October Shenanigans

When I last posted something on here I was in the middle of touring with Eleanor McEvoy, so that seems like the logical place to pick up on this new post!

Thanks to everyone who came along to see us on the 'Alone Tour'.
After the Eastney gig we headed North and I got to visit Hebden Bridge and Kendal in the Lake District for the first time. Both places I hope to be going back to in 2012. It was also nice going back to places such as the wonderful High Barn in Braintree and Cox's Yard in Stratford-on-Avon. Every night was an absolute blast providing us with a delightful audience and a gorgeous setting.

Special thanks goes to Eleanor for having me along - she was always on top form every night and set a great example to me as the 'young pup'..! You can see my collection of pictures from the tour here: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjwwLTqW

On a cold Sunday in October I dropped in on the lovely Jen Long at BBC Wales HQ in Cardiff to perform a few songs for her Introducing in Wales show on Radio 1. I was sad to hear that the BBC are planning to get rid of such shows across the UK in the next round of BBC cuts, it would be a very sad move if the show went as for local bands looking for that initial exposure on radio it is a great platform to get your music heard. Good luck Jen whatever happens x

The following day I travelled down the M5 to Clevedon near Bristol to perform at the most famous Shed in Britain (Shed of the Year no less) for Mr Jon Earl (who you see pictured in his shed)
He's had an array of artists perform in his shed including Eleanor McEvoy and my friends Paper Aeroplanes and Emily Baker so I was pleased to be joining such an illustrious list.

You can view the session here: 
http://www.songsfromtheshed.com/Al-Lewis-Session--144(2563961).htm

October also saw the release of my new music video for Treading Water. Directed by the brilliantly talented Rosie Collins - Click here to watch the video: YouTube / Vimeo

I rounded off the month by attending the Welsh Music Prize award ceremony in Cardiff as part of the Swn festival which I was also appearing at during that weekend. It was rather surreal for me to be standing next to James Dean Bradfield of the Manic Street Preachers and Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals, bands who I'd grown up listening to and then there I was nominated alongside them for 'In the Wake'. Personally it was a great way to celebrate the past year and a bit of releasing and promoting the album as I was accompanied by most of those who'd been involved with me in some way or another in making it!

I didn't take a camera with me but this video gives a flavour of how the night progressed:

Gruff Rhys was a worthy winner and someone who's flown the flag for Welsh music for over a decade so I think he was a good choice for the inaugral winner, my favourite song from his winning album Hotel Shampoo is Space Dust #2 - check it out! I'm a sucker for harmonies/duets!

Pier and the Craic (the tour so far)...!

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Here I am in Eastney/Southsea on a glorious Monday afternoon in late September - nearing the halfway point on this tour supporting Eleanor McEvoy!
It's been great to be back on the road doing a series of dates with a great artist in great venues with lovely audiences to boot!

We kicked things off in Birmingham at the Glee Club - a wonderful place that always treats its artists really well (including the support acts).
Thursday and I was back in London - we were performing at the Irish Centre in Hammersmith. A great place that is sadly threatened with closure but with the support and goodwill of people like Eleanor and the comedian Dara O'Brien among others - hopefully it will survive to live another day!

Friday and it was off to Winchester. One of the few places on this tour that I hadn't yet visited. A pleasant afternoon was spent wandering past the stunning Cathedral and the surrounding streets. Fact of the day - Winchester is the former capital of England - who knew!!

Saturday and it was my birthday, (late twenties in case you're wondering) I was treated to a delicious meal at the 'Le Mistral' French restaurant in Nottingham (go check it out if you're in the area http://www.lemistral.co.uk). The gig that evening was at the Glee again - always a pleasure to play!

Yesterday we were back on the south coast - in Brighton. Lazy Sundays in Brighton are a great way to siphon money on delicious Crepes, Cappuccinos and Smoothies...!
Komedia was a lovely crowd and it was great to see Emily Baker perform again (cheek out her song 'Hit & Run' - tune!)
Which brings us to today and Southsea (where the second of the pier shots is taken)
After today we head back to the Cox's Yard - Stratford upon Avon- a venue I've had the pleasure to play a few times now - so it'll be great to be going back there with Eleanor!

