Teesdale gig kickstarts a busy year for folk-rock band Phantom Voices

A FOLK-rock band who have just released their first album are planning to spend 2017 spreading the word – starting with a gig in Teesdale.
Phantom Voices’ eponymous debut hit the shelves at the end of October last year and tracks will feature heavily in the set at Mickleton Live on Saturday, January 28.
The six-piece can call on good support in their native Blackpool and surrounding areas, but guitarist, mandolin player and vocalist Mike Rolland said the priority was to play further afield.
“We have got some good gigs coming up this year, including a week-long folk festival in Portugal and we are hoping to fill up the diary with more festival dates,” he said.
In addition to Mike, Phantom Voices consists of singer guitarist Daz Rice – who flirted with success in the 1990s with the rock band band Kiss of the Gypsy – Jim Shea on bass, Mark Mitchell on drums, the group’s sole female member Jo Byrne on guitar and vocals and the most recent addition, fiddle player Richard Curran.
All are experienced musicians in their own right who came together as Phantom Voices about two years ago.
Jo said: “The album has taken us as long as the band has been together. It is the evolution of things we have done before.
“Bringing in Richard on fiddle and Jim on bass is what we want the band to be.”
Having recorded the album in Preston, she said the band plans to head into the studio again this year in between gigs. She describes the band as semi-pro.
“It’s a bit of a mixture. Richard is a professional musician who does a lot of session work while Daz owns a guitar shop. The rest of us do what we need to do and make sure there is enough time to spend on the music and money to fund it.”
She promises a lively night when the band takes to the stage in Mickleton.
“We’ve been described as raucous.
“We have all spent many years performing live in different bands and that shows when we perform.
“We make it a show, we make it fun with lots of energy. It’s about making sure everyone who is there is having a good time.”
The support spot at Mickleton will be filled by the ever popular Barnard Castle trio Los Capitanes.
Tickets are £12 in advance or £14 on the door.
For more details go to mickletonlive.uk or contact Sue Brown on 01833 640854 or email tickets@ mickletonlive.uk