'McManus'

I am singer/songwriter from the North West of England, I have just returned from 5 years in Australia where i had to leave my violin player, sadly. We played a great deal in Syney and the Central Coast of NSW. At the moment my band is re-grouping [good phrase] I am meeting a slide bass palyer, my son is playing piano etc and my daughter will be here to play second guitar/Harmonies soon, so look for the name, but it may be me alone, part of band, or even 'McManus' The band...whole family [with new grandson!!!] Listen to original acoustic songs, incredible lyrics, love life, self, relationships, politics and generally acoustic magic, you truly are not going to hear better songs than this band performs, or the passion with which the lyrics are presented, truly a good show if you like authenticity and real songs.

Dave McManus is a Lancashire Contemporary Acoustic singer/song writer who plays his own unique songs and has been playing around for many, many years, from St Helen’s Working Men’s Club, to Sun Drenched Festivals In Australia [from where he has recently returned]. Dave is born and bred in Salford and has spent a great deal of his life in the Salford/Manchester areas, his songs are easily understood and find echoes in your mind as you listen. 'Dave is the man we have seen in the early hours of the morning wandering City Streets in the search for inspiration and pondering the more painful parts of the act of being a human being.’ Manly Daily. 'His songs are from the soul, his love songs pull heart strings, his political and social commentary is cutting and angry, but most of all he is a man who we understand easily, who fills his performance with words worth hearing, and repeating, and ones that indeed stay in your head’ ‘ Turbo Nun entertainment Group’ In Australia he played with Tony Pyrzakowski [Violin] and between them had a great following in NSW especially along the Central Coast, and south of the state. The live performance is truly something to enjoy and allows an audience to feel a part of the set. From near the Salford Docks, he speaks in a northern accent, his lyrics are inspired by the way of life and thought that is the North West, and such songs are popular and enjoyed by many who have had the privilege of hearing them’ Barry Park’s Hornsby Folk Club NSW..

I love live performance, always have done, dont do stage nerves at all. There is always a certain thrill to playing to people live, and hearing their reaction, even better when you look [if you are playing in a place small enough so the lights dont hide the audience]and see someone really moved by your words. One of the nicest things I know is having members of the audience coming up after a show to tell you how much they anjoyed it, to look at your set up, instruments etc. I try to do it all the time, I do notice that here in UK lots of Bands just go off stage?? without speaking to audience etc?? why Is that?

I love singer songwriters, first being Bob Dylan followed by Joni Mitchell I think, but Neil Young, I love Steven Stills and I really really like Tom Waits, Jackson Browne, REM, Sterophonics, Crowded House, Green day, M&M, John Lennon, Eric Clapton...list is endless and varied.

A wonderfull Mahogany 'Guild D25' from 1974,same model as one John Martyn used to play, quite rare, hollowed out back, solid mahogany, no struts, and a 1973 Ibanez Dreadnought. I play them through an LR Baggs pre-amp, I use some Flange at times, not often. I play an Aria Pro II tr60 with de-marzio pick ups, a fender telecaster, and a rare SD Curlee handmade US electric. My amplification is an old valve amp, a 50watt twin reverb from 60's, and mic it, or slave it in big places, that way I always know what I am going to sound like.....saying that ALL my guitars are still in Sydney, I use my sons custom Daeon, with fender electrics and cutaway, untill april, when I get the 2 acoustics back.

As I have said I am a poet who happens to paly guitar, so you will get poetry, and music, deep lyrics and meaning, plus totally passionate performances, if we are near you , you should not liss the opprtunity to see 'McManus' me or the band, will update the Band story as we go along......