August and September were full of music festivals

Wickham Music Festival

Bankes Arms Studland Festival

Music and Merriment Festival at Spetisbury Rings

Purbeck Valley Folk Festival

Swanage Folk Festival

Three Lions Farncombe

Real Music, Real Ale, Really great live music pub: Shepherd Neame Pub of the Year 2015

Performing my singer songwriter set Friday, March 11th 2016. Musicians can always relay on the landlords to promote the gigs and rely on the audience to show up and have a good time.

25th Swanage Blues Festival to take place in March 2016

Swanage Blues is a not for profit organisation, that twice a year brings a lot of exciting live music to Swanage; in March and October, thousands of blues music fans turn the town into a mini New Orleans.

A wristband for £10 gives access to the live music events throughout the town. The festival is still free really but people kindly buy at least one weekend wristband for £10 to help cover costs of organising Swanage Blues Festival. We can thank Steve Darrington for all that great work!

It is a top festival and I’ve played for a few years now and it always affords me a chance to catch up with people I haven’t seen for a while, or who come back to every festival. Playing 2 sets is fun; both of which are quite different and give me loads of space to explore the bluesy side of the acoustic guitar.

Swanage Blues Festival is on 3, 4, 5, 6 March 2016. I will be performing on Friday 4th March at 6pm and then again at 8.15pm.

It is recommended to book in advance, as Tawny’s is one of the venues that puts on both music and great food.

Glad to be performing in Wales again

Rachel Taylor-Beales, a very accomplished songwriter I met a few years ago whilst doing the Bournmouth live music circuit, has her new album launch on Thursday 12th November at 8:00pm.

Looking forward to performing on the same bill as Rachel and hearing some tracks from her album ‘Stones Throw, Lament Of The Selkie’…have a listen!

I know there will be some impressive musical skills on show and I will get to play for a new singer songwriter, acoustic guitar audience; give them a taste of Isle of Purbeck inspired music.

Check out the Cardiff Folk Club ethos; they have the right idea about music.

Fun for all this weekend

One of the top UK live music festivals in October – bring on the Blues! Great praise to Steve Darrington for the great organisation of Swanage Blues Festival.

I will be performing at Tawny’s on Friday 2nd October 2015 – 2 sets: at 6pm AND 8.15pm. Always a great acoustic gig on The Isle of Purbeck; I really enjoy playing the blues!

Sounds about right!

Top festival that Purbeck Valley Folk Festival. A great place to test out some new acoustic fingerstyle arrangements. Many in the audience will be some of my good friends and it will be a joy to catch up with them.

I will be playing this Friday 28 Aug at 17:40 – 18:20 in the Long Barn. The festival is being held at a different location this year, so we will all be very interested to check out the new Purbeck Valley Farmhouse venue. Big up to Catherine Burke for all her hard work in organising everything.

Hats off to Wickham

Record crowds, great line up, lovely audience and perfect weather!

Good to see some old friends – and make lots of new ones! Big Ta to The Alistair Goodwin Band for getting me on the bill…..

Obviously the music…

The great location on The Isle of Purbeck, the vast array of beers, the huge audience…

…and getting to hang out with my great music friend, Jim Etherington. Pippa at The Bankes Arms invites us to play on the same bill just so we can catch up.

Very impressed with the set up!

Easy sound system to work with, plenty of space, much better to engage with the audience from a proper stage and the lighting helps too.

Ali and Simon have certainly made The Thomas Tripp into a proper live music venue in Christchurch; plus I get to catch up with many of my loyal music mates.

Very Pleased!

Seems my multi-skilling worked: #musician, MC, bouncer, audience directions, roadie, sound, PR, sweeper, babysitter…good fun!

Karen Laird did a great job organising so many local talented musicians to play…and we all got paid! Lovely Wimborne Minster Folk Festival