Tawe Delta Blues Club, and afterthoughts

Last night was the final gig, at the Tawe Delta Blues Club in Swansea. The night before, I went to an open jam at Celtic Pride and met some great people. Groovejuice was there too, and we had a good jam (I got to play bass!) doing different stuff from what we've done on the tour.

When we got to Tawe Delta, we were told that tickets had already sold out (!) I don't know if this was actually the case, but it was pretty full and Louise and Terry, the promoters, were happy. Terry is Terry Williams, who played drums with Dire Straits and Meatloaf. They were wonderful people who went out of their way to make us feel at home.

The gig went great, with lots of support from the audience and very good CD sales. Next time, we GOTTA have tee shirts! We only did one encore, because we finished at about 11:30 and had a long drive ahead of us. Joanna and I went back to London (about 200 miles), and Cat drove with Groovejuice back to Morecambe and Carlisle, respectively (about 300 miles).

Quick footnote - yesterday afternoon Joanna, Cat and I went to Mumbles (the town where Catherine Zeta-Jones comes from, right near Swansea.) There was the ruins of a castle there, called Oystermouth Castle, but the big iron gates in the entryway were closed and padlocked. And, there were two people sitting inside in the courtyard. We walked around the outside of the castle, and I mentioned to Joanna "I wonder who those people know, seeing as how they're inside the castle and we can't get in..." We walked by the front again, and this lady said "Excuse me, but we seem to be locked in." I laughed, and she said "I'm not kidding. We paid to get in a couple of hours ago, and now someone has locked the gate - we can't get out! Can you call someone?"

I called the town council, and they promised to send someone in 15 minutes. Then I found a traffic cop (who was about to give their car a ticket) and explained the situation to him - he got a good laugh out of it. I went back and told them help was on the way, and the cop promised to check up on them.

I wonder if they're still there?

This whole tour wouldn't have been possible if not for the efforts of Joanna and Cat. Joanna worked very hard to find an agent in the UK who would take me on, and sent out tons of press kits. Cat Anderson decided to take a chance, and it was a big one. He didn't know what I sounded like live, and he didn't know if I would work well with Groovejuice (in fact, he had only heard them once on the high recommendation of Andy from the Brickyard). He called in a bunch of favors to get me gigs in prestigious venues, not the least of which was the main stage at Colne, where all the superstars of blues have played. He is a very brave and unusual man, and it was an honor to work with him.

Groovejuice went well beyond the call of duty in driving, sometimes for hours each way, and never complained. Frankly, the pay stunk and I know they lost money on the gas by not charging me enough, but hopefully this has paid off for them by getting them more gigs and some national recognition. They were professional and a pleasure to work with, and I look forward to working with them again on the next tour.

Finally, Storm Warning (the Eel Pie Club in London) are an excellent band. Derek, the bassist, didn't even DO the gig (Mike Porter did) and yet he took care of everything, even bringing his own amp for Mike and setting up all the details. Roger and Ian (drums and keys) are exceptional players, and really won the crowd over.

Thanks to all the people who came and saw us, and were so kind and supportive, and to Jonathan and Claire Walker for putting up with us in London and giving us the run of their beautiful home (thanks, cuz!) It was great to see my family again after almost 25 years, and being back in Great Britain has been wonderful.

But I'm still not going to eat Black Pudding, ever.

Celtic Pride! and... Llanhilleth Rugby Club

Saturday night was a solo acoustic gig at the Celtic Pride in Swansea, Wales. Very friendly club, and the people were enthusiastic (two encores, plus some extra Guiness!) Swansea is a college town, and classes don't start for a couple of weeks, so it wasn't as frantic as it would be later in the month. But we're looking forward to going back there on Tuesday for the Tawne Delta club, and a lot of the people who came are going to come back to see the full band.

