I really can’t believe I’m typing this but on the 10th of June, I will be opening for hip hop legends DE LA SOUL at the Leamington Assembly!!!! This was a combination of right place right time and the other age old cliche “It’s not what you know but who you know” coming into play. I was literally bouncing off the walls when I found out I got this. I am gonna practice my ass off for this one.  Get your tickets here

The Hare & Hounds

On the 20th of May I made my way into Birmingham and over to Kings Heath to the Hare & Hounds to Support Son of Dave. This is one of the best live venues in the city and has played host to some very well known acts. I’ve wanted to play there for a long time, so to be asked to play there supporting someone like Son of Dave was a big break. Sound check went well and just as it finished people started to gather outside and took a second to get a bite to eat. There’s a chip shop just opposite the Hare & Hounds do yourself a favour….avoid it!

I really wasn’t sure how well I’d go down with the crowd, which was made up of a peculiar mix of old school blues fans and the younger crowd you’d expect to see at a Birmingham show. They were great! I played my new song “Crunch”  and kept the rest of the set more instrument based rather than play beaty stuff and everyone seemed to dig it. Son of Dave was a real showman, creating weirdly recognisable settings, painting audio landscapes using his looper and making sound effects in a beat box style. It was interesting to see another one man band work in a different way.

Just like old times…

So it’s been a long time since me and producer Kris Halpin have managed to hook up and get some work done in the studio. Since we last worked together Kris has joined the team at Unit 58 recording studios which has given us access to a lovely collection of microphones and audio units to make the guitar and the beats sound very, very good.

Considering it’s been months since we last worked on a track I had expected it might take us longer to find our flow but here we are 4 hours in and all of the loops for a track called 5:00 AM are recorded. As soon as my throat is better I can lay down the vocals and then Mr Halpin can start tweaking each loop to make the whole track sparkle. 

This afternoon has not only been really productive but a lot of fun, if things keep going this well then recording is going to be a very painless process.

I’m supporting Son of Dave!

I’ve been asked to support Son of Dave on the 20th of May at the Hare & Hounds. I’m really excited about this one as when I was asked to do the gig my first thought was ” I’ve heard of him…” It’s £9.00 on the door but if you click here and confirm your attendance on this facebook event then you’ll be able to get in for £6.00.

Been up to much?

The last two weeks have flown by and for the most part they’ve been alot of fun. So on the 24th of April I played the Live & Free event at The Adam & Eve in Digbeth organised by Mr Elephant. It was the first gig for me in a run of three shows in five days and  I could not have asked for a better start, the crowd were really receptive, levels were the best they’ve been so far and some set up tweaking gave me more volume. I got loads of good feedback from people in the venue and other acts. After some choice DJing from Marc Reck came Playing Django who are a sharply dressed 5 piece jazz band who play up-beat yet mellow music that really is something to behold.  The final group to play was Munchbreak. Now I’d heard of these guys but hadn’t heard their stuff or seen them play, I knew as soon as I witnessed the sound check (and participated in it) that I was going to see something good. Imagine a dish made up of  one part DJ Format one part Jurassic 5 three parts The Roots for added funk with a large smattering of brummie bravado. They tore the place apart with their blend of live funk and scratching. I really hope I get to play with these guys again.

The night was capped off by Marc Reck playing some up-beat reggae and ska and a little bit of last chance to dance funk. I love playing gigs with Marc he’s an amazing DJ and a positive person I look forward to playing with again.

The next gig on the 26th saw me play a set at The Waterfront in Dosthill. This was a private party that saw some alcohol induced carnage on the crowds part. I played the same set and it went just as well as the gig on Friday. We all danced and marveled at the level of intoxication reached by a chosen few.

The last gig in this stint was the Now 15 event at Tamworth Snowdome. This was the 15th Aniversary bash for the slope and it absolutely went off. The riders all wore 90’s style outfits and prizes were given out for old school styled tricks.  Everyone piled into the bar at half time and I played a slightly altered set that went down well. This time however I had some help to get the crowd going in The Trinity Warriors breakdance crew. These guys are amazing and hopefully I’ll get to work with them again soon…Watch this space.

I’ve had an absolute blast this last week or so, I’m enthused and ready to get back to work. Next week I should be heading back into the studio with Kris Halpin and will be making a start with some new video stuff to put out online.  I’m gonna try my best to keep the momentum going.