Playing at The Black Swan Inn in Swanage is always a fun event.

The crowd ebbed and flowed throughout the evening but 3 men from Gloucestershire stayed glued to my acoustic roots and folk set and offered a wonderful praise comparing my original anglicana songs, fingerstyle guitar and loopstation technique by saying ‘I was in a league of my own’, as they had originally planned to see award winning Martin Simpson, who has been nominated 23 times in eleven years of BBC Radio 2’s Folk Awards, again. Thanks guys! High praise indeed.

Maybe it is time I played in Gloucestershire again!

You could hear a pin drop when I sang ‘Waiting in the Wings‘ I love how this song touches so many people. It has become one of my classics; ‘Waiting in the Wings’ has on occasion changed the course of people’s lives after taking on the sentiment of the lyrics ‘that life is not a rehearsal and to make the most of it by doing what you want to do, now’.

Swanage Folk Festival, Swanage, Dorset

“A weekend of concerts, dance, sessions, workshops, a ceilidh, a craft fair, children’s entertainments, trade stalls, around 50 traditional dance sides in a grand parade Saturday afternoon through the town and ending on the sea front.” 9th – 11th September 2011

Local pubs hosted a number of informal sessions, with music for all to join in with. According to The Daily Echo, Swanage expected to attract thousands of revellers to the seaside town for the Swanage Folk Festival annual folk festival.

Shot taken at Dancing Ledge, a cliff-top beauty spot on the Isle of Purbeck.

See the Pete Christie Music map to local music events.

After years on the road, touring around London and the Southern UK, it was time to play at home on The Isle of Purbeck again.

So the ideal venue in Purbeck to play is The Bankes Arms Purbeck Beer Festival in Studland. Playing to over 1,000 people at lunchtime is a great feeling. I played a lively set to get the audience going for the day, with the help of Paul Graham on sound.

As Clive Connor says “A Top quaint traditional pub, with great sea views and real ale from its own Isle of Purbeck Micro Brewery”

“Great songs, great singing and great stories”

Bob Kirkpatrick runs a successful folk club on the music circuit, at Broadmayne Village Hall, Dorchester, that offers a wonderful venue for unplugged acoustics, has grown a lovely loyal audience of music lovers and hosts a charming and welcoming evening for visiting musicians.

Pete Christie I made some new friends at Sunray Folk club and rekindled old acquaintences, who listened intently to my songwriter performane of crafted lyrics. It means a lot to me to know that people can be touched by the words like ‘Waiting in the Wings’, in a venue where every note is heard. The Lowden sounded great and the sustain was awesome.

Kieran Halpin is a true storyteller; with comical anecdotes about travelling with his famiy in a caravan in Australia,among other touching stories, delivered in an engaging Irish brogue. I enjoyed ‘I don’t write love songs any more’; a sentiment I relate to!

Fine gentlemen players.

Sunray Folk Club

We like how Bob always puts on food for his musicians and  audience at Sunray Folk Club events . Nice one Bob!

An opportunity to demonstrate the difference wood makes in sound and tone, by day and play the handmade acoustic guitars by night.

Saturday night is MUSIC night at the Gathering by Isle of Purbeck singer songwriter guitarist Pete Christie

Really looking forward to performing and exhibiting at the Wilderness Gathering. I’ve got a few interesting things planned for the audience at night and a walk through on handcrafted guitars, demonstrating the difference the choice of wood for the soundboard of an acoustic guitar makes on the sound and tone.

The ‘Gathering‘ is a 4 Day Event 18 – 21 August 2011
Wilderness Gathering, the original Bushcraft Show, is the premier festival of bushcraft, survival and primitive living skills.

The Gathering has become a social event and brings together families and friends, all those interested in Bushcraft and Wilderness living skills to enjoy a weekend of knowledge sharing in a relaxed and family friendly atmosphere

The event is held at Bush Farm Bison Centre Farm & Woodland Gardens Native American & Wildlife Gallery, West Knoyle, Wiltshire.

Derrin Nauendorf, Pete Christie, Alex Roberts pay tribute to Bob Dylan’s ‘I Shall Be Released’ for their encore song together

Live at Mr-Kyps in Poole, Dorset, UK 13.03.2011

Keiran has recorded albums in his native Ireland, Scotland, London, Nashville and Sydney.

Halpin is equally at home playing to a small folk club audience and a large festival crowd.

Sunray Folk Club – Every evening is a guest evening! Some of the most superb songs and performances you are likely to witness.

Pete Christie Music on Facebook

Minor 7th Review

May & June Short Takes

Pete Christie “Frank,” 2011

Long live the confessional singer-songwriter.

Pete Christie has seen his fair share of fire and rain, which makes for great art, and even greater albums. Akin to such well respected veteran tunesmiths as Graham Parker, Lloyd Cole, and Ray Davies — Christie sings and plays guitar straight from his broken heart and quizzical mind.

His gift for tethering his romantic ruminations to memorable melodies (and instrumental harmonies) is refreshing, and sound as if they draw inspiration from deep well of the best of the Brill Building and British Invasion.

Sure, “Normal Shade of Blue” and Dylan’s “Not Dark Yet” are bona fide tear-jerkers — but Christie’s delivery somehow lifts the spirit, proving once and for all that misery loves company — in pop music anyway!

Kudos must be afforded to Christie’s musical mates, most notably fretless bassist Pete Wallbridge, who excels with simple, sympathetic accompaniment that supports the singer and the song with style and grace.

Calling in the Band of the Royal British Legion Christchurch to back him on the cinematic “Waiting in the Wings” is the off-the-wall stuff of Brian Wilson and Sir Paul as produced by Sir George Martin.

And Katy Perry should consider covering Christie’s classic rockin’ “Easy Come, Easy Go” (though I would have preferred Petula Clark or Nancy Sinatra back in the day…). Only question is – who is Frank?

© Tom Semioli

What’s on Tom’s iPod this month? Richard Thompson – Dream Attic, Robbie Robertson – How To Become Clairvoyant, Paul Simon – So Beautiful or So What

Reviewing the best in non-mainstream acoustic guitar music

Minor 7th (Wikipedia) is an online magazine that reviews non-mainstream acoustic guitar music. It was founded in November 1999 by Alan Fark, who claims to have created the magazine with the goal of “enabling independent or under-recognized acoustic guitarists to receive more wide-spread publicity.”

The website is best known for its reviews of newly-released CDs, but also features its own podcast and free bimonthly CD giveaways.

Minor 7th on Facebook

Note from the editor: Alan Fark

What’s the story behind the name Minor 7th

I settled on Minor 7th because that chord really seems to embody the music I prefer — jazz and fingerstyle.

The Concorde Club, is a members club in Eastleigh, Hampshire. Established in 1957 the club boasts an excellent restaurant, wine bar and hotel lodge. World famous for jazz.

The Club is a beautiful landscaped location and live music venue, nestled near Monks Brook with terrace and gardens near the airport…a really charming place to play music.

‘Moldy Fig’ has its origins in jazz and was a derogatory term used by ‘be bop/modernists’ for enthusiasts of New Orleans and earlier forms of jazz. The walls make interesting reading with pictures of the great jazz names who have appeared at the Concorde Club.