OK, Here it is the first NUTS IN MAY SPECIAL podcast. Not every track on it is by someone appearing at the festival but I’ll tell you here who they are and in every subsequent podcast there will be more as they are announced. By the time the next one goes up the website for the festival will be fully up and running and not the “holding page” that you’ll see at present.
Anyhow, here’s the running order for the current podcast…
As it’s early days yet bookings for the festival aren’t yet at full roster so to speak so this podcast features those who are definitely coming and first on the podcast are the sublime MISHAPED PEARLS who I’ve written at some length about on a previous blog (A CRACKING COUPLE OF FESTIVALS) so it would be silly to repeat myself other than saying that this group are simply wonderful.
COLD STONE JIVE is the new venture from Will Taylor who’s questionable tunes I’ve featured before. Will writes really funny songs that are so near the knuckle the actually cut into the bone and draw blood. If you are a fan of Tim Minchin or Stephen Lynch then you’ll understand what Wills work is all about. If not, you may be offended. Don’t be just put your worries aside and laugh your socks off on the way to eternal damnation. Will is of course too part of THE DISH OF CHEESE along with The Mighty Tree, Phil Dance, Elton Herzegovina and myself.
FREE BEER are a group of extremely talented musicians who are also part of The Lancashire Youth Jazz Orchestra and are as tight a musical unit as you can ever hope to find. The track here the Average White Bands “Pick Up The Pieces” isn’t the best recording as its taken from a YouTube clip of them playing live at The Gregson in Lancaster, but to see them live is a far more rewarding experience than this track suggests.
WALSH & POUND Dan Walsh the Banjo playing half of the duo is another who I’ve spoken of before after his brilliant set at Solfest in 2010 and the excellent night he gave at The Spinners earlier this year and although this track is just Dan playing solo here at NUTS IN MAY hell be with the equally talented Will Pound who is as good a Harmonica player as Dan is on the Banjo and their set at NUTS IN MAY will be very special indeed.
EVIE PLUMB from the Windermere (my hometown) area of South Cumbria and is just sixteen has already been featured on one of the BBC Introducing stage when they held the BIG WEEKEND in Carlisle earlier this year. Here’s what presenter Ally McCrae had to say about her
“I welcomed to the stage an immensely talented 16-year-old girl called Evie Plumb who, with her opening lines silenced the entire room. She sang and played the keys with a confidence that I definitely lacked when I was 16. Her tracks were down the Katie Melua route of pop and the crowd were hooked. The way she captivated and held the attention of the audience was something to be admired – especially when the beer was so cheap.”
The track here is another taken from a YouTube download and was made for her audition for The Pizza Express Big Audition with Jamie Cullum.
That’s it for NUTS IN MAY bookings for now, more to come soon I can assure you.
Of the other tracks there are one or two of special note The Boat Bands “Cumberland Reel” taken from the album “A Trip To The Lakes” and it’s just sums up the whole jollity that is gathering your nuts about you in the springtime. Following this is “Thomas Builder” from The Polyjesters a Canadian band who I saw in Mawbray village hall about five years ago and have tried since to get them booked for the Drystone, unfortunately they where always in Canada at that time of year. I love their lighthearted easy jazz sound and I’ve been meaning to put them on the podcast for ages but the CD had been hiding forever.
Achisa and Les Negresses Vertes are both two CDs that I got from I don’t know where in ages past, I think one was a cover mounted freebie on some world music magazine and one probably a charity shop job. The Malarchy and Junction Pool pieces are from my bottomless supply of submitted CDs for Drystone gigs (get them sent in for a chance to play on the Jack In The Green Stage) and both nearly got on, though Junction Pool I suggested that they’d do better on mainstage as at the time it came in The Drystone was a tiny babe, not the behemoth of latter years and the band has a huge number of personnel.
It says what is at the top!
