2011 - Some highlights.

SO MANY... So I'm just picking one high point for each month, but before I do that, please spare a few moments to listen to some of the awesome musicians we have shared a stage with this year; If you do, I feel sure that you'll agree with me they deserve a lot more recognition. Enjoy  :)

Suzie Does It

Dayve Dean

Dan Logan (also in the video with Dayve above, here with Thea Gilmore)

Hayley Strangelove



Phil Maddocks

Guitar Mal




Not forgetting those brilliant mammals with channels, The Angry Badgers! Read their blog at http://badgerodyssey.blogspot.com/

Jan: Green Party Gig at Alexander's, Chester. We helped them raise money for their election campaign, gorgeous little venue and the wonderful Phil Maddocks and Dayve Dean (featuring Nick Bayes on Bass) in support.

Feb: Some fun promotional radio shows as I remember and made some low-key videos including this one http://youtu.be/XLCJpED7Vn8

March: A gig in our local, what could be better than that?

April: A guest appearance on Simon Newbury's radio show. A great photographer but apparently still learning the ropes on the mixing desk, yet he did a great seat-of-pants job of mixing and recording a live, acoustic version of "No Tobacco", hear it here http://youtu.be/3lpirGL7jm0 plus (OK I'm cheating now) an introductory appearance for a Rick Sanders gig, a great musician and showman.

May: An action packed and packed house for a CreweLive 11 Festival in the town centre.

June: The unfailingly fantastic atmosphere at The Middlewich Boat & Folk Festival and first of many support slots by the great Manchester band Suzie Does It and Dayve Dean. As with so many times this year professional, quality sound provided by those Angry Badgers.

July: A new sound for me, acoustically with my re-found love of nylon strings and a debut solo performance at The International Eisteddfod!

August: Quiet on the public front but some unforgettable private shows in preparation for playing for our own fellow BlueYellows Emma's wedding to chief roadie Pete!

September: My solo debut on "Rosie", my new (to me) classical guitar joined on stage by Hayley Stangelove and her awesome pipes!

October: One word. BOXJAM!

November: Rehearsing for a tour-packed September and 3 of the BYs not only went to see The Red Hot Chili Peppers but a huge (10ft high?) image of Hayley appeared behind the band during their encore!

December: Gigs, gigs, gigs plus free double A-side released! Click on this link to download. http://jonathantarplee.bandcamp.com/album/no-tobacco-no-jesus-humankind-double-a-side-single

Merry Christmas and all the best for a great 2012 xxx

End of tour/Christmas Party

Photo by Suzie Does It's own Jo Allum.

Photo by Verity Gray

Tim Lee from The Suzies & Dan Logan both joined us on stage for the final jam.
(Photo Jo Allum).

A heart-felt thank you so much this year to Hayley, Emma and Simon from the band for all their hard work, sacrifice and commitment (people often only see the fun side of these things!) plus so many people surrounding the band, without which we wouldn't be able to do what we do, plus everyone who has supported us in any way, including coming to band gigs and my solo gigs and all the amazing musicians and organisers we have met, shared stages with and shared the stress with sometimes. Thank you for making 2011 so ace! xxx

Dayve Dean with Dan Logan on purcussion provided quality support again. (Photo Jo Allum)

Simon in his favourite erm.. deerstalker, plus antlers!?
(Photo Jo Allum).

I'm thinking of doing a sort of "highlights of 2011" type of post before the year is out but in the meantime, here's some photos from this event, in which our the fantabulous Suzie Does It, Dayve Dean and Dan Logan did a magical job in support. Thanks also to Verity Gray and Jo Allum from the Suzies for the photos.

Tim Lee from The Suzies offered the largest donation to St Tiggywinkles for this one-off T-shirt.

"I write nestled in the back of a freezing van over 4 hours from showtime & wouldn't change it for anything :)"

Photo by Verity Gray.

These were my thoughts tweeted (@JonnieGitAhhr if you're that way inclined) and fb updated and although sometime between sound-check and the first band being on I thought this was going to be one of those nights to put down to experience, it ended up being a lovely night thanks to organisation by "The Situation" and great support from Dream Circuit and our brilliant friends Suzie Does It  (and more with the lovely Suzie's in the near future). The Ballroom setting was a *plummy accent* "splendid" venue and the audience, although not exactly huge, were really open to original music and gave us a great time, mad as a box of puppies the lot of them. Special thanks to Verity Gray for the photos (her's are the good ones). Thanks all! 

