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.
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.
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.