Name: THE JOKERS and STATIS QUO
Start: 2024-07-26T19:00:00+01:00
Location: Yardbirds Rock

The Jokers, who hail from the North West of England, were formed in 2006, with the aim of creating the world’s greatest rock and roll band. Their debut album, ‘The Big Rock ‘N’ Roll Show’, while mixed by Mike Fraser in Vancouver, (straight after he had mixed AC/DC’s 10 million plus selling Black Ice album), was only recorded in guitarist Paul Hurst’s Liverpool living room, with duvets hanging on the walls to help the sound and provide a makeshift vocal booth.
Released in June 2009, ‘The Big Rock ‘N’ Roll Show’ was awarded 8/10 in Classic Rock’s Summer 2009 issue by scribe Dom Lawson, who stated that “If you’re going to start nominating yourself for the intermittently vacant position of rock’n’roll standard bearers, you’d better have the sound, the swagger and the songs. Fortunately, The Jokers have all three in large amounts. Frontman Wayne Parry has one of those voices designed to incite a riot of dancing and Olympic standard drinking, and every song is alive with a real sense of joyful bonhomie. Most attempts to nail that elusive rock’n’roll spirit fall flat because the band simply don’t have the juice. The Jokers, meanwhile, are swimming in it.” The band then spent two years on the road building a substantial live following supporting the likes of Hawkwind, Y&T, Joe Elliot & The Down N Outz, Argent, Anvil and Fozzy, selling over 8000 CD’s and 6,000 downloads of ‘The Big Rock ‘N’ Roll Show’ on their own independent record label along the way.
The jokers then hooked up with producer Andy Macpherson (Eric Clapton, The Who, Barclay James Harvest, The Buzzcocks etc), and began writing their second album, ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Is Alive’, in his Revolution Studio in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, early in 2011. After two years of perfectionist recording and mixing sessions, ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Is Alive’ was finally mastered by Tim Young at Metropolis studios in London in February 2013. When massive hard rock label SPV/Steamhammer’s Head Of A&R Olly Hahn heard the album he immediately offered the Jokers a worldwide record deal and scheduled ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Is Alive’ for release in September 2013. Packed with glorious, fluid lead guitar licks, vivid, expressive vocals, groove ridden bass lines and crisp, cracking drums, ‘Rock ‘N Roll Is Alive’ received rave reviews on release; “This second serving from the hard touring foursome is full of sure-footed grit: complete with crystal clear riffing and tight, anthemic tendencies” noted Steve Bailey in Guitar Magazine. Fireworks Magazine’s Alan Holloway stated “They sound like a healthy mix of The Black Crowes, Chickenfoot and AC/DC, albeit with their own mojo throughout. Opener ‘Silver City’ has a great melody and guitar base, whilst ‘Let It Rock’ is very AC/DC but ‘NYC’ has a wonderful smooth feel backed up by a guitar part that brings to mind the theme from ‘School Of Rock’.” Powerplay writer Steve Swift pronounced “Buffoons need not apply here; this is serious business and these Jokers deliver. 9/10”