An Evening with Paul Dunton and Guests
As a songwriter I am passionate about original music and have endeavoured to provide a platform for local original acoustic music, or to be more precise, lightly amplified music featuring acoustic instruments! This all started back in 2005 when The Grey Lady Music Lounge situated on the Pantiles offered me a weekly residency. This came as a very big surprise to me as The Grey Lady is a highly revered jazz/blues venue and so to be offered an opportunity to showcase my own music was both very exciting and unexpected as my music is best described as piano based pop with a classical twist!.
‘An Evening with Paul Dunton’ was launched on 10th August 2005. The first 2 shows went well but it soon dawned on me that if I were to perform every week, the night would become stale and I simply did not have a big enough repertoire of songs to offer variety and something different week in, week out. So I decided to share out my residency by inviting local acts to perform, and starting with ‘Franks Atom’ and Ant Vicary as the initial guest acts. I decided to turn the evening into a candlelit ‘listening’ showcase for local acts entitled ‘An Evening with Paul Dunton & Guests’ with Ollie Nicholls supervising the sound for each show in addition to performing with Franks Atom. I began to invite more and more local soloists and acoustic bands and word soon spread to the point where cds were being sent in to the Grey Lady. By 2006 the show was fully established, and packed out every week. With an ever-growing waiting list of acts wanting to perform, the show expanded to twice weekly in April 2007 taking place on Wednesday and Sunday evenings. The show now has 106 local acts performing on a rotational basis and is regarded as one of the most revered acoustic showcases in the South East with the most successful local act to date proving to be The Webb Sisters, who signed to Universal a few years ago and are now currently touring the globe with Leonard Cohen. Other local acts from the show who are achieving national success include Logan Wilson and Tom Williams & The Boat who are enjoying regular airplay on BBC Radio 1 & 2.
In summary, the show offers outstanding variety and value at just £5 entry. There are always 4 acts on the bill with opening act starting at 8pm and the Headline act taking to the stage at around 10pm on either night. There is a multitude of different acts (126 currently on rotation.) All different styles and genres from Folk, Pop, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Funk, Contemporary, Swing, Country, Alternative, Soul, Punk. The standard of musicianship and song writing is outstanding. Patrons have the option to dine or just relax and enjoy a drink. The Grey Lady Music Lounge provides both a enchanting and atmospheric setting and offers an excellent, extensive Mediterranean menu alongside its well stocked in house bar. An Evening with Paul Dunton & Guests offers a night of local music culture and something for everyone’s musical tastebuds!
Doors open 7.30pm. Entry £5.
Train Of Thought is now available from HMV Tunbridge Wells!
Click the image below to buy the new album from CD Baby!
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