About this Event

Free before 9pm...£4 after



Shellsuit began in the Granite City at around 4:32am, when Lee Scanlan drove into the Royal Mail Depot with the sound of James Carr escaping from his car window. A mutual interest in the soul singer brought him to the attention of Ed Doherty another North West of England escapee who had gone to Aberdeen , like Lee, to find work on the Oil Rigs but ended up working for the Queens Mail

Back in their respective homes of Cheshire(Lee) and Liverpool ( Ed) they began to collaborate on the tracks that were to form the Lo-Fi gem ‘Walton Prison Blues’, released on Welsh Independant label Higuera Records in 2009.

The LP contained the outstanding track –‘Postman’- which had brought them to the attention of Tom Robinson at Radio 6 and ensured a studio session at BBC Broadcasting House in 2008. Tom called the song ‘my favourite new song’ of that year.

He remains a strong supporter

The follow up LP-Wednesday Morning Bootle Strand- was approached differently. Using the proceeds of the first LP, plus gig income and Child Tax Credit, the two men recorded the LP over a 4 year period at numerous Studios around Liverpool (Parr St, The Motor Museum, Elevator) to create a more muscular pop sound, framed by Lee’s trademark guitar licks and Ed’s observations of everyday life as impacted upon by class, finance, and drugs.

The LP’s release in November 2014 saw ecstatic local media reviews and a distribution deal that ensured that people in Cornwall and Carlisle were suddenly getting it

Recent TV appearances on Bay TV Liverpool and Liverpool Live TV were cemented by a headline slot at New Brighton’s ‘Astral Coast’ Festival.

Parochial as the title of the LP is, you could substitute ‘ Exeter shopping Precinct ‘ and the impact on the listener would be the same- songs that are beautifully arranged, melodically smart and say something to you about your life.

Shellsuit are not going to expect you to listen to ten songs about rejection from a partner, they know the world is alot more complicated and enjoyable than that.

The band have returned to the studio to work with producer Steve Powell, the hands behind ‘Michael Head and the Magical World of the Strands’.

They will continue to perform the new LP at gigs across the UK.

People still want a soulful voice that articulates life in the grip of big egos with small compassion.

Shellsuit are that voice.