Sunday night was at the Llanhilleth Rugby Club. Llanhilleth is a pretty village in a hilly part of Wales, with very steep hills and beautiful countryside. As it happened, the weather on Sunday was perfect - not too hot, not too cold, which apparently hasn't happened all summer. The turnout wasn't as good as we hoped, but the people there were really into it (in fact, we sold 7 CDs and Groovejuice sold a few of theirs, too.) The promoter, Steve, explained that most people took advantage of the weather to have backyard barbecues and parties to celebrate what might be the last nice days before winter sets in. And when winter DOES set in, those roads are pretty tough to negotiate. It's amazing that the cars here are all dented up - in fact, most don't have any dents at all. The roads are only about 8 feet wide, and that's for both directions!

After the gig, Steve and his lovely wife Dawn treated the band to Chinese food and drinks, which was very welcome. All in all, it was a great gig and I hope we can come back again.

One more gig left, back in Swansea, and then we go our separate ways...

The Blues Dragon

The Blues Dragon is a long hall above a pub in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. There was a nice turnout, with every table full plus people sitting in the back, and they were very responsive to every tune. Colin (the promoter) did a great job of setting things up and generating the turnout we got, which was tough due to it being right after the holiday (not a good time to have a concert since everyone has already blown themselves out!)

Groovejuice drove 300 MILES to get to the gig, and then DROVE BACK HOME AGAIN! Unbelievable. As usual, they sounded great and won the crowd over, plus we had a lot of fun when I got onstage and did a mix of covers and originals. The stage was about 300 degrees, so we required large amounts of beer to replenish vital nutrients that were lost. Martin (the guitarist from Groovejuice) showed great self-discipline because he had to drive back, but luckily for me, I wasn't under any such constraints.

"I ain't drunk, I'm still drinking..."

Lord Ashton - High Cross Inn

Lancaster - The Lord Ashton, 8/30
This was a small, friendly pub that held about thirty people, at most. Mike and I played acoustic, with no microphone (just a lot of loud singing!) and the audience was very friendly and responsive. One couple asked for a Charlie Pride song called "Crystal Chandeliers", which I'll have to take a listen to. Also, "Old Shep" (done by Elvis, among others) is very popular. I've never heard of it, so I'm going to try and get a copy off the internet.
The host of Lord Ashton, Hugh, was a very courteous and attentive man. His granddaughter was very sweet, asking if we could play "American Pie". I told her we would, but she'd have to sing the chorus with us - and she did. I'm surprised that a kid her age (about 11) would know that song, but I was even more surprised when she also asked for "Stuck In The Middle With You"! Nancy sat in afterwards and did a couple of songs with Mike, which was very well received.

The next day we drove through the Lake District to Broughton-In-Furness, which is a beautiful little town in the hills. The scenary is breath-taking, and photographs don't even come close to doing it justice. We played at the High Cross Inn, and again it was just Mike and I. We didn't think anybody would show up, since it was a Tuesday night and it's not exactly in the middle of a bustling city. To our surprise (and our host, Chris) the place packed out. People were coming and going all night, and some people hung out from beginning to end. After we got done, Mike and Nancy did a couple of numbers, and then I lent my guitar to a local guy named Tom who played an original and a Neil Young cover (Hey Hey My My). He sounded really good! Joanne and Cat were busy talking with people and keeping an eye on things, so the whole night worked out great. Plus, we got to sleep there and woke up to an incredible view in the morning.

Next morning we drove about 300 miles to Monmouth in Wales, and tonight we'll be playing with the full band in Cardiff. Groovejuice is driving down from Carlisle, which is WAY up north. It's like driving from Albany to Montauk Point!

Great British R&B Festival and Hotel California

Friday night we played the Hotel California in Birkenhead, right near Liverpool. It's a pretty big place, and the sound system is just as big. Run by an equally big guy named "Chunky", we had a good time doing a bunch of cover stuff. We threw in a few originals, but it was a chance to work out Groovejuice on (for us American groups) standard covers. They're a great band, and able to handle just about anything.

