New Starz Show

There are rock bands and there is the Mardis Gras. A great bond of musicians and vocals that compliment each other on a united front. Their passion and talent is woven into every song they have written with elements of soul and sassyness. As long as there are stories to tell, there will be music…

Rome based Mardi Gras is a rock act with a difference. Named after Creedence Clearwater Revival’s last studio album, the band’s musical journey is made of protest songs, poetry, prayers set to music, and a whole lot more.

Mardi Gras has released three full albums so far: Drops Made (2006, Goodfellas), Among the Streams (2011) and last, Playground (2015), a record where ballads, rock, funk and acoustic pieces of music are the playground for the band with all their influences. Mundy, one of the greatest Irish songwriters, is a guest on the album that was mastered by Simon Gibson at Abbey Road Studios in London.

As regular visitors in Ireland, the band has forged long-standing connections with some of the best Irish musicians, playing as the support act for The Frames and Glen Hansard, and sharing the stage with artists such as Mundy, Siobhan O’ Brien, TKO, Micah P Hinson, Noah and the Whale, Billy Bragg or Jack Savoretti (not to mention the best Italian independent acts) to name a few. Liam O’Maonlai from the Hothouse Flowers features on the album “Among the streams” where a W.B.Yeats’s poem is put into music.

**Exlicit permission has been given by the artists to play the interview and their songs**

If you are a rock music fan, you are undoubtedly familiar with such major artists as Harry Nilsson, Little Richard, The Turtles, Ringo Starr, Jimmy Webb, Seals and Crofts, Frank Zappa, Dr. John, Chuck Berry, Kinky Friedman, Lou Reed, Eric Carmen and Jimi Hendrix.

What you probably don’t know is that all of them, at one point in their career, crossed paths with a musician named Andy Cahan, either musically or in other ways. And those names just scratch the surface! For more than five decades, the New York-born Cahan has served as one of the most

in-demand collaborators in the music business, for both studio sessions and live performance work.

Andy Cahan is truly The Most Famous Musician You’ve Never Heard Of!

You will hear why was Chubby Checker, of “The Twist” fame, chasing Andy around a hotel lobby and which soft-rock duo took Andy’s advice to change their name, leading to great success?

Andy Cahan’s website: http://www.allentertainment.net/index.html

A fabulous musician who is more famous than you realise and an absolute gentleman and funny man during interview. You're gonna love this!

Last year Andy Cahan came on to the show to share his story with us. He loved it so much!! he wanted to come back onto the show to share more of his life with us including why Superman was his favourite super hero and what happened when he leapt off a stairway landing shouting "I can fly!!". He also shares a song that he wrote when his girlfriend finished with him and the reply his girlfriend left on his answer phone.

This is one multi faceted artist you cannot get enough of. 

Explicit permission has been given by the artist to play the interview and the music.

Your favourite Tuscan boys are back on the scene with a new gritty dance-rock gem about being too busy to let the Grim Reaper get ‘em.
 
Now, we all know what a challenge this has been for the past 2 years. However, Piqued Jacks are up for it.
 
Everything South is the band’s latest release and soon-to-be hit. The song opens a fresh new chapter of Piqued Jacks’ music which, after the international success of their 3rd LP Synchronizer in 2021, is ready to take over 2022. 
 
The song is as “in your face” as we possibly could without actually punching you (which we neither advocate for, nor encourage, of course). 
 
Built around a fat, explosive guitar riff and with a tight, gripping beat, it represents the band’s revenge against misfortune and difficulties that life often throws at you. 
 
This punchy hard rock track with a disco feel urges you, through its jaunty, sardonic lyrics and attitude, not to take death too seriously and, if it comes close, just beat it or dance with it. 
 
At the end of the day, you’ve got places to be.

