This summer brought plenty of things, including the weather (a little too hot), and a whole lot of fun playing festival stages across the UK with my band, The Crown Electric, which began at Glastonbury and ended with Lakefest in late August. It was great to see so many new and familiar faces come to see us play.
Last week I got a call from Evan Dando inviting me to open for The Lemonheads in Bristol and on the back of that gig the invitation to open again at the London Roundhouse. I knew Evan had listened to my songs and has gone ‘on record’ with some kind words about my writing but it was still surreal to hear his voice on the end of the phone with the very kind invitation. Thank you Evan, it meant a lot, and it means a lot.
To play the Roundhouse was a special moment. I’ve seen some of the greats on that stage over the years – Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Ray Davies.. so to finally play here was some feeling. Evan is a gentleman and a genuine artist and to watch him and the band blow the roof off was a thing of joy. The offer to open for the band has continued and I’m looking forward to playing with them again next week at Chalk in Brighton (10th Oct) & 1865 in Southampton (12th Oct).
The 16th October kicks off Marc Almond’s UK Tour, and I’ll be opening for Marc at every show, starting with the London Palladium and ending at Birmingham Symphony Hall. Again, my sincere gratitude goes out to Marc and Marc’s musical director Neal X, who caught one of my gigs a few months back and invited me to open for the whole tour.
On the new album front we finally have physical! The CDs have arrived with the pre-orders all sent out. The vinyl will hopefully not be too far around the corner and I want to thank everyone who’s pre-ordered the record for their patience. It’s a stunning double gatefold and it really will be worth the wait.
Sunday 13th November will be our final festival appearance of 2022 as The Crown Electric roll in to play Shiiine On at Butlins in Minehead. We had a great time playing there last year, and very much looking forward to returning on a bigger stage and attempting to cure those Sunday hangovers..
And suddenly it’s December and the sounds of sleigh bells ringing through every supermarket and high street retailer’s tinny speakers….how did we get here so fast?!
Looking forward to seeing you all on the road somewhere very soon x
