After thrilling audiences in May 2011, Mike Rutherford, one of the founding members of the classic British rock group Mike And The Mechanics To Tour U.K. In February/March 2014. has announced that he and his band, Mike and The Mechanics will be back in Merseyside and Cheshire next year as they perform consecutive nights at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton and Warrington’s Parr Hall on the 22nd and 23rd February.
The tour which starts at the Rhyl Pavilion on Wednesday 12th February sees Mike and The Mechanics criss-cross the country to venues in Norwich, Bolton, Gateshead and Birmingham before finally finishing at London’s Hammersmith Apollo on March 16th.
The Living Years was Mike and The Mechanics second album hit Number 1 in the U.S. as well as reaching Number 2 in U.K charts. The album – which included the singles Nobody’s Perfect, Seeing is Believing and the classic title track The Living Years – has received Gold status in the U.K. as well as in Canada and in America.
Formed in 1984 by Genesis founding member, guitarist, bass-player and songwriter Mike Rutherford, Mike and The Mechanics was a side project that would go on to sell over 10 million records worldwide. Originally featuring vocalists Paul Carrack and Paul Young (formerly of Sad Café), the group developed a rich catalogue of hit after hit including Silent Running, All I Need Is A Miracle, Over My Shoulder and the massive worldwide hit single The Living Years.
In 2010, Rutherford joined forces with one of the U.K.’s most successful R&B acts Andrew Roachford and Canadian born actor and singer Tim Howar for a new generation of Mike and The Mechanics who have been touring together across the U.K. and Europe ever since.
Since this new generation of the band has formed, Mike Rutherford has shared writing duties with Andrew Roachford – known for storming the U.K. Charts in the 90s with the anthem Cuddly Toy. Roachford became Columbia’s biggest selling U.K. act for ten years, with tunes like Only To Be With You to The Way That I Feel becoming international hits and giving Roachford the opportunity to tour the world and hone his talent – becoming the truly great entertainer that he is today. Throughout his career he has organically blended different sounds and genres from rock to soul music and has become a prolific songwriter.
Joining Roachford and sharing the vocal duties is Tim Howar, a Canadian actor/singer who came to the U.K. 10 years ago to start a band in the country where his icons were born. He formed and toured with Vantramp supporting the likes of Rod Stewart, Paulo Nutini, The Sugababes and Newton Faulkner. Vantramp’s debut album was released to critical acclaim. Currently starring in the hit West End musical Rock of Ages as Stacee Jaxx, Howar’s acting career has seen him perform on Broadway, as well as touring the US and Canada and saw Tim take the starring role as Rod Stewart in the show Tonight’s The Night.
Tickets for the performances are available from the venues Box offices in person, by telephone on 0151 6660000. Tickets at The Floral Pavilion are priced at £35.
A review of Mike and the Mechanics last gig at the Empire Theatre, Liverpool can be found here http://www.liverpoolsoundandvision.co.uk/2012/08/26/mike-and-the-m…atre-liverpool
Ian D. Hall