Adam Bramburger
Beaver Staff
A pair of Napanee-raised musicians are about to embark on a 26-date tour in Europe with their band The Swinging Doors.
Landon Chatterton, the lead singer and guitarist and Joey Lee grew up immersed in county music around Napanee, spending time in the presence of musicians like Chatterton’s uncle, the late Wayne Vandebogart who was an accomplished pedal steel guitar player.
Now, the Selby Public School and NDSS alumni are going to take their enthusiasm for classic country to Belgium and the Netherlands, leaving Jan. 30.
Chatterton explained he had toured in Europe a bit himself in 2009 and he kept in touch with his promotors, Belgium-based Surfing Airlines. They established a country music circuit and, in need of performers, reached out to him.
He said the band has been heavily influenced by the “outlaw” movement in the 1970s led by legends like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Hank Williams.
Perhaps unexpectedly, there’s a market for their brand of music in Europe.
“I was quite surprised,” Chatterton said. “They seem to be fixated with 1950s Americana There’s a bunch of little bars with that theme. They’re decorated with pictures of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe and vintage Coke machines.”
The audiences, he said, seem to enjoy rockabilly music, classic country and Americana stylings and they enjoy having North American bands visiting because there aren’t many local bands offering similar styles.
A peculiar feature of the tour is a show at a state prison early in the engagement. While Chatterton said that might not be a favourable environment for some, he’s excited about it as it feels like a throwback to Cash’s appearances at Folsom State Prison and other detention centres, which produced memorable music.