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MUSIC
Blue Harlequin draw on many musical influences. Their roots are firmly guitar-based classic rock, but their songs combine elements of post-punk, new wave, rock, soul and funk. The unifying thread in the songs is the lyrical quality that runs through them all, telling stories or describing situations and emotions. When the principal songwriters in the band first got together, the early songs were more in a soft rock/folk mould, but in live performances, it was the rock songs that drew the greatest audience reaction and that set the future direction for the band.
bio
The core of Blue Harlequin is the song writing partnership of Neil Haydon and Amanda Reece-Davis. They met and began writing together over ten years ago and in that time, they have written a huge number and range of songs.
Amanda is the lyricist. She was forced to give up teaching A-level English due to ill-health but she now channels that talent into poetry and lyrics.
Neil started playing guitar in his teens, but had a long hiatus before meeting Amanda, after which he renewed his playing to put music to Amanda’s lyrics. He is equally comfortable with lead and rhythm guitar and enjoys combining with a second guitarist to create harmonic arrangements.
The early songs were recorded and produced at home on a small multitrack recorder. Neil then formed a band with some musical acquaintances to move the music forward. That early band line up continued until the singer left and Neil stepped up to take on vocal duties with the new three-piece band. Shortly after, Paul joined with his explosive lead licks, Andy took over on drums and percussion, Rick on bass and in 2020 the Blue Harlequin line-up was complete. All the members of the band have extensive musical and gigging experience behind them.
The band is based in East Anglia and is happy to travel for gigs. Live sets combine our original music and classic rock covers.
latest release
The Ride the Storm EP was recorded in February 2020 just before lockdown. Production continued post lockdown and the tracks were completed in the summer of 2020. The EP release was delayed as gigs and festivals over the summer were cancelled due to Coronavirus. The tracks feature on the Blue Harlequin website www.blueharlequinmusic.com and since we couldn’t hold off any longer Ride the Storm was released as a single on 26th November 2020, Shadows in the Dark was released on 27th December 2020 and the Ride the Storm 5 track EP will be on all major streaming platforms on 28th January 2021.
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Ride the Storm is the full-on classic rock experience. It is one of those songs that although you don’t know it at first, it will feel instantly familiar.
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Shadows in the Dark describes those irrational feelings of foreboding that you get when walking down unfamiliar streets in the dark when your shadow moves from behind you to form menacing shapes in your mind.
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Sacrifice is about sometimes having to give up the things that you love. The Hendrix influence is woven throughout the song layered with a much darker rock vibe.
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Animal is a great driving rock song and a band favourite.
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Insecurity is all about not being sure of your relationship. It’s a post-punk, new wave romp!
You can hear the Ride the Storm EP pre-release at www.blueharlequinmusic.com
Contact & Media
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Web site: www.blueharlequinmusic.com
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Email: blueharlequinmusic@gmail.com
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Facebook: www.facebook.com/BlueHarlequinMusic
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YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ijtwlpbDzHwnJSFhPK-Ng?view_as=subscriber
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Telephone: Rick on 07834 978639
