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Archives for your perusal!
La Jeusseliniere.
Been back just over a week now but the memories are still fresh and clear in my mind. Not sure where to begin so I’ll start where I remember first and then perhaps the beginning will reveal itself later on in which case I shall return to it and be back behind the bit where I originally began, or in front of it depending on where you begin reading. Dear reader, if this part of my message appears somewhat nebulous (I realise that it might be) please ask Martyn to read you his story about the dancing school for cats!
So to the week: all the superlatives imaginable could not describe what a lovely time we (my wife Julie and me) had. The warmth of the reception from Martin and Danni, the wonderful food that Danni took time to prepare for us all, superb weather, the relaxed atmosphere of the rooms, the colours of Danni’s paintings seemed to spread across the days and on into the evenings. Martyn is a brilliant raconteur (wreck on tour?) and I think of all the things we did, laughing was the one we did most.
It was my first time as a “tutor” and I’ll confess I was feeling some considerable apprehension, when we arrived at “La Jeuss”. If I have an audience to play to, although I still get nervous, I still know exactly where I am with that. However, put me in front of people who seem to think that I know more about song writing than they do and ask me to reveal “the knowledge” to them and I start thinking, “I want my Mum!” Lucky for me then that as a beginner, I was blessed with four people: Linda, Geoff, James and Ross who had all arrived prepared to go with the flow and see what happened. I couldn’t have wished for better students to work with. Each of them made it so easy not the least because although they had an idea of what they were looking for, they remained open to other possibilities as well. Somehow the whole thing quickly gathered its own momentum. I have been in touch with all of them since I got home and each of them is pleased with what they gained from the week. Of course I am delighted for them. However it is also true to say that they gave me, more than they will ever know and I would like to take this moment to thank them for that.
The week culminated in a concert in the dining room at “La Jeuss”. It was the coolest place to be in the warm weather. The concert was delightful, with contributions from Martyn and all the students; they even let me play as well! After supper a little session began and I would like to extend my thanks to Elizabeth and Martin who, having been at the concert, unpacked guitars and took their turn in amongst us all and played some of their lovely songs too.
Lastly to Danni and Martyn, I feel that we began as acquaintances but now we are friends. It’s a funny thing all these years on the road, you see the posters on the walls in the clubs, the names on the festival line-ups and you come to think of virtual strangers as your friends, simply because of the warmth with which other people speak of them. So something tells your heart (or is it your instinct?) that they are good people and you keep faith with the feeling. Then on the odd occasion when you finally get to meet one or two of them it’s wonderful to have that faith rewarded in seemingly boundless measure.
Jackaroo is on the way Martyn, just got to sort the tune out mate…
26th Jan. 2005
Hi all,
Now that Christmas is gone things are getting back to normal. I am taking January and most of February off and I’ll be on my travels again playing some club gigs during March, preceded by a night at Folk On The Moor at Wotter, just outside Plymouth on February 6th.
Really glad to tell you all that I’ll be doing a tour during April with a good friend and acquaintance of mine, Johnny Coppin www.johnnycoppin.co.uk we are calling it “Follow the Dream”. Johnny and me have known each other for a long while; our first meeting was at Penzance in Cornwall. He was there with Decameron www.decameron-uk.com I think it was the summer of 1970: I was there for the summer six nights a week, four in one venue and two in another (in retrospect it was an ‘in at deep end’ musical apprenticeship and I tried to learn as much as possible from it) and as part of a West Country tour, Decameron came to play Brenda Wootton’s Piper’s Folk Club. They nicknamed me ‘Bread & Cheese’ because I was (still am) permanently hungry and during their stay I was always slipping through the front door and into Brenda’s kitchen to raid the fridge. John and Brenda Wootton left their door open and it sometimes seemed as if the whole of Cornwall had taken up residence…
The life of a traveller is unusual; many of my friendships exist on a 24-hour or, when time permits a 48-hour basis, once or twice a year. The most amazing thing is, that in most cases, by the time I have put my guitar down in someone’s hallway, it’s as if the time that has passed since my last visit is gone in a puff of smoke. Johnny is a friend like that.
When we came into contact again last year, after not being in touch for quite a while, the idea of working together came up. In truth we can’t remember who said it first and it doesn’t matter that much anyway. In any event, once we started rehearsals we wondered why we hadn’t done it 20 years ago! Even with just a few sessions behind us the music was already sounding terrific and we knew we had made the right decision. So we’re both looking forward to the tour immensely. Incidentally, although most of the dates are finalised we are always looking to add others so please don’t hesitate to contact any potential organisers, or talk to our agent, Charmaine Hawkins of CEH Management, can be reached on 0117 944 3040 or charmaine.hawkins@blueyonder.co.uk or you can contact me via the message board on this site or direct at: mike@mikesilver.co.uk Hopefully we will be in your area – perhaps you’d like to arrange a concert yourself – in a church, village hall or even a private house concert? If you would, do get in touch.
