Mick Clarke - Best of the 90s (2019)

Mick has become an established name on the international touring scene and has played regularly in Europe, Asia and the USA. Praised for his fiery "straight from the wood" guitar sound, Mick is the winner of the 2014 Artist Aloud Awards "Best International Act" and appeared at Sweden Rock Festival in June 2018, sharing the bill with metal legends Iron Maiden.

The Mick Clarke Band was established in the early 80s and has appeared on numerous festivals with artists such as Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter and Joe Bonamassa. Recent shows have included festival appearances in Italy, Belgium and India, and in July 2017 Mick appeared at the Mostar Blues & Rock festival in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Mick has released nineteen solo albums so far.

Mick began his career with KILLING FLOOR part of the British blues boom of the late 60s. The band backed Texas blues guitar star Freddie King and toured with legends Howlin' Wolf, Otis Spann and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. Two albums were released - the first, "Killing Floor" is one of Classic Rock Magazines "20 greatest British blues albums 1967-1970". In 2003 Killing Floor reformed for recording and tour projects, and recent live work has included several European blues and rock festivals.

In the mid 70s Mick co-formed SALT with British singer Stevie Smith, a powerful blues-rock act who were a big hit in the UK playing regularly at London's Marquee Club and other top venues. The band played at the Reading Festival and also opened for Muddy Waters at his first major London concert. In 1978 the band morphed into RAMROD with ex Rory Gallagher Band members Lou Martin and Rod De'Ath, touring in Ireland and again playing extensively in London, opening for Muddy at his Rainbow Theatre concert.

THE MICK CLARKE BAND originally started working around the London area in the early 80s, but quickly received offers of work from mainland Europe and the United States. Early festival appearances such as the Belgium R&B Festival in Peer confirmed their appeal for continental audiences, while the US tours established a world wide reputation for the band.

Mick's first solo album "Looking For Trouble" came out on the Italian label Appaloosa in the early 80s and sold well. More albums quickly followed including "West Coast Connection" recorded in Portland, Oregon with an all star line-up including Curtis Salgado, Rod DeAth (Rory Gallagher Band) and Dover Weinberg (Robert Cray Band). Later releases were on the German label Taxim, including the classics "No Compromise" and "Roll Again". "Happy Home" on Mick's U.S. label Burnside featured just Mick with Lou Martin on piano and some old favourite songs. "Live in Luxembourg" was Mick's first live album, recorded in 2002 at the "Big Blues" in Luxembourg, and the 2007 "Solid Ground" contains thirteen original blues rock compositions.

"The Rambunctious Blues Experiment" was recorded at Mick's home studio in Surrey, "Rockfold" and features Mick with Russell Chaney on drums and Dangerous Dave Newman on harp. "Ramdango","Crazy Blues" and 2015's "Shake It Up" were also recorded at Rockfold, but by Mick alone, on a variety of instruments - real drums, but not necessarily all at once. The live "Ruff'n'Roar" showcases the band's down home blues side, live in a small club with Chris Sharley on drums and Eddie Masters on bass. "Diggin' Down", "Bent Frets" and the current "Steppin' Out" have continued Mick's solo approach to studio recording, although "Steppin' Out" features a guest appearance by harp player Dangerous Dave Newman.

Recent tours have included appearances at the Baden Blues Festival in Switzerland, "Blues Express" Luxembourg, "Rock at Sea" in Stockholm, Sweden, "Seven Nights to Blues" in France and the Bragdoya Blues Festival in Norway. In 2014 the Mick Clarke Band headlined the "Simply The Blues" Festivals in Mumbai and Bangalore, India. Recent European festival dates have included the Mostar Blues and Rock Festival, Bosnia-Herzegovina in July 2017.

In the U.S.A. Mick has appeared with artists such as Johnny Winter, Canned Heat, Foghat and C.J.Chenier. The Southern California Blues Society called him "One of the finest blues players to come out of England".

The Mick Clarke Band usually features Chris Sharley on drums and Eddie Masters on bass, either as a three piece or augmented with Dave Lennox on keyboards or Dangerous Dave Newman on harp.

In June 2018 Mick played at Sweden Rock Festival, one of Europe's major rock events, with Chris Sharley and Stuart McDonald (Killing Floor) on bass. The festival was headlined by Iron Maiden and Ozzy Osbourne. In July 2019 a new single, the Jimmy Rogers classic "Walking By Myself" was released, and the band headlined the Blues Night at the Karlshamn Baltic Festival, Sweden. 36 years from its formation the MC Band continues to rock the blues.