Well, Larmer Tree Festival is over now and my itchy feet are nearly back on terra-firma …  In the midst of all this festivalling I’ve seen some great music and performance – the poetry too has been amazing. There are so many people I’d want to recommend but if you see one act this year, try to catch DIZRAELI & THE SMALL GODS. It will blow your mind. And if you buy one cd this year – obviously let it be mine! … And then if you buy a second one, let it be his (Dizraeli).

My next gig is a solo set at The Seven Stars, Bristol this Sunday 3pm. Albums will of course be on sale. … and if attendees could help me extend my festy-high by adding little touches like, i dunno, slopping about in wellies, paying me in toilet roll – that kind of thing – appreciated it would be!!

Just to remind you all (because if you were counting on Venue Mag to inform you, it aint happenin’) ALBUM LAUNCH GIG @ COSIES, PORTLAND SQ, BRISTOL WEDNESDAY 14TH JULY 9PM …. woo!

It’s £3 to get in (£2 if you pick up a flyer or download it from my Facebook site) and you get to buy a signed copy of the album for £8 instead of £10.

As well as covering album tracks I will also be playing an extended set of brand new tunes … fodder for the next album, no doubt!!

Hope to see ya there …. Bj

Ok, enough of the Venue bashing (the last gig was a great success despite their omission to print) – lets get back to business: The next gig for this month on 23rd @ Porter Cellar Bar, Bath has been CANCELLED due to a decision by the venue to put the football on instead.

Secondly, the album will be released on 14th July (yes, this year!! ) … There will be a launch gig for this in Bristol on the very day. It’s at Cosies (which isn’t quite the same as it used to be). You will of course be able to get yourself a copy on the night.

More soon …

yes, that’s right – we’ve all seen it haven’t we – at least if we’re about in Bristol & Bath we have. Because Venue Magazine is THE go-to publication to peruse if you are looking for What’s On in Bristol & Bath. Apparently. Readers of said magazine will all be aware that  music venues in Bristol / Bath consist of none other than The Colston Hall, The Cooler, The Croft, The Prom, Moles and The Louisiana. All purveyors of fine entertainment to be sure. And the ONLY ones. Apparently. And it goes without saying that of course any local person putting something on they want people to know about in Bristol & Bath (or what would be the point?) should make the provision of contacting THE go-to publication for What’s On in plenty of time with as much detail and helpful info / images as possible to assure themselves of meeting the deadline of going to print. Well, it does – doesn’t it?

Lo! Well then something must be wrong. There must have been some critical malfunction amongst the droids who make up the THE Unquestionable and Informed Committee of Whats On in Bristol & Bath. Because if we are to believe them then I don’t really do any gigs around here at all. I am especially not playing at The Thunderbolt this Wednesday. I am not part of a band. I’ve never released any EP’s. I am not releasing an album this year. I am not part of any other musical side-projects and in fact I don’t exist. We know this must be true because (despite the stacks of cd’s, reems of biogs and press clippings, j-pegs and listings correspondance that no doubt litter the Editors desk) none of this has ever appeared in THE go-to publication for What’s On in Bristol & Bath.  

 I wonder how many other independent singers, poets, intrumentalists and performers local to this area are also experiencing this same disconcerting rift in the fabric of space-time and are being called to question their very existence amidst the apparent futility of all their artistic efforts? More than just a handful, I would think. You see we can’t all be John Power or Martyn Joseph. And John and Martyn didn’t get to be who they are without first having to be someone else amongst the ranks of the nameless. And they wouldn’t have got there at all without any sodding press coverage and a bit of frigging help with making sure people knew who they were and where they could be found!

Here’s a tip that should be of equal value to both gig-goers and music journalists alike : Bristol & Bath has a vibrant music scene today – yes. But for tomorrows music scene to flourish you need to shine a little light underground where it’s roots are. And nourish it.

Oh it’s taken so long! I’m sorry. . . But, then again I’m not. It will be worth the wait …

ALBUM RELEASE DATE: 14TH JULY 2010 … put it on your fridges, stencil it on your houses, set reminders on your phones…

This is an independent release on my own label so it’ll have a DIY feel about it – however the content is about as polished as it can get. I’m very happy with it and I hope you will be too. In the first instance it will be available from this site only but that will change as other distribution comes on board. And, yes, a tour is in the wings Which brings me to Gigs. 

