News & Gig Reports

New footage of our Ukrainian gig!

Fri, 7 Oct 2011 15:31:18 +0100

The wonderful Sasha Flit has cut some footage of us playing in the Ukraine earlier this year. Isn't it wonderful!

Parties!

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 16:45:41 +0100

We've been busy lately - but playing private parties and so not able to invite people along, nor have we really been able to show pictures.

We played a stormer in Chiswick in July and then had some well deserved time off. We were back on the case again recently with a party in Henley.

We have a few more parties in the diary - but hopefully we will be playing in public again soon. If nothing else, we will be playing our Christmas party (which will be open to the public - and free!) on 3rd December in Chiswick. See you there!

Bedford Park Festival

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 18:04:59 +0100

We really enjoyed our return to the Bedford Park Festival - also known as Green Days.

It was a lovely hot early summer day and there was a record crowd at the Festival. We had been asked to play at 3pm, when most people are in attendance. As last year, Baz and his team of sound engineers managed to sort out the sound and our setup in record time - they really are impressively good at delivering a great sound on stage and, we are assured, for the listening crowd.

We played a mixed set of old favourites and new songs and soon had people bopping and singing along.

Thanks to everyone at the Festival for inviting us back. See you next year I hope!

The Hart in June

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:35:16 +0100

Back to London and our regular monthly residency at The Hart in Hammersmith.

This month we were very excited to be joined by our friends in Pocket Rocket, fronted by the wonderful Toby Burton. Toby has been a great supporter of Creak over the last few years and so it was great to be able to repay his kindness and to watch him and the band go through their paces. They gave us a great set of original material, delivered with verve and confidence. Thanks guys!

We played a slightly different set of material - partly in preparation for other gigs and partly because we wanted to! Some of our endings need a little more work, but everything we did seemed to go down well.

See you in July for the next one!

On Tour in The Ukraine

Sat, 21 May 2011 09:47:57 +0100

Wow! What a gig, what a festival, what a country!

Creak were lucky enough to be invited to play at the Europe Day festival in the Ukrainian city of Vinnitsa. Sadly we were not all able to get the time away but, with one guitarist and the wonderful Jon Maury deputising on drums, we set off, not really knowing what we were letting ourselves in for.

Our first surprise was that the festival is huge. Whole sections of the town were closed and thousands of people were on the streets to enjoy it. Our second surprise was that we were going to headline!

Thanks to our friends (well we're all friends with them now!) - Jim, and the guys in The Klondike Band - we were made to feel at home, had access to a rehearsal space and given amps to borrow for our backline on stage. Their hospitality was spectacular and made all the difference.

We were playing on the full festival stage - lighting rig, full PA and exhibition ramp (especially for lead singers and guitarists with radio leads...!). Plenty of space to bounce about, which helped to add to the fun. There was a huge crowd - thousands in all probability. There were certainly people as far as we could see, jumping up and down and singing along. Even over the PA and the monitor sounds, we could hear the crowd roaring.

It was exhausting - and spectacular! Have a look at the pictures here. Thanks to Yuri Olifirovich and Livia Shlesman for the photographs.

Set List
1. Crossroads
2. Sharp Dressed Man
3. Get it On
4. Can't Get Enough of you Love
5. Dancing in the Streets
6. Fire
7. Red House Blues - with Jim and Yuri
8. Route 66 - with Jim and Yuri
9. Sunshine of your Love
10. Are you gonna go my way / Rebel rebel
11. 20th Century Boy
12. Bad Case of Loving You
13. You Really Got Me
14. Honey Bee
15. Addicted to Love
16. Born to be Wild
17. Word Up
18. Back in the USSR (of course!)

Back in the Hart

Fri, 6 May 2011 13:16:36 +0100

We had a lovely evening. Three gigs in and we have the sound sorted out and this time got our new lights working well too.

We played well and enjoyed some new material which makes us all work a little harder. I think there are more chords in the first set than we played all last year.

This time we were supported by the Air Hillaires. They were a little rusty and sadly weren't able to bring too much of a crowd - so the Hart was a little quieter than we have grown used to. Thanks for stepping in at short notice to support, though.

Next time out we'll be joined by Pocket Rocket - so set the date in your diary now. It will be a great evening.

Set List
1. Can’t Get Enough of Your Love
2. Born Under a Bad Sign
3. Sultans of Swing
4. Honey Bee
5. 50 Ways to Leave your Lover
6. Black Friday
7. La Grange

8. Proud Mary
9. Missionary Man
10. Sex on Fire
11. Mustang Sally
12. Fire
13. Play That Funky Music
14. Honky Tonk Woman
15. Free Falling
16. Bad Case of Loving You
17. Purple Haze (Disco Confusion)
18. Papa was a Rolling Stone
19. Sgt Pepper (reprise)

The Hart - April Residency

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 11:13:54 +0100

Back at The Hart for April's residency - and it's lovely to see the place in the daylight!

Creak played a short blues set to kick the evening off. Every so often it's good to be subtle...

We were then joined by the wonderful Rad Orchestra who took us all on a Safari through world music, trance, blues, and folk. They played beautifully and enchanted the audience. Thanks guys!

