Detroit came to Howden on Saturday and it was a blast.

Marcus Malone, gifted guitarist, songwriter of excellence and possessor of one of the most soulful voices in modern blues, took to the Shire Hall stage and proceeded to demonstrate to the audience why he and his powerful band are one of the most well-respected names on the circuit.

From the opening number - swamp rocker Drowning Man - the imposing figure of shaven-headed Malone, a born showman if ever there was one, took the Howden blues faithful on a journey through his back pages, plundering songs from largely self-penned albums One More Time, Walkin' Shoes and Blue Radio interspersed with as-yet unrecorded numbers, the pick tonight being the mightily impressive Christine.

Sharing lead guitar duties with Stuart Dixon, and backed by the rock-solid rhythm section of Jonathan Bankes on bass and Chris Nugent on drums, the affable Malone displayed his formidable fretboard prowess, from blistering solos on Dirty Shame and the John Peel-dedicated Blue Radio - 'I hope Mr Peel heard us; I'm sure he did' - to the delicate beauty of soul ballad Walk Away, a number that had at least one of the crowd in tears.

Not a gig for the blues purist perhaps - this stuff rocks - but fans of Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Allman Brothers, Jimi Hendrix and Bad Company will have found much to admire in the likes of the strutting Double D, the slow, sexy Supernatural Thing and the intensely melodic One More Time.

Two encores later and it's time to say goodbye to Marcus and his band, but it's clear that the Mark Rodger/Howden Live Arts juggernaut has taken another giant step on the road to establishing the Shire Hall as one of the leading venues on the north of England blues circuit.

SHIRE HALL, HOWDEN - Saturday October 30, 2004

Second on this tasty bill of Americana was the person you would least like to follow on any stage "from Detroit ... Marcus Malone!" Tonight was the Malone of a few years ago when, Fender in hand, he rocked and seduced his way to the high-plains he graces today. Playing lead and second guitar and still in possession of that most fabulous of instruments, now then, his voice, the man and his fabulous band gave us a hugely high-octane set liberally interspersed with new material from his forthcoming album

With his dreadlocks shorn, Marcus Malone is less exotic in looks, but judging by the female response, still as sexy as hell! Old numbers like "Dirty Shame" (always irrepressible), "Blue Jeans" and the gorgeous "Walk Away" sat pretty snugly with newer stuff such as "Blue Radio" and "Supernatural".

The Marquee went crazy, the whole thing rocked; this was a party night and nigh on impossible to follow.

Maryport Blues Festival Review from Blues in Britain magazine, 2003.

I’m not sure which mythical assembly line Detroit blues vocalist supreme Marcus Malone was plucked from, but such were his stage mannerisms and silky smooth vocals that he could have easily opened for Smokey or Martha a few decades ago. Marcus cut a charismatic figure in regulation “U.S. rock star garb” of leather trousers and emblazoned t-shirt, and a spotted bandana which lent a slight hint of Hendrix to the proceedings. Like that proto-rock/blues legend Marcus also, on occasions, slung a Fender round his neck and, when the mood took him, beefed out his superb band’s arrangements with a few choice licks. His musicians, fresh-faced and eager, looked as though they had been plucked from a sixth form “Battle of the Bands” contest, but their youthful looks belied their flair, precision and professionalism. Their enthusiasm and drive contrasted with the more laid back groove of their mentor. Marcus is a songwriter who uses traditional blues forms and concerns – drinking, cheating, leaving, staying, etc. but infuses them with a thoroughly modern sensibility. Operating in similar territory to Robert Cray, but with a rootsy southern feel rather California smooth, Marcus’ songs were good, and often very good. They had a certain familiarity after a few bars, always the mark of a skilled songwriter, but were structured to give extended workouts rather than be merely three minute tunes. “Good love, gone bad”, a storming number with an infectious chorus, could have been vintage era Bad Company, while “Blue Radio” recalled the swirling, rolling blues workouts of “L.A.Woman” period Doors. Even better was “Walk Away” a slow burning ballad where the roots of soul, country and blues met at the dark end of a Memphis street. As if not to be upstaged by their leader’s wonderful vocal performances, the band pulled out all the stops in their backing duties. Twin lead guitarists Stuart Dixon and Dan Smith duelled at the front of the stage reeling off exciting crescendos of sound, while drummer Chris Nugent and bassist Brad Waissman, tasteful when required, underpinned their music with a heavy duty driving rhythm that always swung. Best moment for many was the triple guitar “axe attack” that climaxed one chooglin’ boogie. A pure Lynnrd Skynrd moment of bravura excitement! The ecstatic audience were by now responding to Marcus’ promptings with gospel hall zeal, calling for and receiving four encores. What a night again at Cumbria’s best kept entertainment secret. Thank you Nick for all the unpaid hard work that makes this thing work so well.

“Detroit Blues” – Penrith Live Blues – 30th November 2002

On Saturday night Mickleton R & B club hosted its fourth gig and proved once again that there is a demand for quality live music in our village halls. Testament to the club’s sustained popularity was the fact that there was a hefty queue outside the doors before 8.00 pm despite absolutely torrential rain, with audience members from the dale but also from much further afield braving the elements in order to claim a seat for the night and get to the bar!

Marcus Malone hails from Detroit, although he now lives and works mainly in the UK and Europe. On his website (www.marcusmalone.com) he writes of his upcoming gig at Mickleton “Been informed it’s all sold out in Mickleton….and the natives are restless. As usual me and the boys plan to give them more than they anticipated”. “The boys” were the Marcus Malone Band: Brad Waissman on bass, Stuart Dixon on guitar, Moz Gamble on keyboard and Chris Nugent on drums. They exploded onto the stage just after 9.00 pm, and were greeted enthusiastically by the “restless natives” who were on their feet and dancing well before the end of the first set.

Marcus Malone is a consummate performer and with his engaging and charismatic smile he reaches out to his audience and manages to include them all in his evident enthusiasm for his art. He writes all his own songs, and we were treated to the full range of his talent with upbeat numbers like “Funk Groove” which began the first set and the strong “Heart for Rent” which filled the space with its electric pulse and energetic rhythm, as well as more melodic ballads such as “One More Time” and the memorable “Walk Away” in which Marcus and the band took their audience on an electrifying journey of sound. This was sophisticated stuff; the band were powerfully tight and yet were given full rein to express themselves, with particularly memorable performances from young Stuart Dixon sliding mesmerically on guitar and a cheeky Moz Gamble dancing around his keyboard whilst hammering out the music.

By the time the band returned for the second set the hall was buzzing, and Marcus and the boys were greeted with shouts, whistles and storming applause. The energy continued to grow as the night wore on, and by the end, with the dance floor packed and many on their feet at the back of the hall, we were reluctant to let him go. He had certainly given us more than we had anticipated; this was one of the best Mickleton R & B nights yet and we hope there are many more to come.

Jill Cole, Mickleton R&B Club, County Durham