The Black Hares and The Wishing Well are both emailed submissions and the latters track has prevously been featured on the podcast back in 2008 and being lazy I’ll just copy what I wrote then…
Jai Larkin sent me this via the demo upload page of my website which is cheaper than sending it through the post from Australia where this band hails from and what a fantastic track it is with Jai blasting out like Mark Chadwick of but only for a few seconds as it's soon clear that these are no Levellers rip off. They have their own sound and a confidence that only comes with experience Jai himself having performed with Bob Geldof, Liam O'Moonlai, Tim Finn and Andy White. For a band that have only been together for two years these chalked up an impressive 180 gigs and travelled 10 Australian festivals this year. Visit their MySpace for more stuff, it's worth it.
Here’s an interesting vid of Jai discussing the background to “Life On The Border”
Jenny McCormick was one of the first acts ever to play the Drystone and I would have given her a return booking this year and I’m certainly going to be getting in touch regarding Nuts In May as I will with Delta Maid.
Which brings me finally to Neverland, my mate Boz who puts together Off The Tracks plays percussion for them and they are someone else who I’ll be speaking to, for quality Folk/Rock you can’t do much better.
(though it still will be that and more) but I can’t let last Saturday (October 1st) go by without writing some thing here.
Sadly it saw the very last DRYSTONE SESSIONS at The Spinners Arms. The sessions started about eighteen months ago and for a time were run in tandem with WIZARDMARRAS SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE SPINNERS Open Mic nights. The idea was to give a paid gig to some of the up and coming acts that were coming through the Open Mics which would also keep a weather eye out for promising newcomers who could then get an unpaid support slot.
It all started well, with decent enough numbers turning up every month. Though perhaps we should have seen the pattern emerging with the Open Mics which by this time, six months or so into the Sessions had died out completely. Barely a punter in sight and once or twice no performers.
So to see the delightful KATUS performing to about six people (four of which were Alain and Alison (of The Spinners) Karen and myself. There were about six others, but they hadn’t come for the music, a fact made obvious by their conversation.
The hard thing being that no punters equals no takings and the pub ends up making a loss. Add to that the fact that as with most pubs business is bad (certainly worse than normal).
But KATUS gave a set that was actually so lovely in it’s intimacy, instead of pretending that the room was full of beaming faces she sang and spoke to the few of us without any hint of the arrogance that so called bigger stars would have succumbed to in the same situation.
But here’s the rub, the question that makes me want to snap at the Simon Cowells of this world. Actually I want to snap at Louis Walsh more, who I think has a much colder heart than Mr Cowell despite his outward toora loora loo “I t’ink yer just Great, sure yer livin’ der dree’am” before he chews them up and spits them out. If you want a clincher JEDWARD, Slap slap slap to the three of them and bloody hard with it.
Why this anger that I’ve surprised myself with, well it’s people like that who are if not responsible for the downfall of the Drystone Sessions they are partly responsible for our attitude as a nation to what we consider to be good and quality performance.
By that I mean the use of backing tracks by live acts. Karaoke basically, that somewhere along the line it became OK for a singer to perform without a real musical instrument anywhere in sight. The singer may be great, but without accompanying themselves or working alongside other musicians all they are is karaoke with knobs on. The sad thing the really sad thing is that these acts can fill a pub performing songs by other people and it seems to me that it’s at the expense of those who spend long hours working on a craft, writing their own songs and learning to play an instrument.
All that remains is to thank Alain and Alison for giving me an opportunity to present some of the areas best and brightest. For three years or more of fantastic Saturday nights over which they have become great friends and to thank all the people who have come along and given their all at the Open Mics and Drystone Sessions. Too numerous to name each one. Thank you.
