The BIG Day Out, just across the road.

Memphis, Chicago, California, Birmingham, Andalusia, the North West of England.

Sometimes we need reminding that if you are a music fan, and you live in the North West of England you are in an incredibly lucky minority of the World's population to live in one of the globe's capitals of popular music.
Even though here in Nantwich, I'm in a relatively countryfied, indeed gentrified backwater, if I stand on my narrowboat roof, I can actually see Manchester, and Liverpool is just as near (or even nearer if train fares are anything to go by). Both iconic cities on this planet's musical map. Birmingham, the birth place of all things metal, is less than half a day's bike ride away (if you're serious about bike-riding anyway). Some of the world's biggest music names on this little planet of ours will play within an hour or two travelling time of here every time they tour the world and we should NEVER EVER take that for granted.
I remember an interview with one of my musical heroes Flea (he of The Red Hot Chili Peppers fame) recently, saying that it's pretty tough playing in Manchester, England and even in their home town of Los Angeles, as such cities are so blessed with mega-heroes of music playing in these places week in and week out, there can be a tendency to for audiences to feel quite blasé about it, whereas if they play in Mexico, or a country in South America, the crowds are absolutely wild with excitement; dancing, crying and singing every word at the top of their voices and in a two hour joyous state of pure ecstasy in their one and only chance, in their one and only city in which they can ever see their heroes.

DON'T. TAKE. IT. FOR. GRANTED.

Anyroadup, although there weren't too many about for my set at Big Day Out Cheshire I felt the surrealness and the pure luck of being born in the right place to have an experience like this, of playing my little set, then walking a few steps to a see a band whose music I have grown up with as part of the background soundscape to my life/our lives on the radio at home, on the coach or wherever. What a thing!

I also greatly enjoyed a superb set by Tim Lee, especially a new song which I think was called 'Performance', the always brilliant Photo Booth Smile and the inimitable brilliance of Baxter!

Thanks to all involved, especially that very busy Lizzy and the whole team surrounding Redshift Radio who seem to have a lot to do with it all.

Tim Lee in great acoustic form,

The ever-awesome Baxter!

The expanded line-up and even bigger sounding Photo Booth Smile.

I played a lot more than is on my surliest here!

Many Thanks to Tim for this photo!

The Attachment Theories Launch Party!

Album launch cupcakes were made a special one-off appearance on the Merch table!
Photo (and more importantly CAKES, by Mel Brennan.

I was genuinely chuffed by all the people who made the effort to come along to the Attachment Theories Launch party!

I was also honoured by my special guests who not only performed on the night but had all played a part in the album as follows;

Dan Logan - Album producer plus drums on tracks 1, 3 & 6, percussion on tracks 2, 4 & 5, additional guitar on tracks 1 & 3, bass on track 4 and banjo on track 2. As I said on the night, it's as much his album!

Dayve Dean - Backing vocals on track 7.

Hayley Strangelove & Paul Senior (Baxter) - Backing vocals on tracks 1, 4 & 6.

Tim Lee - Rhythm guitar on tracks 1 & 6 and Bass on tracks 1, 3 & 6.

Emma & Simon from The Blue Yellows - Track 7. 

Plenty of friends turned up to The Railway Inn, Alsager.

Great to see Dan perform with Dayve Dean again!

Hayley & Paul; Baxter were great.

Tim Lee perfomed his own version of
"Forget Her" as well as his own great songs.
Thanks Tim!

Photo of me  by great songster -Tim Lee.

The album is now also out on iTunes as well as bandcamp.

The Cycle Junction Return.

July 31st 2014.

Me in the foreground - Dan snuck into the corner!
Many thanks to Julie Bacon for this photo.

Some places do it so right!

If every town had a couple of places run by people with the same attitude as Mike and his family at The Cycle Junction, I have no doubt whatsoever that a culture of live, original music would be thriving. 

Some of the typical problems facing artists today are that all too many venues expect them to play as a sort of privilege, free entertainment for them but resulting in significantly increased bar-sales, with complete disregard to the many hours of work that go into that one performance let alone the countless hours in total that have lead to it. I think you, dear reader, might well be very surprised how little even household-name artists go out for, making a living yes but many are probably making a lot less than say a junior manager in an organisation - the love of, passion for and ultimately the undeniable compulsion to write, make and perform music is far greater than those to earn an easy, steady income for the musician, as with other types of artist. I'll stop moaning about this now but if this issue interests you, it's worth having a read here.

