Dear all,
May I take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all of you who continue to read this blog. It gives me no end of pleasure and the reason I say this particularly is I found out this morning just how many people visit this website regularly and that makes me very happy indeed! Continue reading “Pedestrians crossing” →
It was quite an experience for me to go back to Newcastle the weekend just gone primarily because on the Monday I was reminded a little of folk degree life, in particular (not wishing to sound patronising to those involved) first year folk degree life. I was invited by an old friend to go out to the pub with he and a bunch of first years and given that this delayed driving home, I all too gladly agreed. Anyway, the reason I mention this is because after a while of sitting and chatting about folk music, the inevitable impromptu folk session happened. In the middle of a city centre pub, five people were suddenly playing folk music.
Dear all,
Well Walsh and Pound’s April tour is over although we’re back in action this weekend at three festivals Nuts In May, Baafest and Bristol Folk Festival. The last two were good, beginning in Bury at the MET which was a lot of fun. A complete tool who decided to start singing Dirty Old Town when Will began Leaving Toon was strongly rebuked and hopefully won’t be coming back to any of our gigs, but otherwise it was tickety boo. Many of you will know I sing a song about the Jeremy Kyle show, principally relating to how people shouldn’t watch it and the fact that it’s a sick human freak show…there might have been someone who’s been on the show in the audience…that was fun… Continue reading “Adult Cereals…” →
Dear all,
The title may seem an obvious one for a musician, but I’ve found in recent times that other than at festivals I rarely get to actually go to a gig! Well I do this Thursday when I see my old friends Fish From Oblivion perform in Stafford and last Monday I saw none other than the phenomenal Afro Celt Sound System…ah that was a festival. Like I say other than festivals I don’t get to go to that many gigs… Continue reading “I like going to gigs” →
Dear all,
Just to make clear – my gig at Joxers, Stafford on 12th May has been moved to 28th April. The previously planned performer had an accident so I am filling in that one as it was easier for me geographically than the 12th. Had I realised it was on the Stafford Music Festival publicity that I was playing Joxers on May 12th I wouldn’t have changed it but I didn’t know until too late! Apologies for any confusion.
Dear all,
Well here I am again. A fair few gigs to report on since my last entry so here goes…Basingstoke was bloody fantastic (when I eventually got there…see below for details) at the Anvil Theatre with a full house, lovely crowd and wonderful soundman. All round this was a belting night, one of the best of the tour so thanks to all who made it so. Continue reading “Eastleigh Train Station and Basingstoke Multi-Storey Car Park” →
North/South divide (posted a few days late because the internet where I was staying had an absolute mare)
Dear all,
Well a few gigs to report on since my last entry. First up was a return to Newcastle for a Good Friday gig at the Cumberland Arms which started a little slowly thanks to an early start courtesy of the day but filled up rapidly and turned into a cracking night. Next up we were in Barnsley for the Acoustic Roots festival which wasn’t bad apart from a drunk couple in the evening who failed to comprehend the idea that no-one else gave a **** about the fact they were drunk and when she asked ‘I’m on holiday why shouldn’t I drink a lot?’ the temptation was almost overwhelming to say ‘because it makes you behave like this in public you ****…’ Still everyone else was nice and the Shee, as ever, were superb. Special mention also to Lisa the taxi driver who was one of the funniest and friendliest people ever encountered on tour! Continue reading “Got home an hour and forty minutes later than planned.” →
Dear all,
Well tonight I return to Newcastle for a night to play with Will at the Cumberland Arms. Cannot wait, it’s always been a favourite venue and it comes after a wonderful gig last night at the Black Swan Folk Club in York. We had a wonderful night and thanks to everyone who came especially the chap whose bladder was discussed in some detail during the gig… Continue reading “God bless Newcastle” →
Dear all,
Well I am once again back home and a resident of Stafford. It feels good, I’ve bumped into countless people I know, had my regular pub to go to of course and oh it’s just great! I write happily, so what’s been going on since my last entry? Well Walsh and Pound’s hectic April began on the 31st March…which isn’t in April…at Newhampton Folk Club in Wolverhampton. It’s fair to say it wasn’t a classic but still a good night with a wonderful support act in Sunjay Brayne who showed some dazzling blues guitar. A great future awaits for him I’m sure. The next night we were in the capital for Walthamstow Folk Club which was a classic! A great gig at a great club with a great audience. Simples as that irritating advert about markets and meerkats would say. Thanks to all who came, it was quite extraordinary how at 7.45 we were thinking it wasn’t going to be much of a turnout then suddenly in they all came! I guess the tube not really working properly on a Sunday might have had something to do with it… Continue reading “Back home” →
Dear all,
Apologies for the delay in bloggage, my laptop helpfully decided to cease performing that most basic of functions last Sunday, that of booting up and no amount of encouragement, gentle or otherwise compelled the machine to alter its stance. I then managed to persuade my old laptop which I thought had ceased to turn on at all long ago to turn on again albeit whilst making rather worrying whirring noises and with the monitor still half detached from when I dropped it down the stairs some time ago, and the internet worked which I thought was good…except facebook chat didn’t which when it is your only means of instant communication with a girlfriend on a trip in Asia is not overly helpful, neither is the fact that this blog for some reason didn’t work on it either. Continue reading “I have left Newcastle, good lord” →