NUTS IN MAY
THE FORTH BE WITH YOU
So on to happier and more exciting things, something features real live music with as many instruments as can be imagined. I speak of course of Nuts in May which from the above header you will see that it opens on
STAR WARS DAY
and runs from the 4th to the 6th with at least four stages The Jack In The Green Stage, Bar Stage (cool and groovy name to be decided upon) organized by the able hands of Dave and Jude Proud, a chilled out venue presided over by the eminent Dubbers, I don’t if he’ll be calling it it The Love Shack or John’s Snug but anyone who’s familiar with those venues at Solfest or Beatherder will know what to expect. There will be a magical woodland stage and session tent (you can probably guess who’ll be running this but as i haven’t confirmed it yet). I can’t give you any clue as yet to any acts but rest assured that I’m working it and already have some fantastic names lined up and I know that Dave has too. My next podcast will have some of them on it so you won’t have to wait long and we’ll be making the official announcements before long as tickets will be going on sale very very soon.
Who’s the chap on the poster?
That’s Squirrelkicker and you will be wanting a tee shirt.
Just because I can’t resist and I can be a real tease sometimes and as Big Scott has asked me so very nicely. Here’s a first la’al taste.
NUTS IN MAY will be Cumbria newest festival, small yet perfectly formed nestling in an idyllic location just outside Workington (yes, they can be found) where the elven folk dwell.
The link above will take you to the website which although quiet and unassuming will soon grow into the locus of all wonders regarding NUTS IN MAY, a surprisingly economical festival.
As soon as I have more to tell you I will, but we are still at the stage where the proto festival still has rough edges to be smoothed, legal hoops to dive through and several more pints to be drunk.
It has been my very great pleasure in the past fortnight to go as a guest to two excellent festivals…
OFF THE TRACKS
at Isley Walton in Derbyshire and
THE DOCK OF THE BAY
at Glasson Dock near Lancaster, the former so called because it’s slap bang next the the Donnington Park racecourse and these days can be considered one of the elder statesmen among festivals as it has been going twice yearly for twenty three years and has established itself very nicely as one of the good ones serving up a decent helping of good music washed down with perhaps one of the best real ale bars you can find anywhere. Sixty, yes SIXTY different beers, ciders and perrys. I can be very happy at a place like that.
I’d been invited there by Andy “Boz” Borys one of the two organisers and asked to do one story which is a fair swap for a ticket for Karen and myself. The story was to fill in time in between John Otways set and that of Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick which to me was billing to die for. But the thing which made the weekend for me (and it was a weekend of some soaring musical highs from the swirling celtic pipes ofTHE PEATBOG FAERIES who gave us plenty of their familiar favourite tunes as well as a sizeable helping from the the new album DUST which I can only describe as brilliant classic Peatbogs but with a new edge, to the stomping banging wonderfully exuberant drumming of THE DHOL FOUNDATION.)was a set held in Helen Pinks tiny open mic marquee on traders alley. Karen and I had set off there as I’d promised Helen (a great friend and lovely person) that I’d do a bit of taletelling and when we arrived a band was well settled into a impromptu gig which lasted in all about two hours and it was the best two hours of the weekend. The name of the group is MISHAPED PEARLS and here is where I have to possibly use up my entire supply of superlatives for this year. Saying that how do I categorize this excellent band? Quasi folk/classical? I don’t really know, be be sure of this Mishaped Pearls make music of substance.
Just take five to listen this rehearsal
Ged Floods compositions are exactly that, to call him a songwriter would be to demean him slightly he is most assuredly a composer and when you add the haunting vocals of Manuela Schuette to this you find yourself listening to something very special indeed. Most of the songs are sung in languages other than English not that it matters one jot, for me listening to a song in a foreign language only helps as you hear the voice as an instrument in the fullest sense and what a beautiful instrument it is too. During the set I was transported to a delightful place where I could have happily sat for many hours and there were one or two surprises in there too, as at one point Manuelas voice was complemented by the esoteric sound of a Theremin which was even more of a surprise to find that it was actually an ap on an iPhone held up to a mic.
They will certainly be featured on my next podcast though in the meantime I wholeheartedly advise you to get the free download of HD video and track of theirs from their website, just click on the highlighted name above to go there.
