Dear all,

Greetings from sunny Gran Canaria. I am here for the joyous wedding of my two wonderful bandmates Joe and Paloma and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house yesterday at the ceremony. Congratulations to them and their little daughter Sabela who is having lots of fun here too! Since the last blog, UFQ headed into three days of rehearsal so we’ve got new material in the works for our upcoming spring tour. Then it was into some teaching before heading to London for a Live Music Now gig at a care home which was a lot of fun and profoundly moving at times. Then it was to Holt in Norfolk for a concert of the Devil’s Violin which is the project I’ve been doing with the City of London Sinfonia. It’s a concert programme based around folk music and classical music and has been a very enjoyable experience. It’s the first time I’ve read music Continue reading “British tourists” →

UK TOUR

April

19 SITTINGBOURNE Dog Gone Roots
https://www.dancingdogsaloon.co.uk/

20 BURNHAM ON SEA Ritz Acoustic Club
https://sites.google.com/site/theritzacousticclub/

21 DEAL Folk Club
http://www.dealfolkclub.org.uk/

22 OXFORD Folk Weekend
http://www.folk-arts-oxford.co.uk/

23 NAILSEA Tithe Barn
http://www.nailseafolkclub.co.uk/

27 STOURBRIDGE Katie Fitzgerald’s
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/378575

28 BURTON ON TRENT Brewtown Folk Club
https://www.brewtownfolkclub.co.uk/

29 BROMYARD Conquest Theatre
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/EJLHIH

30 MALDON The Sunny Sailor
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/390301

MAY

01 LONDON The Green Note
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/383191

02 NORWICH The Bicycle Shop
https://www.wegottickets.com/event/395002

03 HALESWORTH Cut Arts Centre
http://newcut.org/events/entry/5501

05 THAMES DITTON Ram Folk Club
http://www.theramclub.co.uk/

06 CROYDON Stanley Halls
http://www.stanleyhalls.org.uk/events/dan-walsh/

09 STAFFORD Gatehouse Theatre
https://www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk/en-GB/shows/dan%20walsh%202017/info

10 SHREWSBURY The Hive
https://hiveonline.cloudvenue.co.uk/danwalsh

12 BIRMINGHAM Town Hall
https://www.thsh.co.uk/event/urban-folk-night

USA TOUR

MAY

California tour dates

17 SOQUEL The Ugly Mug
http://www.cafeugly.com/Cafeugly/calendar/calendar.html

18 ALAMEDA Yacht Club
https://www.aycinc.org/

19 MODESTO Great Valley Songwriter Series
email for details

20 OCCIDENTAL Center For The Arts
http://www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org/

21 BERKELEY Sally Greenberg’s
email for details

22 WILLITS Shanachie Pub
https://www.facebook.com/Shanachie-Pub-253435045583/

23 ARCATA Relevant Music Concerts
http://www.relevantmusic.org/CribConcerts

24 NEVADA CITY Ol’ Republic Brewery
https://www.olrepublicbrewery.com/taproom

25 DAVIS House Concert
email for details

26 SAN DIEGO Folk Heritage
http://sdfolkheritage.org/

JUNE

01-04 MICHIGAN Midwest Banjo Camp
http://midwestbanjocamp.com/

UK TOUR PART 2

JUNE

07 SHEFFIELD Nether Edge Folk Club
https://netheredgefolk.club/

08 DONCASTER Brewery Tap
https://singingtogether.co.uk/

15 NEWPORT, WALES Lyceum Folk Club
http://www.lyceumfolknewport.org.uk/

16 CASLAV, CZECH REPUBLIC Banjo Jamboree
http://www.banjojamboree.cz/bj-english.php

17-18 BEVERLEY Folk Festival
http://www.beverleyfestival.com/

JULY

06 PORTSLADE Railway Roots
http://www.railwayroots.co.uk/

07 MARKET DRAYTON Hales Club
http://www.halesclub.co.uk/

14-15 ANGLESEY Folk On The Farm
http://www.tyddynmon.co.uk/folkonthefarm/

28 ROCHDALE Touchstones
http://www.link4life.org/

30 ST BOSWELL’S Village Hall (with special guest Frank Burkitt)
https://stboswellslive.wordpress.com/

AUGUST

01 NEWCASTLE Mining Institute (with special guest Frank Burkitt)
https://www.wegottickets.com/event/390387

02 EDINBURGH House Concert (with special guest Frank Burkitt)
email for details

09 INVERNESS Black Isle (with special guest Frank Burkitt)
email for details

Dear all,

It’s been a fun old time since my last blog. I haven’t been hareing around the country as much as normal so I’m not too tired but I have had plenty on and it’s an exciting time for me with my new album coming up and a big tour on both sides of the Atlantic to accompany it! There’s always a lot of planning involved – posters and flyers, publicity, travel plans, visas etc etc yawn yawn! However it’s not been all admin, I’ve been teaching plenty as well as a recording session over at Andrew Curran’s for his new album. As always it was a lot of fun and we always have a good chat about India too!

