I have just spent three very rewarding days at the AMA-UK Conference 2025, the annual celebration of Americana artists and music, which this year has been sponsored by travel business Sweet Home Alabama. Once again the event was centred around venues in the Hackney Central area, namely Night Tales 1 and 2, Oslo, The Moth Club and the Paper Dress.
The idea of the same characters running through the songs on my new album is an intriguing possibility. So far, I have the following three couples in mind: Kevin and Carol (both in their early twenties), Dawn and former partner Nathan (both in their late twenties), plus Courtney and Jade (both in their early to mid-thirties).
In addition to our trips to Rome, Liverpool, Jersey and Christchurch this year, we have just returned from a week in the Scottish Borders. Although delayed by 24 hours at Heathrow thanks to the heavy fog last weekend, we finally flew from London City Airport and arrived in Edinburgh on Sunday evening.
My thanks to Simon Lloyd of Power Pop Radio, who played my track Nicoll Road today on the internet based station. Power Pop Radio is a popular Hit Music Radio Station in the East Midlands, broadcasting across Long Eaton, Derby and Nottingham and surrounding boroughs.
Crisis was formed in 1967 as a response to growing homelessness across the UK. Since then the charity has helped tens of thousands of people out of homelessness and campaigned for change.
Julie, Ben and I could be found in the West End today as we had tickets for the Fawlty Towers recreation at the Apollo Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue. Our seats were right up at the top of the steep balcony and certainly presented a challenging view of the stage!
An upbeat evening at the offices of the BBC in Portland Place for their annual External Affairs drinks reception. My thanks to Vanessa Elliott, Senior Head of Communications, for the valuable invitation.
Each year the Lords Taverners, who have been empowering young people through cricket since 1950, host a fund-raising carol concert. This year the event was held in the glorious surroundings of the ‘Cathedral of the Arts and Crafts’, the Holy Trinity Church in Sloane Square, Chelsea, and I was kindly invited as a guest of the Music Committee.
A packed crowd of names from across the music industry squeezed into The Editor’s Tap in Fetter Lane tonight at the invitation of the Council of Music Makers. Another of the events arranged to mark the year’s end and to bring together members and friends of The Ivors Academy, the Featured Artists Coalition, Music Managers Forum, Music Producers Guild and the MU.
Here is the second write-up of the ideas and influences behind the songs on my forthcoming album, plus details of the remaining seven tracks and what they mean to me: Falling off the edge of the world, Head above water, The girl I never had, Love on a summer’s day, Farewell to your Valentine, Caring soul, and In the comfort of strangers.
I met the wonderful Debbie Rogerson, BBC music supervisor, over lunch at the Crown & Sceptre, Great Titchfield St, W1 today.
A fun afternoon at the upstairs theatre in the classic Rosemary Branch pub in Shepperton Road, London N1, courtesy of the superb songwriter Robb Johnson and the cast of his musical drama, Murder at the Grange.
More news on the vinyl manufacturing front: gracious supplier David Noonan has kindly offered to produce a small run with The Vinyl Factory of my Waterloo Sunrise album with revised black and white labels. The test pressings for these arrived today and once the test discs have been given approval, courtesy of a listening session on 22nd November at Mike Thorne’s excellent studio, this latest manufacturing run will be underway.
What inspires a song lyric? And perhaps the melody too? Well, here are some thoughts on the tracks I have recorded with Greg for my new album: Trust, Quids in, She reminds me of you, Promises at midnight, (London never will be) Nashville, Tennessee, Girl on the train and the title track: Waterloo Sunrise (theme).
A relaxed ninety minutes in the company of John Bishop at Fairfield Halls, as he performed in south London as part of his current lengthy tour.
An exciting night in Camden as Dingwalls delivered a Planet Rock Blues Power Live event featuring Lauren Housley & the Northern Cowboys, These Wicked Rivers from Derby, and the seven-piece Bywater Call from Toronto. Marvellous to catch up with Cowboys’ Thomas Dibb and Mark Lewis again.
I drove over to Stratford in the east of London this evening to catch the hard rock of Joanovarc at the Cart and Horses, renowned for being the pub venue where Iron Maiden started out. I know the area fairly well, having lived in Maryland Point and Forest Gate in the early 1980s.
A particularly enjoyable day in Hadley Wood thanks to the Lord’s Taverners. A select group of 15 from the charity played at the top class local golf club, including former England cricket captain Mike Gatting and international batter, coach and Strictly winner, Mark Ramprakash.
A key part of the Waterloo Sunrise album project has been the illustrative work by the highly-respected Richmond-based photographer, Jonathan Stewart. The collection boasts 160 frames, all taken in either the Waterloo area, or during the recording sessions at producer Greg Fitzgerald’s studio in Canterbury, Kent.
Waterloo Sunrise (theme)