THE DOCK OF THE BAY
Glasson Dock has been the home of a brilliant little festival for a few short years until it’s end a couple of years ago and has been the site of some of my most enjoyable storytelling sessions and indeed some of my more outlandish sessions.
Particularly memorable was my rendition of Homers Odyssey performed in its entirety on a toilet.
Sadly the worst rain for four decades had dampened the site somewhat and most parts of the festival had been relocated from the intended field. I no way did this spoil a great little event.
One thing you can be sure of at Glasson though is the quality of two things; the music and the fish and chips at the Lantern O’er The Lune cafe on the dock itself. It had come under new ownership since we last visited and I was worried that the best fish and chips to be had anywhere would become like the newspaper that once wrapped a nations chips and consigned to yesterday. But my fears were unfounded as it’s still the best.
Now let’s get down to the music, just about all of which was from Lancaster and environs. For such a small event the program was absolutely packed with acts most of which I didn’t get to see being pleasantly ensconced in “PIZZA SLUT” (incidentally I’ve just done a quick Google to see if there were any pictures or website/Facebook etc. for them and OMG! Let’s just say I didn’t expect what is out there.)
But of the music I did see I must give the biggest shout and kudos to FREE BEER
So young and so talented
This funky seven piece are all members of Lancasters Youth Jazz Orchestra and they are tight as Captain Tight of the good ship HMS Tight and the horn section are even tighter than that. I was so impressed by them that they became my first official booking for the JACK IN THE GREEN STAGE at NUTS IN MAY…
…But you’ll have wait for my next blog to find out all about Cumbria's newest festival.
Presenting the ultimate FANTASY LINE UP for a final farewell and to show my appreciation for everybody over the years who made THE DRYSTONE STAGE possible.
WIZARDMARRAS
NOT
THE DRYSTONE STAGE
2011
THE TRACK LISTINGS
WIZARDMARRA - ANGUS' BOOGIE/GAYNES STAR
MARK SAUL - JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE CELTS
THE MYST – BURN
DRAGONSFLY – ISHQ ALLAH (LIVE ON THE DRYSTONE STAGE SOLFEST 2008)
MARY CUSTY - TALES FROM THE HEART OF CHUANG TZU
JENNY MCCORMICK - ME, I PREFER THE MOON
EVIE PLUMB - UNAFFORDABLE DAYDREAMS
SWEETBEATS – ORANGE STREET (LIVE ON THE DRYSTONE STAGE SOLFEST 2008)
HELEN PINK - MOVE UP (WITH THE SOCIAL IGNITION)
STEAM RADIO - THE BLUE BUS
QUERCUS BURLESQUE - TUFTY GUSSET
WALSH & POUND – CCC
NAKED - FEN NIC
KATUS YOUNG - FIGHTING & SCREAMING & DRINKING
TARANTISM – TURN IT UP (LIVE ON THE DRYSTONE STAGE SOLFEST 2008)
Well I thought that rather than mithering to myself about how bad I felt about things and how that sadness in me meant that I wouldn’t be able to face Solfest…
…You see the depth of feeling I had about the Drystone stage like parent to child and more. That the feelings I was having were like a bereavement and I was suddenly shocked to realise recently also like a divorce! and I could no longer go to see the stage in operation at Solfest than I could if I had been cuckolded, divorced and then get invited to go and watch the nuptuals take place with the filthy ne’er do well vile lowlife blackguard that took her .
But I’m not bitter!
I thought a better, more positive thing to do would be to put my energy into another podcast and with this one I broadcast my “Fantasy Line Up”. The acts that I would have booked this year if I’d still been running the stage.
Not to try and prove anything or to in competition to have a “better” line up. In fact I spoke to Dave Camlin who’s running the stage this year and complemented him on his line up. yes, there are one or two acts that I wouldn’t have booked but also a lot that I would have, have done in the past and will book elsewhere in the future. I started the ball rolling with one or two this year in booking them anyway before I resigned.