Then came my first gig of the year and what a night it was. As a bit of a warm up for my tour and to test out my new material from my album in a live setting I played at the Floodgate in Stafford, a wonderful micropub who stage most excellent concerts about six times a year. As the pub looks so nice I decided to get the cameras in too so Kate Gallow of Shoot This Media did a fantastic job of getting some videos together (see photo below). These will be released in due course ahead of the album Continue reading “Eat a mix” →

Dear all,

Exciting news time! I will have a new album ‘Verging On The Perpendicular’ out in April. I can’t wait for you all to hear it and I will be on a mammoth tour of the UK with a quick zip over to the USA as well. See the dates, pick your date and I will see you there 🙂

Dear all,

A very happy new year to you all. There’s slightly less to catch up on retrospectively than normal as I took my annual ‘I’m actually not going to do much for a couple of weeks at Christmas’ Christmas. So my gig at the Market Vaults, the usual pre-Christmas epic that it is, was my last gig and as always it was a belter because let’s face it, it is the best pub in all the world. After this, it was off to my parents in Penrith for a thoroughly lazy week and then a great time at new year with extended family down in Chichester. I feel much better and greatly refreshed as I prepare for 2017.

This year will see a new album and a lot of touring again including my return to the USA (don’t worry the visa situation is all in hand and after all they’ve got this new president who’s apparently much more open minded…). I’m excited about my new album – it’s a bit of a revisit to some of my original love: the folk music of Ireland. There’s a few trad tunes on there and quite a few trad-type tunes as well as some of my usual things like funk and a bit of bluegrass. I’m excited!

Now then, I’d like to tell you about the heaping pile of turd that was Zizzi in Earls Court, London. This experience can be best described as shite. Have a read through my letter of complaint to them…

Dear Zizzi,

My family and I went to see Paul Simon recently, a very exiting occasion for us all. As we had plenty of time (or so we thought…) we decided it would be nice to go out for a meal and sit down and enjoy it. Zizzi seemed a good bet as I had been before and the food had been as distinctly bland and generic as one might expect but of reasonable value and it had arrived relatively quickly. That this was not true across all restaurants became quickly rather apparent. After being given a welcome that was about Continue reading “Zizzi in Earl’s Court” →

Dear all,

I write to you from beautiful Northumberland where I’m preparing for tonight’s concert with Alistair Anderson. It’s our second house concert with an invited audience with a view to making a live album! It’s such a blast playing with Alistair, a legend of the folk world and one of the most wonderful ambassadors for the music around the world as well as his extraordinary role in keeping the music alive and vibrant for the younger generation. It was Alistair who created the folk degree programme which I was lucky enough to be a part of. We had fun last night so we’re looking forward to this one too!

Since my last blog it’s been typically hectic. The Urban Folk Quartet were hard at it in the latter half of November starting with a memorable gig back in my former home of Newcastle at the Cumberland Arms. The audience were wonderful and I had a lovely time getting pleasantly sozzled with many of my chums out in town afterwards. It’s a funny one with Newcastle really – I yield to no-one in my fondness and admiration for the place but it’s always difficult for me going back because I’m never quite sure how much I still Continue reading “New car!” →

Dear all,

Greetings from North Wales where I write to you from the ever classy Wetherspoons. Don’t judge me, it has wifi and most of North Wales doesn’t it seems! It does a job that’s all I can say and one of the great things is I don’t feel guilty about staying for ages and only having a couple of cups of tea!

Anyway, it’s been a slightly less hectic time since I got back from India. Well sort of…straight after India I was into a crazy few days with gigs in Leek and London with the UFQ, the latter of which was great craic particularly and then it was on up north to Huddersfield to play for the first time at the annual event organised by Eagle Music and Continue reading “No I don’t want to play you a tune…” →

Dear all,

I am typing this blog on a long and fairly tedious flight from Mumbai back to London. (I then helpfully forgot to actually post it online til today…). The word ‘tedious’ certainly can’t be applied to the country I have just been in. India is an extraordinary place and is eternally fascinating. Many of the countries I have toured are perhaps quite similar in culture to the UK – Germany, Norway, Canada, New Zealand, USA etc. They are all very different to each other of course but India certainly stands alone in terms of being a completely different kind of place! My fascination with the music is well known to people who follow me and the influence has found its way into some of my work and collaborations. This trip was slightly different. I’m lucky enough to be an endorsed artist by the wonderful Deering Banjos and they invited me to join them in India in a trip primarily intended to research if there was a market for banjos out there and taking in Continue reading “Wonderful India” →

