Blues Pirates Press and Reviews: Chris Turner’s Blues Pirates – Enmore Theatre September 7th 2005 I must admit that I have never written a music review before but I felt I had to write this one. I was invited to the Pete Wells Benefit at The Enmore Theatre by a friend and willingly accepted. I do not know much of Pete Wells’s music apart from of course Rose Tattoo where Angry gets most of the cred and spotlight. This story is about the opening act on the show, Chris Turner and his Blues Pirates. On the night Chris walked out on stage to almost total silence, mainly due to the fumbled introduction by Billy Thorpe. Chris took control with a confidence that can only come from years of entertainment experience and started talking about his friend Pete Wells. He told an anecdote about joining the band Buffalo and them sending him out to open the show on his own – he then did just that with a solo piece. This man can play the guitar! He made the guitar scream and wail and soon had the so far cold audience on side. The Blues Pirates then joined him in a beautiful blues that I later learned was “All Strung Out” from his “Guitar Stories” album. By this time the crowd had caught on to this man’s mastery of the guitar and they were with him. He then told another Pete Wells story and it became apparent that he really knew the man. My research has later shown that Chris has been working with Pete Wells throughout most of Pete’s musical life : Buffalo, Rose Tattoo, Pete Wells Band, Chris Turner Band, Scattered Aces, Lucy De Soto Band, Rocks Push and even The Blues Pirates. Chris finished his section of the show with a track from the latest Pete Wells album. “Mothers Worry” called “Country Girl”, in which he showed us how to play slide guitar. The Blues Pirates were fantastic and Chris built them up to a blistering climax with the crowd going crazy when they left the stage – the show was well and truly opened! Many fine and legendary acts followed in this tribute to Pete Wells but I for one was blown away by this underdog of Australian music and his tribute to a friend. Why isn’t Chris Turner famous? Anne Simpson 2005 Blues Pirates – Merton Estate Hotel – Rozelle NSW. 17/9/06 I must say how much I personally enjoyed The Blues Pirates. Chris Turner’s Blues Pirates are an ‘unplugged’ acoustic duo belting out old and new blues tunes. American local Cletis Carr is the perfect duo partner for Chris Turner and they have obviously worked together before. On this night they were also joined by percussionist Justin Hazelwood. Chris opened the show and broke the ice by announcing that.... “An American, an Australian and a Pom walked into a bar and the barman said – ‘Is this some kind of joke?’ No sir, we’re the Blues Pirates!” The show got off to a fine start with Chris doing a version of Billie Holiday’s “Rocks in My Bed”. Cletis Carr followed this with an original called “Nothin’ to Say”. From then on the songs and guitars were flying thick n’ fast, (when I asked Chris why he has all the guitars, he replied “They’re different colours!”). But I was later assured by Cletis that they are all different tunings and make different sounds. The night was very entertaining with Turner keeping up a banter and repartee with his fellow musicians and audience. There was some great guitar playing with both musicians playing slide and some original Aussie blues tunes, including “Rookwood Blues” and Turner’s version of the shortest blues song in the world, “Morphine”, which brought the house down. Old standards were revisited and given bright new arrangements. They also dedicated a ‘blue’ version of “Bad Boy for Love” to their friend Pete Wells. Along with the crowd, Pete would have loved it. Special guests Jonny Gretsch and Stuart Back also added to the fun and entertainment of the night. When I later asked Chris Turner about The Blues Pirates he said apart from plundering past Blues it was best explained by….. “Something old – Something new, something borrowed, something blue” Now where have I heard that before? This is a great motto for this act – Rrrr, they arrrr well worth a look and made many wenches swoon…. Watch out Johnny Depp! Review and Photograph - Michelle Barta – Director VAMP Media