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

News: On BBC Radio 4 on Thursday 17th May at 11.30am, there's a documentary called Follow-up Albums. It's about the 1985 album Don't Stand Me Down by Dexys Midnight Runners. I was interviewed for it as I played on the album. I don't know how much of my interview, if any, will be included but it should be interesting as the making of the album was a bit of an epic journey. It will be available to listen to for the following 7 days on the BBC website. The latest Dexys lineup performed tonight (14th May) on BBC2's Later With Jools Holland - probably the first live TV performance since we appeared on The Tube in 1985. it will be repeated on Friday 18th May

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 Barry Jones 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 also play lots of solo gigs. 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

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

Mar 12 - Oban, Eastbourne - solo

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

Mar 25 - Royal Standard, Hastings - with Phil Little (4pm)

Mar 26 - Oban, Eastbourne - solo

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

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

Apr 7 - Congress Hotel, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne - Solo

Apr 8 - Oban, Eastbourne - Solo

Apr 12, 19 - Hilton Hotel, Eastbourne - Solo

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

Apr 21 - Congress Hotel, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne - Solo

Apr 22 - Royal Standard, Hastings - with Phil Little (4pm)

Apr 26 - Hilton Hotel, Eastbourne - Solo

Apr 28 - Congress Hotel, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne - Solo

May 3 - Marine Parade Hotel, Eastbourne - Solo

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

May 5 - Congress Hotel, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne - Solo

May 7 - Oban Hotel, Eastbourne - Solo

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

May 19, 26 - Congress Hotel, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne - Solo

May 29 - Mrs Yarringtons Music Club at the Senlac Pub, Battle (nr station)- with Phil Little

June 9 - Congress Hotel, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne - Solo

June 23, 30 - Congress Hotel, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne - Solo

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

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

July 7 - Congress Hotel, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne - Solo

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

July 15 - Royal Standard, Hastings - with Phil Little (4pm)

July 21 - Congress Hotel, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne - Solo

July 28 - Congress Hotel, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne - Solo

August 4, 11, 18 - Congress Hotel, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne - Solo

August 19 - Plough, Priory Rd, Hastings - with Phil Little

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

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

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

Sep 8, 15, 22 - Congress Hotel, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne - Solo

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

Oct 6 - Plough, Priory Rd, Hastings - with Phil Little

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

Oct 21 - Royal Standard, Hastings - with Phil Little

Oct 26 - Norman Arms, St Leonards - with Phil Little

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.