No, just for the fun of it. But as on this occasion I could give myself an infinite budget I could book some quality big name headliners. Then of course I realised the problem…
…that I can only play the music that is not covered by copyright or if it’s been specifically stated by the artist that I can, as yet I can’t afford the PRS license that would let me play anything I like.
But I can still write it down as it is just for fun. I had one or two rules to restrict me too as it is (light hearted or not) an alternative line up to that of The Drystone Stage at Solfest this year. So I decided that any of the acts playing the stage this year can’t be included, even as in a couple of cases I’d made initial bookings with them. Nor would I include acts that had been on my wish list for this year if they had bookings on the drystone (with one exception!). As I don’t know what the full line up is then I may make an unplanned “double booking” but if that is the case then it only goes to show that that particular act is good enough to get noticed.
Regretfully I’ve not got the huge selection of submitted CDs that I used to get to draw on and I’ve not heard that one track or voice that sends tingles down my spine and I know I’ve discovered someone special.
But I got some rather tasty stuff from the hundreds of mp3s I’ve been sent and I’ve still got loads from previous years a good percentage of them who I’d filed away for future reference and good enough for a gig. Return bookings too, that’s all part and parcel of the Drystone and I got plenty of their stuff.
Incidentally, things are in the pipeline for another stage, in another place and I’ve a need for talent. DRYSTONE PROMOTIONS requires submissions for future events.
So on to the the line up. I was going to lay it out like an actual programme with timed sets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then I thought “bugger that for a game of soldiers” so here are merely lists of who I’d have on each particular day. Each day with at least one impossible headliner who would more than likely be way out of my real life budget but I would love to have them on that stage.
*I must say too that I’m as excited as buggery because next weekend I’m telling stories at “OFF THE TRACKS” on Saturday night in between JOHN OTWAY and MARTIN CARTHY & DAVE SWARBRICK! How’s that for a billing!
Well, that’s it for what it’s worth. Of course had I actually been doing it the line up would have looked different again in reality. But it’s been a bit of fun and saved me from being a total Billy No Mates as I sit here on Saturday afternoon August 27th, the sun is shining and I know the punters will be having a great time on the Solfest field. Somewhere in there the beloved Ladymarra, Karen will be either happy or fraught. Possibly the latter if her phone call to me last night is anything to go by.
I am sad not be there and I missing friends that I see there, I’m missing the backstage buzz, I have not missed for one second the stress of being involved in the Solfest committee and because of that I’m not missing Solfest as such. I’m really happy to have got out of that nonsense, nonsense that gradually took over from the important task of putting on the best damn festival possible and eroded away a fantastic team. The vision seems to be changing and I really don’t feel that it’s the right one. It is true that Solfest must evolve and adapt as the years go by, change is good and right and proper, but it has to be the correct change especially so in these penurious economic times where the disposable income of the audiences is strictly limited. The choice of festivals nowadays is vast and only the very strong and very good survive.
But where one gate closes on field, another opens up elsewhere.
Now lets see if I’ve time to record an extra bit of nonsense for the start of the podcast….
…Yes I had and it’s right at the start GAYNES STAR it’s something made fresh today for you.
Well as it’s high time I got this blog and my podcast updated I can’t have a better reason to do so than commemorate the 4th annual Spinners Arms sponsored cycle ride for Cancer Research and both the blog and the podcast are dedicated to this.
As well as dedicating this and the podcast to all my fellow riders I must say a huge, Huge, HUGE
HUGE
THANK YOU
to everyone who sponsored me. I raised £175 (I’m still waiting for £15 you know who you are!) and I’ve learned from a visit to the Spinners and this why a bang up update today 12-8-11 that so far £3483 pounds has been raised so with my £160 I handed in today that’s £3643 and there’s still 30 riders yet to hand in their cash so with luck and a fair wind seven grand may well be in sight.