It's been an honour and a pleasure to support Eleanor on this tour. She is a great example of an artist whose longevity is a credit to her songwriting convictions and I hope some of her talent and professionalism will rub off on me!! ;)

Until next time.. X

#Winchester #cathedral

Welsh Music Prize

via welshmusicprize.com

In light of last night's Mercury Prize I thought I'd let you all know that we now have something similar in Wales....

The 12 albums shortlisted for the inaugural Welsh Music Prize (WMP) were announced last week and I'm pleased to say that 'In the Wake' was one of the albums chosen.

Huw Stephens said: "We are very pleased to launch the Welsh Music Prize with 12 strong albums from Welsh artists. The shortlist is but a reflection on the quality music made in Wales and released internationally. We hope the prize brings these collections of work to a new audience, and we are looking forward to announcing an overall winner on 21 October at Swn Festival."

It is a great honour to have been chosen alongside such great bands/artists all of whom have released such great albums. Here's the shortlist in full:

Al Lewis - In The Wake [Al Lewis Music]
Colorama - Box [See Monkey Do Monkey Records]
Funeral For A Friend - Welcome Home Armageddon [Distiller Records]
Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo [Turnstile Music]
Lleuwen - Tan [Gwymon]
Manic Street Preachers - Postcards from a Young Man [Columbia]
Stagga - The Warm Air Room [Rag and Bone]
Sweet Baboo - I’m a Dancer/Songs About Sleepin’ [Shape Records]
The Blackout - Hope [Cooking Vinyl]
The Gentle Good - Tethered for the Storm [Gwymon]
The Joy Formidable - Big Roar [Atlantic]
Y Niwl - Y Niwl [Aderyn Papur]

My week at the National Eisteddfod - Wrexham

To many outsiders the National Eisteddfod can seem like a strange almost other-worldly event that takes place almost in its own reality.
Though it has it's roots in deep druid traditions the Eisteddfod is now much more than simply a chance for Welsh speakers to congregate in one place and reminisce - it is a celebration of the language and of music/art/theatre/prose all eminating from Wales.

The BBC sent the Welsh tenor Wynne Evans to the site this year for him to experience the Eisteddfod first-hand. The show which aired on Sunday is a nice snippet of all that goes-on and even features a guest appearance by no-other than myself :)
You can catch it again on iPlayer here for a few more days: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01350b3/Eisteddfod_with_Wynne_Evans/

I had one of my busiest weeks at the Eisteddfod this year. It began on Monday night with the concert in the Pink Pavilion with a full-blown orchestra. Myself and Arwel had the privilege to have our songs arranged for the Orchestra by the talented John Quirk. It was quite an experience to hear the songs in such a different setting and great to share the stage with such legendary Welsh acts from across the ages - Meic Stevens. Elin Fflur, Caryl Parry Jones, Tecwyn Ifan and Huw Chiswell.

Tuesday began quite sedately with a couple of nice acoustic shows at the Mantais tent on the site. That was quickly followed by our first 'Band' show on the Main Performance Stage which conveniently is located next to the beer tent :)
It worked out well that as we came on the sun began to shine and  there was a nice group of people sitting/listening to the music enjoy a nice cold refreshment! In the evening we played a show at Central Station for 'Cymdeithas yr Iaith' (Welsh Language Society) alongside Daniel Lloyd and Mr Bryn Fon. Sufficed to say there were a few pints consumed that night!

Wednesday saw us once again performing on the Eisteddfod site itself and we were also invited to do an acoustic set for Alan Thompson's Evening Show on BBC Radio Wales which was broadcasting live from Wrexham for the whole week.

Straight from the radio session it was a quick hop over the road to soundcheck for Maes B - Sion from the band was a very busy boy that night - not only was he playing with us but he was also playing for Elin Fflur and Gildas (all in the same night!)