Dear all,

Well I must apologise it has been an awfully long time since my last blog. August was a quite ridiculous month and September pretty much likewise but I must get back into doing this weekly ish because I do rather enjoy talking to you all this way! After Switzerland, it was back into the studio to record my new album and it is pretty much done in terms of my parts – exciting stuff! I’m looking forward to you all hearing it. Then it was a festival crazy time! First up it was the wonderful Green Man festival with UFQ. It has become a royal UFQ favourite this one and we had a wonderful time there once again. I often get asked whether I prefer the seated listening type gigs or the jump up and down dancing gigs and my answer is always that I love them both…but when it comes to the latter group Green Man is quite possibly the best of the lot! One of my favourite folk festivals followed – I was at Folkeast where I had a cracking time as always and then it was off to Moira Furnace Folk Festival with UFQ to round off a hectic but wonderful weekend.

Then it was three of the finest folk festivals – Whitby, Shrewsbury and Towersey. The former was solo and with Alistair Anderson and then the latter two were with UFQ. All three were such fun and I saw some great music. Whitby is one of the more trad ones I suppose and it was great to hear so many of those legendary figures from the folk scene still going so strong! Shrewsbury was a real thrill and you can even see the sets here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfY79X3rP0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGc9PX_sSgQ

And then began my banjo duo tour with John Dowling. It’s been really wonderful and it’s still going! It kicked off, fittingly, in my hometown of Stafford where we had a cracking gig. I then had a solo gig at Didmarton Bluegrass Festival for the first time which was a real thrill and then UFQ played in Wales at Llanwyddyn festival, the festival with no vowels. Then the John gigs continued in Bath at the Ring O Bells which was another nice wee gig Continue reading “Stewards” →

Dear all,

I write to you from a very beautiful Switzerland. This is the view from the hotel…

Not bad eh? This is the hotel ahead of our appearance at 1am (!) for an hour and a half (!!) straight after Status Quo (!!!) tonight (tomorrow?) at Lakeland festival. We’re here for a few days before heading home. It’s been rather a crazy time since my last bloggage and it has been a while since a blog in my usual style so I ought to bring you up to speed. July and August has basically been festival-tastic mixed in with recording two new albums! Here’s the festival lowdown first:

Maverick, Suffolk – second time at this one and a cracker it is too with lots of Americana goodness

Folk In A Field, Norfolk – UFQ played this one and we had a good old party! See photo…

Folk At The Hall, Wales – lovely little festival this one. Rura were great!

New Forest Festival, Hampshire – another nice festival and some familar faces!

Fi Fest, Staffordshire – a festival at someone’s house! It was an absolute cracker and lovely to see Edwina Hayes too

Music On The Marr, Cumbria – great to see my parents as always and wonderful to play this delightful little festival. Absolutely lovely.

Middle Of Nowhere Festival, Penkridge – it’s a novelty/pain-in-the-arse to have a festival gig fifteen minutes drive from your house but have to drive to it from Cumbria! Ah well, it was worth it. Great to bring UFQ to this, one of my favourite festivals and one that has been very good to me over the years

Guiting Festival, Guiting Power – lovely part of the world and the festival was lovely too. Sabela, daughter of my UFQ colleagues Joe and Paloma came and stole the hearts of all as always…I also played in the sand a lot more than in recent years

Ringsted Festival, Denmark – great gig for us out here though a rather tiring round trip all in a day and a half!

Broadstairs Folk Week – difficult to say how much I love this festival. Two days of solo gigs in a nice seaside town and at the best folk festival of the lot. Marvellous.

So that’s the gigging. Recording…well I’ve been recording my new solo album. I’ll be telling you much more about it in the months to come of course but I’m very excited! I also recorded with John Dowling so we’ll have our album for you when we tour in September:

02 September – STAFFORD County Staff Club

Tickets on the door – for details please contact Garry Copeland at copelandgarry@gmail.com

09 September – BATH Ring O Bells

Tickets on the door – for details please contact Matt Hemson at matthew@therapeuticmediacompany.com

13 September – BIRMINGHAM Kitchen Garden Cafe

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/367990

16-17 September – NEWQUAY Cornish Bluegrass Festival

http://www.cornishbluegrass.co.uk/

18 September – NORWICH Maddermarket Theatre

http://maddermarket.co.uk/production/view/352

23 September – SUSSEX Music At The Buildings

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/368531

25 September – LONDON Walthamstow Folk Club

http://www.walthamstowfolk.co.uk/

30 September – 3 October – GERMANY Munich Bluegrass Camp

http://www.bluegrasscamp.de/

So yes, a busy old time has been had and is still happening. Can’t deny I wish I’d learned my lesson from 2013 when I went to the Outer Hebrides for a week that it is important to have a genuine holiday once a year! I’ll try and bear that in mind next year but it’s all exciting stuff at least. I’ll leave you with this anyway, I ask did this really need translating that many times…