023)
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Chantel’s down to earth Yorkshire lass delivery has endeared her to fans as much as her musicianship…
Photo: David Randall
Yorkshire singer/songwriter/guitarist Chantel McGregor first came to our attention in May 2010 when Pete Feenstra reviewed her debut London gig at the legendary 100 Club. Pete said: “… this was rock blues for the new age played by a musician born with an effortless virtuosity, peppered by flights of incendiary guitar and flanked by moments of poise, grace and fluidity.”
Chantel defied the usual grimacing rock guitar hero, greeting punters at the door, striding out barefoot on stage, and in a full blown summer dress. No leathers or shades!!
Pete noted something special, if not quite fully formed. Since that time we’ve followed Chantel (suitably distanced of course) and she’s matured into an artist of real substance.
In reviewing that 2010 gig, Pete stated “… while Chantel breaks the mould by crossing the divide from Gracie Fields to Steve Vai, through a combination of a broad Yorkshire accent, an occasional shake of her mane and a truckful of notes … her musical acumen is simply too impressive to play second fiddle to her bubbly personality.”
For a few years prior, Chantel had been building an audience on the blues circuit including blues festivals. She told Jason Ritchie in August 2011, when she was the website’s Featured Artist, “I never really made a conscious decision to play in a bluesy style, it’s just really the way my playing developed”. When her debut album appeared that year she surprised punters by mixing up a number of styles from the catchy pop of the title track and ‘Fabulous’ to a couple of covers, honouring Fleetwood Mac and Robin Trower.
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“..where Chantel can steal a march is by broadening her appeal to a non-blues based audience. Beer-bellied festival goers will love her of course but I have to say there is more to life than appealing to those old enough to be her Dad, or even grandad.” David Randall Album review (Like No Other, 2011) |
I’ve never really listened to just one style of music, so I guess my style has become a mixture of everything that I’ve ever listened to.
Chantel McGregor, August 2011
It could be argued that Chantel is a child of the social media generation, in her early years as a professional musician she was embracing Facebook and Twitter as a tool of promotion. She also had a young person’s approach to illegal downloads which at the time was particularly threatening to musicians. She told Jason:
I think the internet has been wonderful. Yes there are issues with illegal downloading and free streaming sites, but for me, they are a tool to help spread the word. If someone finds out about my album, goes home and listens to it on Spotify, decide they like it, and buy it, then the free streaming programme has done it’s job.
YouTube has been a blessing to me, so many people from all over the world get in touch saying that they love the videos, it’s an advert for the live shows, not only attracting people to the gigs from from the UK, but people have travelled from America, Sweden, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, all because of YouTube!!!!! It’s really humbling!!!!
Since 2010 Chantel has been regularly featured in festivals such as the Great British Blues & Rock event (Skegness) and the Cambridge Rock Festival. In August 2011 Keith Thompson commented: “It is easy to forget that Chantel has jammed with the likes of Joe Bonamassa as long ago as 2006 and now following his gig circuit of the same era. So let’s swiftly lose any convenient notion that Chantel is some kind of novelty act. She is right up there with the best and deserves our utmost respect.”
Photo: Noel Buckley
This audience warmed to her small frame but big heart. The queue for her merchandise stall featuring a T-shirt with around 40 dates on it headed by ‘Oh My God it’s Chantel McGregor’ on the back showed what incredible progress this lady has made. Move over Joanne Shaw Taylor!
Noel Buckley, January 2012
It wasn’t until 2015 that Chantel released her sophomore album ‘Lose Control’ and marked a further stage in her musical journey.
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“..sets herself the task of breaking out of the blues mould that has sustained her so far, to incorporate familiar rock styles (metal, grunge and prog) into something that is uniquely her own. She does so with a confident vocal range, stellar phrasing and pristine diction. Her guitar parts are an integral part of the arrangements and act like an extra voice to express those feelings beyond her lyrics.” Pete Feenstra Album review (Lose Control, 2015) |
Our first interview dates from 8 March 2013 when Pete chatted to Chantel about her influences and musical background. (The video of this interview is available on our YouTube channel). (11:33)
Pete Feenstra chatted to Chantel for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio in October 2014 playing tracks from her debut album ‘Like No Other’.
Three years later they chatted again about her music with tracks from the album ‘Lose Control’. First broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, 7 May 2017
From the album, the song ‘Walk On Land’ has become a mainstay of her stage act and was a highlight of her show at the Giants Of Rock (Minehead) in 2018 when we noted “a set that combined hard hitting blues rock with just the right amount of commercial allure.
