PRESS RELEASE
Chris Pope returns after a gap of 35 years since last playing Manchester, with not one, but two gigs and as an extra bonus everyone who attends the gigs will get a free Chris Pope cd-single on entry: 15 August sees a solo part acoustic, part electric set at Kings Arms Salford followed by a full band gig with Chords UK on 25 September at Manchester’s Ruby Lounge.
He’s been recording again too. Since the split of Mod-Punk Mega-Group The Chords in 1981 (yielding just one album plus a series of seven classic singles) Chris Pope went on to form critically acclaimed bands Agent Orange, Gatecrash Heaven, and later Pope. He released a solo album in January of this year and is currently recording with Chords UK for an EP to be released in October and an album for early 2016 both to be released on his own E-pop label. Now Chris is now able to combine the past and present into what prove to be killer live performances, still with the venom and passion of the 70s/80s shows but now also with the style and grace of someone that really has nothing left to prove, which is fitting for a man who has written classics such as; ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, So Far Away, ‘Brave New World’, ‘Loves still here’ and the 2015 released ‘Peace Of Mind’ album, featuring singles ‘Mutiny On The Thames’ and ‘Meant To Be’.
We asked Chris how he decided while writing which of his new songs would be destined for his new solo LP and which would be Chords UK songs “that’s difficult to say really, all the songs from the solo albums (two as Pope and one as Chris Pope) would/could/should have been Chords songs if we had stayed together and grown…” as far as the writing process itself goes Chris’s technique is to “have them as finished songs with arrangements and shape to pat, play them to the rest of the band and let them sprinkle their magic on it”. The EP will be four songs, one of which will be the cover of The Kinks classic single Dedicated Follower Of Fashion that was released as a download only in the US last year, joined with a re-recording of an undisclosed Chords song (possibly Turn Away Again) and two new originals. Having heard one of the new ones it can safely be said that the energy levels stay high and brutal. The Kings Arms Salford is an intimate theatre with great acoustics, Chris will be playing a mix of Chords classics and solo material in a one-off gig.
Manchester’s own The Speed Of Sound host the Kings Arms gig as part of their on-going “What’s The Alternative?…THIS IS” series and continue to play their original collision between 1960’s and Now in their irrepressible way that somehow manages to float and crunch at the same time (“A cool mix of punk and the Byrds 5th Dimension LP” – Lord Litter DJ Berlin Germany) they will also play alongside The Transmitters and Chords UK at Ruby Lounge on 25 September.
Chris Pope reviews:
MOJO magazine – “Their debut reveals their protagonist hasn’t mellowed a bit with age.”– 4/5 stars
Uncut magazine – “as savage as (Pete) Townshend with toothache…Ace.”
“One Happy Man”
“Maybe Tomorrow” (1980)
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