The crowd was very responsive, and at 2:15 am they were still yelling for encores. We obliged, but I'm glad it's not like New York where you can go until 4 am - we had to get up the next morning for the festival!

Saturday was a whole 'nother thing. We got to the International Stage about 1:00, and actually went on at 2:45. The sound and light systems were fantastic, and it was like playing in the old Fillmore. We did tunes off Blooztown and Angel In The Shadows, and it was VERY well received. We were surprised when they had us do an encore, because I didn't think time would allow for that. But, we did Jailhouse Rock and even though it's not typical blues, people were dancing and clapping. Plus, it's a fun tune. As always, Groovejuice was killer.

Mike Porter has been on the last three gigs (Eel Pie on bass, Hotel California and the Festival on guitar) and has been a real godsend. Since he's the regular bassist, he knows all the stuff and we were able to have the guitar parts like they are on the record - three parts at once. Plus, as you know, he can sing great harmony and leads, so that just added to Alex's (bassist from Groovejuice) harmonies.

Mike will do a couple of acoustic gigs with me before he and Nancy Hampton return to the U.S.

There are a ton of blues festivals here in the summer, and the musicians are top notch. A lot of American musicians were staying at the same hotel we were, so it was a fun scene. Exhaustion hit us early in the evening, but not before I had a chance to do some more research on the effects of large quantities of beer.

By the way - none of this would be possible if not for the efforts of Cat Anderson ( http://www.catconcerts.netfirms.com) and Joanna Hanson (http://www.joannasway.com) Cat didn't even know how I sounded live, but took one hell of a chance by going all out to get this tour in gear. Joanna is losing a lot of work to be with me, and is very supportive when I'm going crazy over various tour things - but in the long run, I'm sure I'll find that winning Lotto ticket and it will all pay off. Right?

Eel Pie Club

Haven't had access to the net for a few days, so this is being posted later.

The Eel Pie Club was fantastic - the people were VERY enthusiastic, cheering and screaming for just about everything we played. We ended up doing a couple of encores, and they kept the room open for almost a half hour late to accomodate the crowd.

Ian and Roger from Storm Warning handled keyboards and drums, respectively, and Mike Porter flew in from New York and played bass. Naturally, Mike was his usual excellent self, and Ian and Roger sounded like we had been playing together for years. Derek is their bassist, and he was kind enough to lend us equipment and take care of all the logistics, even though he wasn't playing. The guy was a real pro, and I hope to be able to do a gig with him in the future.

London itself is a wonderful place, but here's a word of warning - DON'T DRIVE HERE unless you know about the CONGESTION CHARGE. I had no idea what that was, and just skirted the outside of Hyde Park when I saw a sign that said "Congestion Charge in effect". Not knowing what it was, but seeing that it was charged by London Transport, I thought it was an extra charge for taking a cab or something.

Nope.

I mentioned it that night at the Eel Pie Club, and was told to take care of it right away. But, it was too late. Turns out you're supposed to pay a £5 fee BEFORE you come into town, or by midnight via the net. Otherwise (get this), it's £50 the next day. That's $100, at current rates.

And we thought Bloomberg was bad.

Anyway, aside from that everybody is very supportive and it's been a real blast playing here.

The Brickyard - Carlisle, Cumbria (by Scotland)

I had a small disagreement with a curb in Barrow-In-Furness, which ended up with the curb winning and two tires losing. Just another lesson in how to drive in Britain - pay attention every minute, because those curbs are very aggressive.

Saturday night turned out to be a blast - groups of people started showing up about halfway through Groovejuice's set, and by the time I got on stage there was a good crowd. People were standing around as if it was a concert, so we pulled out as much blues and boogie as we felt they wanted (in other words, tons of it.)

We ended up doing two encores after the two full sets, because nobody would leave! Everyone was dancing instead of just standing around, and having a good time. Dave the sound man was very good about it, considering he had told us he wanted the club to close by 2:00 (not even close...)

