The Bigger Cheese.

July 29th, 2015

Thanks to Matt Jackson of  Redshift Radio for the photo.

Tim Lee, great songs.

Josh Whittaker, soulful.

Nantwich Show is apparently not only the biggest one-day event in Cheshire but also includes the biggest Cheese Festival in the entire world no less.

Luckily for music fans, although my experience of this lovely town includes lots of examples of very 'cheesy' 80s-rock type cover bands, the music here didn't include the usual levels of Cheddar (or I should say Cheshire).

I managed to catch the wonderfully soulful vocals of singer Josh Whittaker and the great songs of Tim Lee who was again sharing a stage, good news for everyone listening. Many thanks are due to all the wonderful people at Redshift Radio and especially Matt Jackson who was not only on the sound all day, but found time to take pictures and the vine below.

Competition time! Can you name the cover version, and for bonus points, 
what is the guitar tuning for this?
Thanks to Matt Jackson of  Redshift Radio for the vine.

Channeling my inner-Santana at Lailat Al Raqs.

Official Poster

Lailat Al Raqs was a phenomenal cultural arts show of incredible international acts. Particularly Eastern dance acts (belly dancing was a central theme) as well as fashion, music and other bejeweled bedazzlements! Fantastic! All organised by dance and artistic guru Majenta Dancer.


If all this wasn't thrilling enough (it was!), I was asked to play too, and it was all at the historic and beautiful Lyceum Theatre. 

I approached the gig pretty nervously as I was basically going along to jam and improvise my performance with musician's I'd never even met before. Thankfully the guys from SlapKa Doum Tek were great players and made it easy for me. Steve from the band, played Flamenco guitar and I found my self channeling my inner Santana as this kind of sound seemed to suit. 
Great fun!

A mini mock up of The Lyceum.

A proper (though pokey) dressing room
at this historic venue.

Now I'm just being silly.
Selfie-silly.

Alsager 2015

12/07/2015

Thanks to Redshift Radio for this photo.

Updated 20/07/2015
After last year's performance in the park, this year's was a little more intimate in the extended pub garden of probably the best pub in the area (described as 'a gem' of a place in one review), The Lodge.

It was a lovely experience as so many friends turned up in the crowds, I was only sorry I didn't get to chat to them all. Some good friends also performed & I was able to see the always superb Tim Lee and Dayve Dean, as well as the lovely sounds from the jazzy to prog-rock (and everything else in between)- influenced Rain before some familiar and not-so-familiar bands entertained us before it was time for the train home.

Hats off and big thanks once again to all the organisers, sound people, techies and everyone who made this all possible again, and of course to all of you who turned up.

A fair contingent of Redshift Radio people seemed to be there and I'll be guest of theirs when I perform at The Nantwich Show and The South Cheshire Big Day Out, coming up soon. 

Redshift's Matt Jackson has also blogged about/reviewed the festival HERE.

Update (20/07/2015); Here's a video of the 'special' moment I was joined by fellow musos Tim, Dayve & Abby. Dayve got his own back later, forcing me up to do backing vocals on 'The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight', I've never been sure of the backing vocals on that song!

Milefest 2015. Brilliant by Miles!

July 4th, 2015 (Updated 16th July 2015).

Dave & Me. Thanks to Michelle Jones Photography https://www.facebook.com/MichelleJonesPhotos

The BYs traveled the several hours trip into the glorious Gloucestershire countryside and Milefest, a lovely family-friendly festival which we have since learned raised over £8000 for the local Milestone School, a fantastic achievement for all involved, including all the lovely folk who came along.

There was only an astonishingly short 15 minute take-down/set-up slot between bands but somehow the FOH chaps managed to get us a good workable sound on stage and out-front. Quite an achievement in the circumstances. 

After our show on the Saturday of the two-day event, we returned for Mark Morriss (of The Bluetones fame) who was the entertaining headliner, followed by all the fun of camping over, in our case, in the 'quiet' field. 

Simon. Thanks to Michelle Jones Photography
https://www.facebook.com/MichelleJonesPhotos

Em getting the crowd going. Thanks to Michelle Jones Photography https://www.facebook.com/MichelleJonesPhotos

Myself & Simon. Thanks to Michelle Jones Photography 
https://www.facebook.com/MichelleJonesPhotos

I also had the plan of doing a sort of mini-rockumentary with my mobile phone. Mmm.. well most of the footage either didn't save or disappeared, and as you can see, Stanley Kubrick's got nothing to worry about (see youtube link below). 

Huge thanks are due to Michelle Jones for these great photos however - see more of her stuff at https://www.facebook.com/MichelleJonesPhotos