Son Of Dave is moving up in the world. And it’s about goddamn time.
Last year, the itinerant bluesman released his ninth album Call Me A Cab. (Everybody say it with me: OK, you’re a cab.) Now he has a new request. Well, actually, it’s more of a command: Call Me King.
King of what? Well, the blues, of course. Or at least his brand of blues: The kind you stumble upon in a juke joint way out in the swamp past the crossroads after midnight, when a wild man is stomping the floorboards and wailing on an old harmonica as he yells and growls and whispers and moans about heaven and hell and wild nights and the end of days and kicking your butt and hitting the highway and being a monkey for your love.
Oh sure, at first it sounds like he’s just spewing and spitting anything that pops into his feverish crimson noggin — a crazy-town word salad of threats and lies and tropes and jibber-jabber and whatnot. But the more you listen, the more you realize this guy’s on to something. He knows what’s going down. He’s tapped in to a signal straight from source. He’s not just a bluesman; he’s a philosopher poet, armed with three chords and 12 bars and the cold, hard truth. Next thing you know, you’ve had way too much to drink, you’ve been dancing for hours and one thought has taken over your world: You need to know all his secrets.
So you sidle up to him between sets to ask what all those songs are about. He smells of cheap bourbon, stale cigarettes, week-old sweat, bad cologne and greasy food. He barely glances at you, cocks a snoot and without missing a beat, says: “Wild Wild You is about kids growing up and leaving home, Waste Time With Me is about growing old together, F That Daily Mail is about tabloid press (especially in the U.K.) which keeps conservative populist crap governments in charge, I’m Going Monkey For Your Love is about having to be a performing monkey for the audience, Call Me King is as close to a modern blues classic as I can get, whereby a man can claim to be king of his castle home, queen by his side sharing power, and leaving all they work for to the kids … nobody rules you, you ARE the royalty. Gotta run.”
Before any of that can seep into the seeping, booze-soaked sponge in your brainpan, he turns crisply on his heel, strides majestically out of the bar, steps into a waiting cab (who called him that?) and vanishes into the night. And you’re left with his massive bar tab, the first needle-sharp twinges of what is sure to be a soul-crushing hangover and — most importantly — the nagging sense that for one brief shining moment, the clouds parted, the scales fell from your eyes, and everything made some goddamn sense for a change.
And that’s why you need to call Son Of Dave the king, fer Christ’s sake.
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Son of Dave is an established international act based in London, U.K., and his native Canada. Nobody does what he does. It’s unique and hugely funky. Based in the blues, his music travels to an audience of all types. A world-renowned one-man harmonica and beatbox party, with well crafted songs, percussion, jokes and a huge sound packing a dance-floor every time. Originally from Winnipeg, he has a long history and puts on an unforgettable live show.
Call Me King is pure SoD harmonica and blues driven stuff, sometimes really stripped down, sometimes playing a whole pile of instruments and layering it up in Space Eko East recording studio in London where many SoD albums have been made.
Since this was recorded, a move back Canada between pandemic waves has put pause to touring (also special thanks to Brexit), so taking time to re-focus on old family, friends and new tunes. There’s no lack of brand new boogie being made, it never stops!
Son of Dave’s songs have been used in huge TV shows, feature films, and on rotation on national radio stations in UK, France, Italy, Switzerland. Son of Dave has played over 1400 concerts across Europe, Canada, U.S.A, Australia, Africa and Russia. Has had music synced in Breaking Bad, Preacher, Bloodline, Crash, Gossip Girl, a Robin Williams film and more. He has appeared on Later With Jools Holland, Taratata, Album De La Semain and other big European music television appearances. Has been the support act for Iggy & The Stooges, Sleaford Mods, UB40, Heavy Trash, John Cooper Clarke, C.W.Stoneking, Supergrass, The Troggs, The Yardbirds and more. He has played Bestival and The Big Chill, Montreux Jazz, Montreal Jazz, Fuji Rock, Glastonbury, The Big Day Out and countless big international festivals. He has played private parties for Grace Jones and Rag & Bone Man. He has his own radio show on Soho Radio in London, where he plays two hours of 45rpms from his collection. And he was a member of Grammy-nominated Crash Test Dummies for 10 years before any of the above. Son of Dave has sold about 50,000 albums.”
