A new venture at a smaller venue is the focus of our feature and emphasising the continuing importance of grass roots music promotion…

Feature by Jason Ritchie

Not content with photographing rock and roll artists under his Mart’s Arts Photography handle, Martin David Porter is putting on an acoustic gig by Tyketto frontman Danny Vaughn on Friday 24 May at Fairycroft House, Saffron Walden. Here Mart gives us the background to the gig and the iconic venue it will be held in…

With the current state of live music at grassroots level why the heck would you want to put on gigs?!

(Laughs) Maybe I’m tapped in the head, I am certainly busy enough without putting myself through it, that’s for sure. Mainly because I love live music so much and I am stubborn and do not want to see it die. Another reason is I have worked with so many great acts who I’d love to see play at Fairycroft House that I’d really want to make happen. So why not get off my backside and do it ?

I have the connections, passion, venue to put on a show that I’d like to see and get other people to pay to come along and make it happen.

What appeals to you about the venue, Fairycroft House?

Fairycroft House is such a special place, it has an aura and a certain little magic that makes anyone involved there fall in with love with the place. Since I was a kid, it was a youth centre and a place to meet. It so nearly became a block of houses before Tim Atkinson stepped in and saved it.

There is so much going on there and live music is only a small proportion of what happens; from being a meeting place for the Town’s young carers, dementia café, a place for the elderly to come during the day, creative writing, life drawing, language classes, dance, ballet, all aspects of the arts and crafts, and comedy nights.

The All Star Jam is very popular and draws in musician from many miles as does its sister night the more relaxed Wood & Wire acoustic sessions. Tim recently had the main Burston Hall (named after Tim’s great friend Wurzel of Motorhead fame) renovated with a huge chimney wall removed improving its potential so much so that when I’d been shooting at some of these venues that are known on the live music scene with reverence, I started to think to myself, Fairycroft is bigger than here, there’s better loading in and parking, it is generally a nicer place etc. The wall coming down was just the first phase of bringing this building to life, a music venue to contend with any other of the smaller venues.

You’ve put on gig previously. What have the been highlights from these?

I’ve done a few now, all have very different highlights; Leader of Down bringing a full light show, smoke, flames, festival level amplification and production into Saffron Walden Town Hall. This was putting on something that does not happen there outside a Leader of Down show apart from the Miss Disco ones (which I work on as their photographer).

L.O.D. is a full hard rock show with support from local acts and bands from as far away as Wales. The Hillbilly Hoedown featured three local acts (Dan Pipe, Moonshine Coyote, James White & The Wild Fire) that specialise in three very different areas of the Americana sound but all doing original material as well as the odd cover. It was a sell out and a very good night out, that’s got to be a highlight.

Doris Brendal & Lee Dunham was another highlight for a third reason: I knew what I had with the package I’d put together that night and was so invested with the whole thing. People came up to me to tell me what an amazing night it was, how high quality it was and how great the performances were. It made all the hard work and attention to detail worthwhile. People enjoying what I do is basically the reason for these answers I suppose.

Getting Tyketto’s Danny Vaughn to headline is a bit of a coup. How did this come about?

Yes, I know, I am well chuffed he agreed. I am a fan, but Danny has been a friend of mine for well over a decade now.

I will tell you a funny story about my first meeting with Danny; a friend of mine introduced us on social media and I spoke to Danny a few times about photographing the Ultimate Eagles whom he was in at that time, it was either their first show or one of the first.

I was introduced to him in person on the evening just before he went on and I chatted with him, my friend and my Mrs. I told him why I was trying to get into the music scene as a photographer; I had a passion for music and loved it so much but had no talent musically,

I had tried to play bass and could not hold a tune in a bucket. So, mid gig when he’s doing the crowd participation he says, “Right I want to see all your hands. I want to hear all your voices, as loud as you can, everyone of you can sing…………….except him!”. He points to and me and smiles.

Soon after Tyketto had just reformed with their original line up there was a proper buzz about it in the melodic rock circles. I questioned Danny about the band having its own social media page and presence, he wasn’t sure a first and didn’t have the time or experience at that point to create one.

With his blessing, I created a website for him and managed it for a good few years until someone could take over. Many years have passed since those days, and it’s fair to say our contact with each other was not as often as it was.

I would still, schedule permitting, shoot his various live projects whenever possible; I was due to do a quick promo shoot before his last solo gig at the Grace in London, but he caught a bug that meant he had to reduce his activity to just shows so as not to ruin his voice and let his fans down.

Other than being one of the best singers and frontmen I’ve ever seen, he is also a gentleman who remembers his allies over the years hence he agreed when I asked him to.

If this Danny Vaughn gig proves successfully what gigs could we possibly see you promoting in the future?

I intend to make the Mart’s Arts Presents a series, a brand if you like! I want to support Fairycroft as a friend of the venue and the staff there. With the immense work and events that they already host, I want to help put the venue on the live music map. My aim is having bigger national/international headlining acts and have local acts support them, bringing them to attention of headliners’ fans.

The trick is finding musicians of Doris Brendal, Leader of Down and Danny Vaughn’s stature that are willing to put their necks on the line and give a new venue/promoter a chance. Both Tim and I are pretty well connected, and I have a wish list, watch this space…

Anything else to add…

I just like to say to anyone who ever considers buying a concert ticket then please do so, venues are closing all over the place. Music is one of the fundamental parts of civilisation, it predates language and sadly nowadays certain areas will try and convince you its folly or a hobby and not important, but it is! However hard things are currently, a gig is often only the cost of a few coffees and a cake.

