Media

KING SIZE SLIM is an award winning performer and songwriter who has taken his unique roots sound and across 5 continents and countless countries. That sound emanates from a road-worn Resophonic guitar and powerful and direct vocal. He has performed both solo and with the KING SIZE SLIM band at Major festivals across the UK and Europe chalking up 1500 plus live shows.

“… Here’s KING SIZE SLIM, I really like this record.” – Huey Morgan BBC Radio 2 / 6 Music

He has toured with and supported many artists including Dawn Penn, Skip ‘Little Axe’ McDonald, Geno Washington and Nine Below Zero. Appearing as hand-picked special guest of Rock legends Queen at the BBC event ‘Queen Rock Big Ben’ led to an invitation to perform and record for Bahraini royalty.

“The band seethe and sway behind him with that kind of easy camaraderie of musical veterans. There is a stripped-down drum kit dealing with minimalist rhythm and a honking grinding sax adding to the ribald, darkly poetic swing. Barelli has form, his stagecraft is impeccable. This is an earthy and beautiful music of the soul and of the earth, and you can’t help thinking of all the big festival stages that they could own.” – John Robb Louder Than War. February ’23

The September ’22 release ‘Songs from the M/V Sea Witch’ received radio play in North America, Australasia and Europe with the accompanying Theatrical show of the same name playing to sold out audiences.

“… Here’s KING SIZE SLIM , I really like this record.”
Huey Morgan BBC Radio 2

“… that was really cool …”
Bob Log III, Fat Possum Records

“This is a great record…”
Zigaboo Modeliste, The Meters, New Orleans

“The Highlight of the Festival”
Broadstairs Blues Bash

“The force of nature that is…”
Stephen Ferguson, Whats Cookin’ London

“Slim’s so good, he has it. We worked real hard together man, up and down in the UK, hard driving, hard playing. King Size Slim has it running through him you know.”
Skip ‘ little Axe’ McDonald

“Few artists create a distinctive sound but KING SIZE SLIM aka Toby Barelli has done just that. His rootsy guitar grooves and often home-made percussion sounds may in themselves be idiosyncratic but throughout Chukka Chukka the memorable instrument is Slims voice. Not, it should be stressed, because he is a particularly impressive singer, but due to a punchy phrasing a rhythmical delivery that convert his vocals into an additional percussion instrument… The title track spins a more modern ,more melodic take on Hill country drone blues a style that reoccurs on ‘America Ground with its quirky vocals and hypnotic guitar vibe. ‘Story of a young man” adds an updated rhythm and contemporary lyrics to its traditional blues core while both ‘Love Divine’ and ‘May we find’ are gospel based gems. “Long Lonely Time” an uptempo blues harmonica number neatly melds retro and modern sounds with his percussive vocals again to the fore on ‘I can roll my own”… terrific stuff.”
R2 Magazine July ’16 4/5 star review

“.… in my view though, KING SIZE SLIM gave the the standout performance of the weekend.His fat roots boogie sound just blew me away. One man and a steel resonator guitar which he worked mercilessly to produce an irresistible groove to back his big bluesy voice. Hard for any audience to resist, and in the confines of the festival’s compact third stage -the solar powered Big Top- it was overwhelming. People sang and stomped along joyously. Slim responded by unplugging and doing his thing old school style, without amplification, which took the whole experience another level. Judging by the queue for his C.Ds, I wasn’t the only one to feel the set fill my heart and touch my soul. This was the real deal, authentic acoustic roots music.”
E-festivals review Acoustic Festival of Great Britain 2015

“… He is an off the wall entertainer who twists together a variety of musical roots and delivers them in a blues coloured bag.There are elements of reggae, rap, American Indian and African beats and did I mention soul?. All the parts are imported and assembled on the workbench of a Steel bodied Tricone resonator guitar, that looks like its been dipped in copper and left out in the rain……. Now none of this may have actually happened, such is the power of the show. It seems at times like a concentrated freshly squeezed roots festival, poured into a glass with a hot chaser waiting by the side. It was a brilliantly entertaining evening and KING SIZE SLIM is like his voice, a larger than life persona worn with style by Toby Barelli.”
Graham Munn SLAP magazine, Worcester

I recently had the honour of seeing KING SIZE SLIM perform at a small venue in Leicester and couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. Simply one of the best performances I have ever seen… His musicianship is both unique and also refined with a feel and sympathy for the form that tells you this artist has a gift… Go and see a live performance, I guarantee you will be hooked. When this guy performs he frightens, no terrifies you into submission”
Anonymous Amazon buyer

“Toby Barelli aka KING SIZE SLIM has just released the fantastic album ‘Chukka Chukka’… ‘many genres encompass an album well worth your time.An album of stone cold future classics mixing not just blues riffs but reggae, ska and even hip-hop beats. Not only are there elements of John Lee Hooker, Canned Heat, Taj Mahal and Woodie Guthrie but Galliano, Tom Waits, Gomez and The Selecter… Fat roots boogie and heavyweight acoustics indeed”
Ade Peachment, Hastings Independent Press, March 2016