Thanks to Wendie for the next picture - she was assigned the role of chief photographer for the night by her other-half to get good use of the new camera :)

Which brings us back nicely to Thursday and the performance for the TV Crew following Wynne Evans around the Eisteddfod!
All in all quite a busy week, filled with many a highlight and memories to keep.
Finally for those of you who are interested - Al Lewis Band will be appearing on the first episode of the new series of Nodyn which starts this Friday (12th) on S4C (you many remember pictures that were taken from the shoot on a previous blog).

http://www.s4c.co.uk/cerddoriaeth/e_nodyn.shtml

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Baby James and Jackson B all in July

So this has been an incredible couple of days for gigs!
Yesterday morning I found out that one of my heroes Jackson Browne was the special guest on the couple of dates that Jonathan Wilson was doing here in London this week (Thank You Twitter). So I duly booked my tickets for the show last night at the Borderline in Soho and held my breath in the hope that the rumours were indeed true. As these picture can testify they were.....

It was a great show and we were treated to Browne classics "These Days" and "Take it Easy" and Dawes (his backing band along with Jonathan Wilson) were great in their own right too! Check them out: http://www.dawestheband.com/

On Sunday I got to see another of my idols James Taylor in Cardiff - another brilliant show from one of the founding fathers of the 'Laurel Canyon Collective' along with Jackson Browne. He finished the set with "You've Got A Friend" the Carole King classic!

I think next on my list of people I need to see live is The Boss.....!

 

Win 2 FREE Tickets to Cornbury Festival THIS Weekend!!

Dear Friends,

To celebrate my appearance on the Caffè Nero Stage at Cornbury this year - I'm running a competition for one lucky fan to win TWO free weekend tickets (includes Camping) for the entire festival!!!

All you have to do to have a chance of winning is complete the following line from my debut single 'Make a Little Room':-

"Well your eyes they convey, what ......................."

SEND YOUR ANSWERS VIA EMAIL TO: info@allewismusic.com

Hint: Watch the video

Note: You must be able to travel to the festival site on Friday 1st July and pick up the tickets in person from myself

(see website for directions: http://www.cornburyfestival.com)

Good luck!!

Al

Je t'en prie - Please...have a little listen

So here we have it - the French version of 'Make a Little Room' for your listening pleasure.
I've gone with the title 'Je t'en prie' for the time being.
To keep up the French theme of this post I also uploaded a picture I took from the Pompidou Centre in Paris a few years back looking over to the Eiffel Tower!

Je t'en Prie - (Make A Little Room - French Version) by allewismusic

 

The Month of May - Gigs Galore & Filming on a Beach

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Salut mes amis,

That's not me trying to start off sounding clever, I have this week been recording a version of 'make a little room' en français!! So fingers crossed I won't have made too many grammatical faux-pas and my year in Toulouse won't have been a complete waste of time. I'll be sure to let you know when it's ready to be released for public scrutiny - so long as none of you are French scholars...

Since my last post I've been up and down the length and breadth of Britain gigging with various artists. It started at the end of April when I had the honour of opening up for none other than Cerys Matthews, Ms "Road Rage" herself. Apparently she'd received a copy of 'The Arsonist' and had heard my version of said song and hadn't found it to be all that bad which was a relief to hear. The setting for the gig was the grand PJ Hall at the Univeristy of Bangor and at the end of her set Cerys kindly invited me up for her encore to do 'Road Rage' with her which was a very kind gesture on her part and one I won't forget in a hurry - Diolch yn fawr Cerys!

I then followed that up with a couple of dates with the former Focus guitarist Jan Akkerman at Cox's Yard in Stratford and The Brindley in Runcorn. Two lovely venues that I hope I'll get the chance to play again in the not too distant future. A few weeks later I was back on the road to do a few dates with the lovely 'Webb Sisters' who some of you may have heard of as the singers who accompanied Mr Leonard Cohen no less on his mammoth tour spanning over 3 years! It was easy to hear why he chose them - their delicious close harmonies were incredibly easy on the ear and their version of Cohen's 'If it be your will' is definitely worth hearing live!

