John Deery, Singer/songwriter and artist, has managed to cram quite a lot into his 27 years. He hails from Derry in Northern Ireland, where he studied art and played the circuit in Northern Ireland for a few years supporting bands such as Bell X1. He also released his first album, 'Life to This'. Despite building up a fan base playing gigs in Derry and Belfast he had the urge to travel and left home and headed out to Australia with his girlfriend, Annmarie. They spent a year travelling around Oz before returning to the UK.

When they returned they lived for a while in Edinburgh, where John quickly immersed himself in the local music scene, playing local gigs and running an open mic venue, also called The Quiet Riot, for two years. He then moved to Glasgow to study for a post-graduate qualification in Art at Glasgow University.

John's two great loves are music and art. He teaches art in Glasgow and continues to hone his songwriting and acoustic performing skills, playing regular gigs in Glasgow and Edinburgh. He also established and runs 'The Quiet Riot', Acoustic Music Venue and Open Mic at The Drawing Room in Sauchiehall Street. Incredibly, he opened 'The Quiet Riot' the week after he moved to Glasgow.

He explains that:

" We had only been living in Glasgow for a week, round the corner in Yorkhill, and I walked in with a guitar on my back and carrying a couple of paintings and got chatting to the owners. I asked if they were looking for anyone to run a music night and before you knew it we had The Quiet Riot on the go."

It was at The Drawing Room's Acoustic Music Night that I first met John and he struck me as a typical, warm and friendly Derry man. His approach fits in perfectly with the aims of the young team who run The Drawing Room; with the emphasis on creating a friendly and relaxed ambience. John has not only been very successful at organising one of Glasgow's most popular live music venues, putting on some of the finest local talent, he also goes out of his way to ensure people feel welcome and that "everyone has a good night". Inexperienced performers get his full attention and support and it's a great place for them to try out their singing and songwriting skills.

Whether you are there to dine, drink, have a look at the art exhibitions, enjoy the music or perform - or perhaps combine these pleasures, you'll find the atmosphere very warm and welcoming. John's twin passions of art and music, as well as his disposition, make him ideally suited for this venue as The Drawing Room also pride themselves on their unusual, high quality photography and art exhibitions.

I asked John which was his first love, his art or music "? His explained that this is a question he is often asked: "What is it? The art or the music?" - I can't separate them, to me they are intertwined".

He explains that his creativity has many sources of inspiriation for example: "A poem or place I've visited could be the basis for either a song or a painting". He loves to travel and photograph landscapes and he is kept busy with commissions to paint his colourful landscapes. Including views of his native Derry. However, his clients can ask for "paintings of everything from homes, to views, to landscapes" and he is also happy designing logos such as 'The Quiet Riot" logo. You can see samples of his work on his art website.

Currently John is busy planning an exhibition of his art at The Drawing Room. Neither is John a slouch with regard to his music and in 2007 he released a second album 'Pen and Ink' and currently he is working on material for a new album. Recently he has played gigs in Edinburgh at The Lot and The Listening Room and, apart from The Quiet Riot, you can catch him at various venues in Glasgow.

Looks like everything's going great for John Deery in Glasgow, however, despite his success and the niches he has so easily found in the city, he has a strong yen to see a bit more of the world. Luckily he has skills and talents that travel very easily and his likeable disposition is sure to open further doors. However, here's hoping that he'll be hanging around the West End for a while yet.

You can listen to John's music, including the aptly named "Travel", and find gig information on his:
myspace.

The Quiet Riot - Acoustic Music Venue and Open Mic at The Drawing Room

For art commissions and further information:
www.johndeeryart.com