Mark Pountney Grateful Freds at the Atkinson, Supporting Alice Wallace

Mark Pountney discusses the Grateful Fred night 2 October 2019, supporting Alice Wallace:

I recently performed at one of my favourite venues, the Atkinson Theatre in Southport. It was a Grateful Fred’s night, and these nights, in particular, have a long history of bringing quality artists over from the States to perform, supported by local artists. I was supporting Alice Wallace.

Mark Pountney performing at the Atkinson
Mark Performing at the Atkinson Theatre Photo by Matt Todd

I performed a mix of material from (Mark Pountney albums) Mark I, Mark II, Mark III and Live at home. It’s always a pleasure to perform in front of an attentive audience, and the crowd at the Atkinson is certainly that. I started off the set playing alone and was joined, for the second half of the set, by Paul Dance on bass guitar. The songs I performed included Footprints in the Sand, Sorrow Killers, Diamond of My Mind and Don’t let me go.

Mark Pountney and Paul Dance performing at the Atkinson
Mark Pountney and Paul Dance performing at the Atkinson

Headliner

Topping the bill was Alice Wallace, a California born Singer-Songwriter, who was about to embark on a UK tour. This was the first date of the tour. She was backed by two excellent musicians, Joe Coombs electric guitar and Scott Warman on upright bass. Together they played a fantastic set of original songs and some covers. Alice has certainly mastered the art of yodeling and had found a way of integrating the technique into her material.  I particularly enjoyed a song called the Same Old Song.

A local trio, The Hard Way Home, kicked off the night, super tight harmonies and strong original material.

Thanks to Paul Dance for bass, the staff at the Atkinson for light / sound and hospitality, Colin Maddocks for the invitation and support. Also, wishing Alice and the guys the best of luck with the rest of the tour.