In amongst these support slots I have also been playing live with my Band back home in Wales to help promote our new album 'Ar Gof a Chadw' (Translation: To Keep in Memory) (available via Amazon: http://amzn.to/kqs6gG or via Sadwrn.com)

We finished the month off by heading up to Prestatyn in North Wales, not far from where myself and Arwel, the guitarist and fellow songwriter in the band, grew up. The premise of the album is the feeling of belonging and the nostalgia one feels when reminiscing and looking through old photographs. So to complement this the film crew set up a Camper Van upon which our old family photos would be projected during our performance. A nice touch and one I'm very much looking forward to seeing on screen. If you're interested the show 'Nodyn' will be airing sometime during the summer on S4C - http://bit.ly/jUoDnj

As I mentioned earlier I have been busy recording a French version of 'Make a Little Room' - the original version is finally being released as a single on the 18th July and is starting to gather plays across various stations in the UK including BBC Radio 2 and Q Radio. If you haven't yet seen the video you can watch it either on YouTube or on my website: http://www.allewismusic.com

This month has already seen me rack up two more support slots in Bristol and Cardiff supporting Anaïs Mitchell and Kitty, Daisy and Lewis respectively. Two completely different acts but equally mesmerising in their own ways - check out Anaïs's latest offering 'Hadestown' featuring contributions by a plethora of great acts such as Ani Di Franco and Bon Iver (Justin Vernon).

Thanks for reading and see you soon (I'm off to Welford-on-avon for tonight's show)

Al x

 

Vinyl, Record Store Day & New Welsh Album

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Hello again
I'm writing this blog as we make our way steadily back to London on the megabus having spent a few days back in Wales promoting the release of the new Al Lewis Band record - Ar Gof a Chadw (meaning 'to keep in memory')
http://www.sainwales.com/store/rasal/rasal-cd033
Me and Arwel went into BBC Wales/Cymru HQ in Llandaff, Cardiff on Monday to do a radio interview for the lovely Dafydd & Caryl show on Radio Cymru. We then followed that later in the day with a performance of 'Darlun' on the S4C show Wedi7. It's always a nice feeling to see your record in the shops and it's strange to think that these songs which are so familiar to us will be heard by some people for the very first time in the coming weeks! We hope you like it :)

A few weeks back we were in with Huw Stephens doing an acoustic session to promote the new album, you can listen to it online here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radiocymru/c2/safle/sesiynau/cynnwys/2011_al_lewis.shtml

I also had the pleasure to be asked to do a Living Room session for the guys at tuckshop community radio a few weeks back- there's a couple of videos up on YouTube from the session:

Here's their website:
http://tuckshopcommunity.com/?p=590

Last weekend saw me in Farnham, Surrey for Record Store Day. I did a short set outside 101 Collectors Records and was promoting the special release of 'the arsonist' on 7" vinyl especially for that day. I'm ashamed to say I don't yet own a record player and so had to wait till I got to the shop to make sure that they worked properly!! Thankfully they did and thanks to Andy the owner for inviting me down to play, I'm pleased to report that his shop seemed to be making a bustling trade throughout the day - which was good to see!
It's amazing to think that a whole month has gone by since I did the last of my Caffè Nero shows - last night I posted a whole bunch of new dates onto the gig section of my website so please have a look to see if you'll be able to come down to one, there's a mixture of acoustic solo shows and full band dates.
Should be a great summer! X

It's All Over Now, Baby Blue

To quote one Robert Allen Zimmerman...
It feels weird to think that as I write this that I won't be doing any more Nero shows. They've been such a prominent part of my life for the past month that it's become a bit like second nature to me now, my average day would typically consist of -
a) Load Car - Type into Sat Nav the Nero postcode for the day
b) Load-into Caffè (from as near as possible) - watching out for parking inspectors
c) Find nearest/cheapest available parking (not forgetting to pay!)
d) Go back to Nero - set-up gear
e) Perform
f) Get email addresses!! (to avoid manager's wrath)
g) Load out
h) Grab a take-away Caramel Latte and drive to hotel/home
....I know what you're thinking - how very rock n'roll :)

As I look back, my last week was typical of the whole tour really, there were some really memorable shows/places and some funny audience members!