Me on the Firebird. Photo- Verity Gray.

The Suzies from stage left.

Hayley's unconventional set list!

Emma giving it some accordion (pic- Verity Gray).

Another fab photo from Verity Gray.

Soul with Rupert, the morning after the gig before being re-united with his owner (Rupert that is!).

EPILOGUE. After the gig we came across "Rupert", also on the road, a lost and lovely dog, happily reunited with his owner at a more civilised hour the following day.

Insert design for new Double A-Side CD Single

For CD format soon (or download for FREE - see link on right!).

Happiness is a pink flange.

Hayley pre-gig on the tiny acoustic stage.

I was tempted to name this post after the old showbiz adage & song "It's not where you start but where you finish" as we arrived to Friday's venue, late, grumpy and after having found we had left a cable-bag at base-camp, pretty pissed off. So a soundcheck-less gig ensued and after some sound-tweaking by our Angry Badger Friend, Nick (on his night off!). After a while the sound was sorted (thanks Nick!) and the crowd were a wonderfully warm and enthusiastic bunch. This was at The Nag's Head in Crewe, an almost unbelievably cosy pub with well kept real ales and a growing reputation as a superb little music venue. When I say little, the stage was only the size of some drum risers but with everything going for it, we didn't care a jot. It was also one of the longest set-lists we've done to date and it was the debut for new song "Big Low Copper Moon" and my new (pink) flanger. Both went down a treat. Thanks everyone!



Angry Badger Himself and Nick with me.

The Longest BYs set-list to date?

Blue Yellow Chili Peppers ?

Artists we've been compared to include; The Dandy Warhols, The The, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The Modern Lovers, Patti Smith and Radiohead, never the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But Hayley, myself and Emm from The BYs are huge fans of The Chilis, all went to shows of theirs while they've been in the UK and.... Hayley appeared as a super-sized super-fan photo (on the right) behind the band as part of The Chili's encore show in Birmingham. Awesome!

Out today... and it's FREE to download!

BYs 2nd Birthday & Boxjam.

It was also our 2nd Birthday gig (hence the "I am 2" badges). Lots of dosh was raised for Oxfam and a good time was had.

Photos courtesy of Simon J. Newbury Photography and Tina Newbury Designs.

Mmmm nice shiney thing for the band.

Fly-On-The-Wall or a Cake-On-The-Floor's view of a BYs Rehearsal!

For what seems like much of the summer our rehearsals, and gigs... have been blessed with the presence of our lovely friend Dorota. Rehearsals have been transformed into a cake-munching, iced-drink consuming, Guiness drinking session (with plenty of work done as well of course!). She also took some rehearsal photos (come back soon Dorota!);

Of Butterflies and Bands.

A great weekend, a gig in Emma's local with the band. For this gig at The Market Tavern, we tried out the idea of a seperate "acoustic section" of the main set where the whole atmosphere and instrumentation is changed for a portion of the night, rather than mixing it up through the set and compromising on instrumentation. Thanks to the many of you that gave us really positive feedback about this, I think it may well become a regular feature of our longer sets now. Local music fan Chris Salmon filmed us playing "You Want My Head" (not as stated here!) Thanks Chris.



The next day I was stunned to see over 200 Red Admirals and other assorted lepidopterra on a small patch of ivy by the canal, filmed it on my mobile and put it to "Jewel" a song off my "Happy Juice" album :)



SETLIST
Cry Cry Kill, Love Limpet, New Song (un-named), Jolene, You Want My Head, Owl & the Willow, Killing Me, Feels Like Sunshine, These Boots, Minute In The Sun, Beachcombing, Lazy Sunday Afternoon, Back In The Real World, Galleries, Just Like Nero, Humankind, No Tobacco, No Jesus!, Farmer John.

Music Squared.

We returned to Sqaure One, Crewe this time in full band mode and with some new material. There's also a little blog post about the night by our sound-peeps, The Angry Badgers right here.