PS if people ask me what was the best ever gig I’ve ever seen Danny’s Tyketto at Firefest 2012 is in the top three, I’d seriously buy a ticket to see him sing with Tyketto or solo of I were you.

Danny Vaughn will need no introduction to readers of this site, be it with Tyketto, solo or more recently as part of Snake Oil & Harmony with Dan Reed. Here he gives us an update on all things Tyketto and what we can expect at the gig…

What sort of setlist can we expect at the gig on May 24th?

My set lists are never the same from show to show. There are a few songs, of course, that
people expect to hear, but I also like to try and cover as much of my album making career as possible. Also, I like to have those who are attending a show write to me and tell me what they would most like to hear me play. It’s challenging and it keeps things fresh.

What have you got planned music wise for this year?

It just seems to get busier and busier! Tyketto shows, festivals, solo acoustic shows, house
concerts, recording and composing work, etc. I’m going to spend a lot of time in airports this year.

Are there any plans in the pipeline for more Tyketto activity?

Oh yeah, Tyketto has a lot going on. We’re playing a bunch of big festivals this year:
Bonfest, Call Of The Wild, Maid Of Stone, Wildfest and Sweden Rock. There will be a U.K.
tour with a very special headline guest in the autumn. That will be announced soon. And I’m starting to work on writing the next album which we hope to release in 2025.

Do you as a singer find it more challenging to sing in an acoustic setting? For example, you are the sole focus of the audience.

The acoustic setting can be very daunting, more so than even a large festival audience, because there is nothing to hide behind. But I love the intimacy of the acoustic shows. I love attempting to create a memorable mood with an audience and sharing the stories from my songs and my life. It feels very communal, even familial.

Message for your fans…

My message to my fans is simple. Your support and encouragement is a palpable force that I feel every single day. I’m deeply grateful to everyone that still wants to hear me sing and comes out to support live music. Thank you :)

Tim Atkinson, not only is bassist in Leader of Down, a band he formed with former Motorhead guitarist Wurzel, but runs Fairycroft House, a venue that mixes community events and live music. We asked Tim to tell us more about the venue and how he became involved in it…

How did you become to be involved in Fairycroft House?

I used to run Rockschools for young people there with Würzel from Motörhead and he always used to say to me that we should buy the building and then after his sad passing the building was closed down by Essex County Council and the opportunity arose to purchase it and turn Fairycroft into a community venue.

Is the plan to have more live shows at the venue, in addition to the community events, of which there seem to be a healthy amount of.

We will be increasing the number of live shows throughout the year and are just having a
new lighting and sound system installed and we are really trying to make it the best live
venue in this area for its size. We have all genres of music here to cater for everyone’s taste as well as regular comedy nights and other events.

We have 2 recording and rehearsal studios so we can cover everyone’s needs in the area.

For someone thinking of attending an event at Fairycroft House what is its appeal and what does it have that perhaps other venues don’t?

Fairycroft is a unique place and as it was originally a Georgian Manor House it had its own
charm. We have recently made the main hall larger by removing a wall and it has an
atmosphere of its own. The best thing I can say is to come down and see us and experience
it for yourself and we have our own car park which really helps in a rural area.

Danny Vaughn

Singer Danny Vaughn is one of the best singers in Rock today, with Classic Rock Magazine labelling him “Titanic Tonsils”. Known as a solo artist as well as tenures in the bands Vaughn, Waysted, Snake Oil & Harmony (with Dan Reed), and a much requested guest vocalist in the melodic rock circles on many albums and projects.

Danny, however, is best known for being the frontman and founding member of Tyketto,
the US Melodic Rockers who scored platinum success with their debut album, Don’t Come easy, featuring the anthem, Forever Young, alongside Wings, Nothing but Love, Burning Down Inside, Standing Alone and the follow up album, Strength in Numbers included the radio hits End of The Summer Days and Rescue Me.

Still recording, Tyketto’s last album, Reach, was released in late 2016, topping the UK
rock charts, and the band have toured consistently over the years, including performances at Download festival, Steelhouse, Stone Free festival, Sweden Rocks, Rock Im Tal, Rockfest Barcelona, as well as touring all over the UK, Europe, USA and recently
Australia.

This will be a very special acoustic solo show at Fairycroft House before Danny takes his
Tyketto lads to headline the Sunday slot at Call of The Wild at the Lincolnshire Showground two days later.

Rob Angelico

Support comes in Mart’s Arts presents fashion; booking local musicians in the form of Rob Angelico, who has an impressive career in the rock music industry. Currently the frontman in the band Mansworth and former lead singer of Piston who released the brilliant ‘Let Us Rise’ album in 2019. They were noted by Planet Rock as ones to watch, performing with the likes of Phil Campbell & T.B.S, The Temperance Movement, Sebastian Bach and supporting Ugly Kid Joe and Thunder at the Birmingham Resorts World Arena.

With his bluesy, soulful yet powerful voice with Danny, it makes the complete package of
impressive vocalists who have seen it and done it in hard rock World!

CORY/PROUD

The nights openers will be CORY/PROUD , local singer Tom Cory and guitarist James
Proud with be bringing their popular ‘Starkers’ mini set to Fairycroft for this very special
night.

Fri 24th May 2024
Doors 19:30
Tickets £15.00
Bar open
Limited car park available

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