EXPECT the sun to come out next week when veteran guitarist Duane Eddy hits Holmfirth.
The Grammy Award-winning American is in the UK for a 13-date tour, which takes in the Holmfirth Picturedrome on Thursday.
The last time Duane, 74, was in the UK was when he performed at the Glastonbury Festival last June – and he even stopped the rain there.
“I always bring sunshine,” Duane told the Examiner.
“Glastonbury was an amazing experience. People ploughed through the mud for two days, then when I performed the sun came out. I brought my wellies for nothing.”
Duane has been an all too infrequent visitor to the UK but loves the warm welcome.
“I look on Britain as my second home and I have so many friends here,” he said. “The audiences are fantastic.
“I’ve been a couple of times over the last two years but before then it was 1990-91 the last time I was here.”
Duane found fame in the late 1950s and 1960s with a string of hits noted for their “twangy” sound such as ‘Rebel Rouser’, ‘Peter Gunn’ and ‘Because They’re Young’.
He returned to the UK in October 2010 for a sell-out concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London. He received a 10-minute standing ovation before he had plucked a string.
His resurgence resulted in a new album, Road Trip, produced in Sheffield by Pulp guitarist Richard Hawley, and released last June.
The album received critical acclaim and Duane said: “Road Trip was a great experience for me. It had fantastic reviews and I think it sold okay too.”
Duane will perform with Richard Hawley’s band on this month’s tour, which starts at Market Harborough today.
Despite being well into his 70s, Duane still loves touring and performing.
“If I’ve got a good band, I look forward to playing every time,” he said.
“And Richard Hawley’s band is one of the best in the world. They are world class musicians and we have a lot of fun.”
So what can the audience in Holmfirth expect next week?
“We do some old hits but we don’t have any new hits!” he smiled.
“There will be some classics, some album tracks and some new tracks. You never know what is going to happen.”
Duane has no thoughts of packing up his guitar just yet and said: “I have tried sitting at home watching TV and hoeing the yard but I want to be doing something.
“I thought I might be retired without knowing I was retired but people keep asking me to do things.”
The fans won’t let him go easily and anyway he said: “I just keep hanging in there, refusing to go away.
“I have the best fans in the world who keep clamouring for more.”
Duane reckons he’s older than all his fans but he has found a new generation by embracing Twitter, Facebook and the internet.
“I am on Facebook and Twitter and I look in once in a while and say hello,” said Duane.
“One has to keep up. I think the internet is fascinating. If you want to know about someone all you have to do is Google them. It’s amazing.”
He credits YouTube with winning him a whole new raft of fans, and hopes to attract fans old and new to Holmfirth.
“I don’t know much about Holmfirth but soon will,” he said. “I’ve heard it’s a bit of a quirky place and I do quirk!
“Hopefully we’ll sell the place out and they’ll want to bring me back next year!”
For tickets, priced at £22, ring 01484 689759 or 0844 478 0898.
