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Steve Harley at The Apex

Steve Harley, the original Cockney Rebel, will be touring with his Acoustic Trio, playing an intimate and atmospheric show at The Apex on 14 March.

Harley’s list of hits is considerable, and includes ‘Judy Teen’, ‘Mr Soft’, ‘Here Comes The Sun’, ‘Mr Raffles’, ‘Love’s a Prima Donna’, and of course, ‘Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)’. Released in 1975, the song has been covered by other artists over 100 times, in several languages and has been confirmed by the Performing Rights Society as one of the most played records in British broadcasting.

Steve began his singing career “floor-spotting” (singing for free as a member of the audience) in London folk clubs in 1971/72. He later joined folk band Odin as rhythm guitarist and co-singer, before forming Cockney Rebel as a vehicle for his own work.

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Steve has written lyrics for several other artists, including Rod Stewart, who has called him “one of the finest lyricists the UK has ever produced.” However, after nearly 40 years of touring the world, Steve Harley still says, “Playing live is the biggest thrill there is. Every night is different. Every audience and every town have their own personality, and I am a relentless explorer… I love it more now than ever. I cannot imagine stopping it. It’s what I do, play and sing”.

The Acoustic Trio sees Steve joined by his Cockney Rebel band-mates of long-standing, Barry Wickens [violin & guitar] and James Lascelles [piano and percussion].  The set will be built around tracks from any of Steve’s 13 original albums and will include all-time favourites, together with more recent tracks from critically-acclaimed albumsThe Quality Of Mercy’ and ‘Stranger Comes To Town’.

The performance promises subtle lyricism, mingled with great improvisation and rocky rhythms. “Playing the songs in an acoustic format gives me time and space to enjoy every second” says Steve. “And we improvise, which is always a big excitement for any musician. We can loosen off the arrangements and really explore. It gets pretty exciting during the acoustic sets.”

Steve Harley’s Acoustic Trio perform at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds on Thursday 14 March at 7.30pm. Tickets are £28.50, ring the box office on 01284 758000 or see www.theapex.co.uk for more details.

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