For some reason, Creak then played a very loud set. Perhaps we were still a little deaf from playing at the Boat Race - but for whatever reason, we were a little loud. We'll tone it down next time. Having said that, we played a good set to much acclaim!

First Set
1. Crossroads A
2. Red House Blues
3. Automobile Highway 61 Revisited E
4. Built For Comfort G
5. Route 66
6. Sweet Home Chicago

Second Set
1. Can't Explain
2. Sultans of Swing
3. 20th Century Boy
4. Drive My Car
5. Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)
6. Word Up
7. All Day & All of the Night
8. Gimme Some Lovin’
9. Brown Sugar
10. Johnny B. Goode
11. Mustang Sally
12. Honky Tonk Women
13. Born To Be Wild
14. Creakin’ All Over

Boat Race day

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 08:27:38 +0000

What a great day! We were playing at The Old Ship on the banks of the river for the Boat Race.

Setting the stage up for soundcheck, we already thought there was a big crowd, but by the time we started our first set, there were thousands of people.

We played four sets, and had the crowd jumping and singing along for three and a half hours. We had a great time - thanks to everyone at The Old Ship for their help on the day.

We'll get some photographs up soon.

On a personal note, I'd like to thank the %$&@er who stole my coat from the back of the stage as we were playing at the end of the evening for trying to ruining my day. B&%@ard!

Set list (yes, we played them all!)

1. Back In The USSR
2. 20th Century Boy
3. Addicted to Love
4. All Day & All of the Night
5. Are you Goin’ /Rebel Rebel
6. Automobile
7. Summer in the City
8. Sharp Dressed Man
9. Proud Mary
10. Bad Case Of Loving You
11. Black Magic Woman
12. Blue Suede Shoes

1. You Really Got Me
2. Honey Bee A
3. Honky Tonk Women
4. I Won’t Back Down
5. Jumping Jack Flash
6. Word Up
7. Sweet Home Chicago
8. La Grange
9. Missionary Man
10. Mustang Sally
11. Built For Comfort
12. Play That Funky Music

1. Brown Sugar
2. Johnny B. Goode
3. Can't Explain
4. Crossroads (A)
5. Dancing In The Street
6. Drive My Car
7. Fire
8. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
9. For Your Love
10. Get It On
11. Gimme Some Lovin’
12. Hard To Handle

1. Pretty Woman
2. Purple Haze
3. Red House Blues
4. Creakin’ All Over
5. Route 66
6. Sex On Fire
7. Free Falling
8. Sunshine Of Your Love
9. Taxman
10. Born To Be Wild
11. Wishing Well
12. Sgt. Pepper (reprise)

1. Back in the USSR
2. Honky Tonk Woman

First Residency

Fri, 4 Mar 2011 17:42:16 +0000

Friday night and our first at The Hart to begin our residency on the first Friday of every month.

We were supported by the wonderful Foolish Man Club who gave us a barnstorming set much to the delight of all their friends in the audience. Vladi particularly enjoyed it - he was playing!

We weren't quite at our best, although our final set was very well received and we got a good few people dancing - but that just means that we will be out to knock some socks off next time round!

We should get some photos up soon. See you next month.

Set List
1. Honey Bee
2. Free Falling
3. I Won’t Back Down
4. Black Magic Woman
5. Badge
6. La Grange
- - - -
1. Dancing In The Street
2. Lady Madonna
3. 20th Century Boy
4. Play That Funky Music
5. Are you Goin’ /Rebel Rebel
6. Sex On Fire
7. You Really Got Me
8. Back In The USSR
9. Fire
10. Jumping Jack Flash
11. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
12. Proud Mary
13. Sharp Dressed Man
14. Sunshine Of Your Love
15. Sgt. Pepper (reprise)

Charity Gig

Sat, 5 Feb 2011 22:51:52 +0000

That's better. We had a brilliant night playing at a charity event in deepest Wiltshire in support of Macmillan Cancer Support.

We all travelled out to play at a 60s themed party and played two blinding sets while a large crowd danced their socks off. We had a great stage to play on and so we were able to move around. Vladi in particular was all over the stage.

We played carefully chosen music from the 60s - well there were a couple of early 70s tunes as well as some from the late 50s, but no-one seemed to mind.

A great evening then - and over £700 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Set List
1. Gimme Some Lovin’
2. Black Magic Woman
3. Pretty Woman
4. Born Under A Bad Sign
5. Need Your Love So Bad
6. Can't Explain
7. Sunshine Of Your Love
8. Badge
9. Crossroads
10. Dancing In The Street
11. Drive My Car
12. Fire
13. Sweet Home Chicago
14. 20th Century Boy
15. Brown Sugar
16. Creakin’ All Over

1. Back In The USSR
2. Highway 61 Revisited
3. Jumping Jack Flash
4. Roadhouse Blues
5. Lady Madonna
6. All Day & All of the Night
7. Built For Comfort
8. Mustang Sally Proud Mary
9. Route 66
10. Born To Be Wild
11. You Really Got Me
12. Sgt Pepper
13. Johnny B. Goode