Back to the super-positive, and as I say the Cycle-Junction folk do it so right! Yet another sold-out show and as a headliner on my previous appearance here,  it was my turn to support this time as per another cool policy of the place. Once again Dan played percussion for me, bringing quite a large kit which he incredibly managed to wedge into a corner of the tiny space available, we were supporting the stupendously entertaining Baxter. As an opener, owner Mike as half of the duo KwalaParla with Ryan, played some of their engaging tunes, beautifully played and you can download them for free via the link below! The audience, as always here, listened intently, did lots of spirited joining in and were just bloomin lovely!

If you were there and are reading this, thank you so much! You are what makes all the effort that goes into this so worthwhile! xxx

Check out the hugely entertaining, brilliant vocals of Baxter HERE.

Free downloads and more from KwarlaPara here...

The Alsager Music Festival, now a biggie!

July 12th-2014

I've been fortunate enough to play the Alsager Music Festival for the past few years and it's grown every year, this year seeing it really step up to a whole new level in every respect, great to see! 

One of the best aspects about all this is that for original acts like myself and many others playing the event, the audience here were a really enthusiastic and attentive, friendly bunch. A lovely experience. I can't help feeling that so many venues which stick to the old ways of putting on cover-only acts (many of which play the same hits as each-other) are missing out on this increasing mood for original sounds and new music. There seems to be an appetite for it everywhere. I was joined once again by the talented purcussion maestro Daniel J. Logan.

The talent in terms of the other acts I got to see was outstanding, please check out my recommendations below the photos! 

The big crowd enjoyed great weather and great music!

Dan (left) played with 2 other acts as well as me on the acoustic stage. He even dodged a football at one stage, without missing a beat! Thanks to Dave Myatt for the photo.

The inimitable Hayley Strangelove joined us for the final song with her daughter Cherry, surely the youngest performer at the festival! Thanks to Dave Myatt for the photo.

Recommended artists I managed to see, check these out;

Hayley Stangelove; She and Paul Senior's (together they are Baxter) crowd-pleasing brilliance seemed to almost start a new religion.

Sam Hollyman - of The Voice fame, but here doing some really quite rootsie, country-ish stuff with Dan and Narn. Brilliant!

Dirty Money No 5 - Kind of Funky, scratchy, groovy ska with ace musicianship and vocals. You can't not like it!

Sea based Turtles - We're deep in the funk here, you like funk? You'll love these!

Dayve Dean - Dayve has made a welcome return, bringing his heartfelt, melodic and tuneful brilliance back to the live circuit!

Recording day 2. Solo album with special guests Hayley Strangelove & Paul Senior.

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014.

Day 2 at Orchard started in a similar way in that it was a do a couple of takes, come back round for a listen, repeat.. sort of a day up until my next lot of special-guest-heroes of the hour arrived.

Between them, the supreme vocal talents of Hayley Strangelove and Paul Senior have got a full rainbow of musical colours covered. They are both blessed with the sort of soulful, gritty, articulate singing voices that most singers would happily kill for. Hayley's vocal range is also so broad as to take in anything and everything from low and smokey, sensual and meek, to the kind of madcap playful soaring where only Kate Bush has been before. When I say they are blessed, that's not to say it's just down to luck. I know Hayley works very hard on her singing, and I'm sure Paul does too,  practicing and pushing herself all the time, as all musicians should (it's never just luck or talent alone but hard work too).

Least to say, they did an absolutely incredible job on the backing vocals for a few tracks, just magic!

Once again thank you so much guys!

L-R Hayley & Paul of Baxter fame, and producer/percussionist Dan.

An on-going hero of all the hours in the studio is of course Dan, but I can hardly call him a special guest as he's doing all the recording as we go along. But he got a chance to really go to work on some percussion today too, brilliant!

Hayley and Paul work together regularly as the musical duo Baxter, look them up HERE.

Paul is also the lead singer of the acclaimed rock band Son of Shinobi, Look them up HERE.

Quirky problem of the day; Not remembering words to songs I know well but am lost without playing the guitar, but getting a song I finished writing the night before recording right first time (and spontaneously "BrapappaBapapaBapp"ing during the song, hence the working title!)

It's all starting to sound fantastic now. Next session; Guitar bits. Very excited!

Dan's percussion kit, as played on a number of tracks.

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