Yesterday I saw Aynsley Lister play live at The Stables, MK. This is the third time I’ve seen him perform there, and as usual, it was a fantastic show.
I first discovered Aynsley when he appeared on That Pedal Show, and was really taken with the fact that he’s a great singer as well as a great blues guitarist. This is sadly quite rare among blues guitarists, making him a real gem.
Each time I’ve seen him live, he’s been gracious enough to come out and chat with the fans after the show, and yesterday was no exception.
100% recommended for all guitarists, musicians, and music lovers.
I’ve been listening to Jeff Wayne’s “The War of the Worlds” since I was a kid, so when Jeff Wayne took his show on the road I decided that I just had to see it. It’s taken me a while, but finally I’ve managed to see the show, and just, wow. Incredible music. Incredible staging. Awesome on all fronts.
Interestingly, this is the second WOTW thing I’ve done this year. In January, I took my Mum to the WOTW immersive experience in London. This too was awesome, though totally different. There, we walked through Victorian London, caught up in the invasion, with Jeff Wayne’s music piped in throughout to maximise the experience.
It’s a shame that there isn’t more to do on this front, as this is truly timeless music.
I was at The Stables again yesterday to see Ward Thomas, who frankly, were quite underwhelming. However, I had a wonderful evening, thanks to the surprise appearance of the great Beth Rowley, who was the support act.
Beth treated us to a set of her signature soulful vocals, accompanied only by a very skilled guitarist. She played a range of tunes, but my favourite had to be her updated take on “Only One Cloud”, which she recorded on her first record back in 2008.
I had the chance to have a long chat with her in the lobby after her set, and she was just awesome. It’s so great to see her back out touring, although it’s sad that she’s no longer selling out these venues under her own strength. Reportedly, this is the price of taking a career break to raise kids, which is pretty rough 😕
I walked away with a bunch of signed merch, a selfie, and a great big smile, which more than made up for Ward Thomas’ mediocre performance of clashy harmonies 😁
Another day, another great jazz gig. This time I had the pleasure of seeing the very talented Down for the Count All Stars band at the Electric Theatre in Guildford, Surrey. Brilliant arrangements of many favourites and standards, performed exquisitely by a talented group of musicians.
Band leader Mike Paul-Smith really knows how to engage the crowd, and often throws in a joke to keep the atmosphere light. We were treated to vocals on some of the tunes by Callum Gillies, who really brings an authentic vintage tone and performance to the show.
We also saw the wonderful Alex Clarke on sax again, having only seen her several weeks ago as part of Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra. She’s a great saxophonist 🙂
Highly recommend seeing them if you get the chance, particularly if you’re in lovely Guildford for Valentine’s Day, like we were 😀
I first came across Transatlantic Sessions on TV back around 2009, and was immediately hooked. It was the episode in which Julie Fowlis sits in and plays Òganaich Uir a Rinn M’ Fhàgail. It’s an incredibly beautiful tune, and it sounded amazing with the full band playing – even better than on Julie’s album.
This year, I had the chance to see them reunited on stage, and it was an awesome experience. The highlight of course was Julie marching out on stage playing the bagpipes, although I enjoyed all of the tunes she led on.
I can’t recommend Transatlantic Sessions enough to anybody who enjoys folk, or really, any music. It’s truly world class.
Wow, what a way to spend my first visit to the legendary Ronnie Scott’s legendary jazz club in Soho, London. We were treated to a couple of hours of lovely food and fantastic music, hearing music from greats such as Count Basie and Duke Ellington. This is the music I was brought up on, and this was a very high class performance from the fine musicians who make up Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra.
I’ll definitely be back for more in the years to come!
Back in 2023, I saw Blue Rose Code for the first time. What I saw was a stripped down performance from Ross Wilson on vocals and acoustic guitar, with Lyle Watt joining him on stage with a second acoustic.
I was super excited to hear that Ross was going to be touring his new album with a full band, and so I bought tickets to see him at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn.
What an amazing night. The band sounded amazing. The tunes I’d heard as beautiful acoustic pieces suddenly took on a new colourful life.
Honestly, there were moments of profoundly moving music.
I couldn’t recommend Blue Rose Code enough, particularly for those who enjoy Scottish music, folk, or just brilliant storytelling set to glorious music.
As in 2023, I spoke to Ross after the gig to congratulate him (and get a signed album!), and he was very gracious and kind.
I went to see the “That Pedal Show Band” play live at Fat Lil’s in Witney, Oxfordshire. Guest star – the one and only Andy Timmons! I also managed to snag a VIP ticket, so I had the chance to go along for a “meet and greet” before the show. This must have been the best value meet and greet ever. There were perhaps a dozen of us there for a couple of hours, chatting with Dan, Mick, and Andy. We had a chance to hear and see their ridiculously high-end gear, ask a load of question, and the best bit – play some of the guitars!
Here’s a pic of me with Dan Steinhardt’s 1962 Gibson Les Paul – the original name for this shape before it became known as an SG.
It was lovely chatting with the TPS guys, and with Andy. All very down to earth, and clearly enjoying this chance to interact and nerd out with a bunch of very eager (and slightly star-struck) guitar enthusiasts.
Sadly, I didn’t manage to get pictures of me playing Dan’s famous and beloved Fender Telecaster,”Red”. I did however manage to get this great photo of the four of us on stage.
Eventually, we were all evicted from the venue for the proper soundcheck, and a bunch of us went to go and grab pizza together at a local restaurant before the show. This too was a great experience; just a group of musicians chatting and enthusing about guitars, gear, and music.
The show itself was, of course, brilliant. Lots of really great covers, including a very impressive cover of Mr Blue Sky. The second set saw Andy Timmons shredding in his signature soulful style, before the TPS boys joined him on stage for a big finale.
Well, this was a new one on me. I went along to the Stables in MK to see John Smith, and was pleasantly surprised to see the wonderful Lizzie No supporting. Hers is a unique offering: americana music performed with the benefit of only a harp and a voice. I’ve never seen this before. She also played guitar for some of the tunes, but the harp was definitely my favourite! She’s a great songwriter and really knows how to talk to the crowd; a real entertainer.
John Smith was also great, as expected, but honestly the night was more about Lizzie for me. In any case, I enjoyed myself so much that I bought a ticket to see them both play again at the Warwick Arts Centre a few weeks later 🙂
Finally managed to see Tommy Emmanuel live last night at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds last night. What a night.
Tommy is everything people say. His fingerstyle playing is just ridiculous. Melody, bass and harmony all flowing together with ease, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Molly Tuttle opened, and later joined Tommy on stage for a duet. Absolutely brilliant. This was the first I had heard of her, as I’m not much of a country music listener, but she manages to bring real virtuosity to a genre which so often becomes syrupy and predictable.
It’s now the next day, and already I’ve played my acoustic more than I have in months. Good times!