In case any of you on my email list missed my message a while back, I want to remind you about my week at Le Jeusseliniere 2005 Experience, I’ll be there from 19th to 25th of June. It will be my first visit there; if you feel like spending a week in a delightful French country setting, this is just what you’re looking for! I’ll be tutoring in song writing and guitar technique. The number of student places is limited so you need to be quick off the mark to be included. The contact details are on this website gig list.
“Follow the Dream” officially finishes on May 7th, however Johnny and I have been offered one or two a festival dates, Saul Festival and The Priddy Folk Fayre, both of those in July, which we are delighted to be able to accept and there are perhaps a couple more in the pipeline. I have never played Saul but Johnny knows it well and I’m sure it will be good fun, I really enjoyed Priddy a couple of years ago, the atmosphere is lovely, Johnny and me will be on stage Saturday night at 9.30.
After Priddy, I’ll be travelling down to Gillingham in Dorset to play their village festival again. Hoping for better weather than in 2004! It always seems so unfair when people go to great lengths to organise an event like that and the British summer lets them down so badly.
I am playing Trowbridge Village Pump Festival this year; it’s always a privilege and a thrill to be included in this event. All the good and great will there no doubt, so the pleasure is doubled for me because I get to see and hear some of my favourite musicians as well as take part. I have promised myself that I’ll remember not to leave my instruments in the car this time. On my last visit to Trowbridge the weather was “hot enough to melt glue” and that was exactly what happened; the bridge came off my lovely Lowden guitar! Opening the guitar case twenty minutes before I was due on stage was a nightmare come true. Later I was “sharing the experience” with a certain Vin Garbutt, of course he was sympathetic and commiserated with me, saying that exactly the same thing had happened to him when he left a packed lunch in a car during hot weather recalling how upset he’d been to find: “The top had curled right off one of me sandwiches!”
I will be travelling to Scotland and Germany later in 2005, more about that as and when confirmations come in.
Best wishes and Good Luck in 2005
Yours aye
Mike
30/09/04
I’ve just got back from playing a few dates, starting in Dorking in the Southeast it was a lot of fun:
It was Dorking’s www.chanticleer.tk first night back after the summer so quite a few folks were still on holiday, nevertheless we had a good night. I was treated right royally by Neil and Martina, thanks to them for their kind hospitality.
Clive Gregson showed up at Bollington, which was just the job. Arthur Wakefield, the organiser, wanted him to play but Clive had brought no guitar. We soon fixed that, I lent him mine! He blew the lid off with three songs, including one that he’d written with Boo Hewardine, Clive is such a great player, and it was a pleasure to hear him.
Dave Hutchinson’s d.hutchinson100durhamlea.org.uk new (to me that is) venue at Heighington is super. The audience were typical for the north, the further north you go the warmer it gets! The landlord and his wife were very welcoming: I was offered a cup of tea while I was setting up and another the next morning when I came to pick up the PA.
It doesn’t get any better than when audiences sing out. If there were a prize, which there isn’t (let’s not go down the Folk Awards Best Folk Club ‘cul-de-sac’ because the whole thing has a ring of strangeness about it) for best audience vocals, it would have to go to Cramlington taylor@lochcraig.co.uk I’ve been playing that club for a number of years and they invariably catch me out on one or two songs with just what great singers they are! This time it was, ‘Pretoria’, there were a couple of folks there who really knew how to harmonise which in turn, lifted the whole audience. My thanks to Keith and Audrey for looking after me so well and all of the people who came to the club that night.
I played a couple of gigs that were new to me as well and that’s always interesting. Scholars Notes mark@scholarsnotes.co.uk was really good, a very friendly crowd. Thanks to Mark Gordon for the welcome and the good food. Thanks Cath, for coming all the way from Holmfirth for that, it was good to see you.
The second new gig was Ulverston. I had the most beautiful drive across the Yorkshire Dales that morning. The weather was perfect, a cloudless sky and one vista after another around every bend. I love this job! The venue was excellent, the audience were open hearted and easy to please. I enjoyed the evening very much indeed. South Lake Music Promotion www.slmp@btinternet.co.uk run a tight ship, they were helpful, accommodating and utterly professional.
Sadly the Cockermouth The Kirkgate Centre, www.kirkgate.com concert was under attended. No one seemed to know why. I guess that sometimes its just difficult to get folks out of their armchairs! The ones that did come were very happy with the gig and that is what counts in the final analysis.
