Festival season!

cornbury 2013 4

Well folks, festival season is well and truly upon us and for once (I think) there is a general air of confidence that it won’t piss it down. I first dipped my toe in the festival waters last weekend when I played in the merchandise tent at Cornbury Festival for the second year running (pictured above). This was just before Van Morrison hit the main stage so I’m sure he was feeling the pressure. Speaking of Van, someone told me a great story about how, at the end of some of his gigs, he leaves the stage but keeps singing into a gold radio mic in the back of his limo as it speeds off. Which obviously means he’s ruined my planned finale for Truck…

Yes, Truck Festival is nearly upon us. I’m playing this Friday on the BBC Oxford-run Veterans & Virgins stage at 4:30pm. The main stage has Ash, Spiritualized, The Horrors, The Subways etc. and I’m told the bar is the most reasonably priced festival bar anywhere! Sounds good to me. Oh and if you’re coming along, keep your eyes peeled as I may well be doing a spot in the merch tent there too. Check out www.truckfestival.com for more info.

Then this Saturday I’m proud to be playing at the inaugural Halfway To Seventy-Five Festival at Isis Farmhouse in Iffley Lock, Oxford. This is a new Americana and Roots festival organised by Will Banks, a man who has been extraordinarily nice about my music (he has even had the cheek to cover my stuff at an open mic!). I’m gonna be onstage around 5:15pm. The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band are headlining, and guys like me, The Long Insiders, Empty White Circles and kids songwriter Nick Cope will be playing too. Tickets are almost all gone so get ’em quick. See www.halfwayto75.com for more info.

So you could say that’s a pretty big weekend. The next one isn’t to be missed either, as Charlbury’s Riverside Festival returns. I’ll be playing the superb Truck Store stage at 12pm on Sunday the 28th. Riverside is a free festival where organisers and bands pitch in voluntarily, but the standard of acts is always awesome. You be the judge – show up! More info here: www.riversidefestival.charlbury.com

Not long after that I’ll be high-tailing it up to Scotland to get started on recording the album. With the quality of the musicians, the studio and the producer involved, and the set of songs finally whittled down, I’m excited about making it and hopefully releasing it on you animals in due course.

I hope to see you all at these here festival gigs before I head North of the border anyway.

Cheers!