Sat 22nd May is Stokes Croft Street Festival in Bristol and I’ve just been confirmed with the 1pm slot at The Full Moon on Stokes Croft (where else eh?) so if you’re about do pop in and say hi.

Wed 2nd June is a big gig for me at The Thunderbolt (ex-”Turnpike”) on Bath Road, Bristol. It’s big cos it’s bringing together all the musical projects I’m involved in under one roof. So you’ll hear me and poet Helen Gregory do some of the material we’re taking to Glastonbury Festival this year. You’ll also hear me taking a back seat in acoustic rock duo “Label 5″. You’ll hear Jack Bird (the bassist in my band but also a tres bonne singer-songwriter in his own right). You’ll hear aforementioned band. And you’ll get to listen to me play you a solo set of completely new, never-before-heard-except-possibly-by-my-cat-and-the-neighbours (gawdloveem) songs.  So that’s the entertainment sorted – now all I need is YOU

Thanks for taking the time to drop in and read this. Come back any time. More soon …

Bj x

Benita Johnson & Company are playing a short set tonight at The Junction, Stokes Croft, Bristol. It’s free to get in and you can pick up a free copy of our demo EP.

BJ

Yesterday I went to support my friend (& bassist) Jack Bird at the Seven Stars in Bristol. It turned out to be an excellent afternoon of music and I fortunately got to catch up with a lot of the people whose gigs I had to cancel lately – so it was an opportunity to explain myself. For those of you that weren’t there (and may I say a big thank you to the Get Well messages I’ve received over the 4 months I’ve been out of action) thought I’d use this space to dispell any myths that seem to be making the rounds. I stopped gigs (against my will) because I was physically too unwell. In chronological order (with overlaps): Flu; Chest Infection; Pleurisy; Gastro-entiritis; Shingles; Anaemia; Kidney Stones (PAINFUL!); Arhythmia. . . These things happen, eh.

But I’m back now – not that easy to kill off, me!  ;-)  Forgive me though if I take my foot off the gas for a bit – there’s a reason my body broke!!! It’s understandably quite hard to appreciate sometimes I know, but even when it doesn’t look as though I’m doing anything at all the fact is I never stop working. Picture a duck on the surface of a pond, to the eye serenely floating about when in fact he’s paddling like mad underneath just to stay afloat! The same is true of many of us I know – we are all the same. I guess the message here is Don’t Paddle So Hard You Forget To Stop And Get Your Plankton!

Lol.

Gigs are starting to pile up from May onwards – I’ll let you know about these nearer the time – including some interesting side projects … And of course the mythic Album is due to become reality very soon. I have been writing a hell of a lot lately too so there is plenty more new stuff on the way. I’ve got back to work with my band also (Benita Johnson & Company) - who have all been very stoic

This weekend was, I think, the start of the Chinese New Year (Tiger). Since Western New Year wasn’t so hot for me I’m taking this as the point where I review where I’ve been and make resolutions for where I’m going. Change takes time. Overall I’ve invested a lot of time, effort, ££ and heart into the music side of things. If you believe that your rewards are always in proportion to your investments, stands to reason that nothing is for nothing. I believe that.

x Bj x

Happy New Year everybody! Best of health & happiness to you all!

Once again gigs are cancelled for January and the forseeable future (not too long hopefully) until my own health has returned … I will keep you posted.

Well I guess there will be times like these… another gig cancelled (Label 5 this Tuesday in Bristol).

This time it’s because I have  swine-flu.

Hopefully all better in time for our gig in Frome the following week … I’ll keep you posted

I just wanted to take the time to say a big thank you to everyone who attended my gig at the Piano Bar, Old Bath Arms in Frome on Thursday.

CONGRATULATIONS especially to the happy couple who are tying the knot this weekend! And a special THANK YOU and YOU’RE WELCOME to LEE.

DAVID it was very good to see you too and I wish you all the very best. Hope you like the CD.  

Thanks also to Poppa Shep (Terry) and his band Liquid Earth for taking the time to say hi and for being so appreciative.

Thanks also to Anna, as always for putting the night on and to Matt for the pix.