Lancaster The Gregson Community Centre was great. Martyn and Nikki Woodhead worked very hard indeed to promote the concert and it came together well on the night. I found the audience very responsive and it was lovely to see a couple of friends from ‘back along’ too, if you know what I mean? Howden Jones did support and I know that a good number of their own fans came to support them as well. They did a fine job getting 
the audience warmed up. Good rhythmic stuff aided by great percussion (I loved the Bodhran playing!) strong vocals, guitar and mandolin, from Kate, sound fiddle and viola from Sarah and some right tasty guitar work and vocals from Paul. Thanks guys for letting me drag you up on stage for Old
Fashioned Saturday Night, you sounded lovely! I meant to ask you in the break if you fancied coming on but I got chatting and by the time I remembered I was halfway through the second set! I’ll try to get the old brain box working better next time.
Pictures courtesy of Martin Woodhead © Imageacoustic.com
The next day was my birthday and I was determined to spend it with Julie, my wife. The problem was that she was in Suffolk at a wedding on the night that I was in Lancaster. I decided that it would be more fun driving to Cornwall from Suffolk with Julie than driving home alone from Lancaster and waiting for her to get back. We spent my birthday in the car getting Renault lag! That’s ‘cos we know how to have a good time!
A few days off and I was back on the road again, first stop was Banbury, The Ride-a-Cock-Horse Folk Club at the Mill. Had a great night with the club, Derek and Mary are very genial hosts and the audience sang well. I was pleased, and delighted to be able to accept, when Derek asked me if I would play the festival next year!
16th September I played the Library Theatre in Luton. What a lovely venue that is, the in house sound system was gorgeous and the audience gave me everything they had and then some. A really enjoyable experience; my thanks to Graham Robbins for putting the concert on, I wish him well with his forthcoming promotions and I hope there’ll be an opportunity for me to play there again soon.
I had Friday off and then went down to Byfleet to take part in the 10th Birthday celebration of the Blue Anchor Folk Club there. What a day that was. The Machine Breakers opened up in the afternoon, great songs, driving guitars and percussion. Really got everyone going. They were followed by Paul Downes: master guitar player, singer and entertainer. His set, which was well over an hour just went by in a flash. I played just after 8.00 and it was lots of fun. Mike and Maureen Peach anchorfolk@talk21.com invited me there for the first time a couple of years ago and it’s always a great pleasure to go back. I like the easy going approach to the music played at ‘The Anchor’, the audience seem to like all kinds and its so refreshing! The evening was finished off by Suntrap. Absolute dynamite stuff! Fiddles, keyboards, accordion powerful guitar topped off by great lead vocals and brilliant harmonies. It was a wonderful day and I was proud to be part of it.
Well that just about takes care of September, I’ll be back to you with some more news in a couple of weeks. Don’t forget to keep me posted with your questions and emails, it’s always good to hear from you.
Yours aye
Mike
14/09/2004
Hello everyone,
Just a recording update, its all coming along, not as fast as I’d like but you can’t have everything.
The strings are done and they sound fantastic. Del Newman’s arrangements are so uplifting and totally in keeping with the songs. I knew he was good but he always manages to surprise me! His love of his work shines through in everything he does and the folks at Stockfisch Records info@stockfisch-records.de were immediately taken with his relaxed and amiable manner.
Went to Germany this August with Fiona Simpson and Roger Nicholls, to record the backing vocals for the new album. We had lots of fun getting there; we rehearsed in the car on the way up from Cornwall, the miles slid by effortlessly. We left home in plenty of time, got the car parked at Heathrow, made it to the terminal and three hours later the airline cancelled our flight! They had to ‘overnight’ us in the Holliday Inn. They re-booked us on the first flight out the next morning, 6.40 am!! Of course we had to be there two hours before as well, so there is the age old question about musicians spending most of the day in bed finally answered and laid to rest.
The cancellation cut down our time by half a day, which left us only two days to do all the songs we had planned. Sounds like plenty of time but doing backing vocals is very exacting work. Luckily, Roger and Fiona were in great form and their voices blended perfectly, I am allowed to give myself a pat on the back for that because putting them together was my idea! Fiona has a voice like an angel and is lovely person too. Fi is brilliant to work with; her approach is very proactive and her incredible vocal range gives her tremendous flexibility. Roger only told me after we had begun recording that it was his first time in recording studio! I would never have known, he came up with some great ideas and was completely professional throughout. Needless to say we got all the work done in time and the results will be there for all of you to hear as soon as possible.
In the meantime, in between gigs, I’ll be back in Germany in the coming weeks to do some more work on the album. Looking forward to hearing some accordion by Hrolfur Vagnusson! He’s Icelandic and okay, I’ll come clean, I can only type the name; I have no idea how to pronounce it! This man is simply amazing. I have never heard anyone attack an accordion in quite the same way that he does. Beo Bockhausen (multi instrumentalist) see Solid Silver, will be adding some of his strangely beautiful instrumentation, Hans Jörg Mausch has some bass parts to play and Nils Tuxen will be doing some more pedal steel work.
If anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to hear them
Best for now
Mike
