I regret I’ve had to cancel my appearance at the Might Craic at short notice for personal reasons. I’ll tell you more when I when I see you. In the meantime please let anybody you know who was think about attending know that this has happened. Alternatively just go down to the Craic anyway its a great place and I’m sure your support would be greatly appreciated.
I draw a sigh of relief with regard to this week ending without major tragedy and I look forward to next with trepidation but also hope. I will not regale you with stories of woe but instead concentrate on some of the highlights of the last week. Firstly it didn’t rain for the ‘Smiling Knife and Dick Philpot‘ gig in the Park in fact at times the sun shone on the not so righteous as 17 free 5 track Cds were snapped up by the clamouring throng. It was a great day - cornettos and glasses of wine and for one brief moment I had a fullish band Jus on Vox, John on Keys, Sam on Guitar and Bev on drums and my bid to out shambolic the oft pissed but majestically shambolic Faces was for a few seconds on! I loved the session and the crowd appeared to as well. The Smiling Knife also premiered new material and I look forward to the recording session. I think the best moment of the afternoon was Kevin Reeves of Thirty Leos joining John on stage for a rendition of their hymn for Mitcham the magnificent’ Round Here’. The song is a wonderfully simple piece about growing up in South London and in particular fishing in Hatfields Park (which was the venue for our gig). Our hosts the National Trust were well impressed and have taken Thirty Leo’s contact details! the afternoon also featured a set by chums Mary Jane Burning who fresh from Guildfest almost set the park alight. I must also send hearty congratualtions to the MJBs who were played on radio Basingstoke this week - rock on guys!
So what else happened this wet and warm week in July - an offer of a gig I can’t do and the offer of one I can. The one I can do is in fact tonight (24th) at the William Morris Pub a 30 minute set at 9.00. So what next well a few strategically deployed texts may or may not see a party in the park reunion - but who knows. Have a great weekend and I hope to see you this evening.
Don’t be fooled by the ‘mild mannered reporter’ persona Hannah White is gigging like mad - so spread the word because this girl deserves to be seen.
18th July, RAMJAM, 46 Richmond Rd, Kingston, KT2 5EE, 8pm
22nd July, GINGLIK, 1 Shepherds Bush Green, London W12 8PH, 8pm
25th August, Troubadour, 263-7 Old Brompton Rd, London SW5 9JA
About 3 years ago I got talking to two lads in the Nelson Arms in South Wimbledon. The lads, Kevin Reeves and John Black were looking for gigs. They called themselves Thirty Leos. My first thought was what exactly these two stocky fellas with number one crops might sound like - angelic voiced balladeir’s playing piano based contemporary acoustic pop/rock was not what I expected!
The lads have been honing their act and have remastered tracks from their debut album “Songs from Us”. Go take a listen to four tracks from that collection and two new songs.
Hi Guys
Its been confirmed we’re on at 1:50. Lets hope the weathers going to good. I should emphasise this is in the afternoon! Free Admission.
For more info about the gig please see earlier blog.
See us there and blag yourself a free CDs.
It is with great disappointment that I have noted that Surrey Strings Music Shop has closed! Yes that is right Surrey Strings for years the central community hub of Merton Abbey Mills and latterly sharing the premesis of the Grove Tavern has closed for business. This is indeed a very sad day. But you may ask “why so sad” and well don’t worry because everyone’s well - but I’ll tell you why its sad. While you can stroll up many a highstreet and find a music shop Surrey Strings was far more than a music shop Surrey Strings was a community with at its heart Lisa Nasta - to me Lisa is a hot potato - too hot to hanlde and too hot to keep still - jumping like a jumping bean high on adrenalin - in fact if there were a hot potato land Lisa would be the hottest potato that land had ever seen. So lets get to the nub of this - Lisa almost singlehandely created the music scene in this area and at he same time she captured peoples hearts. The reason for this, apart from her being lovely, is that Lisa is not corporate - she does things out of her love for music and for people - she is not and was never into making money - ok its always nice to make money and I’m sure Lisa needs it just like anybody else but what Lisa enjoyed and what Lisa did via Surrey Strings was find new music and to create opportunities for musicians to play live.
Lisa, Jim and her brother initially ran the Colour House Sound a monthly music night where many many many musicians made their live debut and were given the opportunity to play alongside established acts. After this they went on to bigger events and festivals. You could go into Lisa’s shop tell her what you were doing - whether you played a gig or had written a song and then out of the blue somebody would ring you - Hey Lisa tells me you do …….. and lo and behold you had a gig or had found that elusive reliable drummer. Lisa networked on behalf of the whole musical community in South London and her shop was the networking hub. Sometimes Lisa could drive you mad - jumping from one hot potato sack to another and just expecting everybody could keep up. She could also pull you down a peg or two if necessary - no Divas round ‘ere. But she was always looking out for your interests.
Lisa also gave the UK music industry the Replay Festival - which ran gigs to finance the restoration and repatriation of battered musical instruments to needy community groups. RePlay won the UK music industry award for the best ’sustainably’ focused music initiative. This was and remains a major success - all musicians and venues that took part did so for free which is a testament to Lisa ’s character and the good will and love that exists within the community for her. Well done girl.
I’m not sure what Lisa will do without a shop front I bet she won’t keep still she’s too much of a hot potato for that!
Dick Philpot and John Black have colaborated on two songs over the last few months The Demon Inside and Girl in a bar.
The Demon Inside - Philpot/Black 2009
Girl In A Bar - Black/Philpot 2009
The popularity of these songs at their gigs has given the guys confidence to enter both into this years UK Songwriting contest. We wish the guys good luck and we’ll let you know how they get on!
Breaking news - Smiling Knife & Dick Philpot have been asked to play a joint set at the 2009 Green Day Out at Morden Hall Park on Sunday 19th July. Pray for sunshine and pop along and enjoy favourite songs, new songs and collaborations as these top notch South London folks strut their stuff. Doors or should that be gates open 11:00 first band 12:00 we’re 1:00. Hope to see you !
FREE ADMISSION
Photo: Smiling Knife at the Cannizaro Festival and Dick Philpot at a Cannizaro Fete in the dim distant past!
A big gig for Dick Philpot at the The Mighty Craic, Green Carnation at 5 Greek Street. A 25 minute set featuring new songs as well as old favorites. Admission is £5.00 although it might be possible to get a reduction via the guest list - so contact Dick about this. Two other acts are appearing on the 4th so take a look at the Mighty Craic
Smiling Knife are playing a semi acoustic set at ‘the source below’ this is great gig for the girls and is going to be a great show with the ‘indie chill’ girls finally appearing where they belong…… in ‘good old london town’ in the heart of Soho. Justine tells me they’ve worked out a special set for the night which features at least two new songs as well as old favorites from their 13 track debut album Mummy Provides.
27/07/2009 20:00 at The Source Below, 11 Lower John Street, Soho, London, W1F 9TY
Cost: £5
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