Explicit permission has been given by the artists, label and management to play the songs and interview

http://www.piquedjacks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/piquedjacks/
https://twitter.com/PiquedJacks
https://www.instagram.com/piquedjacks_/
https://www.youtube.com/fourPiquedJacks
https://soundcloud.com/piquedjacks/albums
https://play.spotify.com/artist/5eprmPyM92CrWnnE1P840z
https://itunes.apple.com/it/artist/piqued-jacks/id410878655

What a pleasure it was to have Hamish Stuart as a guest on my show. Hamish is probably most famous for his singing with the Average White Band "Let's Go Around Again" and "Pick Up The Pieces". An absolute Legend and he tealks about his life growing up in music and where the music industry took him. 

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Stuart attended Queens Park School in Glasgow and left to form his first professional band 'The Dream Police'.

He recorded a couple of singles with the Dream Police, before he was invited to join the recently formed Average White Band (AWB) in June 1972.

A member of AWB from 1972 to 1982, he went on to work with Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and David Sanborn.

He wrote Atlantic Starr's 1986 hit "If Your Heart Isn't in It" and songs for Smokey Robinson, Jeffrey Osborne, George Benson and Diana Ross.

Stuart joined Paul McCartney’s band (where he switched between guitar and bass as necessary with McCartney) for McCartney's 1989 comeback album, Flowers in the Dirt, and appearing on several other albums and McCartney's world tours of 1989 and 1993.

In 2006, Stuart toured as the bass player with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. He joined Starr again for a 2008 tour, where he performed "Pick Up The Pieces" and "Work to Do".[2] He once again toured with the band in 2019 playing "Pick Up the Pieces", "Work to Do", and "Cut the Cake".

In 2007, he produced and appeared as a guest vocalist on the album All About the Music, by The AllStars collective.

In July 2015, Stuart reunited with his AWB bandmates Malcolm "Molly" Duncan and Steve Ferrone to form The 360 Band. This is in essence one third of the original Average White Band. They released an album titled Three Sixty in 2017 and have been performing live together along with supporting musicians.

**Explicit Permission to play the interview and his songs from his album "Sooner Or Later" All Rights Reserved.**

What a treat to have Freya Wolf on the show plus every song from her new album called "Just Another Day"  was an exclusive to New Starz Show thanks Freya and Ross Hemsworth of Remote Highway. The album will be released April 29th 2022.

Freya was born in Aberdare in South Wales in 1978 She lived in Aberdare, Swansea, Carmarthenshire raised alongside The Stereophonics and like so many Welsh people, was born with an amazing voice! She moved to Street in 2008 before travelling the UK for two years, with stays in London, Scotland, North and South Wales, Cornwall, Devon, before finally settling in Somerset. 

As a classical pianist she was inspired early on by Nina Simone and Beverly Craven. She then found a love for female soul singers. She says “I have varied tastes from rock to reggae, classical piano to drum and bass. However, my all-time favourite soul tracks are RESPECT by Aretha Franklin and My Baby Just Cares for Me by Nina Simone. My favourite track from other genres is Brighter Days by Hybrid Minds ft Charlotte Haining.” 

Freya writes and co-writes her own material including her first two singles This Man is Mine” and “Meet Me at 8” both of which she co-wrote with U.S. Songwriter’s Hall of Fame member Ross Hemsworth. 

The single Red Roses (Are Never Enough) also co-written with Ross, attracted the interest of world-famous guitarist Marc Ribler who provided the solo and outro guitar work on the rack.

FOUR of the tracks from the album, have already been picked up by two U.S. music publishing companies who specialise in placing music into films and TV series’ through pitches on Broadjam! 

Freya’s first three singles have had considerable global airplay but we believe the forthcoming single I CAME HERE TO DANCE could see her rocket into the public eye with yet more radio and media interviews planned and even senior management of online platforms such as TikTok are now showing a big interest in Freya!

**Explicit Permission has been given by the artist and Remote Highway to play the songs and the interview **

What a sheer delight to have this talented artist on my show. He is down to earth and shares his life story with me on New Starz as well as his talented music and songs with artists that he has performed on those tracks. 

A special thank you goes out to Diane of Entertainment Bureau for her support in making this interview happen.