Sunday night was supposed to be a solo acoustic gig as a warm up for the main act, "The Last Picture Show". At 7:00 pm, Cat called to say they had canceled and told all their people about it the night before, but didn't tell the club owner until just then.

Nice of them, right?

I went to the club with a borrowed acoustic guitar (thanks, Alex!) and told Andy, the owner, that I'd play for as long as he wanted. Some people had come anyway, apparently to hear what I sounded like all by my little self. I did two sets, and they were very responsive. Andy was great - he drove Joanna and I back to the hotel, and told Cat he wanted us back when we do the next tour in '05.

NOTE: I received this e-mail on 11/14/04 from Steve McCormick (of "The Last Picture Show") Since his version of events is different from what I was told, I'm including it here for as long this blog stays up...

Hi all Just found the following post on the Hitman's website and I feel I need to clarify what actually happened: "Sunday night was supposed to be a solo acoustic gig as a warm up for the main act, "The Last Picture Show". At 7:00 pm, Cat called to say they had canceled and told all their people about it the night before, but didn't tell the club owner until just then. Nice of them, right?" I was ill in bed with tonsilitis and cancelled our performance around lunchtime that day. The promoter hadn't checked his answerphone which is not my fault. As for ringing around the day before to tell people we weren't playing, that is an utter fabrication, totally untrue. I'm really disappointed to see such things printed about myself when they aren't true. I can only apologise for not playing that night but, if the night wasn't a success, I would say it's a large part to do with the promoters lack of advertising and us being used as a scapegoat. Sermon over! Take care, Steve McCormick www.stevemccormick.co.uk

We drove back down to London, and next will be the Eel Pie Club on Wednesday night. In the meantime, it's time to act like a tourist and walk around taking pictures and getting lost.

Duke of Edinburgh

We did the first gig last night, at the Duke of Edinburgh. What a great crowd!!! They were all ages, from late teens to mid 70's, but by the end of the gig they were dancing and screaming (no obscenities, if that's what you're thinking.) We did two encores, which is apparently the expected thing there.

The Duke of Edinburgh itself is an old hotel, built in the mid 1800's. While it hasn't been kept up over the years, you can still see the beautiful interior woodwork and plush carpets. It's being restored, although slowly, and is protected from being torn down by the National Trust. They have live bands there all the time, and it's a real blues crowd - no rock or Top 40.

Groovejuice did a great job as hired guns, and the sound was very professional. The soundman made a live recording, so we should get a copy sometime next month.

Tonight, we're back in Carlisle (about 100 miles away) for two nights at the Brickyard - the full band tonight, and me playing solo tomorrow. Hope it's a good turnout...

BTW - driving through the backroads in Furness makes the BQE look like a pleasure cruise. Think of the most challenging video race game you've played, then add stone walls on either side to give you incentive not to make any mistakes.

All kinds o' stuff

Tonight I'll rehearse with the backup group, Groovejuice. They seem like very nice guys - I found out that I can't use the amp I brought with me, because the electrical converter we brought isn't strong enough. Apparently, to get one that IS strong enough would cost $400 - $500! So their guitarist will lend me his amp - very cool of him.

Driving on the left is - different. Try sitting in the passenger seat and gauging distances. Then picture some great big truck coming at you at 80 miles an hour. It's like a video game, with severe penalties if you mess up...

We're up by Scotland, staying in Bessietown for a couple of days before the first gig. Beautiful country, and nice people. Quick word of caution - "black pudding" is actually made from pig's blood. I don't care how good it may taste, I think I'll skip it.

Don't even ask about haggis.

Getting ready

This time, everything was planned. This time, I had a list of everything that had to be done.
Order, that's the key. Planning. Discipline.

So it's 2 am, we have to be at the airport by 6 am, and I just finished packing...

Assuming I haven't forgotten anything.

Not bloody likely.

See you in London.