Music
Press
It's (King for a Day) a 43-minute tour de force of hot'n'nasty barroom blues driven by the tempestuous squall of Chris 'Junior' Malleck's well-measured harmonica blasts. The band's sound is further distinguished by Steve Tom's fat-bottomed bass, which borders on distortion while wrapping each composition in warm gauze….Wagner's brawny beat leads the masterful groove of "One Drink Too Many." The momentum continues with "Deluxe Motel," Elliott's guitar adding funky counterpoint to Malleck's wall of harp….The group's strength falls somewhere within the gritty, rambunctious space between juke joint and jam. …. King for a Day might prove to be 43 of your best-spent minutes in recent memory. - Blues Revue – Issue 114 – Oct/Nov 2008
Kitchener-based Daddy Long Legs, bursting from the speakers like a blast of fresh air with their sophomore release, “King For A claustrophobically-dense sound owing much to the raucous energy of punk....Kicking off with the title track, the boys waste no time in setting the stage; with throbbing, in-your-face bass and pounding drums, the ride is fast and furious. Both Ellliott’s guitar and Chris “Junior” Malleck’s harp have a harsh, angry edge, yet each tempers his contributions with taste and finesse....Elliott’s tone is the type that sends shivers down the spine… his fretwork snarling with brooding menace. Malleck is simply a marvel, his sound thick and greasy, his licks endlessly inventive. ….but the impression throughout is one of barely-controlled chaos, with exhilaration and exuberance threatening to overwhelm at any moment - Canadian Blues Website -March, 2008
If that organic tube distortion is your personal obsession, this group should be your cup of tea, or shot of whiskey.....It all amounts to journeyman Blues, and you should like it, if you're stuck on the old school like we are here. - Blue Suede News #83 - Published: Summer, 2008
Daddy Long Legs, whose new album, King for a Day, just plain kills... From the opening riff of the title song, the 12-track CD charges like a runaway tornado, full of twists and turns and a lot of power.....The band's influences clearly don't end at the blues, as they lovingly borrow the best elements of swing, classic rock, grunge and rockabilly..... - K-W Record - Published: March 27, 2008
The title track opens the disc with the intensity of a steam locomotive and immediately sets your toes a tappin. This is a great Blues effort! This is raw, gritty, gut-wrenching blues delivered with intensity and commitment to craft that is second to none. - Sound Waves - Published: May 3, 2006
With their second disc, Ontario's Daddy Long Legs show dedication to unadorned raw blues on an all-original program........The group's self released Just Like That offers an appealing spread of vintage blues. - Blues Revue- Published: December - January, 2005
The Record, Nightlife section - December 31, 2009
The young vanguard of Kitchener's strong blues scene, the boys of Daddy Long Legs deliver the album their fans have been waiting for - a 12 track steamroller of electric boogie-blues. With guitars set to stun and harmonica player Junior Malleck breathing fire, 'King for a Day' proves these guys to be blues royalty indeed. - The Record, Nightlife section - Colin Hunter: December 31, 2009
Discography
CD: "King for a day" - 2008
CD: "Just like that" - 2005
CD: "What you see is what you get" - 2003
Radioplay:
CKUA Radio in Edmonton, Alberta
CKMS Radio in Waterloo, Ontario
Streaming:
CBC Radio 3 - 'Guilty', 'Hide My Tears', 'Tell One Lie', 'One Drink Too Many'
www.Myspace.com/daddylonglegsbluesband
wwwReverbNation.com/tellonelie
Photos
Bio
For Daddy Long Legs, playing the blues has nothing to do with nostalgia, or trying to recreate their blues record collections. Rather, it’s about mashing together all the brawn of riff-based garage rock, the soul of 60’s era rhythm and blues, and the jump and shuffle of the west coast and Chicago sounds to create new blues music that is about the here-and-now. With their original material and modern sound, Daddy Long Legs have become an enigma of the music scene, appealing to an eclectic bunch of blues purist, rock-a-billies, swing dancers, and alt-rockers alike.
Formed in 2001, Daddy Long Legs features Mike Elliott, winner of Ottawa’s 6th Annual Blues Guitar Riff-Off, on guitar and lead vocals. Elliott teamed up with previous band mate Jeff Wagner, a drummer with clock work timing, and the pair quickly sought the powerhouse harp skills of Chris Junior Malleck, who had been seen sharing the stage with such blues notables as Big Dave Maclean and the Rockin’ Highliners. The line-up was finally completed with the addition of the infamous bassist Steve Toms, one of the founding members of the alternative rock band The Miniatures.
With live shows that roll heavy like a steamroller, Daddy Long Legs was quickly recognized as something special, and caught the eye, and ears, of many promoters. As a result, in addition to steady local gigging, the band has appeared in shows with the likes of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Mel Brown, Bob Margolin, Big Bill Morganfield and Eddy ‘The Chief’ Clearwater.
For their third disc, “King for a Day”, Daddy Long Legs tapped the production talents of rising blues star Steve Marriner (Dog My Cat Records recording artist). Released in early 2008, “King for a Day” guarantees to make newcomers to Daddy Long Legs' music sit up and take notice.
Achievements:
2009 Maple Blues Award Nominee for Best New Artist
2008 Within Earshot’s top ten albums of 2008
2004 Finalist in the Maple Blues New Talent Search
Notable Appearances:
2008 – Kitchener Blues Festival Main Stage, Kichener, ON
2008 – Kitchener Ribfest and Craft Beer Show, Kitchener, ON
2008 – Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival, Orangeville, ON
2008 – Heartwood Blues, Kitchener, ON
2007 – Canal Bank Shuffle Blues Festival, Thorold, ON
2007 – Grape Jam Blues Festival, Blenhiem, ON
2006 - Opened for Mississippi Heat, Waterloo, ON
2006 – Heartwood Blues, Kitchener, ON
2005 – Opened for Fabulous Thunderbirds, Waterloo, ON
2005 – Opened for Mel Brown and Miss Angel, Waterloo, ON
2004 – Kitchener Blues Festival, Main Stage, Kitchener, ON
2004 – Opened for Big Bill Morganfield and Eddie Clearwater, Cambridge, ON
Influences: Mel Brown, The 5 Royales, Knock Out Greg, Jimmy Vaughan, Little Walter, Holmes Brothers
Links
