The music maverick and radical ultra-folk icon Roy Harper has announced four live dates in the UK to celebrate his 75th this September. The tour takes in Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and London and will feature string and brass ensemble arranged by Fiona Brice.
Now a recording artist for over 50 years, Roy has seen many shifts in the modus, style and politics of society, things he has always drawn from in his songwriting.His first steel string guitar is also fifty years old this year.
To tie in with these significant anniversaries he will begin reissuing much of his catalogue on vinyl from September 2nd. The first three titles to be released are ‘Flat Baroque and Berserk‘, ‘Stormcock‘, and ‘Lifemask’. These will be released in quality gatefold covers on 180g vinyl. They will be put out via his ownlabel Science Friction and distributed by PIAS.
Roy Harper is one of the few surviving singer-songwriters from the counterculture of the 60’s who is still creatively engaged in new composition and in progressing a body of work that has come to stand for a particularly single minded form of integrity.
Now officially ‘retired’, and living in a secluded corner of Ireland, Harper has recently been hailed as a key influence by a much younger generation of devoted starsailors who instinctively recognise his innovations, his refusal to compromise and his visionary world view. The likes of Fleet Foxes, Joanna Newsom and Jim O’Rourke are avowed fans; and in previous decades he has enjoyed public endorsements from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Kate Bush, Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour and many more.
His awards have included the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 and theMojo Magazines Hero Award in 2005 presented to himby long time collaborator and friend, Jimmy Page. In September 2013 Roy Harper: Man & Myth – The Documentary, directed by George Scott, was broadcast on Sky Arts and his first album in thirteen years, ‘Man & Myth’, was released to rave reviews on Bella Union followed by three special concerts.
Roy said: “This year, I celebrate my 75th birthday. In my 30’s, my lifestyle was such that I could never have imagined that I’d live as long as this, but here I am. Perhaps because I thought that my life might be shorter than this, I’ve tended latterly to want to celebrate significant milestones, so here we are… I’m really looking forward to being out there again. It’ll be really great to see old friends and new, and be in that heady mix of the song and the moment on a stage again”
The dates are as follows:
SEPTEMBER
WED 7th BIRMINGHAM – Symphony Hall
FRI 9th MANCHESTER – Bridgewater Hall
MON12th LONDON – Royal Festival Hall
SAT 17th EDINBURGH – Usher Hall
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
