Britpop singer to play brace of isles shows

The former lead singer of a 1990s indie band is venturing north next month to play two intimate acoustic gigs.

Chris Helme, who fronted The Seahorses for a few years towards the tail-end of the Britpop era, will play the Northern Lights function room in Brae on Friday, 10th April, followed by a show at Posers Nightclub in Lerwick the following night.

Helme’s old band, put together by Stone Roses guitarist John Squire in 1996, had a brief but successful career and scored two top 10 singles, coming close to topping the charts with their debut release Love Is The Law and its parent album Do It Yourself in 1997, before they fell out and disbanded in 1999.

After The Seahorses’ demise, Helme formed a new band called The Yards along with ex-Seahorses bassist Stuart Fletcher and they released their self-titled debut album in 2005. Last year Helme released his debut solo album, entitled Ashes, a sparsely-produced record which showcases the singer’s love of folk and blues.

Support at the two gigs will come from two of Shetland’s top young singer-songwriters. Antonia Sidgwick will open the show in Brae and Jordan Ogg will do the honours at Posers, while North Country Fair will also be playing a short set. The Klub Revolution DJs will also be on hand to provide after-show entertainment at Posers.

Doors open at 8pm on both nights and promoters A Northern Soul are asking those attending to come along early and support the local performers. The shows are being sponsored by Mark Anderson from Allied Taxis and tickets are available now, priced at £7, from the two venues.

Anyone who wants to find out more about Chris Helme can visit his website at www.myspace.com/chrishelmesolo