I finished my last blog on my way to Hove. That was a good show, some people who had seen me with Ben Montague and Lotte Mullan at the Cellars in Eastney back in December had come along for the show which was nice to see. They had also learnt the words to most of the songs off 'In the Wake' which was an added bonus :)

The following day was my first day off in a while and I got to spend it watching Wales beat Ireland at rugby which is always nice (unless you're Irish of course!)

The next day it was off to Belfast and a 5am wake-up call to get to Gatwick in time to catch my flight. I always get a buzz when I go to the airport - the feeling of going somewhere new and exciting (even if it is only to Belfast ;)) I have to say the people of Belfast are some of the friendliest people I've had the pleasure of meeting, a year or so ago me and my oldest chum went for a 'lads' weekend away to Belfast on one of those 1p flight-deals and we had a wail of a time, drinking Guiness mainly....but yet again here the hospitality was top notch.
Upon arrival I headed to the BBC to do an interview/session for the brilliant Ralph McLean. Ralph's been a big supporter of the album and it was great to finally meet the man himself having heard him play me on the radio a few times. We chatted about all sorts of music from 'Drive by Truckers' new album to the Belfast music scene and Bruce Springsteen mentioning Pete Molinari...
The interview will be going out this Wednesday at 8pm
Listen online here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00z2n9g
Afterwards I headed to do my two shows there - again a lovely attentive crowd in the first one. Sadly at the 4pm show I had no amplification of any kind and though I tried an unplugged set it was clear from the off that it was a no-goer so I had to ditch that one! Nevermind - it was during my time there that I stumbled upon a review of Ron Sexsmith's latest offering "Long Player Late Bloomer". This record would be the soundtrack to my final week of Nero shows. It is a truly beautiful record and it isn't surprising to hear that he has drawn admiration from his peers (Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello are all fans!!)
So in every cloud....

And so I reached the final stretch of the tour and my six London shows!
Anyone who's done a London show will tell you they're always a bit peculiar, it's as if due to hectic way of life here everyone's that little bit less patient and therefore harder to please!!
I kicked off on Tuesday with Trafalgar Square - tourist central :)
and then duly followed that up with Camden on Wednesday, Chiswick on Thursday and Westbourne Grove on Friday. Not much to report on these shows really apart from the usual. It was, however, nice to see people there who'd made a specific effort to come out and see me and in turn made the whole thing seem a lot more worthwhile.

And so to Saturday and Piccadilly. The grand finale/swansong if you will...
To begin with I thought things were going to go really pear-shaped. Having unloaded the gear I duly went in search for a parking space..4pm was fast approaching and I was still in Soho crawling/weaving my way through a myriad of diversions and one-way streets. Luckily I managed to grab myself a parking spot and run back to the Nero only 5mins later than scheduled. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was not only very busy but that a lot of friends had also made the effort to come down. The show was a success and a perfect way to end the tour.

Which brings me to now and the question of what lies next in store??
Well, more gigs, conventional night-time ones now though me thinks.
Keep checking the website for more information.
So thank you if you've come along to one of the shows - it really has been a pleasure playing to you all, from Edinburgh to Hove to Cardiff to London, it's all been an enlightening experience. Hopefully I'll see you all again soon and next time you're in a Nero, listen out for me....!!

Al x

Regality - from Windsor to Wales and (Royal) Tunbridge Wells

To quote 'Ol' Blue Eyes' - "and now, the end is near..."

This week has seen me go up and down the M4 corridor starting on Monday when I was in Windsor, her majesty wasn't in that day unfortuneately so we had to reschedue our afternoon tea for another time. Perhaps in Balmoral I suggested... One is still awaiting her reply

The Nero itself was in the station concourse and seeing as it was a Monday afternoon was a bit quiet - nevertheless Sarah and myself had a good time and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

Tuesday saw us arrive in Bristol, my old stomping ground. I don't get to go back to Bristol as much these days but sufficed to say little has changed since I was there as a student. The first Nero we played was on Union St, just opposite the old Castle Park. We then headed up Park St to play the Nero opposite the Wills Memorial Building. I can't believe it's almost 5 years since I was standing outside there in my gown getting my degree, how time flies!

