We have discovered another little gem that will be certainly be one of the shows of the year.

MIKE RUDD'S 1st BASE
featuring Mike Rudd, Jeremy Alsop and George Butrumlis.
playing the songs of Mike Rudd as you've never heard them before!

Mike Rudd's 1st BASE sees piano accordionist George Butrumlis (Black Sorrows, Zydeco Jump, The Purple Dentists and Raga Dolls) and bassist Jeremy Alsop (Ron Charles Band, Allan Zavod, The David Chesworth Ensemble) on double bass joining Spectrum's Mike Rudd in an acoustic-skewed reappraisal of Mike's previously all-electric output.

Mike Rudd is best known for writing Spectrum's 1971 national number one hit single, I'll Be Gone, (Someday I'll have money), but he also wrote the majority of the material in the subsequent albums produced by Spectrum,The Indelible Murtceps, Ariel, Mike Rudd & the Heaters and WHY, which amounts to a considerable legacy.

Ist BASE's repertoire is drawn from this occasionally confronting, often witty, but never less than intriguing catalogue of Mike Rudd songs.

There are the singles of course, like the most famous of all Rudd's songs, I'll Be Gone (Someday I'll have money), followed by Murtceps' Esmeralda and Ariel's Jamaican Farewell, but most of the material is drawn from the albums such as Spectrum Part One and Milesago, Spectrum's alter-ego band The Indelible Murtceps' Warts Up Your Nose, Ariel's A Strange Fantastic Dream and Rock & Roll Scars.

For 1st BASE, Mike has chosen songs from his solo repertoire that respond to being stripped back and reworked and that have a story to tell. Of course, Rudd is inclined to make a fascinating commentary about the songs he's playing and the bands that originally played them.

George Butrumlis' lyrical piano accordion in place of Spectrum's Hammond organ is not as implausible as it sounds and Jeremy Alsop's double bass lines are all about restraint and intelligence and pair's combination with Rudd's nylon-string guitar playing is sublime.

George's bonus vocal harmonies serve to sweeten Rudd's idiosyncratic lead vocals, which are, perhaps for the first time in a band context anyway, clear and understandable, giving even more impact to some of his more audacious themes.

Now Mike has a new palette to play with in 1st BASE, perhaps we can anticipate new era of Rudd-songs to emerge. In the meantime you can enjoy watching and listening to Mike Rudd's evolution from a well-established rock artist to singer/songwriter/raconteur playing an accessible version of his inimitable oeuvre with a couple of the best musicians around.

This will be a huge night. Make sure you book early..... all roads lead to The Spotted Mallard!

We open at 4pm

Show time: 8.00pm

Why not come for a bite to eat before the show starts? Kitchen is open till at least 9pm during the week.

For table bookings please email: reservations@spottedmallard.com
(Pssst: we have limited seating, so please book in early to secure a table)