Peter Fergus McClelland



t: 01273 455202
e: pete@mcmail.info

CURRENT BAND PROJECTS

The Blackthorn Band
Peter Fergus McClelland is a 1995 founder member and has recorded two well received albums with Blackthorn

Far From Home (2004) "Extremely accomplished." Folk London
"Musicianship of such a standard deserves recognition and success" The Folk Mag

The River That Runs Below (2008) "Focused and accomplished, this is dignified Anglo Celtic music of the first order" fROOTS
"This lovely album ... superb and uplifting to the spirit" Irish Music Magazine 2008 "Present-day bands playing Celtic repertoire don't come much better than this." Netrhythms

ThingumaJig
A popular ceilidh band, gigging continuously since 1998
Peter Fergus McClelland recorded on their only album so far..

Ceilidh Party (2004) "Even if you are among the two-left-feet crowd, you'll enjoy the energy and superb musicianship of this album" Sing Out! (USA) "Thank you so much for playing wonderful music and singing to our 50th party. The instructions were fabulous and all our guests loved the atmosphere at Copsale. Thank you again. Best wishes"

Montana Rain
Peter Fergus McClelland is a founder member
of the Montana Rain Country band, formed in 2006
"Just a note to say how good Montana Rain were on Saturday.They were terrific and I would recommend them to anybody"

CURRENT SOLO PROJECTS

The Way Back To You
Songs of love and songs of hearbreak
people and journeys across the USA

"I wrote this set of songs between 2017 and 2019. I've dedicated it to the my very good friend Cody D Grundy who sadly died before hearing the album. He did at least hear one of the songs I wrote for him "Song For Cody". Capritaurus was also for Cody. It's a second collection of my memories plus real and imagined scenes and situations from many years driving all around and across the USA with my wife Mannie. Images of all the people I met, friends I made, the places I've been, and the music I have listened to and played." The album was begun at Beach Studios Shoreham by Sea in 2017 and finished in Music Row Nashville in early 2020. The Way Back To You was released in May 2020 and features me on acoustic guitar and vocals, John Rain: bass, Tom Phelan: rhodes, Jason Pegg: mini-grand, Angele Veltmeier: sax. Chris Leuzinger: guitars, Denis Holt: drums, Pat Severs: guitars, dobro and steel.The project is being rehearsed currently with a view to accepting bookings in 2021.

The Turn of the Tide
Songs of the Sea, Coast, Fishing,
Rivers, Lovers and Banishment

This new one hour suite of songs was gathered together and performed for the first time at the Cornwall Folk Festival in August 16 by Peter Fergus McClelland (guitar) accompanied by Mal Darwen (bass). It includes four of Pete's own compositions, two nicked from Nic Jones, two from Canada, and two from Pete's original home town, Southend on Sea. Two are about offshore metalwork, four concern rivers, four about fishing or the loss of it, and two about leaving home and crossing the sea.

The album was recorded in spring 2017 and was released in November 2017.

I performed several shanty sets as well as my Turn of the Tide project at the at the Harwich Shanty Festival 2019, I've been asked to go to Weson Super Mare in 2021 and looking for other dates meanwhile.

Available to book now for share of door money! We can do two 45 minute sets or a straight one hour performance.
(anywhere south of London, or for a fee further afield.)

See the end of the set with audience reaction: Click Here


Turn of the Tide Reviews in brief (see all reviews) LIVE REVIEWS

2018 "Thank you for a splendid evening. Get out there and sell yourselves."
Bryan Creer, Lewes Folk Club

"It was a very nice night - good choice of songs, with the completely new ones as well as some that aren't heard very often. I like the interaction between the two of you, musically and in the chat. Tom is very good at adjusting his volume to suit what's going on, which is a rare talent in someone at the controls of an accordion, and he's very, very good at devising suitable and sensitive accompaniments. More, please!" Valmai Goodyear, Lewes Folk Club

2017"A lot better than I expected!" "I wanted to add belated thanks for making last Monday such a success. Hope you enjoyed it as much as we all did. Best regards,"
Stuart Reed, Brighton Acoustic Session.

2016"French guitarist Claude Bourbon, Pete McClelland along with Martin Simpson opened the Festival to make it a feast for all those “guitar pickers “out there. Pete gave up his Hobgoblin Music Chain management duties to return to his heart-felt roots and love of playing once again by delivering an inspired and very worthy, traditional performance – welcome back to the stage Pete! Your set was very good and I hope to see you do more performing now."
Mike Walford - Artistic Director Cornwall Folk Festival CIC

"I thought your set was really good and a couple who were staying at our B&B also commented on how much they enjoyed your material."
Clive Rooke, sound engineer Cornwall folk festival.

"A Sussex based singer and guitarist with a superb selection of songs of the Sea, Coast, Fishing, Rivers, Lovers and Banishment. An eclectic mix of contemporary, including self-penned, and traditional songs." "Many thanks for the CD which I thoroughly enjoyed, a very good mix of contemporary and traditional. Looking forward to seeing you at the club." Roger Resch Tonbridge Folk Club


Carolina Sky
Songs of places, people and journeys across the USA

Carolina Sky The album was begun at Beach Studios Shoreham by Sea in spring 2016 and finished in Music Row Nashville in July the same year. "This set of songs written between 2008 and 2016 are a collection of my thoughts and memories from many years driving all around and across the USA, of all the people I met, the places I've been, and the music I have listened to and played." This album was released in August 2017. Availabe for bookings in spring 2021 onward.


Carolina Sky Reviews in brief (see all reviews)

Steve Caseman R2 magazine

"Surprisingly, Carolina Sky is Pete's debut solo album. a gently beguiling collection informed by McClelland's pastoral tones, eschewing any suggestion of a false accent, and at times bringing to mind Al Stewart. He skilfully combines elements of country, blues, bluegrass and folk with soft-rock favours on the Chris Rea-style 'War of Love', and Cajun on 'Marie'."

Nick Dalton, Maverick Magazine "This is a collection of self-penned songs that makes the most of the simplicity of the rhyming couplet and there's a certain charm in the way it all pans out. Marie, as he points out on the sleeve notes, does sound rather like Canned Heat's Going up Country, but it's fun."