Dan Clews is a very well-travelled man, having performed in many different corners of the world, lighting up many a stage and receiving many a standing ovation, although he tells CommunityAd that every time he comes home to Sevenoaks he’s astounded by the beauty of his hometown, and he’s thrilled to be taking to the Stag stage this April.
No matter where Dan would happen to be performing, be it here in old blighty, down under in Australia, or the supersized United States of America there was a common denominator. No matter where he was performing comparisons between Dan’s voice and that of the Rock n Roll Hall of Famer, American singer-songwriter, James Taylor were made regularly. The comparisons were eventually acted on and Dan started Night Owl Shows.
Night Owl Shows in their own words, “present ground-breaking and informative productions depicting the lives of some of the most influential singer songwriters of the 20th Century. Night Owl Shows approaches its subjects with respect, passion and integrity, bringing a whole new angle to the tribute genre. We are genuine fans of the artists whose music and lives we portray, and we do so with a love for their music that comes through in every performance”. James Taylor is one of many acts that Night Owl Shows bring to the stage although massively popular and successful, Dan has always harboured a desire to step into the shoes of another American great. The Sevenoaks singer tells CommunityAd “James Taylor found me, but I’m a massive Paul Simon fan and I just had to make it happen”.
That’s exactly what Dan did, launching The Paul Simon Story and after ‘cutting its teeth’ in Australia the show is coming to the Stag! A homecoming show for the lad that left this community guitar in hand to go and play for the world, and heard he’s been. Dan was described by the late Sir George Martin as, “Too great a talent to ignore”, while Tim Minchin referred to Clews as a “beautiful player” and “great songwriter”. Despite those worldly gigs and reviews that would make Paul Simon himself blush, Dan is genuinely thrilled to be back playing the local theatre in his hometown, “extremely exciting, it’s a dream”.
Dan can wax lyrical about the enigma that is Paul Simon, as can most musically minded folk, words like inspiring, unique, poetic, brilliant and genius are ones you’ll often hear in association to the man but come April 22nd the lyrics will do the talking, lyrics such as Dan’s favourite:
There is a girl in New York City
Who calls herself the human trampoline
And sometimes when I’m falling, flying
Or tumbling in turmoil I say
Oh, so this is what she means