Set List No Tobacco No Jesus, Love Limpet, The Owl & The Willow, Back in the Real World, Jolene, Beachcombing, Killing Me, New Song (not yet named), Cry Cry Kill, Galleries, Lazy Sunday Afternoon, You Want My Head, Feels Like Sunshine, Farmer John, Just Like Nero, Humankind, These Boots Were Made For Walking, (Encore) No Tobacco No Jesus (extended).

Thanks to Rob Icke for the photo.

Dates, dates, dates.

Gratuitous knob shot

While you're here...

Check the gig list! Check the gig list! Check the gig list!

A break of sorts...

Well in spite of a slow-down of BlueYellows gigs, the whole band have actually had a pretty busy summer through some special private musical performances and finally the main event itself at the wonderful wedding of our keyboard player, accordionist and backing vocalist extraordinaire Emma Alcock (previously Burgess) and good friend of all in the band, Pete. It was of course a private event so I'll leave it at that except to say it was a fantastic day and we wish them a lifetime of love and happiness together. I've also done a few solo gigs lately including including The Alsager Festival and a special charity festival at The Hop Pole Hotel, Crewe and what a fab atmosphere it was there. I was also delighted that the superb vocalist and songwriter Hayley Strangelove joined me for some impromptu backing vocals on "No Tobacco, No Jesus!". I was thrilled!

Thanks to Tom Bloor for the photos.

P.S As I write the band are due to meet tomorrow for our first rehearsal back in The BlueYellows mode for quite a while, with shows booked from the end of the month - Oh yes!

New Band Photo

The BlueYellows L-R; Hayley Worsdale, Emma Burgess, Jonathan Tarplee, Simon Taylor.

No Tobacco, No Jesus (Live)

As recorded on Simon J. Newbury's Show on Redshift Radio. Click on the image to play;

Alternative "Love Limpet" Video

Self explanatory really, a live track from a radio session

At The International Eisteddfod

Photo by sister Suey.

The International Eisteddfod

2011















2011 has seen my first performance at this prestigious event in lovely Llangollen. I played the New Music Stage in a massive restaurant tent! The audience were curious rather than madly enthusiastic with I suspect, lots of people coming to see what the event is like as well as the die-hard music fans. Nevertheless they politely listened and applauded (particularly my mum who came along!) and would love to play it again. Below, the minutes silence for peace conducted by Terry Waite.

Rosie

I'm hoping for some pictures from the Eisteddfod but in the meantime here is a "new" or new to me guitar and in fact my first ebay purchase. The thinking behind it was that much of my plauing and writing on the boat on a nlylon-string classical guitar so it seems contractictory to always play a steel-stung "folk" instrument when "going acoustic" on stage. I love the sound of nylon strings and it radically changes my attack on the strings and my whole approch to playing. It's an Autralian made Ashton (an underrated manufactorer) which I'm calling "Rosie" becuase of the sound and the Rose-patterned inlays.

Djembe Days

Hayley and Soul form part of a canal-side jam with Mr Djembe Dave himself.

Suzie Did It & so did Dayve!

In our year and a half or so of BY-action (oh er Mrs!) we've played some really cool places and events, but sometimes things really surprise you (again!)... an unpre-supposing & ancient watering hole in Cheshire, great company, lovely atmosphere thanks to the fab folks who came along and simply wonderful songwriting and performances in the form our special guests & friends in the form of Suzie Does It , Dayve Dean and Dan Logan on percussion for Dayve, pre-empting a time when we'll all be at Glasto and there will be copy-bands called The Be-Wise, Suzie Does I.T. and Dave Dene or something ;) Thanks to Mr Tim Lee for the Photos (Top, BYS, Middle Suzie Does It).

A Review

Well it's one person's view, one day I'll put together all the people we've been compared to in some sort of format.

Read the review of the band's single, Humankind by the BeckieBlog here

The 21st Middlewich Boat and Folk Festival!

Friday, June 17th, 2011; The Big Lock, Middlewich

10.30 - Late The BlueYellows

9.45 - 10.30 Phil Maddocks

9.00 - 9.45 Dayve Dean
8.15 - 9.00 Liz & Bob
7.30 - 8.15 Eddie Roberts

I think it's safe to say this is going to be a great, great night. Middlewich is always great, superb performers. Probably a few suprises too ;)

I'm pictured here with Hayley Strangelove, a superb singer who is also performing several times over the weekend!