We’ve followed her slow but steady progress over the years and, while you’re more likely to find out about the latest make-up techniques on her Twitter feed than news of a new album, she’s worked tirelessly to build her audience initially courting the blues festivals that attract a largely older male audience.”
And as Pete Whalley noted: “With her engaging and down to earth Yorkshire-bred banter she deserves to succeed more than most, and it was telling that 45 minutes after her set ended she was still selling and signing CDs.”
Photo: David Randall
A year later and Chantel’s constant gigging took her to Maidstone, Kent and the ‘Ramblin Man Fair‘. Our man Dave Atkinson described ” a perfect scruff-of-the-neck Festival set, full of thick riffs, heavy blues and power ballads … lyrical themes of recklessness, retribution and justice contrasted starkly with her disarming inter-song narratives: “Bloomin’ ‘eck, this is swish in’t it?”, came the flat northern vowels of a humble and engaging performer, on surveying the festival site.
Safe to say Chantel McGregor made an awful lot of new friends here.”
Photo: Andy Nathan
A diverse set combined with her gentle down-to-earth Yorkshire humour would not only have pleased confirmed followers but won a few new admirers, myself included. Andy Nathan, October 2019
Nearly 10 years earlier Pete Feenstra had reviewed Chantel’s first London gig. In 2019, he reviewed her first live album.
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“…she’s forged her own direction. Most of the material may be more than 4 years old, but the band and the material has grown organically. ‘Bury’d Alive’ answers any lingering questions about her musical direction. Both her more introspective moments and the contrasting barn burning solos emotionally project her beyond her lyrical ideas into the stratosphere.” Album review (Bury’d Alive, 2019) |
This album was an early recorded outing for the new piece ‘April’ which like ‘Walk On Land’ has become a staple in her live set.
During Lockdown (2020/2021) Chantel exploited the popularity of video livestreams providing a regular show and this led to the release of two volumes of the ‘Shed Sessions’. Stripped back originals and cover versions really showed the true depth of her talent .
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“What both volumes reveal is a talented guitarist, yes, but a lovely voice too. When I reviewed Chantel’s debut album, in 2011, I opined “There is fragility in her songwriting and in her vocal style, which is highly appealing – this may have something to do with her young age but it bodes well also for the future.” Album review (Shed Sessions, 2021) |
A tireless live performer, the only frustration has to be the long gaps between studio albums. Whilst other contemporaries may be more prolific in this respect, it could be argued that – with Chantel – it is always a case of quality over quantity. We can’t wait!
Pete Feensta chatted to Chantel for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio to tie in with the February 2023 promotion. She chatted about her music with album tracks including some from those artists who have influenced and/or inspired her. First broadcast 29 January 2023.
Story coordination: David Randall
Contributors: Dave Atkinson, Noel Buckley, Pete Feenstra, Andy Nathan, Jason Ritchie, Keith Thompson. Pete Whalley
2023 Dates
04 Feb Manchester Academy 3 – co-headline with Elles Bailey
05 Feb Milton Keynes, The Stables – co-headline with Elles Bailey
09 Feb Pocklington Arts Centre Pocklington
10 Feb TIVOLI Buckley
17 Feb Yardbirds Rock Club Grimsby
23 Feb The Crescent Community Venue York
05 Mar 1865 Southampton
17 Mar Leeds Brudenell, co-headline with Elles Bailey
26 Mar Le Blues Autour Du Zinc Beauvais, France
29 Mar The Half Moon London
04 May KK’s Steel Mill Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
05 May The Apex Bury St. Edmunds
06 May Bosworth Blues Festival, Market Bosworth
13 May Rotherham Chantry Brewery
17 May SOLD OUT – Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre Barnoldswick
18 May Nottingham, Rescue Rooms, Co-headline with Elles Bailey
26 May Bannerman’s Edinburgh
28 May Drummonds Aberdeen
02 Jun Worthing, Factory Live (postponed from 8.12.22)
17 Jun Silsden, Town Hall Silsden
01 Jul EXTRA DATE – Temperance – Leamington Spa
02 Jul Alfold Rock and Blues Festival
08 Sep 100 Club London
21 Oct Morecambe Platform
26 Nov *EXTRA DATE ADDED* Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Next session: Sunday 1 December
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.
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More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024
ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)
Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)
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