Fire & Dust:
Commissioned and produced by Pete Townshend and created by Reg Meuross, Fire & Dust - The Woody Guthrie Story is a journey into the heart and soul of one of America’s finest folk musicians.
“Reg’s terrific songs tell Woody’s life story with respect and affection, but also truth.“ Pete Townshend
At this show Reg Meuross is joined by two members of his band - The Strike - the name drawing from the energy of collective action bringing Fire & Dust to life and channeling the spirit of Guthrie’s defiant activism, creative brilliance, and unyielding hope for justice.
The Strike: Welsh pianist and accordionist Geraint Watkins (Nick Lowe, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler, Paul McCartney) and renowned string player Marion Fleetwood (TRADarrr, The Sandy Denny Project).
Narration of the story (written by Reg) between the songs is the world’s expert and author of four books on the life of Woody Guthrie, Will Kaufman. The Emeritus Professor of American Cultural History at the University of Central Lancashire says: “In addition to his inspirational musicianship, Reg Meuross has an ear tuned to history, justice and the everyday human struggle to find a place in this world. It’s only natural he should write and sing with the angel of Guthrie on his shoulder.”
The breadth and depth of Reg Meuross’s material is unparalleled in contemporary folk: songs about forgotten heroes, famous names, folk legends, the climate emergency, tales from the kitchen sink and news from the world stage. If something needs to be sung about then Reg Meuross has a song for it and with Fire & Dust another important chapter of impeccably researched story-telling has begun.
Seeded by Townshend in 2019, this new work shows how the impact of Guthrie remains and how Meuross was the right man to tell this story through music and song. When Townshend called Reg to suggest the idea he saw how the project would “draw a direct line from Woody, through Bob Dylan, to Reg Meuross" and pledged his full support to realise this vision both as a studio album (which he produced and played on) and a series of live tours across the UK and beyond.
Highlighting racism, bigotry, corruption and inequality this incredible new song-cycle is focused on the life and times of the ‘Dust Bowl’ American folk musician and political activist Woody Guthrie - whose work remains so influential today. Drawing important parallels between Guthrie’s time and our own, each song shows Meuross at his absolute best - sharing stories from social history that are still highly relevant today.
