Shenanigans

Hey. It's been a while since I updated the news. (Which surprises me as I usually can't shut up, so must've been busy then...) 

What news? Well, we've been beavering away on various projects. Shot a couple of videos for the new album - my plan is to try and make as many as possible. (I shall be leaning rather heavily on Piers Foster at Devil Productions for a lot of this, what with him being rather the wizz at filming and editing). Plans are currently underway for me to construct an entire set out of cardboard for the video to The Things that we Bought. The amazing Bea Everett has kindly agreed to appear in said video and reprise her vocal. (Actually as soon as I told her it would be made of cardboard she was all over it). This will involve a horrendous amount of work for me, but these things don't tend to worry me. I'm hoping to start after the Easter weekend and I'll try to make a little photo diary as it should be fun watching it grow!

In other news this week has already been busy with gigs. Tuesday's show at the 5 Bells in Brabourne was great, and last night we joined a bunch of musical loonies to do Every Last Friday, (a whistle stop tour of historic Battle, involving five short sets in five venues - time is short between sets so sometimes you have to run a bit). Sadly you don't get to see all the other great acts playing! But we did catch a bit of Sean Fennessey and his fabulous yet scaled down band. (Brilliant even when slightly drunk)! Sorry to Jamie Smart who was playing one stop behind us - we kept holding him up with our tardiness. 

Star of the night though was my little Joni who joined us for a couple of songs per set with her ukulele. 12 yrs old and able to shut up a crowded bar of rowdy drunks the second she gets behind the mic. Very proud and happy to be upstaged. 

 The rest of the weekend is similarly mad. London tonight. A duo with the hilarious Gez Gold. Then Sunday at Porters in Hastings old town with Piers Foster and Jon Ewen; and Monday afternoon at The Royal Oak in Pett, with my great guitarist Simon Shaw. Then it's back to work! And cardboard making.  

I'll catch up on the sleep some other time. 

Terry Wogan

A few years back, while 'Sky' was being played on Radio2 - mostly at 4am in the morning - I had the honour of getting my best ever national play, which was on Terry's morning show. (Thankfully I still have a soundbyte of this courtesy of Michael Hall who lifted it from the Radio2 website at the time).

Basically he took the piss out of me! But regardless, it was, and still is, a great honour to have at least fleetingly crossed the radar of the great man himself. So while the country mourns the passing of a broadcasting legend. I post this as my own little tribute to a man who played a part in most of our lives. (Anyone who regularly tuned in to listen to the Janet and John stories, would have certainly almost crashed their car whilst attempting not to pee themselves laughing). It was the way that he could get so close to the line - even completely crossing it at times - and never get into any trouble; I think that was possibly the thing that made him so great. Any other DJ would have been dragged before the board and disciplined for sure, but nope. He always got away with it. This in itself demonstrated how much he was loved and respected by all ages nationwide. 

So here is the byte. (Only 13 seconds, but still one of my greatest ever moments)! Made so much more poignant to me now he's gone. 

Farewell to a legend. You will be sorely missed. 

Hitting the High Streets

Call it friends in high places - I do - or divine providence - (it's definitely not that, we cynical musicians know that shit don't happen), BUT... I can announce that as of February a few of my songs are being played in some high street stores across the UK!

If you hang out in the Timberland store in your local area then you may hear 'Be your Dog', from This Luxurious Life! If you ever eat in a Garfunkles restaurant then you may enjoy a starter, main course or pudding to 'Swimming Pool', from Geography! And if you shop in Morrisons you might be buying your groceries to 'Karma Calling'.  

I'm obviously massively pleased about all of this and very grateful for the help in getting the songs out there! 😉

Progress

The mid week show at The Grey Lady in Tunbridge Wells was a resounding success. It's often a difficult venue to fill on a cold Wednesday night, but thanks to the combined pulling powers of Lucy Jarrett and Bea Everett, we packed the place out to the point where Piers Foster, (fab musician and talented videographer), was finding it hard to set up the camera! Matt Novis, (bass guitar), and myself were both suffering a bit from this pain in the ass cold that's been doing the rounds, so we were a touch croaky, but thankfully this didn't appear to come across too strongly and the audience were buzzing like people who have to work the next morning really ought not to be! No complaints from me though. 

The Grey Lady Music Lounge

So thanks to all who came along and subsequently to those who've checked out the video that Piers knocked out the same night! (The man never sleeps). It's early days for 2016 so the gigs haven't really started to pick up yet. But they certainly will, and I'll be sure to keep you all informed right here on the website.  

Part of the Ark : download it now!

Well it's been a productive start to the New Year! We've got the new site up and rolling and can happily announce the new album's official online release. Click on the button to be transported directly to a place of purchase!

Good evening ladies and gentlemen...

I shall be using this space here to waffle endlessly, but that shall come later as there is just far too much to do at the moment. The new site is live as of a few moments ago, and Piers Foster and I are attempting to build it 'in motion' so to speak. (A bit like wiring a plug that's plugged in I suppose, just with a lower voltage).

I shall try to get all the gigs up as soon as I can as they're starting to come in now. Obviously the new album is ready and awaiting an initial pressing, but for now please enjoy on Soundcloud. It will of course be available to buy on iTunes at some point, but here I come back to my first statement: there's just far too much to do at the moment. 

Well, the old site is gone. Many thanks to Michael Hall who kindly made it years ago. But its time is up. I need something I can use and interact with, so here we go...