Blacktop Deluxe are all about "Tomorrow's Blues Today" - http://www.blacktopdeluxe.com/
Rocking the Blues with a Passion, this 'New British Blues Rock / Hard Rock Trio' are comprised of :-
Keith Howe (ex Blue on Black) - Guitar / Vocals.
Alan Ibbotson (ex Devils Creek) - Drums.
Tim Chapple (ex Devils Creek) - Bass
Keith Howe
Keith started his love affair with Blues/Rock Guitar from an early age. From early exposure to Clapton during his heyday with Cream, Keith's taste quickly blossomed to include a huge variety of guitar styles but mainly it followed the mastery shown by artists like Johnny Winter, Jimi Hendrix, Pat Travers, Rory Gallagher, Paul Kossof and Jeff Healey - naming but a few.
Attracted to the raw and passionate energy of these players he found himself interpreting their influences within his own playing and fascinated with the way that England was selling the Blues back to America with a distinctive, rocky edge.
Keith's first love (after Alison and the Girls that is) has always been the Guitar, which he feels, should be played with passion and honesty. "It should be able to talk, shout, whisper or cry its way through any middle eight and hold its audience spellbound in spine tingling conversations."
Keith cites Walter Trout as his favourite Guitarist and a great spiritual influence. Other players high on his "to die for list" include David Grissom, Jeff Healey, Gary Moore, Freddy King, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Phil Brown and Peter Haycock; However the list is virtually endless as long as the instrument is played with passion.
Keith's main guitar is his beloved Fender 'Bonnie Rait' signature Stratocaster with a Standard Sunburst Strat set up for slide work. He also uses a Kenny Wayne Sheppard Signature Srat, a Mighty Mite Strat (No 039 of 100) a Mexican 70's reissue Strat fitted with Bare Knuckle's Irish Tour pickups for slide work and a Martin D18. He uses Elite Strings Lite gauge (09 to 43) even though everyone tells him to use a heavier gauge. Playing through a Mesa Boogie 35w 2x12 Maverick Combo linked to a Mesa Boogie 2x12 Closed Back extension cabinet. He also owns a 1969 Marshall 50w Head and 4x12 bottom cabinet plus a Budda Superdrive 18 Head. Effects are minimal but are his trusty 'Cry Baby' Wah Wah, a Boss Chorus for some of the rhythm work and an occasion repeat from a DD3.
Alan Ibbotson
Born in Leeds Yorkshire, Alan was first captivated by the sound of a live drum kit at age 11. Drum lessons soon started, with coaching by ex big-band drummers, reading scores and playing orchestral, jazz, folk, pop and rock. Early influences were Buddy Rich and Krupa as well as Ginger Baker, Ian Paice, Jon Bonham and Carl Palmer. During these formative years Alan played and listened to a wide variety of music and attended live gigs by Curved Air, Family, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull and the Buddy Rich Big Band.
Moving to Cornwall Alan managed to pick up work with local groups and club bands gaining extensive experience through gigs, concerts and backing cabaret artistes. This phase of playing generated the influence of Latin American dance and ethnic rhythms, studying and playing techniques from music by Santana, Sergio Mendes and Osibisa. Alan now blends this experience with the Blues Rock genre playing gig in the UK, USA and Germany and supporting acts such as: Walter Trout, Wilko Johnson, Larry Miller, Joe Bonnamassa, The Hamsters, and even a memorable show in Plymouth with Thunder, Peter Frampton and Deep Purple.
EQUIPMENT: Alan’s stage kit is a Natal bubinga kit with undrilled kick fitted with DrumPort head, Black Panther Brass Master snare, Yamaha & Iron Cobra pedals and Hardware. Sabian crash and splash cymbals, Paiste 2002 Ride and A-Custom hi-hats. Miking is AKG, shure with Behringer mixer and Galaxy monitoring system. Cases are Protection Racket and Hard case. Favourite sticks at the moment are Los Cabos 5A Canadian Red Hickory.
DRUMMING INFLUENCES (Alan has met many of these listed!)
Buddy Rich, Simon Phillips, Pierre Van Der Linden, Carl Palmer, Ian Paice, Evelyn Glennie, Jon Hiseman, Gary Husband, Steve White, Joey Parfumi, Asaf Sirkis, Ginger Baker, Stewart Copeland, Bill Bruford, Alan White, Jon Bonham, Simon Kirke, Keith Moon, Steve Gadd, Phil Collins, Terry Bozzio, Neal Peart, Phil Gould and many more
Tim Chapple
Born and raised in Cornwall - Tim first discovered music in the early seventies, and grew up on a diet of Slade, Bowie and Mott the Hoople. Discovering the blues by working backwards from bands like Ten Years After and The Groundhogs was a revelation,and he soaked up as much of a variety of music as he could.
In the same way that Skiffle was a starting point for a new generation of musicians, so the punk scene of 1976 gave Tim the opportunity to play live and form bands - with the Vendettas he was able to get a taste and a love of performance that has never left him.
Tim has worked on radio and TV and gigged extensively with a number of bands, including Brides Mother, Zambula, The Any Excuse Soul Stars, Union Jane,The SGT Project and Devils Creek.
Influences - Gerry Mc Avoy, Alan Lancaster, Gordon Rowley, Burke Shelley, Duck Dunn, Leo Lyons, Mel Schacher, James Jamerson, Dee Dee Ramone.
Tim uses a Peavey T40 and Peavey Fury Bass, Orange and Ashdown heads with a Trace Elliot and Genz Benz cabinets, and Rotosound strings.
