Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express (USA) + Kris Gruen (USA)

Since his neo-psychedelic Green On Red 80s days, Chuck Prophet has been turning out country, folk, blues, and Brill Building classicism. His last visit to European and UK shores with the Mission Express was way back in 2017, before the pandemic and before Chuck getting and finally beating cancer that floored him for much of this year. Chuck is back and better than ever with his Mission Express for his first European shows in six years.

The cult Californian musician finally returns to promote ‘The Land That Time Forgot’, his latest album out via Yep Roc Records which saw his best reviews to date with a UNCUT Album of the Month in addition he will have an exclusive tour album available at all shows.

‘The Land That Time Forgot’ has deep roots, from the Southern Delta to the discos of Munich. There’s a kind of folkish inevitability to it – "there’s lots of acoustic instruments, on top of each other and side by side” – but as much as folk music is the soil all music grows from, it never hurts to have a boiler room. As such, there’s always a rhythm section shuffling under your feet. Take ‘Marathon’, for example: “It’s all Krautrock bass and Everly Brothers acoustics. I threw all my rockabilly, space-age, Roxy Music tricks in there.” Throughout, Chuck finds himself on his finest-form. Not just in terms of the multifaceted songwriting – with more surprising reference points than you count on two hands – but also his exemplary, typically out-there storytelling, too. And a not-inconsiderable presence on vocals by the inimitable Stephanie Finch.