Keith James tribute concert for Nick Drake at Torch Theatre

Western Telegraph

a day ago

The Torch Theatre in Milford Haven will host The Songs of Nick Drake on Saturday, August 9, featuring musician Keith James.
Mr James was the first artist to bring Nick Drake's music to UK theatre audiences in 2001, launching a six-year tour that included more than 1,000 concerts around the world.
A spokesman for the Torch Theatre said: "Two decades have now passed since Keith paralysed the whole country with this stunningly beautiful concert.
"In 2001 he was the first artist ever to bring this intriguingly fragile music to theatres across the UK in its live form.
"The result was six years of highly acclaimed tours amounting to more than 1,000 concerts in venues across the globe."
Nick Drake recorded three albums between 1969 and 1972 but was largely unknown during his lifetime.
He died in 1974 at the age of 26, and his music faded into obscurity until a resurgence of interest in the early 2000s brought his work to new audiences.
Born in Burma and raised in Warwickshire, Drake studied literature at Cambridge and began performing in the arts scenes of London, Oxford, and Cambridge.
He was signed by Island Records and released his debut album, Five Leaves Left, within a year.
Although now regarded as a masterpiece, the album did not achieve commercial success at the time.
His gentle, poetic songs have since been re-evaluated and are now celebrated worldwide.
Mr James has spent his life immersed in music, poetry, and performance.
He began his career performing in wine bars in the late 1970s before becoming one of the UK's most respected concert artists.
The Torch Theatre spokesman said: "Keith has dedicated his entire working life to music, song-writing, poetry and performing.
"A unique and somewhat solitary musician, who many years ago, chose not to take part in the 'pop' music world, or to a large extent, the 'folk' music world, trusting in himself to follow his own path as a genuine and individual performer and recording artist."
He is also a record producer, and his technical expertise helps him deliver concerts that are both intimate and immersive.
The spokesman said: "A wide understanding of sound not only enables him to understand the acoustic value of every venue – working with sound engineers to deliver a quality concert that is both intimate and enthralling, but has also proved invaluable when producing his own albums."
Mr James has performed in Denmark, Norway, Holland, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Ireland, the USA, and Brazil, as well as nearly every theatre and arts centre in the UK.
He has played at Glastonbury and at many of Drake's former schools and colleges.
Tickets for Keith James – The Songs of Nick Drake are priced at £20.
The performance will begin at 7.30pm.