Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton, legendary frontman and songwriter with Big Star, plays Whelans on the 25th of April.
Alex Chilton has been hailed by artists from REM to The Violent Femmes to The Posies and his songs have been covered by Jeff Buckley, Teenage Fanclub, This Mortal Coil and The Replacements.
Hailing from Memphis, Chilton's musical career began with the meteoric success of The Box Tops where he gave soulful renditions of classic hits like "The Letter", "Cry Like A Baby" and "Soul Deep".
After Chilton became disillusioned with The Box Tops he looked for more artistic freedom with his own group, Big Star formed with his friend, Chris Bell.
Merging the ethereal harmonies and infectious melodies of The Beatles and The Byrds, The Big Star made an immediate impact with their debut album with classic songs like "In The Street", "The Ballad of El Goodo" and "Thirteen".
Chris Bell had left by the time Big Star completed their next album, Radio City another inspired collection of tunes with "O My Soul" and "September Girls" but the album was tragically ignored and sold poorly. With a record label on the verge of collapse, Chilton and producer Jim Dickinson decamped to the studio to record Sister Lovers.
For some unknown reason, bands on the verge of collapse can come up with their best work and Sister Lovers documents Chilton dislocated, disorientated existence in Memphis with great songs like "Kanagaroo", "Big Black Car" and "Holocaust".
Sister Lovers was only released a few years after it was completed at the end of the '70s and although the album did not sell well it became a hugely influential album in Britain and the legend of Big Star and Alex Chilton began.
After Big Star, Alex Chilton embarked on a solo career releasing a collection of electric recordings from Like Flies on Sherbet to High Priest to Set. But in the last two decades, Chilton has ignored one of his strongest talents his songwriting by sprinkling his set with collections of old R&B standards alongside a few Big Star classics.
Big Star reformed a few years ago, aided and abetted by two members of The Posies, and their gig at the Redbox was a wonderful show with a very relaxed Chilton displaying his amazing guitar playing and wonderful songs.
A wonderful chance to catch a legend in an intimate setting playing all those great songs, Alex Chilton plays Whelans on the 25th.
Whelans
Buy Tickets
Time: 8pm
Tickets : €22.50
Tickets are available from Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.ie
Whelans
25 Wexford St,
Dublin 2.
Tel: + 353 (0) 1 4780766
