Conglomeration

 07/08/2026

A conglomeration of bands and artists gathered in Congleton tonight having agreed to give up their fees in aid of rasing funds for Saint Luke's Cheshire Hospice.

A totally unrehearsed highlight for me, probably for all of us performing, was - with all musical hands on deck - jamming out a raucous version of Mustang Sally honoured to much missed local musician Dave Speakman who died recently. 

It was a great way to end a little run of gigs that have mainly been to really 'listening' typical gig-going audiences, which are great to play to of course. 

This audience however had much more a vibe of friends going out, raising money for an important charity to them & catching up with each other, perhaps for the first time for some while. So it was quite a noisy, chatty crowd - and why shouldn't they be? They enjoyed all the acts and sang and danced to us and all the others. So while they have been a loud, chatty crowd they were up for lots of fun, friendly & a good challenge to win over. 

If you were among them, and now reading this - thanks for your kindness in coming out for a good cause, and bringing the good times!

Organiser & host Louise playing her
maracas alongside Em. 

Mixing it up for Neve.

25th March 2019

Music for Team Neve Fundraising Night
Bar B at The Market Tavern, Sandbach

To many in music, Neve is the name of a classic mixing desk/console, and The Blue Yellows were certainly mixing it up with some very diverse acts for a special fundraising night for Neve, a young child with a number of very serious neurological conditions (please see the link at the bottom of the text) for which money is needed for support from specialist American medical institutions on top of the quality health care she is receiving through the NHS.

Typically, a musical evening might be of cover acts to provide easily accessible entertainment or original acts for a more discerning music-loving crowd with an ear for new sounds. However the mix seemed to work really well, with the audience lapping up the new music along with the classics. As well as my gang, acts included host for the evening as well as sound-engineer, stage manager and singer-songwriter Dayve Dean, Tim Lee, Luke Stephenson, Bitter and Twisted, and Footsteps who also kindly lent their cajon, thanks guys!

Although Monday-night gigging provides an incredibly tiring prospect, having not yet recovered from the weekend, and having to get back into my routine of working hours through the day and night through the week as well, I'm expecting to look back on this with fondness when (if) I recover.
Please see the Team Neve crowdfunding page at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/teamneve

Fabulous turn-out of charitable music-goers for a Monday Night!

Thanks to Tim Lee for this pic of The BYs

Pre-soundcheck

GlastonLee Festival - Made of Love.

I know it takes a dedicated team of people to work on a festival as a full-on commitment for the best part of (if not a full) year to make it this sort of success. Well this, Glastonlee Festival one was put lovingly put together by family members of Lee Belsham (of Dr Phibes fame), in his memory and honour, and to raise money for St Luke's Hospice which did so much to care for Lee, as with so many others. A festival indeed, made of love.

The ongoing heatwave, which has been making life so uncomfortable in many ways, was of course a further blessing for an event like this, and although tickets sold well online, plenty more paid on the gate as the day went on. A great day, and night!
A pleasure, an honour,  to be a part of this.

Evert act I head sounded great! This was Brave New World, kicking the whole day off.

Mark Barnett with relaxed audience.

Not needed thankfully.

Our salubrious back-stage area.

March 27th - Easter Mini Tour 1. A night of music for The Teenage Cancer Trust

Dayve Dean opens and hosts the night.

A superb evening at a little place with happy memories for me as the launch site for All These Things Right Now. Most importantly, lots of money raised for this great cause. Well done indeed to Louise for organising. All of the artists involved were a joy & it was a pleasure to play my set to the lovely gatherers.

Links to the web pages of the other artists involved (you're on my website!);
Dayve Dean
Geoff Mather
Eddie Fendertelecaster Ogle
Dave Dove
Phil Maddocks
Nick Bayes
United Breaks
Nigel-Kurtis Blonde

An article by Jonathan White was published here at Crewe News.

United Breaks: Tim Kirwin on Sax, Neil David Smith on Guitar/vox. Nick Bayes on Bass

Phil Maddocks was "in the zone" with Nick Bayes.