Wednesday and we were back home in Wales - it always warms my heart when I cross the Severn Bridge and see that sign 'Croeso i Gymru'.

The Nero opposite Cardiff Castle was pretty full and it felt like a 'proper gig' as some might say - a nice homecoming for both me and Sarah, that's for sure!

Which brings me to yesterday and Tunbridge Wells - I was intrigued as to why there was a 'Royal' in front of its name so I decided to look it up and this is what I got from Wikipedia - The prefix "Royal" dates to 1909, when King Edward VII granted the town its official "Royal" title to celebrate its popularity over the years amongst members of the royal family.^[20] Royal Tunbridge Wells is one of only two towns in England to have been granted this (the other being Royal Leamington Spa) - so there you have it - don't tell me these blogs aren't insightful :)

This was a strange old gig - I had the feeling that not many people were paying attention - one gentleman who sat right in front of me was wearing huge headphones which made me laugh. However after the set I was pleasantly surprised by how many people came and bought a CD so goes to show I guess you never can tell who is listening....!!

Today I'm in Hove and then tomorrow I have my first day off in 3 weeks!!! Here's to watching a Welsh victory in the rugby :)

I'll report to you tomorrow on how everything goes

 

The Blues (light v.s dark) and the two ronnies

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Oxford v.s Cambridge
Hello Wetherspoons my old friend, what is it about when me and Sarah are together that makes us gravitate to the nearest branch (hint: free wi-fi)...
At least we are getting great comic comfort from the name of this one - the four candles (see Two Ronnies sketch to see what I mean)
Friday saw me in Cambridge and another glorious one-way system experience awaited me - I swear the people at TomTom are having a right laugh sending me this way and that - believe me the hilarity wears off pretty quickly - even the parking attendants seem to feel sorry for me!! The Nero on Market St wasn't the greatest but I consoled myself in the knowledge I'd be going home that night. Though it was only a short stop-over in Herne Hill it was good to be home and in my own bed for the first time in two weeks. Yesterday I was in Reading, playing at the Oracle shopping centre. A bit of a logistical nightmare this one too, but it was a good gig and there were some familiar faces in the audience including my old friend Adam who used to drum in my old band 'Sexy Russian' not my name choice I hasten to add ;) Afterwards I picked up Sarah from the station and we headed to her friend Ruth's house in Oxford. Later I had a scrumptious steak at the Turnpike pub in Yarnston and a few glasses of Cab Sav/Shiraz before we hit the hay.
Which brings us to today and Oxford - it was my first gig with Sarah since Liverpool and it was good to have her on hand to help me navigate the Oxford roads. We played twice today finishing off playing downstairs in the High St branch to a large collection of students and Italian and Japanese tourists - and now we're here in the Four candles, or should that be Fork Handles.....

From St David to St John

Here I am in the beautiful city of Norwich - home to 52 churches (some dating back to medieval times) this picture is of the cathedral of st John the baptist and it's also the view from my window!!
Going back to Tuesday and I was heading to Bath at the end of my last blog, there to greet me when I arrived was mother dearest as she'd taken the train from Cardiff to come make sure I was doing OK and eating properly, as all mothers like to do from time to time! Also after the gig she treated me to a nice slap up meal in town (thanks Mum). Following day I headed over to Nottingham - I was staying in a guesthouse that looked and smelt like Bates motel from the film Psycho - thankfully this owner didn't have a penchant for mass-murder, nevertheless I made sure my door was securely locked before I went to bed!
Which brings us to today and Norwich - I must confess to having a soft spot for Norwich, something about this place and the people really appeals to me. After the gig I went and grabbed a bite to eat with a friend at Take 5 - I ordered Veg Chilli and initially they brought a Beef one over - because of the mix up I got it for half price and got a free coffee, see what I mean - nice people!