All the usual links and details of the artists on the podcast are detailed below but first here’s an account of the ride itself. I have to say that it was one of the most enjoyable days I’ve had for some time even though the weather could have been better. Just how bad it was you’ll understand in a moment but an indication is given in the above picture and from now on I’ll always think of it as
THE THUNDERIDE
It all all began on a wonderfully warm and sunny summer Saturday morning as some sixty odd riders and their bicycle gathered outside the Spinners Arms at Cummersdale. Last minutes adjustments and tunings being made to a large assortment of bikes in varying degrees of newness and sophistication. Here I must send out a huge thank you to Scott daly who loaned me a beautiful bike that was the sweetest thing to ride and made the whole event easy, particularly the gel seat which took the worst ache and removed it from the whole scenario at the very start.
So after instructions from Alison Davis and the nice lady from Cancer Research whose name I forget we set off on the first leg down into Carlisle and its marvellous traffic. I was once told by a seasoned motorist that driving in Carlisle was worse than London.
“In London they don’t take any notice of other road users, in Carlisle they just drive at you.”
That unfortunately proved true as the ride suffered it’s first casualty before we’d gone too far due to a driver just not giving a fellow cyclist a little bit of consideration, thankfully he didn’t suffer any serious injuries and was able to continue.
Ben Delivo of the freewheelin’ Delivo brothers lost his chain as he arrived at Bridge Street and bravely walked his bike to Scotby Cycles for repair intending to catch up with the rest of the party later (and he did).
The weather was still good as we sailed (much later on that will be used as literal description of the the ride and not poetic as here) round the Castle past Bitts Park and up over the Eden to glide down through Rickerby Park, Rickerby itself and then Linstock. (Which recalls to mind that fine actor Sir Rickerby Linstock star of so many triumphs of the Stage, who indeed can forget when he gave us his Bottom at Stratford.) Finally crossing over the M6 and finishing this, the longest stage of the ride at The Stag at Crosby on Eden.
Replenished by water and bananas we set off on stage two Little Corby to Great Corby (which appears from looking at Google Earth to be smaller than it’s “little” namesake, perhaps it was named because the original settlers just thought it was that much better.) Cruising in what was to be the last of the sunshine, an easy idyllic ride past well kept tidy houses and an immaculate golf course. Birdsong ringing on high and I was feeling great, happy and content that it was a sheer pleasure and I was doing something worthwhile possibly the most worthwhile thing I’d done for years.
Then came the ominous warning from the stewards at Little as they directed us to Great…
…”You’ve got the big hill coming up.”
To be fair it’s the only really serious hill on the route (in this direction anyway) but it’s not too long though quite steep and given that there were no prizes for cycling every inch of the way, I wimped out and got off and pushed it uphill to be rewarded by the sight of the next checkpoint at the very top The Corby Bridge Inn.
More water and bananas consumed there and sandwiches too, and of course being a public house some of the more health conscious riders felt duty bound to exercise their drinking arms quite extensively.
You’ll perhaps notice the beginning of a theme here.
It was here we noticed the dark and ominous cloud drifting somewhere northwest of us, it looked like it was going to miss us and we could continue in sunny bliss but it wasn’t long until we found out how wrong we were for shortly after crossing the impressive Wetheral railway viaduct the heavens began to open. Slowly at first, like holding the door ajar slightly to let the cat out and keep the dog in but then thinking “Oh the hell with it!” and letting all the dogs out along with the cats, rabbits, pot bellied pig and the wolf who you’d tried to keep from the door but then let it inside to starve with you as it was great with the kids. So by the time reached the next stop of The Lowther Arms at Cumwhinton we’d got properly wet.
