Richard Hawley

...and down to London to finish off the Whitney Rose tour. Next week just the three gigs - Ron Sexsmith in Holmfirth, Kiss at the O2 and Underhill Rose -again at the Green Note in Camden where I saw Whitney.

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Played two gigs myself this weekend either side of the Whitney Rose gig in Camden as part of the Newcastle-under-Lyme Jazz & Blues Festival. Went out again today for the last day to see my friends in the Jake Leg Jug band (I've depped on washboard and vocals for them a couple of times)

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Two weeks ago: Jim Jones and the Righteous Mind in Cinetol, Amsterdam.
About 50 people in a very small and warm (more like hot) venue.
I think there were more Brits than Dutch in

p.s. I wanted to add a photo but couldn't work out how...well, maybe next time

Well, I didn't make it to Ron Sexsmith - too much work on - but I did make it down the front to Kiss....

Pure pantomime, but terrific fun. They're a photographer's dream too






View the full set

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I was down in London again working for the exam board - perfect timing to attend the My Darling Clementine album launch at The Islington - country soul with a horn section





Then, the night after I caught a train to Nottingham to see E-Street band member Garry Tallent's all-star rockabilly band (including Eddie Angel of Los Straitjackets unmasked, Fats Kaplan and Kristi Rose). Fabulous night of old-school rockabilly and twang.




Then it was up at 4am to catch the 4.56am train to St Pancras, check out of my London hotel and catch the tube to Hammersmith where I spent the rest of the day training GCSE examiners - with an Ofqual inspector on my table all afternoon...

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Last Saturday went to Blenheim Palace for the day and then in the evening watched Gregory Porter, Jamie Cullum and Corinne Bailey Rae. Each year they hold Nocturne for a few days and have some good acts on. RH would be brilliant here!! Great place to visit with all its history, lovely picnic in the afternoon and all round good day with the weather really and truly in our favour.

We played a cancer charity benefit honouring two local musicians - my good friend, ex-colleague and ex-band member Craig Beverley and folk stalwart Jolly Jock. We headlined, so I got to see all the other bands - there's a heck of a lot of talent in the North Staffs/South Cheshire area at the moment.
The full line -up - check them out on Youtube:
Elvis Fontenot (that's us/me...)
Nixon Tate & the Honey Club
The King's Pistol
Megan Dixon-Hood
Tin Chapel
Hollie Vee & the Hubkaps
John Dhali
Narn
Wilcox:Hulse
Dawson:Dean
The Red Kites

Some photos from the day:
The Red Kites

Megan Dixon-Hood

The King's Pistol


And here's a couple of videos featuring yours truly on accordion and rubboard...




Edit: We raised £1800 for cancer charities.

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Tonight - Stevie Williams and the Most Wanted Bond at my local The Nursery Inn, Heaton Norris, Stockport feat. The Mighty Clive Mellor! Reet good incl. an inspired cover of Glory Box by Portishead to finish. http://www.steviewilliams.co.uk/

Tonight - Richard Ashcroft at The Castlefield Bowl, Manchester as part of Sounds of the City 2017. Richard belted out some great tunes and looked very fetching in his sparkly jacket but I could have done without the coked-up lads (who were probably aged 3 when The Verve started up) constantly taking selfies, singing with their backs to the stage, filming on their phones, blocking the view by going on their mate's shoulders and cobbing pint pots of piss around. Oh, and someone tried to nick my man's wallet out of his pocket then laughed it off with a handshake. I've never been to a gig with such a nasty atmosphere. I'm getting too old for this shit. Sorry if I should repost in the Rant! thread...

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I hate crowds like that. Another reason to avoid the most popular festivals.[/quote]

Thank you so much for those comments, both. I'm pleased it's not just me! I'd assumed I was just being joyless when someone else I recounted the tale to questioned why I had bought a ticket for an open air gig if I didn't expect to get soaked in someone else's piss. Euuwww. This will never be "one of those things" in my book and I too will be giving self absorbed Festival crowds a wide berth. Sermon over.

My post retirement plans for 2017 now include the following:

Savoy Family Band x2
Perth Southern Fried Festival (Nick Lowe, Jim Lauderdale, Angaleena Presley, Chuck Prophet, Loudon Wainwright and more)
The Rails
Ryan Adams in Manchester
Three Ring Circus in Paris
Rolling Stones in Dusseldorf
Take Root Festival in Gronigen
Jason Isbell in Manchester and Amsterdam
Marilyn Manson in Wolverhampton

That's around the gigs I'll be playing myself with Elvis Fontenot....

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Last night in sleepy Alsager North Staffordshire a packed upstairs room in a pub witnessed a range of Americana from Loud Mountains, Hannah Aldridge and Don Gallardo. Hannah's back later in the year with a full band.

Loud Mountains

Hannah Aldridge

Don Gallardo


The whole crew:


Tomorrow I'm setting off to play two slots at Ely Folk Festival but I have to get back as I'm taking 77 kids to Germany at 11.30 at night and we don't want to miss the Channel Tunnel slot...

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