The Midlands and St David's Day

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus / Happy St David's Day!

Here's my friend Jock Davies - The half-welsh/half-scottish bengali tiger from Edinburgh (check out his bison slippers)

I trust you all have something Welsh planned for you to do today :)

May I suggest perhaps making Delia's Welsh Cakes - http://bit.ly/bpl1jd Jamie Oliver's Slow roasted shoulder of lamb - http://bit.ly/en5UyR or perhaps his Leek & Potato soup - http://bit.ly/dQd7fv

So I'm in Birmingham this morning preparing to head to Bath for today's Caffe Nero show. On Sunday I was in Leicester and I have to stay the staff there were very friendly, here's a picture of them:

....I also met Andre who's a local filmmaker who took a video of the gig and he's going to be posting it online soon so I'll keep you posted! Yesterday I played at the Bullring Nero first which was a bit of a struggle as I had to lug all my gear from the car up to the 3rd floor manoevring my way past lethal buggy/pram wielding parents! I then moved on to the Harborne branch which was much nicer and then had a lovely evening with my friends at the pub called the Junction - few bottles of Shiraz later and we retired back to their place all a bit squiffy!

War of the Roses - The First 1000 miles

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Greetings from Mansfield, my stopover for the night. It's been a manic few days since my last post. Thursday I was in Sheffield, playing the Nero outside the beautiful town hall. This was the day I was also joined by Sarah Howells (Paper Aeroplanes) and we proceeded to spend most of the day & night leaching off free wi-fi from whichever Wetherspoons was nearest - we got cabin fever in the end and had to retire to our hotel!!
Friday saw us arrive in Liverpool - home to the greatest football team on earth ;-)
Another city were my tomtom decided to send me down bus lanes! At the Bold st Nero we met a lady whose eclectic music tastes made us feel shamefully inadequate - Lupe Fiasco, Janelle Monae & Al Lewis!!
In the evening I bid farewell to Sarah and went to meet up with an old friend from Abergele and discuss LFC and a possible homecoming gig. Which brings us to today....
Manchester - quite possibly the best day so far, it seemed like the traffic/parking gods were smiling on me for once! Both gigs went really well, sold plenty of copies of 'in the wake' and got to see some old friends who I first met during my year living in Toulouse back in 2005!!
Plus Wales won in the rugby
All in all a good day - which brings me to Mansfield and the 1000 mile juncture of the tour...right time to go 'match of the day' is starting....

Goodbye Scotland, Hello North East England

Day 2 & 3 - Newcastle and Leeds
So we left Edinburgh on Tuesday morning our stomachs filled with delicious porridge (check out Hula off Greenmarket) and proceeded to head south to Newcastle. It was another good gig and people seemed to enjoy themselves. Yesterday was my first attempt at two shows in a day, bit stressful, especially when you have to manoeuvre your way through Leeds' crazy one-way system. It was also to be my first unplugged set as the power socket in the Albion place Nero was faulty!! Nevertheless everyone was friendly and helpful! Parking is a bit of a nightmare though!! I finished off the day by heading to Blackburn for an interview on BBC Radio Lancashire with John Barnes - alas not the ex-footballer unfortunately! Next stop Sheffield....

And so it begins....

Well that was fun! After all the build-up, I'm now finally up and running on this Caffè Nero tour. Edinburgh, though cold has been a great starting point.
The Scots are always friendly and the Lothian Rd crew were no exception! Now for some dinner...

Coffee & Music

Happy New Year!!
I'm pleased to announce that next month will see the start of my Caffe Nero tour, I'll be venturing out to Nero stores across the UK. Things kick off on the 21st Feb in Edinburgh. The rest of the dates can be seen below, ending up in London on the 19th of March.
Free tickets will be available online, please visit http://www.eventim.co.uk/allewis from the end of January to find out more about tickets for your nearest venue.

Look forward to seeing you 'on the road'....

Al x