Let me make it clear that quite few of the riders were liberally pouring ale down their throats at every stop so along with the rain they were in effect just a collection of cells swimming in an aqueous solution and I’m not sure how they managed to keep upright on a bike. Here of course special mention must be made of one of the rides heroes, Big Neil Ferguson (who Alain Landlord tells me was one of the initiators of the ride)
This year he was sponsored not to drink on the way round after consuming 14 pints during the ride last year. He didn’t and got round quicker than I did and made up for it that night. So there’s at least three reasons to raise a glass to a really nice fella who is as they say “As sound as a pound”
The next section from Cumwhinton to Durdar was as close to the dictionary definition of hell as you can get, that is if hell is seen as a cold wet bleak landscape lashed by rain, scoured by wind and populated by maniacal motorists who when seeing somebody wearing a T shirt saying Cancer Research feel the need to blast their horns and call out in the manner of a New York ruffian “ Get off the &$%!!@# road!” or as happened to me on this stretch to actually play a game of Grand Theft Auto for real knocking the cyclist from his velocipede to whoops and cussing amain. This particular idiot who I imagine probably makes a “BRRMMM BRRRMMMM BRRMM” sound as he drives not only nearly took me out but also Tina and Harold as well.
All respect and power to Harold seventy odd and can ride better stronger and faster than men half his age.
By this time the sky was darkened to an ominous Tolkienesque roiling mass as I pedalling like buggery to get as far from Mordor as possible, deep and booming thunderclaps rattling like Brian Blessed belching in an echo chamber while the ghost of Oliver Reed loudly farts next to him. Lightning flashed across the sky like the Dark Lord with prostate trouble trying to piss electricity into the Solway Firth and missing bowl entirely.
The ever darkening sky sending sets of staccato bursts of plasma on the road to Durdar where the pub is dry…
As we cycle to Durdar
Where the pub is dry
Three for Karen and Alison sheltered from the sky
Seven for the Sponsors sitting at home
Nine for the riders doomed never to dry
One bell to ring as they’re drenched to the bone
One bell to ring them
One bell to chime them
One bell to ding a ling ling
As the deluge slowly drowns them
As we cycle to Durdar
Where the pub is dry
After crossing the M6 (via bridge dumkopf and the rain was so bad at this point that a whale had actually got itself stranded on the motorway) I was up a in something of a quandary as I’d kept track of the unfamiliar route by always keeping some other riders in sight ahead of me so I wasn’t sure which way to go, luckily I’ve got a good sense of direction and set of in the direction of Durdar (luckily I was right though it could have gone so easily and badly wrong) and the worst section of road which was a long long drag uphill and in the pouring rain was thoroughly miserable but also provided for me the best moment as Joe White dressed in full clown costume raced past me with a cheery “Come on Wizardmarra!” and the image of his feet in enormous clowns shoes pedalling furiously still makes me laugh.
Next stop The Black Lion at Durdar I’ll say no more about it other than I would have thought when a hostelry, inn or tavern suddenly gets a crowd of sixty odd folk arriving at their threshold and a goodly amount of them wanting ale. One would have thought that they would be welcomed with open arms and cash registers. Not so at the Black Lion as the miserable buggers were closing and gave what can only be likened to the eponymous Lion showing us it’s arse.
Nearly done and spinning into Dalston the rain began to stop…
…no it didn’t it carried on pissing down and then through down more as we reached The Bridge End Inn, a really brilliant pub run by friendly people. By this point I was just wanting it all to be over so after a brief rest and a cough and drag on to the next stop (after the shortest stage in between) at The Blue Bell and it was here that I succumbed to having a swift half, discovering as I did that when your body is chittered with cold, your clothes soaked with rain and your gentlemen parts shrunken to the size of peanuts and a jelly worm the last thing you want is ice cold beer inside your body and I nearly went into hypothermic shock.
