Gareth James and Band Present “ALICE and the Bad Moon” – A Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival and Smokie.
DATE: 14th December 2022
TIME: 7.30pm to 10.30pm
VENUE: Sky Villa Boutique Hotel
TICKETS: R180.00 – Buy Online
Self-taught singer/songwriter, Gareth James, is no stranger to the South African music scene. His musical journey which started at the tender age of 16 brought him to his solo project, The Gareth James Band, introducing S.A. to Modern Country music, his influences being Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton & Lady Antebellum.
Gareth and his band had a very successful tour to Namibia in 2011, increasing his fan base beyond the borders of S.A. and in November when he visits Nashville, Gareth is excited about expanding his fan base in the U.S.
Having enjoyed sold-out performances of his tribute to Smokie in 2019, Gareth is back, by popular demand, touring throughout S.A. with his band, paying tribute to legendary 70s Rock ‘n Roll bands, Smokie and Creedence Clearwater Revival in a show entitled, “Alice and the Bad Moon”. Gareth and his band have just returned from a very successful Garden Route tour with sold-out performances at Reed Valley, Mossel Bay at Blend Restaurant, Knysna & St Francis Brewery in Cape St. Francis. The show features hits such as “Oh Carol”, “Bad Moon Rising”, “Don’t Play Your Rock ‘n Roll to Me”, “Have You Ever Seen the Rain? and “Living Next Door to Alice”, to mention but a few.
What inspired Gareth to perform a tribute to Smokie is their success as Europe’s top live band, 43 years after the band’s inception, with over 13 Top 20 hits in the 70s, having performed to more than 20 million fans, having sold over 20 million records worldwide with “Living Nextdoor to Alice” having sold over 10 million copies. To be Rock ‘n Roll survivors is an achievement, but to still be enthusiastic, fresh, totally committed and in love with music is a positive miracle! Smokie’s hit single, “If You Think You Know How to Love Me” peaked at No.3 and went on to sell millions of copies around the world. The band toured the globe, collecting Silver, Gold and Platinum discs almost everywhere they ventured with songs such as “Don’t Play Your Rock ‘n Roll to Me”, “Living Next Door to Alice” and “Oh Carol”.
Gareth decided to include a Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival, as their music is still a staple of the U.S. classic rock radio airplay with 28 milliion CCR records having been sold in the U.S. alone!
The compilation album chronicle:
The 20 Greatest Hits, originally released in 1976, is still on the Billboard 200 album chart and reached the 500-weeks mark in December 2020. It has been awarded 10x platinum. After their breakthrough, CCR began touring and started work on their second album, Bayou Country (released January 1969), at RCA Studios in Los Angeles. A No. 7 platinum hit, the record was their first in a string of hit albums and singles, that continued uninterrupted for two years.
The single “Proud Mary”, backed with “Born on the Bayou”, reached No. 2 on the national Billboard chart. The former would eventually become the group’s most- covered song, with some 100 versions by other artists to date. During April 1969 “Bad Moon Rising” backed with “Lodi” was released and peaked at No. 2 in the US.
In the United Kingdom “Bad Moon Rising” spent three weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart during September and October 1969.
