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MUSIC: Rolling Stone Charlie Watts heads for Bognor Regis
Chichester-based music promoter Mark Ringwood has pulled off a major coup, bringing Rolling Stones legend Charlie Watts to Bognor Regis.
With sudden availability, Mark drew on his contacts to fix three last-minute dates for the Stones' drummer – the first of them at the Regis Centre on Monday May 11 at 8pm.
Watts will be joining ace boogie-woogie piano players Ben Waters and Axel Zwingenberger and additional guest musicians for the dates which will take him to Farnham on the Tuesday and Essex on the Wednesday.
More used to playing massive stadia around the world, Watts will find himself in much more intimate surroundings.
Rather than Satisfaction, Jumping Jack Flash and Paint It Black, Watts will be spreading his wings to play a set ranging from jazz to boogie woogie and barrelhouse style blues as they pay tribute to the legacy of past masters including Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis.
As Mark says, it's a big thing for Bognor: "If word spreads, I would think it will sell out."
It all started last Thursday afternoon when Mark had a call from Ben Waters on tour in Finland: "He said that Charlie would like to do some more shows. They had done a couple together.
"Charlie never really knows what is going on long-term. It all has to fit around his Stones commitments. When he gets time off from the Stones, he likes to do his own thing. He got on really well with Ben and Axel, and he said 'Can you get something together for May 11, 12 and 13?"
A task which fell to Mark: "Fortunately I knew my geography. I knew the venues that might be able to take it."
Mark, who can claim to have met Watts some years back at Mick Jagger's birthday party, is delighted at the booking: "What makes him special is the fact that he can do it with the Stones and can also play jazz and boogie woogie."
Tickets are 20 available from the venue box office on 01243 861010.
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Weather for Bognor
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 0 C to 2 C
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