So I bit the bullet and set off on the last leg, along the lovely smooth riding cycle path that runs between Dalston and Carlisle and along this section the rain began to come down harder faster and crueller than at any other time that day. I cursed myself for not bringing a snorkel after a brief detour when I didn’t realise I should not have gone over the bridge but soon after that it was the final slog uphill into Cummersdale (and yeah, I got off and pushed as there were no prizes for staying on the bike) I proudly dripped and splashed into The Spinners Arms. It would also have been Karen's arms too but I was too wet for a hug but the kiss she gave me calling me “her superhero” made the whole thing worthwhile. That and the fact that it was despite the rain one of the very best days of my life and I raised nearly £200, the whole event will have raised three or four thousand for Cancer Research.
Not bad eh.
A big warm hug of thanks and respect and love to Alison Davies who got it all together along with the support crew for sandwiches bananas and so much more.
…………………………
I’ve just found out how to put a player for the podcasts on here so here is the current one.
WIZARDMARRAS
DRYSTONE
WIRELESS SHOW
THE THUNDERIDE
Track listings with links to the artists website (where possible)
Now I’m no longer involved with Solfest and The Drystone Stage there is in another's hands I’m no longer restricting the music to acts only appearing on that stage and so I’m taking the opportunity to put out some of the other acts from the amazingly large collection of music I’ve had submitted to me that didn’t make it onto that stage (for a variety of reasons) and I feel deserve a hearing to a wider audience.
Coming out on Saturday 27th August 2011 the next edition of
Wizardmarras Drystone Wireless Show
will be
and will feature a “fantasy line up” of who might have been the Drystone Stage this year if I’d still been doing it.
Here also is my brand new podcast it’s a fantasy serial read by me and I aim to get an instalment out a month and it’s called…
TALES FROM THE STANDUP CHAMELEON
…and relates the adventures of the singing barbarian Jib Longwilly and his partner Swanky Morris in one corner of the multiverse and in another of Jabberlique and Smiggle Banjaxx the interdimensional repair men. The first instalment is the begining of Book 1, THE ETERNAL SIDEKICK the next instalment will be out by the end of this month.
…………………………
I’m still grieving somewhat for the end of my association with Solfest, events causing my resignation still leave a bad taste in my mouth and I feel that the future of what was the most wonderful festival is in jeopardy but at the same time I feel whether the festival is a huge success or a dismal train wreck of a failure I can hold my head up and say that I’m proud to have been a part of it’s past and equally proud that I have nothing to do with the 2011 event. But I have nothing but the best wishes for Ben Durkan, Gerard Irving, Tosh, Karen, JT, Matt, Simon T and everybody who is working hard against tough circumstances.
Before I get down to the grimness I’ll put a full stop on the current thread extoling the talent and success of Emma’s Imagination and it’s succinctly put. Following getting signed to Gary Barlow's Future records her Album Standing Still is released on January 10th and a new single version of This Day is released on Monday January 3rd.
Now for the hard bit.
Here’s a blog that I never thought I would write.
I’ve quit Solfest and my heart is heavier than it’s been for many along year but I don’t feel that I’ve been left with any other choice.
Changes have taken place in the way the organisation runs which in some ways is a good thing, I have been advocating a change for a long time. But the changes as they now stand have been I feel hurriedly made without full consideration of the implications and the structure of the organisation not fully fleshed. I don’t believe it will make for a better festival.
When long standing bands split the reason is often given as “musical differences” usually this is a euphemism for “personal conflicts” of some form or another and I think in this case it’s probably apt too.
So I thought it’s better I go and let people get on with rather than sit filled with negative energy and make a bad situation worse, I will miss Solfest more than I can express here and the sense of bereavement I now feel knowing that my beloved Drystone Stage will no longer be a part of my life and will be in someone else's hands.
I will not put down here those personal feelings I have against some who I feel are now involved in the festival, they are my feelings alone and I am as susceptible as anyone to getting it wrong. I am sure that if you asked some of them they would declare that they are so passionate about Solfest that if you cut them in half they would have Solfest written all the way through. I’d prefer it if it was heart on display and I worry about the quality of the event this year.