As a Southern Californian native Melvin Lee Davis began playing music, ‘the moment he came out of the womb’, and felt he was destined to be a musician. Influenced by his surroundings, where music was constantly present, Davis began playing the violin aged four. By the time he was six, he had switched over to the saxophone.

Like many successful musicians, Davis went on to play in the band at his church. When Davis was 16, a horn player from Buddy Miles’s band saw him play at a local club, and recommended him to Miles for an audition. Miles flew Davis out to New York for the audition and hired him on the spot for his touring band. Davis was introduced to Soul Train’s Don Cornelius through Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey, a staff producer at A&M Records. That led to him working as a staff bassist for Cornelius in 1978. Cornelius introduced Davis to a number of the top recording 

artists. As a result, Davis began writing music and performing with R&B singer O’Bryan from 1980 to 1987 through a record deal put in place by Cornelius, which included Davis writing the theme song, ‘Soul Train’s A Comin’ for Cornelius’ weekly television show, Soul Train.

Like many successful musicians, Davis went on to play in the band at his church. When Davis was 16, a horn player from Buddy Miles’s band saw him play at a local club, and recommended him to Miles for an audition. Miles flew Davis out to New York for the audition and hired him on the spot for his touring band. Davis was introduced to Soul Train’s Don Cornelius through Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey, a staff producer at A&M Records. That led to him working as a staff bassist for Cornelius in 1978. Cornelius introduced Davis to a number of the top recording artists. As a result, Davis began writing music and performing with R&B singer O’Bryan from 1980 to 1987 through a record deal put in place by Cornelius, which included Davis writing the theme song, ‘Soul Train’s A Comin’ for Cornelius’ weekly television show, Soul Train.

Davis has also played on a number of Will Downing’s releases, including Euphoria (2014), Black Pearls (2016), and Soul Survivor (2017). He has served as Chaka Khan’s Musical Director at various times throughout his career; most recently, during her European Night of the Proms (2015) and Art On Ice (2016) tours. Davis performed at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards (2013) and was a member of the Pre-Telecast Grammy Awards band from 2008 to 2014. He has been a member of the Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Awards band since 2008.

Davis is also a founder of the band called Output Input where he teamed up with singer of the 80's Average White Band Hamish Stuart. Their song Soul Deep is sensational and is available for streaming

Hamish Stuart will also be appearing on my show in March, keep an eye out for that.

Explicit Permission has been given by Entertainment Bureau and Melvin Lee Davis to play the songs, music tracks and the interview. 

Welcome to New Starz where music is life. 

What a great down to earth band, full of passion and desire who ahve developed and enhanced folk music to another level, but still keeping the spirit of story telling and true folk dance. 

They have wowed festival audiences from Cambridge and Trowbridge to Cheltenham Jazz Festival as well as numerous headline appearances in France & Ireland alongside an international tour in 2018 to Australia. 

Band of the Year in the 2014 FATEA Music Awards and Best Live Act in the Spiral Awards in the same year, they were also winners of the 2017 Australian Celtic Music Awards (International Artist of the Year category), adding to their previous accolades in the Irish Music Association Awards for Top Celtic Rock Band and Top Fiddle Player.

Roving Crows have been carving out their niche in the UK folk music scene since early 2009.  

Over ten years and evolving incarnations Roving Crows have cultivated an arresting, singular sound that pushes the boundaries of the Celtic Folk genre. The band play with genuine passion, energy and soul. Vital and vibrant, a must see live act who showcase a mix of fiery, Celtic-inspired fiddle, conscious, intelligent lyrics, backed by solid, thumping rhythms and driving, innovative bass.  Roving Crows comprises; strong lead vocals and 4 part harmonies, guitar, fiddle, percussion and bass.

** Explicit permission has been give by the artists to play the interview and their music **

A young group Hailing from Wolverhampton UK, Indie Rock trio Nova Bloom have hit the ground running with their first two singles ‘Heavy Hitter’ and ‘City Lights’. With signature anthemic choruses, dynamic instrumentation and a heavy hitting blend of classic Rock and Indie Pop, the band have cemented themselves as ‘one to be watched’ in the UK Indie scene.

