New supergroup to take to the stage at The Apex next month

Butler, Blake and Grant is the new supergroup trio of Teenage Fanclub’s frontman Norman Blake, Bernard Butler of Suede and Scottish musician James Grant and are due to play at The Apex, next month.

The recently-formed collaboration first joined forces at last year’s Celtic Connections Festival. Although they had never performed together before, it was a runaway success.

They perform a selection of each other’s songs – each musician fronting one of their own songs in turn, with input from their co-players. The set list also includes Fanclub album tracks and Butler’s forgotten solo forays, plus offbeat insights into the inspiration for songs.

Alongside the beautifully crafted tunes, filled with melody and harmony, there’s a natural camaraderie and comic rapport.

Bernard Butler has been hailed as one of Britain’s most original and influential guitarists. In 1989 he formed the group Suede, co-writing and playing guitars on every recording until 1994, including the hits “Metal Mickey”, “Animal Nitrate” and “Stay Together”. His contribution remains the defining moment in the band’s history.

Moving on, he collaborated with the singer David McAlmont on the anthemic “Yes” and album “The Sound Of…McAlmont & Butler” and has written, produced and played alongside many artists including Bert Jansch, Duffy, Texas, Bryan Ferry and The Libertines (their biggest hit “Don’t Look Back Into The Sun” featured Butler’s uncredited guitar as well as production).

Norman Blake has been the centre force in Teenage Fanclub since the band released its debut album, “A Catholic Education” in 1990. Teenage Fanclub has released ten albums to date, the most recent being “Endless Arcade”.

Ex Love And Money frontman, James Grant is a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter. His writing style has been compared to Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits, and his guitar playing compared to Eric Clapton. As well as playing with Ewan Vernall (from Deacon Blue), he has also worked with the likes of Tom Verlaine (from the band ‘Television’) and Jeffrey Porcaro (from Toto).

 Butler, Blake & Grant play The Apex on Friday, March 10, at 7.30pm. Contact the Box Office on 01284 758000 or see the website www.theapex.co.uk for more details or to book.