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.
Tag: Events
Record Store Day
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.
The Vapors
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.
Wigmore Hall
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.
McCartney’s bass
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.
Sylvie’s Jazz Bar
I dropped into Sylvie’s monthly Jazz Bar in Warlingham, Surrey tonight for a selection of jazz, swing and blues with the Wee4. A relatively new quartet that features the engaging Megs Etherington (trumpet/vocals), the superb Zoe Lambeth (saxes/clarinet/vocals), a swinging Peter McCurrie (string bass/tuba) and my elder brother Ken (banjo/guitar/vocals).
Scanner at Rich Mix
I visited Rich Mix in Bethnal Green Road this evening, which is an East End based venue that presents an impressive combination of live music, spoken word, theatre, dance, talks and visual art in their performance and exhibition spaces. My long-term contact Scanner was appearing in town, and it was a rare opportunity to catch his pioneering work in a live context.
Rob Finlay
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.
Sound Lounge
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.
Book launch
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.
RSM
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.
KEF
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.
Big Bang Love
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.
BBC networking
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.
Mildmay Club
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.
Music Makers’ party
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.
Help Musicians
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.
Night in Nashville
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.
Royal Albert Hall
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.
FAC AGM
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.
Parliamentary Jazz
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.
Ivy Club
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.
Soul Women
With jazz and blues venue Soul Mama London celebrating its first year, YolanDa Brown OBE and team arranged a concert of top class artists at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea tonight. The special collaborative event featured Grammy Award winner Avery Sunshine, soul icon Mica Paris, US vocalist Selina Albright, Jazz FM awards winner Georgia Cécile, Colombian Latin singer Luisa Santiago, MOBO award nominee Annastasia Baker, plus saxophonist and host YolanDa.
Al Stewart
I caught the train down to Bournemouth this afternoon and met up with my elder brother Ken and sister Janet to attend the opening concert of the farewell tour by folk rock veteran Al Stewart at The Pavilion. Al had begun his career in the town and notably played guitar in Tony Blackburn’s backing band in the early 1960s. Inspired by Dylan’s first LPs, he then moved to London and shared a flat with Paul Simon and secured a residency at Bunjies.
