UK Paper Leisure Club

Bourne To The Blues are mega excited to bring two much acclaimed acts, on one stage, in one night, as we welcome Catfish & Ash Wilson to The Appleyard in Sittingbourne. Advance tickets are only £12.50. CATFISH UK and British Blues Award winners Catfish have carved a reputation for themselves as an excellent live band with a phenomenal frontman in 23 year old guitarist/vocalist Matt Long who plays with a real passion for the blues. Over 2 years they received 5 nominations in the British Blues Awards and have just been awarded a UK Blues Award as Blues Act of the Year (England). Both their albums have reached no 1 in the IBBA Blues Airplay Charts This year they have already completed successful tours of Holland, Germany and Spain and have a further three European tours already booked for 2019, along with an impressive set of dates all over the UK. Their album Broken Man was voted album of the year for 2017 by the Independent Blues Broadcasters Association. 'Catfish are one of the finest live bands in Britain today. The quality of musicianship is outstanding and in Matt Long, they have one of the greatest young guitarists on the scene today...' Blues Matters Magazine August 2017. ASH WILSON Drawn to the Blues music his parents introduced him to, (artists such as Muddy Waters, Son House, Eric Clapton and Albert King), It became obvious his ambition as a 14 year old was to become a great Artist like his heroes. Early in his career he co-founded East Midlands based Blues band The Melt aged 16. During the three years of touring and opening for such acts as: Walter Trout, Mountain, Doctor Feelgood and The Animals the band released there critically acclaimed “self titled” album. Voted “debut album of the year by Blues In Britain magazine” Showing Ash at the age of 17 was already a gifted guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Ash in his early 20’s decided to join “DJUNE, featuring his Brother Phil Wilson, (Laurence Jones, Scott Mckeon, Sean Webster), on drums, Greg Smith, (Sean Webster), on the Bass and Robert Patchett on Guitar. After further crafting a rare and distinctive songwriting, guitar and singing skills he wrote and recorded tracks featured in films by “Wavelength” Europe’s biggest surfing magazine. These opportunities led to Djune performing with Ocean Colour Scene, The Kooks and Pigeon Detectives. After a break, Ash returned to being a live performer with alternative rock band Infamous Vampires. Co-founded with his brother Phil Wilson the band was created as a canvas for them to indulge in a darker setting and delve into a more complex place both lyrically and musically. The self titled album was released in May of 2014. Although the project was not a serious outfit it did see the start of Ash’s writing relationship with his brother Phil. In 2014 he became a full time member of the Sean Webster Band. Being a part of Sean’s band Ash, working both as a rhythm and lead player transformed Sean’s live set and the well received album “See it through” In 2016 Ash was asked to join, Jesse Davey's Big Blues Band, co-writing and singing the song “The Revalator" from the “Big Blues Album” Which came 3rd in the 2016 “best Album Category. The album also featured blues greats Hugh Coltman, Ian Siegle, Pete Gage, Scott Mckeon, Sam Bratley, Phil Wilson and Mark Barret. With all this outside activity, Ash has never written a solo album. But while honing his skills as a guitarist, songwriter and singer, he stockpiled ideas and songs he'd written for himself as well for Sean Webster, The Melt and Jesse Davey. He selected songs and co-written songs with his brother for his Debut solo album Broken Machine. Since 2015 in the year following his daughters birth Ash’s influences of life journeys and reflections manifest themselves in Broken Machine’s message and soul. The release of Ash's debut album features Phil Wilson on drums (Jesse Davey, Laurence Jones), Roger Inniss on Bass (Chaka Khan, Laurence Jones) and Bob Fridzema on Keys (KING KING, Dana Fuchs) Also appearing on Broken Machine is Jesse Davey (The Hoax) on the song "The Hitcher”, is a watershed achievement for Ash Wilson both in terms of the many musical styles in the tracks, which begin and end with the blues at its core, with the explorations and growth of him as a singer, songwriter and guitarist. Resulting in the spiritual growth expressed through the medium of his music 2018 has seen Ash performing guitar duties for soulful blues rocker, from Brooklyn, Sari Schorr and the chance of Ash returning to Sittingbourne, with his band, in November is guaranteed to attract a lot of attention.