Singer-songwriter Steve Pilgrim gearing up for 'special night' at The Playhouse Theatre in Northampton

As the drummer in Paul Weller's band, Pilgrim gets to tour the world and has performed everywhere from the Royal Albert Hall to the Sydney Opera House to the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, as well as appearing all over the globe on television and radio.

But the Liverpudlian is also an accomplished singer-songwriter in his own right, and he is hitting the road to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his second solo LP Sunshine, kicking it all off at the small but perfectly formed 100-seater Clare Street venue on Saturday, March 14.

It's fair to say that as a musician, Pilgrim operates in two very separate worlds when it comes to his drumming duties for Weller and his solo performances.

But he revels in and enjoys both equally, and just like his Weller band-mate and Northamptonian Andy Crofts, who starred at the Playhouse in December, Pilgrim says he loves to get up close and personal with his fans at these low-key gigs.

"I know the venue is very small, and I know that my mate Andy Crofts from the Weller band has played there," said Pilgrim.

"I have been trying to find very small, intimate little venues to play in, and the Playhouse seemed like an obvious one to try and do.

"I am chuffed it has been booked, as there is another one in Sheffield called the Lantern Theatre which is similar, and it's great to play these places."

Pilgrim has been in the music business since joining Liverpool band The Stands as their drummer in 2003, playing on both of their albums All Years Leaving and Horse Fabulous.

He has also drummed for fellow Merseysiders Cast as well as their frontman John Power, but his main attention, aside from his solo material, has been as the sticks man for Weller, a job he has been doing since 2008.

But he is more than just a drummer in Weller's band.

He has regularly played guitar with the band as well as provide vocals, and he admits the exposure that performing with the former Jam and Style Council frontman has given him has boosted his solo work.

Pilgrim has recorded four solo albums, called Lover, Love Her (2007), Sunshine (2009), Pixels and Paper (2011) and Morning Skies (2017), and then last year he recorded a live album of some of his best songs with Danny Thompson, called The Magic String Session.

His music is described as being 'intimate and honest, both melancholic and celebratory', and for his set at the Playhouse, Pilgrim will be joined on stage by double bass player and another former member of The Stands, Dean Ravera.

He is looking forward to what is the first date on a seven-date mini UK tour that also takes London, Sheffield, Glasgow, Newcastle and his home town of Liverpool.

"When the Sunshine album was released 10 years ago, there was no way I would have been able to put on a show anywhere other than Liverpool or London and been able to get anybody to come and see me," he said.

"But now I am at a stage where enough people know who I am, that I can play little shows around the country and people will come out to see me, and it makes for a nice event to play these intimate shows.

"It is a nice contrast to the Weller stuff, which is obviously much, much bigger, but some of the best gigs I have had, particularly with my solo stuff, is when it is small.

"I played in a little cafe in Bury once and I think it is the best gig I have ever done, but there was only about 35 people in the room!

"But it was lovely because you could hear a pin drop, and everybody is listening and everybody is there for the music, and it makes for a nice occasion."

Sunshine is released on vinyl for the first time on March 1, and Pilgrim will play the bulk of it live at the Playhouse, along 'the best of the rest' from his other LPs, and he joked: "I will definitely be playing for long enough for people to get their money's worth, but I won't go on so long that I am boring them!"

So does Pilgrim still any big ambitions to hit the big time as a solo performer?

"I love it when more people hear my music, and I can win over one fan at a time," he said.

"It has only ever been a very small scale thing, and that is okay because it kind of works on that level, and I am quite comfortable with that.

"There are enough people who want to buy my records around the world that I can justify making another one, printing another one, and going through the process again.

"The people who do like my stuff are really positive and I get a lot of good feedback from people, so even if it is only 500 people want to buy a vinyl record off me, well that's alright I will do that! It's a good job."

Pilgrim is keen to record another solo LP, but the problem he is going to have is finding the time to record it as he is set for another busy year on the road with Weller, who is set to release a new album in June.

"I do have to put my own stuff on the backburner when that gets really busy, but that's alright," he said

"I mean, who wouldn't want to go on a bus with Paul Weller around the world? There are worse things to do with your time!"

And, he is also hoping to collaborate with his boss on that next solo outing, saying: "When the time's right the album will happen, and the songs and the material is pretty much there.

"There are only a few songs left to finish off, and I think Paul might be helping me out with one or two of the songs. I think he might do some co-writing with me which is pretty exciting.

"I mean, I love working on his songs with him for his records, but if he wants to work on my songs for my record with me then I am not going to say no!"

For now though, Pilgrim is concentrating on himself, his mini tour, and that opening night at the Playhouse Theatre.

And he is promising those who make the decision to get along to Clare Street a great night.

"I am really looking forward to playing the venue, and I hope that people show up and enjoy the setting," said Pilgrim, who has played live in Northampton before, twice with Weller and once with The Songbook Collective.

"I hope to make it as special a night as possible."

Tickets for the gig are available now, priced at £9.50, and can be bought from https://www.tickettailor.com/events/sbd with a £1 booking fee.

You can buy and listen to Pilgrim's solo music at https://stevepilgrim.bandcamp.com/ and visit his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stevepilgrim.music/