Cupar blues club ends its monthly sessions '“ but the music goes on

After 11 years of promoting their regular gigs, the organisers have decided to call it a day.

But they’re going out on a high, with the blues session on Friday, March 4, at Watts in Cupar, featuring master of the slide guitar John Hunt and electric indie/blues band GT’s Boos Band.

And there’s further good news as Watts has agreed to organise its own monthly sessions, while the blues and beyond club will still promote occasional one-off events.

In fact, they’ve actually got one lined up already, for Friday, March 11, when Spanish guitarists Giorgio Serci and Jonny Phillips will be performing at Watts.

Charlie Milne, of the blues and beyond club, said: “It was just getting a bit tying to organise every month.

“Since we started up all the organisers have retired and, ironically, find it more difficult to devote the time as we tend to be away a bit more, with grandchildren and other activities having come along.

“We gave it 11 years and hopefully Watts taking over will mean this sort of music can be kept live in Cupar.

“They have already posted on Facebook that they intend the format to remain the same with an acoustic opening act followed by a band.”

The club’s final monthly gig promises to be a night to remember.

John Hunt – described as “a breath of fresh air for blues” – not only writes his “21st century up-blues” songs, he also builds his guitars.

His first, back in 1986, was made from papier-mache, his second, in 2008, from a B&Q shelf, which turned out to be the world’s first solar-powered electric guitar. In 2013 he built the Radiocaster.

He has moved around in pursuit of inspiration, spending five years living in a shed on the Isles of Scilly and a similar time in Orkney. Since 2009, he has stormed audiences at The International Jazz and Blues and Fringe Festivals in Edinburgh.

GT’S Boos Band are led by guitarist John Boos and lead vocalist Greig Taylor (GT). Bassist David Atkinson and drummer Allan Huntly complete the line-up.

A little over five years have passed since self-taught blues guitarist Boos approached singer GT about hooking up for an acoustic jam. After two years touring the circuit as an acoustic duo, and building a significant following, they devised the idea of the GT’s Boos Band electric blues project.

Their debut album ‘Steak House’ was released September 2013 to substantial critical acclaim, and the band see themselves and their music representing a new wave of blues-based artists.