A young budding down to earth group who is pushing boundaries and not sitting in one genre. Their passion is on fire and they're out to make it big and above all to entertain you.

There are more new songs to come and I'm so delighted they chose New Starz Show to play their songs.

**Explicit permission has been given for the inte interview and their songs to be played**

Dirty Magic is an edgy rock band that has built themselves on the diverse musical pallet of their equally diverse membership. Based in Bangkok, Thailand, the band quickly gained rank in the local scene headlining all of the notable venues in less than a year. Through the troubling times of the pandemic, the band channeled their musical energy into crafting new music, recording new singles, and is walking the long path towards finding their own unique sound. Dirty Magic boasts grooving bass and drums that lay the foundation for soulful and powerful vocals. Melodic rock guitars and horns round out the sound to something that is instantly recognizable.

A bunch of likely lads that are having fun making foot tapping and addictive songs with passion and meaning. 

It was great fun talking to these guys and I'm sure you're going to love it as much as me.

**Explicit Permission has been granted by the artists to play their songs and interview**

What an amazing bunch of guys to pull this project off and at a vital time when mankind needed Hope. Todd Thanhauser brought this together and gave New Starz a copy of the album. What better way to say Thank You and to give your ears a real big treat  and that's to play the whole album and hear Todd talk about his life and how The Lockdown Diaries became.

Lockdown Diaries is available to stream and download on Itunes, Amazon, Spotify and all major digital platforms and is also available for purchase at www.ad2020music.com 

“Mark McNelley and I had discussed the album the album that would become Lockdown Diaries a year earlier when were at Red Rocks in Colorado. If you can’t be inspired at Red Rocks, I give up. 

We began collaboration on the songs that would eventually make up the album in June of 2020 at the height of the pandemic. We wanted to create songs with a positive message and work with friends who we felt would bring positive energy to the project. I had known Dan Reed and Melvin Brannon from Dan Reed Network for a very long time and was a fan of their music and each of them personally.

In May of 2020 I told Dan Reed of the idea to do an album with musicians who were home from touring and he asked me who I was going to get to play guitar and bass and I mentioned Greg Smith and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal as possibilities. I had met Greg Smith from Ted Nugent’s band the year before and had called him to tell him of the idea and he thought it was something he was interested in so we stayed in touch as I assembled the rest of the musicians. I had been listening to Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal’s latest acoustic album Barefoot 3 and was blown away by his arrangements. I had met Ron also the year before and knew he was an amazing guitar player and also a nice guy so I really wanted him involved if there was a way" says Todd Thanhauser, the band's drummer.

The band released their first single from the album, "Ricochet", written by Mark McNelley, Dan Reed and Todd Thanhauser on June 29, 2021. Todd adds, “Ricochet” was the first song we wrote together in June of 2020 and the first time I heard the demo that Dan Reed had sent to us I knew the song was going to be something special.” A.D.2020 "Ricochet" (Official Lyric Video): https://youtu.be/vBxA3OaXpDI In addition, A.D.2020 released a new video on Sunday August 1, 2021, for their cover of the song “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” by the band WAR. The track is also featured on their album Lockdown Diaries. The video features the members of A.D.2020 playing the track in the studio and their home studios. The track is fresh and fun with each member taking a swing at lead vocals as well. Recorded on two continents during the pandemic A.D.2020 is a collective studio project featuring in order of appearance in the video. “We discussed doing a remake of this song early in the conversations that lead to the A.D.2020 project. I think the video is great because it shows us all during the lockdown playing and having fun and there are also some moments of humor and fantasy.It’s also a bit of a mantra we all live by “ Why Can’t We (All Just) Be Friends? “ the world would be a better place if we could all be friends. Our version of the song is the only song I can think of that has 6 lead vocal parts which also makes it a really unique cover. We hope the guys in WAR like the cover of their great song" says Todd Thanhauser.

**Explicit Permission has been given by the artist to play the songs and the interview**