SINGER/SONGWRITER/KEYBOARD PLAYER based in East Sussex, UK

Welcome to my website. Hopefully there is something for most music fans, especially fans of artists I have worked with, including MOTT THE HOOPLE, DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS, LINDA McCARTNEY and PAUL BRADY. There are lots of stories and photos. Please come back again as I'll keep adding memories from four decades of music making. And here's what I do now...

MICK BOLTON and PHIL LITTLE

Phil is a brilliant, powerful drummer - he played for years with Micky Jones of the Welsh rock band MAN. Together we play my own songs, plus some unique versions of stuff we enjoy - Neil Young, Steely Dan, Rolling Stones, Santana, Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Band, Carole King etc. We take each song as a starting point and just let the music carry us along.

THE RHYTHM SECTION

The Rhythm Section is a five-piece band - the brainchild of Phil Little, Driven by his drumming and the percussion of Tom Alexander. We have one of our area's best guitarists Simon Shaw, plus Matt Novis on bass and myself on keyboards. Simon and I share the lead vocals and we play Afro and Latin Funk, with songs by Santana, The Meters, Tom Waits, Steely Dan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc - plus some of my songs.

SOLO

I play over 60 solo gigs a year. In the last year I have played regularly at the Congress, Oban and Marine Parade hotels, plus several gigs at the Hilton, Lansdowne, West Rocks, Arundel and Princes hotels - all in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

For bookings, please get in touch via my contact page. You'll see from the number of repeat bookings below, that we always get asked back (2011 gig list at the bottom of this page)

2012

Solo: Jan 1, 14, 17 - Oban Hotel; Jan 21 - Marine Parade Hotel

Jan 28 - Plough, Priory Rd, Hastings - with Phil

Mar 17 - Plough, Priory Rd, Hastings - with Phil

Mar 25 - Royal Standard, Hastings - with Phil

Apr 2 - Hastings Arms, George St, Hastings - with Phil

Apr 6 - Jenny Lind, High St, Hastings - with The Rhythm Section

Apr 15 - Plough, Priory Rd, Hastings - with Phil

Apr 20 - Marina Fountain, St Leonards - with The Rhythm Section

Apr 22 - Royal Standard, Hastings - with Phil

May 4 - Dolphin, Rock a Nore Rd, Hastings - with Phil

May 12 - Jenny Lind, High St, Hastings - with Phil

May 29 - Mrs Yarringtons Music Club, Crowhurst Park, Battle - with Phil

June 16 - Plough, Priory Rd, Hastings - with Phil

July 2 - Hastings Arms, George St, Hastings - with Phil

July 6 - Dolphin, Rock a Nore Rd, Hastings - with Phil

July 14 - Jenny Lind, High St, Hastings - wth Phil

July 15 - Royal Standard, Hastings - with Phil

August 24 - Jenny Lind, High St, Hastings - with The Rhythm Section

August 31 - Dolphin, Rock a Nore Rd, Hastings - with Phil

Sep 7-9 - Big Green Cardigan Festival, Sedlescombe - date/time to be confirmed

Sep 28 - Dolphin, Rock a Nore Rd, Hastings - with Phil

Oct 8 - Hastings Arms, George St, Hastings - with Phil

Oct 21 - Royal Standard, Hastings - with Phil

Oct 26 - Norman Arms, St Leonards - with Phil

In 1973 I played Hammond Organ with MOTT THE HOOPLE. There's a list of all the gigs from that year (and the acts that supported us - including Queen, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Iggy Pop, Joe Walsh and The New York Dolls) on my Gig History page. There are rare photos in my Photo Gallery and there is a video of me playing a solo piano version of their hit All The Young Dudes further down this page. Mott played five 40th anniversary concerts in October 2009 with the original 1969 line-up at the Hammersmith Apollo, which was the venue for the final riotous concert of our 1973 tour - see my Biography page. Also see my Mott Reunion page.

In the 1980s I toured and recorded with DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS. See my Gig History page for excerpts from the diary I kept during the preparation for the 1985 tour to promote the Don't Stand Me Down album. I also toured and recorded with Irish singer/songwriter PAUL BRADY, playing on the same bill as U2, Van Morrison, Tina Turner, UB40 and The Pogues. For several years I was a regular visitor at Paul McCartney's home where I worked with LINDA McCARTNEY, giving her keyboard tuition as well as co-writing and recording tracks that appeared on her album Wide Prairie. I've also worked occasionally as a session musician playing with, among others, LATOYA JACKSON, LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III and VIC GODARD. Since the 1990s I have worked as a solo artist throughout Scandinavia, Europe and the UK.

