Appy Birfday Ian x

Today I’m celebrating Ian Dury’s 70th Birfday, I hope you are too. I’m heading to Ian’s Bench on Poets Corner in Richmond Park wiv a few friends.  I don’t usually repeat blogs but I guess this blog written whilst I was on tour best articulates how I feel about the lully man.
So sausages, the suns out, lets celebrate!

You Remember Dreaming About Doin It On Top of the Pops

There I was on Saturday night on the side of the stage in Harpenden thinking “I’m ere watching the band I dreamed about being with and watched on Top of the Pops wishing”.

This blog is just to mark me singing on Saturday night with the Blockheads. So when they lock me away in some care home cause they’ve closed the ILF and taken away Direct Payments and any hope of living an independent life (which is well on track you tory boys n girls), I can say read my blog from 2012, its there, I did do it…… when I was free.

So lucky and honoured that I am, It wasn’t my first time singing with the Blockheads (third for those counting) but I really enjoyed this one (obviously I’ve enjoyed them all but I didn’t need the lav for an hour beforehand this time or feel sick with nerves), it was fun and felt very…. well lovely and so brilliant to do.

I mean like I wasn’t so nervous that I could actually concentrate on trying to do a good job on the Lemons. Don’t get me wrong it still felt like I was dreaming, like it wasn’t quite normal land but it felt really good.

I can’t really capture all here what happened cause you had to be there and its the small things significant to me that wouldn’t make sense to most, you know…the little detail that I get stuck on as big.

Writing here is never gonna pull it off, its in my heart forever. Yes there were a thousand moments that I’ll never forget, examples:
Arriving at the same time as Del (my cuppa tea buddy and lully man) and heading in backstage, the dressing room, my Lee hug and handshake chat (lully man), the sound check moments with silly grin on my face watching on, wondering on and of stage freely, learning the secret code to the backstage door…..hit it n shout “Open the door you ****” apparently, Lofty chatting about how I have my mic stand (he is a lully man and remembers detail), the pizza, Johnny chat, john n Terry chats, tea, coffee, beer, the gig, ringing a friend to hear the song, my lully welcome on stage, the lovely heckle of “fair play brother”, doing the song, the dressing room, finishing off the last two beers off the Blockhead rider with Chaz, meeting the crowd after, including Reasons crowd (lully), the nearly at Minhead gig text and then going home with me Basher both of us wiv silly grins on, hitting the sack and dreaming it all over again!

See I told you I see detail that won’t matter to anyone else and would probably pass most buy, but it was important to me. The Blockheads are a stunning band and just as important as that they are lovely lovely fellas. Thank you Blockheads……ok enough of the sentimentals……..let’s do…………

Top of the Pops sausages xx

Its all kicked off post R2BC

So my first blog post tour and actually there’s loads goin on. After the last tour in 2010 it took a while to get back into the swing of things. I’ve had lots of lovely messages from friends and followers asking if I’ve got the post tour blues and of course I miss the buzz. I do miss my Reasons family and the show routine, even pickles rubbish buckeroo gag and poor access support!.

I will write a bit of a reflective specifically on the tour but not yet, I’m still unpacking it. But just for now I want to thank the gang at graeae for all they’ve done, totally all heroes to me. Thanks too to the theatres and lovely audiences and my A team of PAs. Everyone mentioned here above mean loads to me and I couldn’t have got through such an epic without them. So reflective will come soon. Suffice to say I’m very lucky and grateful to have had such an opportunity and the experience has given me back far much more in return.

I’ve definitely felt the love since getting back. Friends n family checking in on me (yes I’m eating and the sleep thing will come….I hope…and yes I’ve cut back on drinking down the Dolphin). I’ve also had lovely messages from people who came to the show so thank you all for that its definitely kept me away from the blues. Enough of the sentimentals…….Thanks for being around, you know who you are so xx

I’ve kind of thrown myself into business (music and other)after a few days rest of course spent with a few visiting friends and a pint or two down the local. Nothing can really replace the very special buzz of Reasons but if I’m honest, I’ve better dealt with getting back to it than last time, things are pretty good, perhaps apart from the erratic sleep patterns.

So I’ve just finished my first solo gig this weekend and I really enjoyed it. Not just the gig but the whole rehearsing of a new set, chucking in a good 60% or so of new stuff that I haven’t played live or looked at in a few years. I think this new set will stay for a while too. Faves of them all, Shame about Ray and Lullaby of Francis. Doing a solo gig after playing in a 6 piece was a bit of a shock/nerve wracking to the system.

With a crew looking after your stage, sound and light that’s a real luxury. I’ve got a great little team that help me when I gig and there is something very satisfying about being back hands on to the nitty gritty dealing with the multitude of challenges that a gig can throw at you and where I guess I constantly learn my trade. The gig went better than well and I ended up playing an extra little set which was nice. More to come so let’s ‘ave it. Started writing a couple of new songs too so we’ll see if any of them make it through.

The life of a freelancer means variety so I’ve also got in the pipeline two new pieces of work. The first is as part of a team running creative workshops in a number of london schools culminating in an event in early July. The second project is essentially back to my youth work roots and I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into that. Still got catching up with other projects where I’m involved and there’s lots going on with each and then there’s a few other bits coming along in the next few weeks. So yep, I’ve thrown myself back in, gently of course.

A date for yer biking diary: 4.30 on 16th June we will be doing a bit of a Reasons Gang Gig at “Burning at Both Ends” EANA MCC bash in Essenden. More to come on that later.

