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MIKE ESTES and his SKINNY MOLLY at the RENFREW FERRY, GLASGOW - January 2010.

"Mikes band, Helen Highwater (named by Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins) had played just about every club and had opened for almost every national Southern rock and Outlaw country band throughout the Southeast and Midwest for ten years. While in high school, Mike became friends with the guys in the Rossington Collins Band (founded by Skynyrd plane crash survivors) who had decided to do the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour in 1987, bringing Helen Highwater on to open some shows for them."

The last time Mike Estes and Molly appeared at the Ferry they arrived late - but they were still on stage earlier than the time they finally appeared on stage at this gig!! The doors opened at 7pm for this gig but it was9.55pm before Mike arrived to the initial jeers and derision of the crowd. He promptly informed everyone that the band had been told not to play until 10pm - so he was early! There would therefore appear to be an intentional distinct lack of communication between the Ferry and its paying customers. If they band knew they werent appearing until 10pm why wasnt that made apparent eh? Thats a rhetorical question by the way.

"In 1992 Mike began going on the road with Skynyrd to write songs for an upcoming album, and signed a publishing deal with Skynyrd guitarist Ed Kings company I Cant Read Music. He had been writing for six months when he was asked to join the band as guitarist. Mike spent the next three years touring, writing and recording with his favorite band, appearing on the 94 Capricorn release Endangered Species 1995s live recording, Southern Knights and the 100 Minutes with Lynyrd Skynyrd video. After moving to Tennessee in 1995, Mike co wrote a song with Johnny VanZant and Gary Rossington for Sony Musics Hotter Than Asphalt CD called White Knuckle Ride that broke the Billboard charts."

Molly currently play the best of Lynyrd Skynyrd and classic southern rock featuring and are fronted by ace former Lynyrd Skynyrd and Artimus Pyle band guitarist MIKE ESTES. The record books reveal that back in 1973 Lynyrd Skynyrd changed the course of rock music by leading a new Classic Rock scene from the South, Their debut album included the anthem 'Freebird' which they played as their encore at this gig. Skynyrd went on to sell 26 million records.

In 2006 the song was used in a CMT original movie called True Grit: The Junior Johnson Story as well as in the video game released in conjunction with the Disney/Pixar movie Cars also released in 2006. Since leaving Skynyrd, Mike has released two CDs; Drivin Sideways and Brave New South, logged over 200 European dates, and has appeared on many major European TV and radio music shows. Mike has written for and produced songs for artists in the States as well as Europe. In the States, Mike has appeared on HBO, CMT, CNN, MTV, VH-1 and others. He has been profiled in Guitar Player, Guitar, Acoustic Musician, and other major music magazines, and was inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame in 1995. Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006."

This video contains two tracks from the January 2010 gig at The Ferry, Anderston Quay, Broomielaw, Glasgow G3 8BX .