Crikey! - Halfway through 2018


So here I am again, updating and trying to remember What Happened Next.

Andy Lewis and I travelled to Vienna to play at an outdoor People's Festival in a park, it was a whizzing thing and apart from a downpour of rain just before we played it was a lovely thing. Playing with us were Andy's wife Liz, Robert Rotifer, Ian Button, and the lovely Kenji and  keyboard player. That was fun!..

In January 2018 Andy, Robert, Ian, Liz and I played a lunchtime gig at the Union Chapel in London, this time with Pete Twyman and the wonderful Alison Cotton from the Left Outsides

Sadly in October 2017, darling Betty became very ill indeed and was put to sleep. I was amazed to find out how many hearts she had touched during her life, she appeared in almost all the videos made for the Summer Dancing album. She left a huge greyhound-shaped hole in my life, as indeed had all my previous couch potato hounds.. She was a uniquely wonderful dog..

In jJnuary 2018, the day after the Union Chapel another slightly younger black greyhound came to take up the classic greyhound sleeping position on the couch. Jessie.. here she is:

Not a lot went on during the rest of January and February except I became a year older but no wiser sadly, but in arch i met up with many of  Big Big Train at Abbey Road Studios in London where they were recording strings for their next album. An extraordinary place...

Two more gigs so far this year, one at the Eel Pie at the Patch pub in Twickenham, where the Perfect Strangers and I supported Jim Mccarty at his book and album launch. I was delighted to sing two songs with Jim and he sang one with me and my band.. He was lovely and i am sure his book and album are doing brilliantly..

The third gig of the year was in Sheffield at the tiny lantern Theatre.. a jewel of a place with a lovely ambiance. A truly lovely place to play and hopefully we will return one day..

This year  two other albums that i have sung on will see the light of day, Sand Snowman's Seven Sisters, Seven Seas will be released at the end of June.( I have co written and sung a song on this, 'Sunset (Tired Of Waiting)' and Sleepyard will be releasing a new album 'Winter Crickets' which has a new version of 'Blue Barracuda'

And most excitingly my new album, Earth Is Sleeping will be released in July by Acid Jazz. It has taken a long time in preparation and I am delighted that it will be released into the wilds of the universe..

More soon smiley

Well Earth Is Sleeping was released by Acid Jazz in July 2018 and people seemed to like it! Hooray!