Standing for MU General Secretary
I am delighted to confirm that I am standing as a candidate in the forthcoming MU General Secretary election. I stated my intention in writing to the Union’s Executive Committee and management on 9 November.
MPs in support
An energised crowd of musicians and Parliamentarians gathered in Westminster outside the Houses of Parliament at lunchtime today to mark the publishing of Kevin Brennan’s Private Member’s Bill, which is set to be debated in the House on the 3rd.
Chandos jazz
A cracking evening at the Chandos in Colindale, north London, courtesy of the regular Sunday Just East of Jazz club night, this week featuring the top class line-up of saxophonist Derek Nash, vocalist Noel McCalla, drummer Rick Finlay, bassist Phil Scragg and keyboard player Mike Gorman.
Fix Streaming
The latest excellent edition of Music Week contains the full page advertisement I arranged on behalf of the MU, on the inside back cover, calling for the industry to join us and ‘Fix Streaming.’
UK Americana
An absolute please to attend the press launch for the UK Americana Awards event last night at Omega in London Bridge. A superb evening, marvellously hosted by Stevie Smith and her team.
Ace mastering
A final day at Rimshot Studios in Kent, making those key final touches to my Waterloo Sunrise album with engineer
Remembrance Day
My son Ben is an army cadet with 143 detail in Shirley, Croydon, and today his group joined the 145 cadets in New Addington, the Fire Service, the police and St John’s Ambulance in honouring the armed forces who have given their lives in World Wars and recent conflicts.
Instagram gallery
I have begun an online gallery of pictures taken by Jonathan Stewart for the Waterloo Sunrise album project. This picture was taken in the Leake Street tunnel and features the stunning artwork of Olivierr. These can be seen on Instagram and via the hashtag #WaterlooSunriseAlbum.
Crazy Coqs
I dropped into Crazy Coqs tonight, which is a club situated in the basement of the Zedel bar and brasserie, just off Piccadilly in London’s West End. The venue is a grand French art deco restaurant, sited in an historic 1930s building.
Cadogan Hall
I attended “An Evening of New Jazz Fireworks” at Cadogan Hall this evening, which was presented by Hampstead Jazz Club and Lateralize Records.
Media coverage
Today saw the arrival of the second Kindred PR report for the MU, this time for the month of October. Items in The Guardian, i newspaper and the NME are featured, alongside links to Music Week, Billboard, Business Matters, The Meteor, MixMag and Sonic State. It is planned these reports will grow into a valuable and informative record of the Union’s growing profile in online and print media, both in the UK and internationally.
West End session
I travelled into town this afternoon to meet up with photographer Joanna Dudderidge and Chair of the MU Executive Committee, trumpeter Dave Lee in Soho.
Landmark Concert
Photographer Jonathan Stewart and I attended the rehearsal and ‘Concert for Afghanistan’ this afternoon. The event had been organised by violinist Enrico Alvarez and was to be compered by John Suchet in the historic surroundings of St James’s, Piccadilly.
Album artwork
Visited Steve at Printstore this evening to work on the cover artwork for Waterloo Sunrise.
MU and the CMA
The Musicians’ Union, The Ivors Academy and Tom Gray, founder of the #BrokenRecord Campaign, have welcomed the decision by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to carry out a market study into music streaming.
Gabucci, Bath
Those who know me well, will be aware of my appreciation of a classic men’s outfitters. Especially those sporting the winning combination of a quality range and attention-to-detail service.
Angel, Islington
At the centre of this picture is a traditional phone box, which is a marker of an important moment in my teenage life. It was here that I made a call to a property agent in March 1978 and arranged to visit a flat that had been advertised in the Evening Standard.
Venues Day
I travelled back from Manchester this morning and immediately headed to EartH in Dalston and joined my MU colleagues Dave Webster, Kelly Wood and Jamie Pullman on the MU stand at the Music Venue Trust ‘Venues Day.’
Manchester blues
The MU, in partnership with Lodestone PR, hosted an event at the Conservative Conference this evening.
PR Report
In partnership with Kindred PR agency, the MU consistently secures considerable media coverage for our campaigns and press statements. Kindred now kindly produce a monthly report on our PR activities and I distributed the first of these to senior Officials and colleagues this week.
Splitter vans
The MU is delighted by the Government announcement that ‘splitter vans’ can be used by British musicians touring Europe. The MU has been lobbying to ensure musicians can continue to tour Europe post-Brexit using this type of vehicle.
Brighton fringe
It is September and therefore Conference season once more and today I was in Brighton for the gathering of the Labour Party faithful.
Education Expo
The MU Education team could be found at the Music & Drama Education Expo at London’s Business Design Centre today.
The Musician (9/21)
The autumn 2021 issue of the Union’s award-winning magazine, The Musician, is scheduled to be dispatched in digital format by email to members this week, featuring interviews with Rosie Frater-Taylor and Robin ‘Scanner’ Rimbaud.
Musician? Join us!
Join a community of over 30,000 musicians in the Union and become a member of the leading organisation working to protect artists’ rights and campaigning for a fairer music industry. Please visit the Musicians’ Union website (theMU.org) to find out more.
Music Week Awards
I drove over to the Pestana Hotel in Battersea this afternoon in the company of producer Greg Fitzgerald to attend the Music Week Awards.
TUC Council
I was contacted last week by Paul Nowak, Deputy General Secretary of the TUC, who was aiming to arrange a Greek-themed evening at the organisation’s annual General Council dinner.
Musicians shielding
Joint research by the Musicians’ Union and The Ivors Academy has revealed that 70% of musicians, songwriters and composers who are still shielding are facing financial hardship because of their continued need to shield.
Back in town
Another visit to MU HQ was on the cards today, as I organised the existing MU merchandise stock in advance of our industry, political and retail activities this month.
Safe Space
New reports reveal sexual harassment and abuse remain rife in the music industry despite the #metoo movement.
Bloomsbury Theatre
Great to attend the event in London tonight in which Sara Pascoe hosted a marvellous line-up of comedians on stage at the Bloomsbury.
Memorable victory
An excellent 40 over win for Beckenham 6th XI versus Old Dartfordians at Hayes CC in west Kent this afternoon.
The ‘Old Place’
Ronnie Scott’s club for its first six years was based in Gerrard Street, now the heart of Soho’s Chinatown, and where Ronnie and Pete King established its reputation as a top class jazz venue.
