MICHAEL MCDERMOTT (USA): Echoes of Springsteen and Dylan from the windy city

Date/Time Sun 04 Dec 2016 7:45 PM

Price Online - £11 + £1.10 booking fee; On The Door - £11

Website: http://www.michael-mcdermott.com/


Michael McDermott’s story is the classic tale of survival, perseverance, love and redemption. First came youthful innocence, a dream-come-true recording contract, a classic debut album heralded by the media, and a downward spiral with seemingly no bottom.

Michael got off to a fast start when he released his first album 620 W. Surf. The music media heralded him with comparisons to rock n’ roll’s greats: “The new Springsteen … Truly singular lyrics … Like Dylan”.
Author Stephen King, wrote: “Michael McDermott is one of the best songwriters in the world and possibly the greatest undiscovered rock ‘n’ roll talent of the last 20 years.

Jess behind the bar at the Cabbage Patch declared Michael’s first gig at TwickFolk “WICKED!

Here’s what John Hocking (bookings and sound) wrote recently:

I’d never heard of McDermott when his agent contacted TwickFolk looking for a booking, but the agent also sent me a link to his new album – ‘West Side Stories‘, credited to The Westies. I played it. I played it again. I played the song ‘Trains’ a few more times. I was totally hooked.
McDermott was described as a ‘new Springsteen’ when he broke through in the 80s, whereupon he did the full rock star crash-and-burn, and was gone by the mid-90s. Now he’s older, wiser, tea-total and sporting the most non-folk hairstyle ever seen at a folk club.
The date was May Day bank holiday Sunday and because it was a 3-day weekend we had people flying and driving from all over the UK for that one night. It was a barnstormer.
McDermott has a lot in common with Steve Earle and the same intensity of delivery that gives his music emotional power. The stories in the songs and around the songs told of the rise and fall and rise again, not just of McDermott, but a whole cast of characters real and imagined.
Redemptive Rock and Roll – that’s how I like to spend my Sundays.

This December, Michael returns with an acclaimed new album: Willow Springs and another Westies CD from earlier this year and a retrospective collection. John & Jess are already excited!

Meanwhile, guess where this video was shot…