Hellllllloooooo! I don’t write on my website that much these days as social media sort of takes over that job really doesn’t it? But I thought I’d put this on seeing as I was updating a few other bits on this.
As you know – I’ve been doing more music than ever recently and so very busy with gigs, writing, recording and rehearsing for the many different projects I’m working in.
These are:
ME solo! (Yay!) and thanks to everyone who has come to my solo gigs and everyone who has booked me for these. I love doing them and I want to have even more.
IOTA (Yay!) This is me, Marion Fleetwood and Sally Barker and those of you who have been folowing and supporting us since we set up last year – thank you. We are having a great time performing and writing and rehearsing and we hope to get gigs in more places so those who are requesting us in their area will get to see us. We love doing this trio and are looking for gigs everywhere!
DUO with Sally Barker (Yay!) – this is very recent and we will be starting gigs soon. We’re utilising songs both of us have written solo and we’re also going to make songs together. Other stuff might happen but we’re not sure yet what it is. We also work as a double header which is when we both turn up and do our own individual stuff and then join in with each other.
THE SANDY DENNY PROJECT (Yay!) – this is most exciting as it just started as me getting invited by PJ Wright and Sally Barker to play at the Jerry Donahue Benefit Concert at the end of 2017. This was amazing as I got to play with Gerry Conway and Pat Donaldson as well – two of the original Fotheringay band members. I have never played with Pat before and it was a brilliant to experience the combined Gerry and Pat sound. So the spin-off from that gig was a desire by PJ Wright and Sally Barker and me to continue this in some way so now we then formed this band (originally named Listen-Listen). Marion is also in this band together with drummer Mark Stevens (Tradarrr) and bassist Mat Davies (15 String Trio + others). We played our very enjoyable ‘SandyFest’ in April at Byfield which was where Sandy last lived. We played Cromer Folk on The Pier a couple of weeks ago which was brilliant, and we’re looking forward to more gigs – especially our one at The New Forest Folk Festival which is an excellent festival to go to!! (IOTA are also playing!)
FAIRPORT CONVENTION (Yay!) – No I’m not in this iconic band but I will be playing my song The Crowd at Cropredy with them in August this year. I am so pleased they’ve decided to include my song in their set again – it’s all about the crowd who goes to Cropredy. So it’s about some of you! I played it with them on their May tour. Those of you who go to Fairport gigs and to Cropredy will remember they recorded this on their 2002 album XXXV. I played French horns and accordion and whistles and sang on it. I have had a long association with Fairport having played either support to them or with them in some guise or another from 1998 onwards. I’m really looking forward to Cropredy 2019 where I shall be situated at the bar some of the time and hope to bump into old friends and some new ones I’ve made this year and last.
The photo is of me with Fairport earlier this year when they played at The Union Chapel in London…
