Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys at The Apex

The award-winning Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys serve up an exhilarating blend of original songs and fun covers packed with foot-stomping bluegrass, down-home country and reckless rockabilly that practically yanks you out of your seat by the collar!

Gordie MacKeeman exemplifies the term natural showman, his exuberance and onstage dynamism, combined with the stellar musicianship of his multi-instrumentalist comrades the Rhythm Boys, make for an unstoppable roots music force.

The Canadian combo have released three albums to date, which have brought the lads impressive airplay and multiple awards, though Gordie stresses that live performance remains his true calling. “I’d say we consider our-selves a live band more than a recording act,” he explains. “We just love being on-stage in front of an audience. We view our albums as a souvenir of the live show, so we record live off the floor as much as possible.

Advertisement
dr feelgood

The group features all-star pickers and singers, each one a musical Swiss army knife, trading instruments and styles every song. Gordie lives up to his nickname, ‘Crazy Legs’, hoofing with abandon, or sawing out a solo perched on top of the doghouse bass. Their eclectic sound draws upon bluegrass, old time country, folk, rockabilly, swing, Celtic, and other styles in a genre-defying fashion.

Both live and on record, Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys serve up a neat balance of traditional tunes and well-crafted group originals, in both instrumental and vocal styles. “For the traditional tunes, I try to find ones that are a little more obscure, though its nice to have a few that are very recognizable as well,” says Gordie.

The group continue to rack up frequent flyer miles at an impressive rate, visiting UK and Australia on a regular basis. “Weve done about 16 tours of England now in the last five years,” says Gordie. “It has got to the point where you feel comfortable in those places. I remember the first time in England we were so terrified of driving there, but now I dont think twice.

Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys are at The Apex on Monday 24 June at 7.30pm, see  www.theapex.co.uk or ring 01284 758000 for more information or to book tickets.

register online
sign in
faq

Advertisement
horn factory

editors picks
Grapevine Magazine