Rocking the Blues with a Passion, this 'New British Blues Rock / Hard Rock Trio' are comprised of :-
Keith Howe (ex Blue on Black) - Guitar / Vocals.
Alan Ibbotson (ex Devils Creek) - Drums.
Tim Chapple (ex Devils Creek) - Bass
Keith Howe
Keith started his love affair with Blues/Rock Guitar from an early age. From early exposure to Clapton during his heyday with Cream, Keith's taste quickly blossomed to include a huge variety of guitar styles but mainly it followed the mastery shown by artists like Johnny Winter, Jimi Hendrix, Pat Travers, Rory Gallagher, Paul Kossof and Jeff Healey - naming but a few.
Attracted to the raw and passionate energy of these players he found himself interpreting their influences within his own playing and fascinated with the way that England was selling the Blues back to America with a distinctive, rocky edge.
Keith's first love (after Alison and the Girls that is) has always been the Guitar, which he feels, should be played with passion and honesty. "It should be able to talk, shout, whisper or cry its way through any middle eight and hold its audience spellbound in spine tingling conversations."
Keith cites Walter Trout as his favourite Guitarist and a great spiritual influence. Other players high on his "to die for list" include David Grissom, Jeff Healey, Gary Moore, Freddy King, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Phil Brown and Peter Haycock; However the list is virtually endless as long as the instrument is played with passion.
Keith's main guitar is his beloved Fender 'Bonnie Rait' signature Stratocaster with a Standard Sunburst Strat set up for slide work. He also uses a Kenny Wayne Sheppard Signature Srat, a Mighty Mite Strat (No 039 of 100) a Mexican 70's reissue Strat fitted with Bare Knuckle's Irish Tour pickups for slide work and a Martin D18. He uses Elite Strings Lite gauge (09 to 43) even though everyone tells him to use a heavier gauge. Playing through a Mesa Boogie 35w 2x12 Maverick Combo linked to a Mesa Boogie 2x12 Closed Back extension cabinet. He also owns a 1969 Marshall 50w Head and 4x12 bottom cabinet plus a Budda Superdrive 18 Head. Effects are minimal but are his trusty 'Cry Baby' Wah Wah, a Boss Chorus for some of the rhythm work and an occasion repeat from a DD3.
Alan Ibbotson
Born in Leeds Yorkshire, Alan was first captivated by the sound of a live drum kit at age 11. Drum lessons soon started, with coaching by ex big-band drummers, reading scores and playing orchestral, jazz, folk, pop and rock. Early influences were Buddy Rich and Krupa as well as Ginger Baker, Ian Paice, Jon Bonham and Carl Palmer. During these formative years Alan played and listened to a wide variety of music and attended live gigs by Curved Air, Family, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull and the Buddy Rich Big Band.
Moving to Cornwall Alan managed to pick up work with local groups and club bands gaining extensive experience through gigs, concerts and backing cabaret artistes. This phase of playing generated the influence of Latin American dance and ethnic rhythms, studying and playing techniques from music by Santana, Sergio Mendes and Osibisa. Alan now blends this experience with the Blues Rock genre playing gig in the UK, USA and Germany and supporting acts such as: Walter Trout, Wilko Johnson, Larry Miller, Joe Bonnamassa, The Hamsters, and even a memorable show in Plymouth with Thunder, Peter Frampton and Deep Purple.
EQUIPMENT: Alan’s stage kit is a Natal bubinga kit with undrilled kick fitted with DrumPort head, Black Panther Brass Master snare, Yamaha & Iron Cobra pedals and Hardware. Sabian crash and splash cymbals, Paiste 2002 Ride and A-Custom hi-hats. Miking is AKG, shure with Behringer mixer and Galaxy monitoring system. Cases are Protection Racket and Hard case. Favourite sticks at the moment are Los Cabos 5A Canadian Red Hickory.
DRUMMING INFLUENCES (Alan has met many of these listed!)
Buddy Rich, Simon Phillips, Pierre Van Der Linden, Carl Palmer, Ian Paice, Evelyn Glennie, Jon Hiseman, Gary Husband, Steve White, Joey Parfumi, Asaf Sirkis, Ginger Baker, Stewart Copeland, Bill Bruford, Alan White, Jon Bonham, Simon Kirke, Keith Moon, Steve Gadd, Phil Collins, Terry Bozzio, Neal Peart, Phil Gould and many more
Tim Chapple
Born and raised in Cornwall - Tim first discovered music in the early seventies, and grew up on a diet of Slade, Bowie and Mott the Hoople. Discovering the blues by working backwards from bands like Ten Years After and The Groundhogs was a revelation,and he soaked up as much of a variety of music as he could.
In the same way that Skiffle was a starting point for a new generation of musicians, so the punk scene of 1976 gave Tim the opportunity to play live and form bands - with the Vendettas he was able to get a taste and a love of performance that has never left him.
Tim has worked on radio and TV and gigged extensively with a number of bands, including Brides Mother, Zambula, The Any Excuse Soul Stars, Union Jane,The SGT Project and Devils Creek.
Influences - Gerry Mc Avoy, Alan Lancaster, Gordon Rowley, Burke Shelley, Duck Dunn, Leo Lyons, Mel Schacher, James Jamerson, Dee Dee Ramone.
Tim uses a Peavey T40 and Peavey Fury Bass, Orange and Ashdown heads with a Trace Elliot and Genz Benz cabinets, and Rotosound strings.