Late June - gorra lorra work on
Late June saw Rob and I doing a range of things. I'm working on a number of tunes and songs from the fabulous Canadian band Le Vent du Nord - if you haven't heard them, you are missing a treat. Take a look on the ubiquitous You Tube.
11th June 2008: Baldock and Letchworth Folk Club
A return to our old friends' Alan and Sue Hewson's excellent Baldock and Letchworth Club to support the excellent Vikki Swan and Johnny Dyer who were over from their Essex (?) base.
We started the evening off with some material that was new to Baldock which was very well received. We are making some real friends there now.
5th June 2008: Charity gig with a difference
For the fifth or sixth time, I played a role in the famous Party Near the Park event. This is an annual event raising money for Land Aid - the charity supporting homeless causes in the UK and developmental work in land in Africa. A semi-pro jazz-rock band supports a dozen or so acts drawn from well known figures in the property industry. Rehearsals are extensive - this is more than rock karaoke given that 1300 attend - and the night is fantastic because everyone at the sit down dinner in Old Bishopsgate fish market wants you to do well.
A new baby - June 2008
Rob returned home from a family holiday in Spain with a very big smile on his face - a new addition to the family - the na-mara family! Whilst in Madrid, a city that he knows well and where he has many friends, Rob had been tempted into buying a bandourria - a ten stringed (I think) cousin to the mandolin, that is about five inches deep. It is a very sweet sound and something that we hope to build into our act in the coming weeks and months. The stringing seems very cleverly efficient but will require Rob to think in a different way when playing.
17th May 2008 - Party Time
Up early after the late night trip home from Cambridge and, for me at least, a quick turn around to visit family in the north. After an afternoon catching up with family, it was party time for my sister-in law's birthday. Playing with my brother and his friends it was boozy rock and roll into the wee hours and then mu brother and I ducked off into another room and did an impromptu folk session - great fun. Another late night and another early drive all the way back to St. Albans.
16th May 2008: Cambridge Folk Club
Once again we had been asked to do a showcase set at the Cambridge Folk Club - always a pleasure and this was no exception. The club is starting to know is and our music better now and so we had a couple of requests we were asked to play. We also took the opportunity to try out some new material. We were extremely happy with what we did and got some excellent feedback from the modest but enthusiastic audience.
26th April 2008 - Viva La Republica event, central London
What a night!
This was an amazing evening in a whole host of ways. The Yaa Asantewaa Arts and Community Centre in London hosted a splendid evening of poetry, dance, film and music to celebrate the Spanish Republic, 1932-1939. It brought together the extended families of the Basque children, evacuated from Bilbao in 1937, and members of the International Brigade who had fought fascism at that time, and their friends and families.
24th April 2008 - Bishop Stortford, new CD
Our second of three gigs in a single week! Heady stuff for those of us with day jobs as well.
22nd April 2008 - St Neots
Owing to a late call off by a booked artist, the organisers at St Neots had asked if we would fill in and do a 40 minute showcase slot. This gave us the chance to again share the evening with Paul Cherrington and Pamela Ward, who had supported us wonderfully at Baldock the previous month.
It was lovely to hear them again and, with a bit more time available to them, they did an excellent and extended set bringing a lot more of Pamela's bluesy side to the fore. Excellent guitar work from Paul, as always.
8th April 2008 - St Neots
A long awaited return to St Neots Folk Club for us. Indeed, as it turned out, this was to be the first of two visits in quick succession.
We concentrated on letting Roger and Patti and the regulars at the club hear how our repetoire had changed since we were last with them. We did Three Bonny Ships, Solo Poor Tres Meses and Anada Pa Julia, and they were all very well received.
