THE FACTORY LIVE AND SOLID ENTERTAINMENT ARE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME CONNOR SELBY AND HIS BAND TO WORTHING
Connor Selby is one of the brightest talents on the UK blues scene; incredibly he was voted "Young Artist of the Year" at the UK Blues Awards for three consecutive years. He has an impressive venue checklist, including Wembley Stadium, where he opened for The Who in July 2019 and has since gone on to play Hyde Park, London, on a bill with Pearl Jam, Stereophonics and Johnny Marr in the summer of 2022.
Raised in an Essex village, he has trodden a path less travelled. From early years in Connecticut, USA, as a young child to Dubai, UAE, aged ten to fourteen, and Essex either side, with those young eyes soaked up the travels and the changes passing him by.
One thing that kept with him was his burgeoning love of American roots music. "I got interested in not just the music itself but the history and everything around it," he says. "I love the directness, the simplicity and earthiness of it," he adds. "I love really how down-to-earth it is both lyrically and musically. I think with the blues, it's fundamentally about very basic human emotions. Things like sorrow and pride and exploring the way we deal with everyday situations and problems."
As a teenager, he devoured the music of Eric Clapton and Ray Charles - "Ray completely reshaped me as a person and the way I thought about music." But he also draws influence from old Delta records to soul artists like Sam Cooke, Bill Withers and the Stax sound to Jazz singers such as Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra as well as singer-songwriters; Van Morrison, Townes van Zandt, Bob Dylan, Nick Drake and contemporary artists like Ray LaMontagne, Norah Jones and Foy Vance.
WITH SPECIAL GUEST ARTIST ALEX FRANCIS
Alex Francis is rapidly gaining recognition with his unique mix of modern pop and timeless soul, captivating audiences in the UK, Europe, and beyond. His extraordinary talent has led him to tour with iconic musicians including Stereophonics, Alanis Morissette and Sting. Alex’s skills were further highlighted on “Hold On” an official duet with Melanie C, adding to his already notable body of work.
As well as having over 30 million Spotify streams, his energetic sound and compelling stage charisma have earned accolades from prestigious platforms such as BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio and BBC Radio 2. He has performed on renowned festival stages across the world including the SXSW Festival in Austin, Liverpool Sound City, the IOW Festival and Madrid’s MadCool Festival.
Guided by Grammy Award winning producer Mark Taylor, Alex Francis spent most of last year focused primarily on composing new music but he also undertook a successful series of solo shows in New York City and contributed an original song to the highly praised Cher album “Christmas.”
“Incredible voice, incredible production & a wonderful songwriter” Charlie Ashcroft, Amazing Radio
“The perfect intersect between grit and polish” Belwood Music
“Alex’s music combines folk and soul with a hypnotic, modern funk melded together through his rustic, beautifully rough voice.” The Sound Sniffer
“Quietly inspirational” CLASH