Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 113 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
"I'm so excited to be playing in aid of North London Cares. The work the charity does to bring our community together is fresh, exciting and truly needed. It's a beautiful symmetry for me to play alongside CRHØMA so close to where I grew up. Bring your friends. It's going to be a proper tear up."
Marcus Bonfanti isn't your average blues act. To name just a few of his achievements, he's a 3-times British Blues Award Winner. He's guested with Chuck Berry, Ginger Baker, Van Morrison and PP Arnold. And he's fronted the legendary British Rock & Roll band Ten Years After since 2014.
So with all that in mind, we're thrilled that he's going to headline our fundraising live music night, Band Together.
The gig has special chimes for Marcus too. He grew up in Camden. It's where he learnt his trade, where he played his first gigs and where his love of music was first born. Not only that, but he's been friends with Alex - founder and CEO of North London Cares - since he was young. Alex recalls:
"We both had a fondness for the pilgrimage to record shops. Those places were a hideout for clearing your head, for finding something new and spending way too much of your Saturday supermarket earnings on old albums by the Jam, James Brown, the Kinks. Eventually, we created our own band and played venues all across north London: The Underworld, The Electric Ballroom, The Garage, The Bull & Gate. Since then, Marcus has gone on to be one of the best musicians in the country. It's amazing to have him performing our fundraising birthday party."
Marcus' show is unlike any you've seen before. He flows from extreme intimacy to high-energy foot stomping rock. A natural raconteur, he's always sure to share a story or two between numbers too. He's been described as "utterly spellbinding" by The Times, whilst Huey Morgan BBC 6 Music warns us "This will knock you out".
In the short film Bonfanti, below, Marcus walks around the familiar patches of Camden Town, reveals what inspired him to pick up a guitar, and shares a few insights into what drives him to keep performing. Watch it, share it, book your ticket to Band Together and get excited. As Marcus says, "It's going to be a proper tear up."