Hendrix North East Charity Concert Honours Late ‘Club 'A GoGo’ Owner

A unique charity fundraising concert, featuring tribute performances by 10 top North East bands and musicians, is set to celebrate and explore the close North East connections of ?Rock God? and electric guitar legend, Jimi Hendrix - thanks to a ?punt? taken by Geordie music icon & ex-Animals bassist, Chas Chandler.

Chandler, whom after chancing upon the performer in a small New York nightclub, persuaded a young unsigned Hendrix to accompany him back to the UK, where he would manage his career and in the process launch ?The Jimi Hendrix Experience? to the world. And the rest is history as they say...

Except it isn?t...certainly when it comes to the times arguably ?the world?s greatest ever electric guitarist? spent in the region (such as when staying at Chas?s mother?s house in Heaton, wandering Jesmond Dene for inspiration etc.), which are often overlooked by historical accounts of the star?s life. Such times in the rockstar?s life certainly got no mention whatsoever, for example, in the recently released Hendrix film biopic, ?Jimi: All Is by My Side? (which did grace cinemas, but was vehemently criticised for its inaccuracies by almost all those who actually knew Jimi).

So, as well as ?setting the record straight? in some way (including projection of an original ?Hendrix In the North East Storyboard?), the charity concert, raising funds for both Macmillan Cancer Care and Cancer Research UK, will also honour the life of late Geordie Club A ?GoGo co-owner and manager, Ray Grehan, whom the event?s organiser (musician and record company entrepreneur), Simon Desai, became good friends with in the 1990s.

Simon takes up the story behind the show: ?In the early ?90s, I became a good friend of Ray Grehan, co-owner of Newcastle's legendary music venue, the Club A? GoGo, where Hendrix first played Newcastle in 1967. Ray used to encourage me (mostly!) with both my music-making and my early career in advertising, as well as regale me with tales about the club in the ?60s and what they all got up to. He was a jovial, funny man, who made a million, blew a million and always seemed to enjoy life to the full. There was one tale in particular I always asked him to repeat; and that was how after the Hendrix gig at the club, Ray asked Jimi what his favourite food was, since to celebrate the success of the gig, he wanted to take Hendrix for a (possibly quite expensive) meal at a restaurant of his choice. At Jimi?s behest, however, they ended up happily eating fish and chips together, sitting on a wooden bench overlooking Tynemouth seafront.?

He continues, ?As well as Ray, we are also honouring my late great friend, co-songwriter and bandmate, Tim Riley, whom we sadly lost to cancer in 2013 when he was just in his early forties. And of course by giving to these two charities, we would like to pay tribute to everyone in the North East who has lost a family member or perhaps a dear friend to this awful disease. Through celebrating Jimi and his connections to the region, we can do something about it.?

?The Geordie Hendrix Experience - Charity Tribute Concert 2015? - headlined by North East 'guitar virtuoso' and his blues / rock 3-piece, the Mitch Laddie Band and multi-award winning, the Trevor Sewell Band, is on Friday May 29th at Northumbria University (Reds Bar, top floor, Student Union Building).

Tickets are now on sale priced at just £10 (with all proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Care and Cancer Research UK) either via the event?s two online ticketing outlets: www.musicglue.com and www.skiddle.com OR by sending a cheque or postal order (@ £10 per ticket) made payable to S.P Desai, Organiser TGHE c/o Great British Records (GBR), 92 Warwick Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5AR.

For more detailed event information, please visit the event?s various web pages, beiow:

Facebook links:

https://www.facebok.com/hendrixcharitytribute

https://www.facebook.com/events/922817774416908

The Chronicle - What?s On? listings link:

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/event/jimi-hendrix-in-the-north-east-charity-tribute-concert-2015/

For more information regarding this press release, or any other enquiries, please contact:

Simon Desai, Event Organiser / Founder & CEO - Great British Records (GBR) Mobile: 07885571236 Email: simondesai@gmail.com, 92 Warwick Street, Newcastle NE6 5AR.

Tickets are no longer available for this event