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.
Tag: News
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.
MU Regional network
Tribute to the excellent teams in the MU offices.
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.
The Musician (autumn)
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.
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.
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.
Abbey Road tour
A particularly memorable day at Abbey Road.
Return to Rimshot
A second visit to Mike Thorne’s wonderful Rimshot Studios in Sittingbourne, Kent, today where mastering ace Mike, producer Greg Fitzgerald and I continued work on my new album, Waterloo Sunrise.
EU announcement
The MU today gave a cautious welcome to the announcement made yesterday by the Government with regards to musicians touring in EU member states.
Proms programme
I now book a full page advertisement promoting the MU Supporter initiative in both the BBC Proms Guide and the Proms Programme. Music lifts our spirits, our communities, and the economy. If you are a music lover and care about the future of music, join the MU Supporters.
Side A sign-off
A very enjoyable day with producer Greg Fitzgerald and mastering engineer Mike Thorne at the Rimshot Studios in Sittingbourne, Kent. We collectively worked on the first side of my album, set for vinyl release, with Mike’s expertise superbly bringing out the nuances of Greg’s production.
Parliamentary jazz
Norma Winstone MBE, Claire Martin, Georgia Mancio, Jas Kayser and Nubya Garcia were among the recipients of the event, streamed online from Pizza Express, in London’s Dean Street.
Top gear track
A special treat for Ben this afternoon as we had arranged for him to drive around the junior section of the Top Gear track with the Car Chase Heroes company. His chosen vehicle was a Chevrolet Camaro Bumblebee. ‘Great drive’ said his instructor!
DCMS Report
The MU, The Ivors Academy and #BrokenRecord Campaign have today welcomed the ‘revolutionary’ DCMS Select Committee report into the ‘Economics of music streaming.’
Theme recording
A relaxed session with Greg at the studio today, as we compiled the closing title theme for the album, Waterloo Sunrise. This involved selecting parts from both the completed tracks and from the solos delivered by our marvellous team of session players.
Waterloo market
Photographer Jonathan Stewart and I toured Waterloo once more this afternoon, this time capturing the final locations and shots we had identified during our previous site-finding visits.
MU & FAC guidance
The MU and the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) are delighted to share a joint guidance for session musicians and featured artists.
Sheffield studios
As part of the preparations for the MU Delegate Conference, I travelled to Sheffield today and visited the Yellow Arch Studios of the Northern Cowboys to meet up with the team who would be producing our event online: Mark Lewis, Thomas Dibb and Elinor Jenkins.
