Playing to 30 people in a Kent pub might be a long way from crowds of 250,000 at the Maracana stadium in Brazil, but Hamish Stuart wouldn’t have it any other way.
The veteran guitarist and singer found fame in the Average White Band and went on to tour some of the world’s most impressive venues as part of Paul McCartney’s band in the 1980s, but the rocker is now enjoying life as landlord of The Mariners pub in the village of Oare.
The man who penned classics such as Pick Up the Pieces and Let’s Go Round Again took over the pub in November with his partner Claire Houlihan.
Mr Stuart is celebrating his new venture by reuniting with some old friends for a special gig this afternoon.
His band Jimjam, comprising guitarist Jim Mullen, drummer Ian Thomas, bass player Pino Palladino and keyboardist Graham Harvey, will be taking to the stage at The Mariners after lunch service has finished at 4pm to jam through the evening.
Between them they have worked with some of the biggest names in music. As well as Paul McCartney, Mr Stuart has worked with Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and David Gilmour, whereas Mr Palladino has performed with the likes of Gary Numan, The Who and Genesis. Mr Thomas recently played with Eric Clapton.
Mr Stuart, 58, said he fell in love with Kent after moving to Faversham from London five years ago.
He said: “Running a pub here was something Claire and I had been wanting to do for some time.
“I love everything about the area, the experience of it, and it is great be near to the sea. We just arrived in Faversham and took to it immediately. I just liked the look of the place and the people.”
Playing with Paul McCartney, and later touring America with Ringo Starr, was a big thrill for the boyhood Beatles fan.
“I learnt to play guitar by playing along with songs like Hard Day’s Night, so it was great to be able to play them with Paul,” he said.
“It came at the time when Paul really wanted to play old Beatles songs again, so I would find myself on stage in front of hundreds of thousands of people playing Beatles songs.
“It was crazy, but it was really good fun. He’s a perfectionist but he just loves to play. The soundchecks used to go on nearly as long as the shows, and the shows were over two hours.
“It had a shelf life though, I’m a songwriter and I had to move on.”
Mr Stuart is still very much involved in music, playing not only with Jimjam but also his own Hamish Stuart Band.
It is not all about the music though, as Mr Stuart is quick to point out. He is very proud of the food served at the pub.
He and Claire recruited a talented London chef and set about making their pub grub a cut above the rest, and source just about everything from local farms and fishermen.
They hope to put on live music about once a month and are considering an outdoor event in the summer.
POSTED: 27/01/2008 09:00:00
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