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Hometown: London, UK
Website: www.new.facebook.com
Sounds Like: T-Bone Walker, Freddie King, Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Kid Ramos
Genre: Blues
Best known as a long-time member of The Cadillac Kings, Mal has also put in appearances with just about every London-based blues band over the years, including Aisha Khan and the Rajahs, Jerimiah Marques & the Blue Aces, West Weston's Bluesonics, Pete G and The Magnitones, Eric Ranzoni, Gentleman Tim & The Contenders, Big Mamma's Door, Rollo Markee, and Julien d'Imperio, to name but a few.
Mal’s chief influences are those of the original 40s and 50s Rhythm and Blues guitarists: T-Bone Walker, Johnny ‘Guitar‘ Watson, Guitar Slim, Freddie King, BB King, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Link Wray and others. As for contemporaries, Anson Funderburgh leads the pack, followed closely by Ronnie Earl, Duke Robillard, Kirk Fletcher, Nick Curran and the masters of west coast blues, Kid Ramos, Jr Watson, Rick Holmstrom and Alex Schultz.
Often using vintage guitars, or some pieced-together, home-built plank of wood cranked-up through an amplifier with no effects or sonic trickery, Mal’s playing aspires to be raw, open and honest. Inspired by the stylings of the original blues masters, but always his own - as if you were hearing a newly discovered player from the 50s.
"Malcolm Barclay is a master of his craft. Without frills or fuss he conjures up wonderful guitar riffs, and at one point puts the instrument on the back of his neck while still tugging those strings. The audience cheered to the roof."
Focus News
"Mal returned to the mic for a terrific reading of 'T Bone boogie'...
pulling out an exceptional solo to complement the song."
John Mitchell - Blues In Britain
"...impressively fluid guitar soloing."
N/A - Red Lick Catalogue 192
"...outstanding guitar..."
Harry Dodds - 'Now Dig This' No. 401
“…incredible guitar...”
Abigail De Munnik - Cumbria Live
“…truly brilliant West Coast guitar”
Mladen Loncar - SoudGuardian
"I LIKE that, I like the song and I like the performance, I like the energy and I like the musicality"
Paul Jones - BBC Radio 2
"Mal Barclay played an old guitar... looking nothing less than a plank of wood with strings attached, the different tones he squeezed out of it all night was miraculous. This was all done without the aid of any effects pedals too, making his guitar playing all the more impressive."
Minty and the Beeb - Minty and the Beeb
“Mal’s guitar is perfectly toned – vintage, fat and warm and his playing is his own blend of T-Bone, Junior Watson and other hollow body legends.”
Ken Peace - Blues in The Northwest
“...his Les Paul Gold Top sounding quite magnificent, in a vintage way – indeed, his playing was superb all set.”
Grahame Rhodes - Blues in The Northwest
“...a man with a life-long passion for the blues and a fiery axeman with the capacity for some laid back stuff too.”
Ian M - Blues in The South
“...always impresses ...his great combination of taste, touch, and tone lift tunes out of the ordinary and imbue a solid rectitude to proceedings”
David Atkinson - Blues in London
“...a fabulous player with lovely retro feel and tone to his soloing and rhythm work”
Grahame Rhodes - Chester Chronicle
“...wait til you hear THIS guy!!!”
Ken Peace - Blues in the Northwest
