It was midnight when we hauled our gear up the hill to the End up, and found a place by the Piano... It started off a little slow with Rudy on Mandolin and me switching between Accordian and Mandolin.... within 15 minutes we had that bar Rocking, no Mikes no Lights just me and Rudy and a Guy whose name I don't even remember turned up to play the piano..... We played mostly old timey songs Leadbelly, Bill Monroe, Jo and Danny joined in on a rew old irish songs and at 1-30 i though man I'm stage in the morning we better knock it on the head. The Next Day I rocked up to the Green man Stage with guitar mandolin and Nokia N95 phone. (I D-i the Nokia N95 to play backing Tracks) Rudy rocks up with Five minutes to spare and a Mandolin... OK I say first track is Anarchy in the UK Medieval Waltz time... just watch my hand for the chords and you will be Ok..,. Fortunately Rudy is A great Guitar and Mandolin Player... so instead of Music he read my left hand through a Set that included all my new Material and the obligatory acoustic version of Sound of the Suburbs... Now whats Great about this show is that people are really digging the new material and altho Acoustic Suburbs gets a Great Response the Real hit of the day is my Prog Folkly piece Caveman TV... I've blogged before about this tune but here is a link to the 7 minute version.... TURN UP the VOLUME on your puter and Groove to this. The other song people relly Dug was ENGLISH GIRLS. So the Set went really well and I had a new collaborator turning up to play that night at the End up. Elliet has been playing violin with me on and off for a few years now and its a real pleasure to play with her as she has an amazing memory and remembers songs that I taught her 15 years ago so after another two storming session at the End up it was time to go home.... I went home via Somerset and played a session the next night at a Great Pub called the Rifleman in Glastonbury.. This is Eliets neck of the woods and although I cant remember everybodies names I would like to that, The other Girl on the Violin the Mandolinist the Guitarist and all the other people that made that such a memorable session. FESTVAL NO3 The FLAT LAKE MONAGHAN- THE CRAIC in The Drumlins The Next weekend it was off to Monaghan, Ireland for Kevin Allen' s and Pat McCabe's Excellent Flat Lake Festival... Flat Lake is once again a completely different kettle of fish, its an arts and literary festival. I Know Kevin from Ladbroke grove and the Warwick Castle when Notting hill used to be a rough tough artistic community, Last years event was the first ever and was a little disorganised this year however they were firing on all cylinders, with wonderfull volunteers and professionals all combining to organise a great event. And what a Great Show it was... Poets Authors Musicians Actors Comedian Charlatans Filmakers Liggers and Bon Viveurs all Collected in the Land round the wonderfull Hilton House to share their talents and drink the Guinness and Eat the Roast Pig and slip off for a pint in the scotshouse....As with The Rebellion Festival I was accompanied by my new Wife Sheila and we flew to Belfast , hired a car and Cruised down on the Friday... After a few Beers in the Village Pub on Friday we headed back to the artists camping area.. where Inigo Batterham grabbed my hand and lead me to a campfire, a session was in session so... It was off to the car boot to grab mandolin and guitar.... the fire was hot the rioja was cold and two young american musicians were rocking... I spent the next hour keeping everybody awake jamming with The Fog Horn Duo an excellent Bluegrass duo booked for ther Next Day. The Next day arrived misty and drizzly with Sumptuous breakfast butties and a nice cup of coffee in Monaghan... I was a little bit worried about my set... well not about the set per se more where I was o

A MONTH O' THREE FESTIVALS..... PUNK....FOLKIE...And ARTY! August has been a month of Festivals every weekends and three Very Different Festivals, being a 52 year old Punk Vet and Man of Many hats You wont find me booked onto any mainstream festival with... the Ting Tings and CCS and The Kaiser Cheifs because I am not a sexy Young Thing riding the Crest of a wave of Nu Rave or Suburban Ska rap or like the Verve Bog Standard Re-cycled Anthemic Rock PAP..... The Last Wave I rode the Crest of was New Wave.... Booking JC Carroll and or JC and and the Disciples is more specialised thing and that is where Darren and Jenny , Jo and Danny and Kevin Come in. Who are they? what do they do? and how are they involved in the music industry? you may ask, well they have one thing in common.... they all took a punt on Me this summer..... FESTIVAL NO 1 REBELLION IN BLACKPOOL _ PUNK WILL NEVER DIE (It migh get a bit Fat lose its hair but it will never stop Rockin') .As most of the White middle class of the UK headed for milletts and Argos to Buy tents to Camp at the somme like mudbaths of Reading, Glasto, V, Leeds, Isle of White, Bestival, and all the other Festivals put on this Summer. Jenny and Darren provided a real treat for Tens of Thousands of Skinheads Punk Rockers Oi affecionados they gave them a roof over their heads so they could enjoy their music in the Warm and Dry... and a Very Glamourous Deco roof it was too. Blackpool Winter Gardens the forgotton Vegas of the North and Jenny and Darren Russell Smith are the Curators behind Rebellion a Not very Trendy Wendy but Hugely Popular Festival of Punk and as we will see assorted 70s music.I was booked to perform twice once with my trio JC and the Disciples playing some of my Rockier new material and a Few Members Numbers... and Seconded on an acoustic Stage... BOTH on the Same night!The JC and the Disciples Gig when amazingly well with a few People Moaning they would have preffered more Members Numbers... However we won lots of new Fans for some of our Punkier New Material such as M1DL1FECRi5i5 and AINT Gonna Be YO BITCH NO MORE.... Also there is Video of this Part of the Gig here I had chosen a costume that was not very Punk for the Festival... A Kind of 70's Pimp look which I was very Happy with... I decided to take the White Hat off for the Performance you can see in on my KORG Keyboard...... Anyway here is the Blackpool Look   Needless to Say rebellion was 'kin Brilliant and I was Great to play the New JC and the D's Material a Few Old Members Numbers to a Great Crowd in a Historic Venue It was especially rewarding to see Band like the Lurkers 999 and SLF still playing great punk Rock. Great to see Charlie Harper from the UK SUBS (the First Punk Gig I ever played was supprting them) .. I have to say the Best Show I saw there was The Glitter Band (sans Gary) they really rocked and had eveyone dancing to an incredible back catalogue. Also The Metropole Hotel in Blackpool was something else. get Room 212 if you ever visit there. FESTIVAL NO 2 GREEN MAN IN WALES - Electronic Folk In The Beacons (Where most bands have a Bird on the Violin) Next festival was The Green Man Festival in Wales, I know the curators(Jo and Danny) of that festival as My brother has been in a band with them for about 20 years (that band is now the Yellow Moon Band) and I went to School with Jo's Big Sister. So I thought I would ask them for a slot on their Nu Folk festival... I was too late it was all booked up they did say I could organise a nightly acoustic Jam in the End up Bar. As the bill looked amazing and I was on a roll from blackpool I thought I would head for wales... Then Jo called me someone had pulled out and could I do a set on the Green Man Stage... Now I had four Gigs... Friday Saturday and Sunday Nights Sessions at the End up and a Saturday daytime

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