{"id":1132409,"date":"2026-08-05T19:08:39","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T19:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1132409\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T19:08:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T19:08:39","slug":"from-seven-shows-to-1800-fringe-music-companys-global-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1132409\/","title":{"rendered":"From seven shows to 1,800 – Fringe music company\u2019s global rise"},"content":{"rendered":"

A musician who first came to Edinburgh with just seven Fringe performances is set to reach a 1,800-show milestone at the festival this month.<\/p>\n

Dan Clews, founder of Night Owl Shows<\/a>, arrived in the capital in 2016 to perform his James Taylor show \u2014 spending his days handing out flyers to promote the seven appearances.<\/p>\n

A year later, he returned with two friends and three shows a day, staging 69 performances across the festival.<\/p>\n

\"\"These \u201ctribute acts\u201d are about the artists, not pretending to be the artists.<\/p>\n

Now, a decade on, Clews\u2019 company is bringing 12 music productions to the Edinburgh Fringe, with a team of around two dozen performers.<\/p>\n

By the end of this year\u2019s run, Night Owl Shows is expected to have staged around 1,800 Edinburgh Fringe performances since 2016.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s shows bring audiences the music and stories behind major artists, including Dolly Parton, Amy Winehouse, David Bowie, Queen, Simon and Garfunkel, and Billy Joel.<\/p>\n

Clews said the productions were deliberately different from conventional tribute acts.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cWe do try and put our own slant on everything, and that is the Night Owl way.<\/p>\n

\"\"All the shows now tour with a full band. <\/p>\n

\u201cNo one\u2019s up there dressing up as an artist. Our main objectives are to educate as well, tell a really concise and quite detailed story about each artist, find loads of information that people perhaps wouldn\u2019t have known \u2014 even the hardened fans \u2014 and then obviously entertain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe try and get everyone quite emotional and get them dancing in the aisles.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, Clews is appearing in California Dreams, which returns to the Fringe with a full band for the first time.<\/p>\n

The production explores the music coming out of California\u2019s Laurel Canyon scene during the 1960s and 1970s, featuring songs by artists including The Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, The Byrds and The Doors.<\/p>\n

But the Edinburgh-born success has grown far beyond the Fringe.<\/p>\n

\"\"Back to Black is currently touring in the USA. <\/p>\n

Night Owl\u2019s Carole King and James Taylor production has already completed two US tours this year, with another planned for September and October.<\/p>\n

Its Amy Winehouse show, Back to Black, is also due to tour the Netherlands and Australia next year.<\/p>\n

Clews said taking the company to America had been its biggest achievement so far.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cWe\u2019ve been doing quite a lot of shows in America.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI think actually really breaking America is my biggest achievement \u2014 or our biggest achievement \u2014 because it\u2019s certainly not just myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite its international expansion, Clews said Edinburgh remained the company\u2019s spiritual home.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cIt really did all start in this city. Ten years ago, I had absolutely no idea I was going to be here.<\/p>\n

\u201cEdinburgh is king in my mind. It\u2019s the greatest festival in the world and the best place you can be in August on the entire planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"image_pdf\"<\/a>\"image_print\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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