Songwriter / music industry
Julie and I drove to Kings’ Cross tonight at the invitation of songwriter Rob Finlay to catch his band at the legendary Water Rats. I had reviewed Rob’s releases in The Musician (“He has the ability to weave unconventional elements into familiar genres”) and he had kindly remembered. We would also have a chance to hear the contemporary material of activist MIRI.
I made the short journey tonight to Sutton High Street and the wonderful grassroots venue, the Sound Lounge. Always guaranteed to deliver an enjoyable experience and the discovery of new and established folk and Americana. The evening saw two leading lights of US orientated country rock take to the stage, with performances by Sid Griffin and Peter Case.
Soho21 in the heart of London’s West End witnessed the launch tonight of Keith Jopling’s book ‘Body of Work’ which delves into how the album has outplayed the algorithm and survived playlist culture. Keith was joined by the Flyte duo of Will Taylor and Nick Hill for an intriguing hour of discussion into the evergreen quality of the long player.
I am delighted to report that I have been co-opted as a Governor of the Royal Society of Musicians and attended my first meeting of the twelve Governors at the organisation’s home in Fitzroy Square this afternoon. My thanks to everyone involved, especially CEO Charlotte Penton Smith and Chair George Caird for their warm welcome. I look forward to the coming months and hope to make a useful contribution to the Society’s valuable work.
I visited the KEF premises in Great Portland Street this evening for a panel event entitled ‘Why vinyl still matters’, arranged to celebrate the culture, community and enduring magic of vinyl in the company of Flashback Records. This brought together music lovers, record collectors and HiFi enthusiasts to explore why records still matter in a digital-first world.
An extremely productive session with photographer and long-term friend Jonathan Stewart today at the V8 Digital studio location in Norwood, south London. This had been booked to create a series of shots for PR work in 2026 and to bring my portfolio of portraits up to date. My thanks to the particularly helpful premises manager on site and to the services of Scouty for sourcing the venue.
Ben and I have spent a few rewarding days volunteering for Crisis over Christmas. He worked in the organisation’s main warehouse in Canning Town, helping to unload deliveries of the donated supplies and to load vans with the supplies required in the various guest centres across town. Whilst I was a driver delivering to Pimlico, Docklands, and Aldgate.
A marvellous evening at the Gielgud Theatre as Julie, Lisa, Ben and I made our annual pilgrimage to the West End for a dinner and show. On this occasion, the wonderful current production of Oliver! Arriving at Charing Cross, we walked through Covent Garden towards Soho, delighting in the range of Christmas lights on display in the streets.
Talentbanq presented a Christmas party titled ‘Big Bang Love’ at the Camden Club tonight featuring the multi-talented Hollie Rogers, Ed Blunt, Daisy Chute, Jonny Morgan, Eve Lesedi and band. Delivering a blend of their own original songs and festive classics, they entertained a packed and appreciative audience.
A busy pre-Christmas evening involving two events, one being an annual formal event in the West End and the second a brand networking gathering in Camden. Firstly, I attended the BBC yearly Christmas Drinks Reception, hosted by the Policy, Political and Corporate Stakeholder teams.
Following a kind invitation by former MU colleague and trombone session legend Pete Thoms, Julie and I attended a Christmas celebration at the Mildmay Club in Newington Green, London N16 featuring the Mojo Big Band. Mojo is a swinging, jazz and funk 17-piece big band who play regularly across town.
A delightful lunch date with musician, administrator and all-round good-guy Chris Hodgkins today at the Club for Acts and Actors in Covent Garden. Always a pleasure to exchange news and views with Chris, especially following his organising of the Parliamentary Jazz Awards in October.
The annual Council of Music Makers Christmas Party took place at The Editors’ Tap in Fetter Lane, London this evening and it was good to catch up with the MU’s Phil Kear, Jamie Pullman, Graham Jackson and Simeon Scheuber-Rush, plus Vincent Moss of UK Music, Mark Taylor of the Ivors, and artists Flora Finch and Kavalla.
