An unforgettable live experience from some of the UK’s most respected musicians
Guitar Heads
Performing the greatest hits from the golden age of the electric guitar with their own unique twist, this band’s musical pedigree is undeniable. The soulful vocals and stunning guitar of Jim Kirkpatrick, the prodigious axe wizardry of Paul Rose, soaring Hammond Organ courtesy of Nick Foley and the powerhouse rhythm section of Leon Cave and Chris Childs create an unforgettable experience.
From The Shadows to Gary Moore, Fleetwood Mac to Deep Purple, Beck to Clapton, this show is a must-see for every Guitar Head on the planet.
THE BAND
Jim Kirkpatrick
Dubbed “England’s equivalent to Joe Bonnamassa” by Blues Matters, Jim Kirkpatrick has built up over a quarter-century’s experience in Blues and Rock and earned a tonne of respect from his fans, peers and critics alike. Not only is he a gifted songwriter (who’s written numerous nationally UK playlisted songs) but he’s also a deft-fingered, multi-skilled, guitarist who’s famed for possessing both Bonnamassa-type energy and slide guitar and fingerstyle— worthy of the great Duane Allman — as well.
Jim is probably best-known as the lead guitarist of the legendary British melodic rock band FM, with whom he’s served since 2008. However, he’s also worked and toured with many other big hitters, worldwide, several of whom have collaborated with him on his solo material, such as Bernie Marsden and John ‘Rhino’ Edwards.
Striking out as a solo artist, Jim made a seismic and immediate impact, and earned well-deserved acclaim, as a songwriter, guitarist, vocalist (and live performer) with his critically acclaimed, 2020, 12-track solo album ‘Ballad of a Prodigal Son’. Life Music Media called it “The most important British Blues-Rock album of recent years,” and proclaimed, “Jim should be regarded as being right at the pinnacle of the world’s best Blues guitarist/vocalists.”
Jim’s current solo album ‘Dead Man Walking” has been called ‘Quite simply a masterpiece’ by Metal Planet Music who gave it 10/10. Blues Matters Magazine said ‘This is the album of the year, no question about it’ and continued to say ‘If there is a better blues/rock guitarist within this sceptres isle of ours, I’ll eat my hat’! Blues In Britain exclaimed that the album is ‘Quite brilliant’!
Recently, Jim has been lauded as ‘the hardest working musician in the business’, ‘Britains most unsung blues/rock guitar hero’ and ‘the biggest secret in the blues/rock world’. That is all about to change!
Paul Rose
Paul Rose, born in Newcastle, England in July 1966, is without doubt one of the most unique and talented guitarists in the world today. Fundamentally a rock guitarist, his extraordinary playing style touches on blues, country, jazz and folk, blended together into a style that is entirely his own. Never a gig goes by where audience members don’t comment that Paul is the best guitarist they’ve seen and heard.
Rory Gallagher awarded Paul a Fender ’62 Reissue Strat, with a Vox AC30, in a Fender sponsored competition that invited guitarists from all over the UK to appear in local music shops. Entrants were required to play in front of a video camera using the guitar and amp in question, without any pedals, to be edited and shown to Rory at a later date. Out of 1000 guitarists, Rory selected Paul as the winner and described him as ‘a hot player with a hot future.’ Having also won ‘Guitarist of the Year’ in Guitarist Magazine a couple of years later, it is plainly obvious that Paul is a force to be reckoned with.
Paul has worked as a producer/artist/session guitarist with Ted McKenna (drummer with The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Rory Gallagher, Micheal Schenker, Bobby Womack), Gerry McAvoy (bassist with Rory Gallagher for 25 years), Randy Brecker (The Brecker Brothers), Bill Evans (tenor sax Miles Davis, Mick Jagger, Herbie Hancock, Derek Trucks) & John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick (Free, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Jon Martyn, Pete Townsend and 30 years with The Who) amongst others.
His last album ‘Double Life’ was recorded at the Steakhouse, Hollywood, CA which Paul co produced with multi Grammy award winner John Wooler (Gary Moore, Johnny Winter, john Lee Hooker, Albert Collins). The album featured Terry Evans on vocals (35 years with Ry Cooder), Richie Morales on drums (Al Demeola, The Brecker Brothers, Mike Stern), Randy Jacobs on rhythm guitar (Elton John, Kris Kristofferson, Was Not Was), Bernard Fowler lead vocals (backing vocals with the Rolling Stones for 25 years) & Sweat Pea Atkinson on vocals (Was Not Was, Lyle Lovett). The album received 5 star reviews across the board, and gig of the month for London during the album tour.
Paul has spent the last 18 months in the New York area playing with his US version of the Paul Rose Trio, featuring Richie Morales (Spyra Gyra, Al Demeola, The Brecker Brothers) and Mark Egan (Pat Metheny Group, David Sanborn, Gil Evans). With a weekly residency at the Bitter End in Greenwich Village and gigs at the Iridium and B. B. Kings.
Chris Childs
Guitar Head’s bass player is Chris Childs. He has been a member of the hard rock band Thunder since 1996 and worked in a wide area of the music and entertainment industry from film, radio and television sessions to West End theatre productions, in recording studios and stadium rock venues.
Chris has appeared on albums alongside world-class bass players such as Nathan East, Pino Palladino and Abraham Laboriel. He is also currently involved in recording and producing albums for a number of other artists, as well as mixing, mastering and graphic design.
His live performance and tour involvements include Paul Young, Thunder, Then Jericho, Samantha Fox, Lulu, Roger Daltrey, Russ Ballard, Don Airey and Ultimate Eagles. Chris has added his individual style of playing to hundreds of shows and numerous albums.
Leon Cave
Leon Cave is multi-Instrumentalist from Cheshire UK who has been playing drums since the age of five. After a varied career, he recorded with Francis Rossi of Status Quo in 2010 during his “One Step at a Time” solo project and was invited to join the band in in 2013.
Over the past 13 years, Leon has toured across the globe with Quo whilst also recording and performing with many other artists including on Bonnie Tyler’s “Between the Earth and the Stars” album, “Issue One” by The Middlenight Men and “Just Sayin” with Quo alum, John “Rhino” Edwards.
Leon has also been a long-time collaborator with British blues guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick (FM, Band of Friends, Bernie Marsden) and brings a wealth of live and studio experience to the Guitar Heads drum stool.
Nick Foley
Guitar Heads’ Hammond organ player is Nick Foley. In addition to being a touring musician, Nick is also an in-demand session player, educator and tireless advocate for these classic sounds and instruments.
His love of the instrument began when he inherited a used home organ and discovered the music of Deep Purple shortly after his twelfth birthday. Today he uses a Hammond XK-Pro with a Leslie 3300 rotating speaker as a touring rig and a vintage 1960 Hammond C3 with an original Leslie 122 for recording. For other classic and modern keyboard sounds he uses a vintage Fender Rhodes and a range of soft synths via Mainstage and ProTools.
Alongside his Guitar Heads duties, Nick is the organ player in UK rock band Atack which released their debut album “Nine Lives” in 2023. As a session musician, he has played Hammond on numerous global releases featuring Dream Theatre’s James LaBrie (Hold Your Future), Dokken/Great White’s Andrew Freeman (Destiny) and Spanish vocalist, Gabrielle de Val (Stayin’ Alive). Nick is also a regular performer with the UK’s most faithful Deep Purple tribute act, Pure Purple.
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