One of the most exciting blues-rock artists to appear at The Apex next month
A regular visitor to The Apex, Chantel McGregor (pictured above) stuns the audience with her guitar virtuosity every time she plays the venue. Now she’s back in town to showcase her own style of contemporary rock-blues next month.
Imagine the tone and inspiration of Jimi Hendrix, the energy of Royal Blood plus the intensity of Black Keys, contrasting with the haunting vocals of Stevie Nicks all rolled into one… Chantel has been hailed as one of the UK’s most exciting blues-rock artists.
She won five British Blues Awards in four consecutive years: “Young Artist of the Year” 2011; “Female Vocalist of the Year” 2012; “Female Vocalist of the Year” and “Guitarist of the Year” 2013; and “Guitarist of the Year” 2014.
When Chantel was eight years old, she was the youngest person in the UK to pass a rock school exam. At 14, she was told by major labels that she had a “great voice, but girls don’t play guitar like that!” Wisely ignoring the comments, she enrolled at the Leeds College of Music and became the first student in the college’s history to achieve a 100% pass mark, with 18 distinctions.
When she released her 2011 debut album, “Like No Other”, one critic said” “Chantel McGregor deserves to be held up as a messiah of blues-rock and given her own mountain. She doesn’t strum or pick her guitar but almost bends and distorts it, as if she’s channeling the ghost of Hendrix through her fingers.”
Paul Jones has always championed Chantel, saying: “Not only is she a very fine singer indeed, but a quite stunning guitarist.“
Her sessions for him have resulting in her holding the record for the longest song ever played on Radio 2 (from a live session at Maida Vale) and for the longest live session in a one-hour show.
In 2019 she released a live album that was recorded at The Apex. “Bury’d Alive” was widely regarded as a masterpiece; reviews included “a potent mix of hyper-tight musicianship from a road-tested, dialed-in trio and a bit of the magic that only occurs in live performances.” (Rock and Blues Muse) and “‘Bury’d Alive’ can proudly stand alongside some of the classic live releases; raw, exciting and vital.” (Down The Front Media).
She is currently writing for her third studio album, and debuting some of the new tracks on her tour which is taking place throughout the UK and Europe.
Chantel is at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds on Friday, May 5, at 7.30pm. Visit the websitewww.theapex.co.uk or ring 01284 758000 for more information or to book tickets.