Marvellous to take delivery of the Waterloo Sunrise album on CD at lunchtime today. My thanks to Peter, Ed and all of the team at Key Production once again. The main picture shows the 4 panel digisleeve artwork pdf.
A very productive afternoon and evening with producer Greg Fitzgerald in Canterbury, running off instrumental and half playback tracks for the 13 songs from the Waterloo Sunrise album. This is an element of the project that was originally set to be completed with mastering engineer Mike Thorne, however his very sad passing earlier this year led to a return to Greg’s facilities. It was very intriguing to hear the recordings minus the lead vocal and to be reminded of the subtle parts deeper in the mixes.
Julie and I joined over 1,000 people this morning at Westminster Abbey for the long-running annual celebration on behalf of Help Musicians UK, namely the Festival of St Cecilia. This year’s event marked the 79th time the organisation has hosted the festival and in particular we enjoyed the performances by the combined choirs of Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Cathedral, led by Andrew Nethsingha, Organist and Master of the Choristers at the Abbey.
A delight to see Dominic Halpin and the Hurricanes delivering a set of Southside classics with their ‘Country Night in Nashville’ show at St George’s in Beckenham this evening. I had first met lead vocalist Shelly Quarmby on a Chris Difford songwriting camp in 2019, so it was also a pleasure to catch up with her too. The venue was pleasingly busy and the audience certainly expressed their appreciation for the show.
Ben and I enjoyed a useful and informative afternoon in the West End today. The main aim was a visit to the Military Careers Office in Handel Street, Holborn, where Ben met with a senior army officer and discussed his future plans and options in the coming years. Our thanks to the team for an extremely useful half an hour. We then strolled through Russell Square and dropped into the British Museum.
A very successful event at the Albert Hall tonight, as I joined the staff and volunteers in raising funds for the Royal Society of Musicians (RSM) as The Really Big Chorus presented the world’s most celebrated choral participation event – Handel’s Messiah “from Scratch.” This is a truly adrenaline-filled performance of Handel’s masterpiece with singers and audience alike leaving the concert buzzing with excitement.
I attended the Featured Artists Coalition 2025 AGM and Social in London Bridge tonight. Supported by NME, the event included a panel of artists – Orla Gartland, edbl, Bishi and Sans Soucis – hosted by NME’s Andrew Trendell, collectively discussing ‘A Year in Review’ across the industry. Members also heard Chair Dave Rowntree and welcomed new Board Directors as Imogen Heap, Katie Melua and Roxanne de Bastion stepped down after reaching their term limits.
A fascinating insight into the earliest stringed keyboard and fretted instruments this afternoon, courtesy of a visit to the Royal College of Music Museum in Kensington. After undergoing extensive redevelopment, the Museum reopened to the public in October 2021 and boasts over 14,000 items in its collection. As an interactive space, it hosts performances by RCM musicians and the opportunity for visitors to create their own music in the Weston Discovery Centre.
The Royal Society of Musicians held its latest get-together of members this evening at its premises in Fitzroy Square. I had been invited to attend to be inducted into the Society, to collect my enrolment Certificate and to sign the book of members. This proved a very enjoyable and informative evening with talks by the Chair, George Caird, the Treasurer Jonathan Rennert, the Vice Chair Jacoba Gale, CEO Charlotte Penton-Smith and Head of Comms Mark Brierley.
The recipients of the 20th Parliamentary Jazz Awards were announced tonight at the World Heart Beat venue in London’s Nine Elms. These Awards celebrate and recognise the vibrancy, breadth and talent of the UK jazz scene. The event is organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG) and supported by the MU and UK Music. My son Ben and I had volunteered to assist principal organiser Chris Hodgkins and acted as a welcoming team for the guests.
A trip into town this evening as the wonderful Alice Offley had kindly invited me to catch the latest gig with her new band in The Loft at the Ivy Club in the West End. A particularly fine evening and a pleasure to make new contacts at the bar, including comedian and actor Kenny O’Connor and the multi-talented actor, singer and writer, Nina Kristofferson.
Waterloo Sunrise (theme)