Dear all,
I’m delighted to tell you all about the new Dan Walsh trio featuring the mighty Ciaran Algar on fiddle and maestro Nic Zuppardi on mandolin. We’ll be touring the UK throughout May next year and we’ve done a little video to show you what you can expect:
I hope you enjoyed it! Tour dates to be released soon….
In the meantime, it’s been a fun month. I had a nice little run of solo gigs starting at the Woodman Folk Club in Kingswinford which as always was a great blast. Then a trio of gigs the following weekend at National Forest Folk Club in Leicestershire, Royal Traditions in Sheffield and then up in Penrith, the land of my birth, at a rather special songwriters circle night. All three were highly enjoyable in different ways. National Forest is sort of an old favourite as I’d done the festival a good few times but it was only my second visit to the club. The audience were lovely and it was great to do play for them! Then to Sheffield for a proper folky gig in a pub hosted by Jon Boden of Bellowhead fame. A great little singing session after the gig capped a fine evening. Then to Penrith – hats off to Pete Moran and Thomas Corda-Stanley for organising an ambitious night of three performers performing original music and with an emphasis on telling the stories behind the material and the inspirations and methods for composing in general. It was a belter of a night and I really loved it and always nice to have the parents in the crowd! Check out the other performers too – Cal Rush-Williams and Will Harris.
Then it was onto UFQ action at the Stables in Milton Keynes last night where we aired brand new material in a glittering venue to a lovely big crowd. Thanks so much to all for making it so enjoyable and particular shout out to the venue and their staff – if only they were all like that! We’ll be on the road throughout November, here’s the dates:
NOVEMBER
02 TOTNES Unit 23
https://unit23.ticketlight.co.uk/order/gateway/13328027
10 SOUTHPORT The Atkinson
https://theatkinson.ticketsolve.com/shows/873571260
15 EYEMOUTH Hippodrome
http://eyemouthhippodrome.org/events/urban-folk-quartet/
16 NEWCASTLE Cumberland Arms
https://www.theufq.com/gigs(scroll down and click on the gig)
18 COVENTRY Warwick Arts Centre
https://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/whats-on/2017/the-urban-folk-quartet/
22 LONDON Old Queens Head
http://theoldqueenshead.com/whats-on/green-note-urban-folk-quartet/
23 LEEK Foxlowe Arts Centre
https://www.theufq.com/gigs (scroll down and click on the gig)
24 BROMSGROVE The Artrix
http://www.artrix.co.uk/whats-on/music/the-urban-folk-quartet
25 SHREWSBURY Stop Cafe
http://www.rhythmandroots.co.uk/concerts/4593029204
DECEMBER
08 STAFFORD Gatehouse Theatre
https://www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk/en-GB/shows/the%20urban%20folk%20quartet%202017/events
So the font and font size and even the font colour have changed. I would love to rectify this but you’ve no idea the stress this causes me…so if you can bear it I’m going to stick with whatever this has just changed into…
Ah got it! We’re back in black! Anyway where was I….yes it’s all very exciting at the moment. I’d like to share with you an insight into just how exciting my life can be. The weekend where I had the three gigs I packed a rucksack of clothes and a washbag. I packed my car so carefully with instruments, gig equipment, laptop, ruck…ah. Yes ladies and gentlemen I forgot the rucksack. I discovered this after my first gig as I unloaded at my accommodation. This left me in something of a pickle as I had a total of three nights away and the clothes I was wearing had been used for a gig rendering them fairly unpleasant. Nice. The next day I had an early UFQ rehearsal so thanks to my bandmates for their indulgence. Then I drove up to Sheffield and thought I’d better get myself some clothes. The reason I’m telling you all this is to share with you my utter hatred of clothes shopping and the speed with which I generally do it. But this was a record. I found Matalan and I was in and out in 90 seconds with three shirts, a pack of boxers, a pack of socks, toothpaste, a toothbrush, shampoo and shower gel. I was proud.