Songwriter / music industry
Caring Soul video
Waterloo Sunrise (intro)
Recording rights
Our orchestras
Musical theatre
Grassroots venues
The value of teaching
Touring post-Brexit
Introduction
Save Afghan Musicians
A step back in time at the Casino Rooms in Rochester this evening, as I joined an appreciative audience for a couple of very enjoyable hours with rock legends Wishbone Ash. This was the founder member Andy Powell’s line-up, which consists of the top class trio of bassist Bob Skeat, guitarist Mark Abrahams and drummer Windsor McGilvray.
A superb grassroots jazz evening in East Finchley tonight at a new venue, 67Sourdough, courtesy of the highly-respected duo of inspirational drummer Rick Finlay and inventive saxophonist Jeremy Shoham. The pair were joined for this inaugural gig by special guest guitarist John Etheridge, plus the smooth bass of Dave Jones and the skilful keyboards of Liam Dunachie.
A special night as Julie and I journeyed down to Canterbury to join in the celebrations marking my friend Greg Fitzgerald’s 60th birthday. Taking place in the surroundings of the city’s Old Jail, we were greeted by Greg, his lovely wife Jennie, and a number of 1980s singers and contemporary studio stars including dance floor legends Galaxy and super soul singer Lucy May.
I strolled over to Beckenham Town FC’s ground this afternoon as Becks were playing SE Dons in the Southern Counties East League Premier Division. It has been a while since I attended a match and I was interested in how the club was faring. I found that Becks were languishing towards the bottom of their league, with the Dons a couple of places above them.
Having been invited by long-term contact Jay Mistry, I was delighted to attend the latest edition of his ‘Music Moguls’ networking event in Soho this afternoon. This was the 24th such event and continues to be a valuable opportunity for experienced and new names in the industry to enjoy an Italian lunch, share stories and exchange contact details.
Ben and I drove down to leafy Surrey this morning, where we parked in Sunningdale and caught the Park & Ride service to the hallowed grounds of Wentworth Golf Club. This was to appreciate at close quarters the expertise of the professionals competing in this year’s BMW PGA Championship. Cue walking up the 1st with Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Spaniard Jon Rahm.
Another very entertaining night at Piano Smithfield courtesy of performances by the enthralling trio of Matt Kent, Los Jestos and Daisy Chute, all laid on by charming promoter Lorraine Solomons. Marvellous to meet up again with rising star Alna (main photo), gig maestro and journalist Ray Jones and singer/guitarist Steve Springall too.
I joined Hannah McDonald, Events and Engagement Officer for the Royal Society of Musicians, at Trinity Laban in Greenwich today, to promote the work of the Society at this year’s Freshers’ Fair being held in the main reception area of the Creekside building. Other stands included representatives from the Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra and the Odyssey Festival Orchestra, while it was a pleasure to catch up with Simeon Scheuber-Rush of the Musicians’ Union.
I attended a launch this evening of new oil paintings by former Gloucestershire and England wicketkeeper Jack Russell at the Chris Beetles Gallery in St James’s, Piccadilly. Entitled ‘Going into bat for Lord’s Taverners’, the event was opened by David Gower OBE, the President of the Taverrners, with a percentage of all the sales going to the innovative charity.
The Royal Society of Musicians’ flower-laying ceremony took place this morning in memory of Sir Henry Wood, CH (1869 – 1944), the celebrated conductor and founder of the Promenade Concerts, who was also a generous benefactor of the Society through the years.
A very productive afternoon with Lorraine Solomons at one of my favourite London restaurants, Joe Allen’s. Lorraine was founder of Success Express, which supports emerging artists from early shows to UK tours through a collaborative live music platform, which acts as a hub for both audience and creatives: “Currently open to partnerships and affiliations looking to grow a community.”
An informative afternoon at the V&A East in Hackney Wick, principally to visit the David Bowie Centre and its comprehensive range of personal items, instruments, clothing and photographs from his life and career. Of particular note amongst the incredible number of galleried archive boxes was the handwritten lyrics for Heroes and other legendary tracks.