I was a finalist in the 2008 UK Songwriting Contest which had over 6200 entries. See video 5 below.

The piano isn't often used as the main instrument in rock/pop music - it's usually heard somewhere in the background. I really enjoy putting the piano centre stage and showing what a powerful, emotional instrument it really is - and my audiences seem to enjoy that too. Here are some comments I have received on the Internet:

• Mick, I ADORE Rainbow over Michigan. The lyrics make me smile inside and out. Your piano playing is so rockin' and funky, soo much fun!!
• All The Young Dudes - You play it soooooo gooooooooood
• You've put tears in my eyes - this song is just too much
• All these years later and you've still got it - you rock those keys like they're nothing
• The White Cliffs Of England - I like this song so much - you have a great voice.
• Saw Mick at Poorboys in Hastings - he deserves to be playing to much bigger crowds and none of these videos do justice to seeing him play live
• Your song Under The Glitter Ball was Awesome! Incredible performance - beautifully played
• Beautiful - a privilege to see you playing such a magnificent track from a seminal album; My all time favourite of their slower melodies! Thanks for this wonderful piano version! Love it! (The Waltz - Dexys Midnight Runners)
• ...seen you playing The Waltz Mick and your piano is heartbreaking and inspirational. Don't Stand Me Down is up there with the best and you're part of that. One of those YouTube moments that you can't believe that you've had the good fortune to stumble across.
• Saw you at the Plough last night - totally awesome!
• I had the pleasure to see Mick Bolton play four gigs during my holiday in the UK! He did a rockin' rendition of "All the Way from Memphis." Thanks for the music, Mick!

VIDEOS:

1. I'm A Man - with Phil Little (drums) and Matt Novis (bass). Playing the Steve Winwood song at the Kings Head sessions in Battle, East Sussex

2. Rainbow Over Michigan - with Phil Little and Matt Novis. A song I wrote in 1974 describing life on the road with Mott The Hoople.

3. All The Young Dudes - solo piano performance

4. Rock And Roll Widow - live solo piano/vocal performance

5. Me And My Old Piano - a song that gained me a Finalist place in the 2008 UK Songwriting contest.

2011 GIG LIST

Jan 18 - Crowhurst Park (Mrs Yarrington's Music Club) - with Phil Little (supporting Eric Faulkner)

Feb 8 - Crowhurst Park (MYMC) - with Joe Rytlewski (guitar) and Phil

Feb 13 - North Star, St Leonards - with Phil

Mar 3 - Kings Head Sessions, Battle - with Joe Rytlewski, Phil and Matt Novis

Apr 1 - Dolphin, Hastings - with Phil

Apr 28 - The Roomz, St Leonards - as The Rhythm Section (Phil, Matt, Simon Shaw, Tom Alexander, Emmanuel Donde)

May 8 - Bar Blue, Hastings - with Mark Ramsden (sax) and Phil

May 19 - The Roomz, St Leonards - with Phil and Matt

May 27 - Senlac Inn, Battle - with Phil and Matt

May 29 - Kings Head festival, Battle, E Sussex (MYMC) - with Phil and Matt

July 7 - The Roomz, Western Rd, St Leonards - with Phil and Matt

July 15 - Dolphin, Hastings - with Phil

July 17 - Bar Blue, Hastings (3.30pm) - with Phil

July 29 - The Roomz, St Leonards - as The Rhythm Section

August 11 - The Roomz, St Leonards - with Phil and Matt

August 26 - Marmaris, Queens Rd, Hastings - with Phil

Sep 3 - Big Green Cardigan Festival, Sedlescombe, E Sussex - main stage with Phil

Sep 4 - Big Green Cardigan Festival, Sedlescombe, E Sussex - main stage as The Rhythm Section

Sep 16 - Marmaris, Queens Rd, Hastings - with Phil

Oct 21 - Marmaris, Queens Rd, Hastings - with Phil

Oct 22 - Plough, Priory Rd, Hastings - with Phil

Nov 4 - Dolphin, Hastings - with Phil

Nov 17 - Marmaris, Queens Rd, Hastings - with Phil

Dec 9 - North Star, Clarence Rd, St Leonards - with Phil

Dec 16 - Marmaris, Queens Rd, Hastings - with Phil

Dec 17 - Plough, Priory Rd, Hastings - with Phil