So rock n roll, youth work and equality work join forces once again. To be honest there’s gonna be a bit more rock n roll over the next month or so, so be ready for further stories of getting on it and of course ‘avin it………..large!

We’re back in the swing sausages x

R2BC: Day 75, End of the road.

So, 1633 miles done (probably a few more done if you add the odd wrong turn into car parks n dead end roads here n there), 40 +gigs rocked, 7 venues ‘ad it, many straws used (more than expected, if honest) & many lovely warm and on it audiences join the family. The family on stage, backstage, my PA’s and of course back at Graeae who have been lovely and amazingly supportive to have shared the journey with. Thank you all sincerely, you know who you are.

There are so many behind the scenes (some who’ve gone beyond the call of duty) that people don’t see who without em, I’d ave been well up the swanny! We’ve had our challenges etc but essentially we’ve ‘ad it big style. Thank you.

Two show days are hard work, no doubt, but the day flew buy.  Couldn’t slow the clock down.  Had a lovely warm matinee.  I tried to watch n savour every bit of it, and as many of the audience say, there’s so much to watch! The sound check was a right laff as the crew joined me wiv there inflatables for a bash of Sweet Gene which we rocked up a bit more for sound check, which was good fun & set us up nicely for a lovely last show.

Why four or five weeks ago I didn’t think to scream jump ya ******* during blockheads, cause I did tonite…and they did big style pogoin goin on, It was lovely.  Yep, many of us blubbed a bit tonight at different times during the show, why wouldn’t we, we’ve loved every minute of this and it was coming to an end, but we’ve given it marge from day one n tonight was no different.

With the show done, Jen came in as planned to take over from my PA with the shaving duties. The sideboards had to come off as there job was done.  Grand job she did, not surprising as whatever Jen puts her hands to turns into something magic. What a dream it has been for me to work under her artistic direction, just top banana.

Then it all turned a bit messy as it does wiv the last night party, lets just say I had a cuppa tea at 6.15 that morning……….

what happens on tour, stays on tour sausages, honest. Goodnight n fanks xx

R2BC: day 74, penultimates sausages

Today was always gonna be a hard  one, firstly after the mighty craic in casts bar last night with the almighty Kelly’s Heroes, secondly because Queennie was heading back home to Ireland n thirdly you couldn’t help but realise there were only three shows left on this tour of ours.

So twas up wiv the lark after sleepin wiv me pa….in a professional capacity….actually that makes it sound even worse.  Anyone who reads my blog will know the food theme/food revelations that go through this blog, from Olives to the brilliant banana holder, black pudding sandwiches, deep fried toffee crisp pizza pasty pie-cake things in Scotland, to my pathetic efforts to eat well each day. Well today my friends……..Hummus…….up until now it’s just been wrong, it’s just like putting treated saw dust in yer gob.  Well we only had the most gorgeous Tapas (ark at me avin Tapas) which included hummus and it were all lovely, I really liked it….hummus…it’s always been wrong, and still might be, but if its done right like it was here, then, I like hummus & I never thought I’d blog that!

After these food revelations Queenie headed off, few tears (happy ones) and off I goes I’m in. to warm up time. Although when knackered, I’ll be honest, I haven’t enjoyed the physical aspect of em I do really love these times we have together.  Just us, on stage, empty theatre, Warming up obviously…but the craic too…human buckeroo, the stories, the  band knockin one or two out in a more relaxed groove.  Very special moments in my book.

I’ve been battling a head cold all week and I’ve been really concious of it on me Norfolk’s. It’s kinda taken the edge of me gravely bit n made it harder to control me little squeak. Obviously I took on the advice to keep it all in the safe range but to compensate, I knew I hard to work that little bit harder to ensure I didn’t end up singing like Englebert Humperdinkle or something.  With two shows tomorrow it was a little risky, but in my book it’s the show yer doin now that counts so I ad to give it a bit of work.  After the show peoples chat floored me, there’s me with all that “I’m dying on me arse tonight stuff” n they were avin it, owz that work?

Last on  tour blog tomoz sausages, sheds a tear…………….

R2BC: Day 73 – Mary & The Country Roads in town

Mum’s here from Ireland so just a quickie.

Food,  Rocking show, Jelly babies thrown at us on stage, Baileys, Kelly’s Heroes rock the bar, mum teaches the gang a few Siege of Ennis steps, Guinness, nuff said.

Jiggered sausages xx

R2meBC: day 72 – did I tell you I’ve got tickets?

Oh yes I have, oh yes I have, Chuckle Brothers, row M, not quite gobbing distance, but near enough to be got by their water pistols.

We have hit the top of the shop to be sharing the same hotel as the Chuckles and in all fairness they were lovely…I apologise that myself and members of the Reasons Family were more excited to see the Chuckles than the kids………but we are living the dream, which has taken a little twist.

Turns out that the lully little boy I sat next too (appy birfday for next Wednesday Owen!) was a massive ChuckleHead but his mum was a massive Blockhead and recognised me sideboards from the show and asked me to sign their Chuckle Brother programme. Surreal and possibly the only time in my life that will ever happen. We ad a right laff at the show.

A massive acknowledgement to our crew though, who worked their socks off, de-rigging and re-rigging our set so we could still be on for 8 o clock kick off. I must thank ‘em too for me little lit up runway back stage, I am a lucky boy xx

Got a bit of a head cold cause the weathers turned Arctic since we all unpacked our jumpers last time we popped home…….we won’t need them now??

The show rocked and for a small to middle crowd (bout 100+) they made a lot of good noises and got a few returns as a result….lully.

To you Sausages xx