Julie and I made the short trip to Crystal Palace Park this afternoon for one of the local outdoor concerts being held over the summer featuring major names from across the music industry. On this occasion the headliners were Snow Patrol and we also caught The Editors and Amy Macdonald (of This is the Life fame) amongst the supporting acts.
In the late summer of 1979, I had been to see The Kids Are Alright documenting the life of The Who and was standing on the Northern Line northbound platform in the Leicester Square tube station, when I was joined by a group of American students. To one side was an eye-catching girl who sat opposite me when we boarded the train. We got talking and this led to our spending a couple of evenings together – I was working for GRE at the time in St James’s Street, so my days were occupied. Kathryn Johnston was her name and we enthusiastically agreed to stay in touch.
Having spent many years – especially in my youth – living on the coast, I always feel at home and inspired by the sea and the shoreline. Today was no exception as I drove the relative short distance from Beckenham to Whitstable in north Kent and although the spring weather was somewhat variable, I had a very pleasant afternoon in the peaceful surroundings.
A busy three days involving a visit to Glasgow on behalf of the Royal Society of Musicians (RSM), together with a fascinating morning at the MU official archive at Stirling University. I first joined the Society’s CEO Charlotte Penton Smith and Mark Brierley at City Halls as we collectively spoke to the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra about the work of the RSM.
Julie, Ben and I drove to Wiltshire this week to support the annual charity event at Cumberwell Golf Club in aid of Dorothy House Hospice Care, in partnership with the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group. I am delighted to report that in a field of sixty golfers, on his 20th birthday, Ben finished tied for second with a lifetime best score of 42 Stableford points.
I met the charming Kerri Layton at the latest Music Moguls event organised by Jay Mistry in Soho and we arranged to meet again today in the luxurious surroundings of The Pig in Canterbury to discuss plans for the future. Kerri is a multi-talented singer, DJ, agent, PR representative and business consultant with over twenty-five years in the creative, cultural and commercial service-based industries.
Mark Batchelor and I flew from Heathrow to Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport on Thursday and upon arrival caught the train to Berlin Hbf, which was conveniently very close to our base for the next four days – the Hotel Amano. After checking in, we walked south through the station, over the Spree River, passed the Reichstag Building and into the expanse of Tiergarten Park.
I was given ‘Rolling Stones 69’ by Patrick Humphries in February and having enjoyed the book, I sent an email to Patrick to acknowledge his absorbing work. He kindly replied and we met up today at the Half Moon in Herne Hill and discovered we shared an in-depth knowledge of British music and numerous musicians. This made for a very entertaining afternoon, especially as we joined after a while by the equally interesting pair of Lon Goddard and his partner Claire.
A very worthwhile few hours spent supporting National Record Store Day, the event celebrating the community of independent record shops. This year I dropped into Spin Sounds in Dorking, which is a top-class vinyl outlet in the town’s South Street. Since its launch in 2008, Record Store Day has grown a global profile by bringing together retailers, distributors, musicians and fans for a day of exclusive releases, live performances, and special events.
A very enjoyable afternoon at the excellent Half Moon, Putney as my nephew Steve and I caught the melodic riffing rock of the current line up of The Vapors. The band had formed in Guildford in 1978 and I had originally seen them live at Poole Arts Centre (aka the Lighthouse) supporting The Jam on the classic ‘Setting Sons’ tour in November 1979.
Julie and I attended the 28th Jacqueline Du Pre Charity Concert at Wigmore Hall this evening. Roderick Williams and Susie Allan performed a rich and varied programme for voice and piano, featuring works by Schubert, Vaughan Williams and Benjamin Britten. Profits from tickets sales and donations on the night supported the Royal Society of Musicians.
The Curzon Cinema in Mayfair proved the venue this evening for the London premiere of ‘McCartney: the hunt for the lost bass.’ This sweetly-produced documentary follows the story of the 1961 Höfner bass, the iconic violin-shaped guitar which the soon-to-be legendary Beatle bought at the age of 18 in 1961 for the equivalent of £30 in Hamburg.
Waterloo Sunrise (theme)